In Duncanville, the City’s Permit & Inspection Services department at City Hall, 203 E. Wheatland Road, issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, and applications are filed in the Citizen Access Portal. Under the adopted FY 2025–26 fee schedule a new house of 1,001 to 2,000 sq ft costs $3,000, trades and inspections included, plus a $300 plan review fee, and new-home plans take about three weeks to review.
What requires a permit in Duncanville?
The City asks for a permit before anyone builds, remodels or enlarges a building, and for many smaller improvements. Its own list:
Permit needed
- New buildings and additions
- Accessory buildings of 120 sq ft or more or 13 ft or taller, including sheds, gazebos, carports and patio covers
- Remodels that add or replace walls or windows
- Shingle replacement and re-decking
- Decks, driveways, patios, walkways and other flatwork
- Foundation repair, at any cost
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work, water heaters and water softeners
- Water, sewer and gas service lines, and lawn sprinklers
- New fences, and repair of 25 linear feet or more
- Retaining walls 4 ft or higher
- Pools and spas, demolition, and replacing exterior brick
No permit needed
- Painting, wallpaper, carpet, cabinets and trim
- Replacing light fixtures on existing wiring
- Replacing plumbing faucets
- Replacing existing siding
- Repairing pickets on 24 linear feet of fence or less, or replacing up to four posts
- Accessory buildings under 120 sq ft and under 13 ft high
Carports also need a Specific Use Permit, and a garage conversion must leave two unenclosed paved parking spaces plus a garage, porte cochere or approved carport.
Who issues permits in Duncanville?
Permit & Inspection Services reviews plans, registers contractors, issues building and trade permits and inspects construction throughout the city. Kurt Kasson is the Building Official. Fire alarm, sprinkler and spray booth systems are permitted through the Fire Prevention Office, and the Zoning Board of Adjustment hears appeals of the Building Official’s decisions.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Permit & Inspection Services |
| Phone and inspection line | 972-780-5000 |
| permits@duncanvilletx.gov | |
| Office | City Hall, 203 E. Wheatland Road, Duncanville, TX 75116; Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Building Official | Kurt Kasson |
| Fire Prevention Office | 972-780-5049 |
| Backflow inspections | 972-780-4946 |
Citizen Access Portal and contractor registration
The Citizen Access Portal handles permit and planning applications, business licences, payments by card or eCheck, and inspection requests. After you create an account, each application runs through seven steps: location, permit type (with description, square footage and valuation), contacts, extra questions, attachments, signature and review. The portal will not let you continue with a required document missing, and answers cannot be changed after submittal. Paper applications are still accepted at City Hall.
Every contractor must be registered with the City before working. Fence, concrete, sign, landscape irrigation and solar contractors pay $150 to register as general contractors and need $1,000,000 of liability insurance on projects over $50,000. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors register with a driver’s licence and their state master and contractor licences.
Homeowners may do their own electrical, plumbing or HVAC work only if they do it themselves. Pool permits require a homestead exemption before the owner can do the electrical or plumbing, and an owner may install a water heater after living in a homestead home for more than one year.
Duncanville permit fees (FY 2025–26)
Resolution No. 2025-536, adopted on September 16, 2025, set the fees below from October 1, 2025. New-home and remodel fees are flat amounts by size and include all trade permits and required inspections.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home, addition or ADU up to 1,000 sq ft | $1,800 |
| 1,001–2,000 sq ft | $3,000 |
| 2,001–3,000 sq ft | $4,000 |
| 3,001–4,500 sq ft | $4,900 |
| 4,501–6,000 sq ft | $5,700 |
| Plan review: single-family, duplex or ADU / addition | $300 per building / $150 |
| Remodel with no added area: up to 1,500 / 1,501–2,500 sq ft | $875 / $1,375 |
| Remodel: 2,501–4,500 / 4,501–6,000 sq ft | $1,575 / $1,775 |
| Re-roof (shingles) or roof decking | $150 each |
| Fence | $125 |
| Accessory building over 120 sq ft (no trades) | $250 |
| Foundation repair | $200 |
| Driveway, sidewalk or patio concrete | $0.50 per sq ft, $250 maximum |
| Permanent pool / above-ground pool | $500 / $75 |
| Solar, generator or battery storage | $300 |
| Water heater, electrical, plumbing or HVAC repair | $125 each |
| Demolition | $150 per building |
Work done without a permit pays double, and an expired permit is re-issued for half the cost of a new one. After the first re-inspection, each further re-inspection for the same uncorrected items is $150, an inspection with no listed fee is $100, and after-hours inspections are $100 an hour with a two-hour minimum. A Certificate of Occupancy is $200.
Commercial new buildings are charged by area, from $4.00 per sq ft for the first 1,500 sq ft tier down to $0.85 for buildings over 500,000 sq ft; commercial remodels run from $2.00 down to $0.50 per sq ft. Commercial plan review adds 50% of the permit fee, due at application.
The City’s fee web page still shows a proposed rate of $1.10 per sq ft for new homes, and some project pages quote older trade and fence amounts; the adopted resolution above is the later document.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
For new homes and remodels, trade work is included in the building permit fee. Stand-alone jobs are permitted separately: an electrical repair or service upgrade, a plumbing repair, a water heater, underground sewer, gas or water line work, a gas test or a residential HVAC repair is $125 each, including one inspection, with further inspections $100 each. A new HVAC system is $125 per system and a new landscape irrigation system $175.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →To restore power, a licensed master electrician sends the City a signed statement on letterhead that the system is in working order, and the City then releases the property to Oncor. For gas, a master plumber pulls a gas test permit and requests the inspection; once it passes, the City releases the service to Atmos Energy. Irrigation systems need a backflow device tested by a licensed tester, booked on 972-780-4946.
Fire alarm and sprinkler plans go first to one of the City’s four approved third-party reviewers, then to the Fire Marshal for approval and permit; the installer books the acceptance test at least 48 hours ahead.
Plans to submit and review times
New home, remodel or addition
- Building permit application
- Exterior elevations
- Door and window sizes, with photos of the UL labels for tempered windows
- Foundation plans sealed by a Texas engineer, with a certified letter
- Framing and roofing details
- Electrical and plumbing plans showing fixtures and outlets
- Concrete dimensions, thickness and rebar spacing
Smaller projects
- Accessory buildings: two copies of a survey with setbacks, drawings of the structure, and an engineered foundation and energy form for larger units
- Fences: a survey showing the fence, property lines and the house, with height and materials
- Pools: plans approved by the electric provider for overhead wire clearance, a survey with setbacks, and a P-trap drain to the sewer
- Retaining walls 4 ft or higher, and foundation repairs: plans sealed by a Texas PE
Plan review takes about three weeks for a new home, remodel or addition and about two weeks for most other residential work; residential pools take one to two weeks and commercial pools two to three. Foundation repair permits can usually be issued the same day. The fee is paid once review is complete, and work may begin after payment.
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Get a free quote →How to get a Duncanville permit
Accessory buildings are capped by lot size (400 sq ft in total on lots up to 10,000 sq ft), sit at least 5 ft from side and rear lines and stay out of easements; carports need a Specific Use Permit.
Create a Citizen Access Portal account; contractors register with their licences and insurance before applying.
Choose the permit type, enter square footage and valuation, list the contractors and upload the required plans.
The City notifies you when review is done; allow three weeks for a new home.
Pay the permit fee in the portal; the permit is valid for six months, and the Building Official can extend it on a written request.
Request each inspection by 4:00 p.m. for the next business day and keep the approved plans on site.
Inspections in Duncanville
Request inspections in the Citizen Access Portal or on the inspection line, 972-780-5000, by 4:00 p.m. for the next business day. Give the address, inspection type, a contact and whether you want the morning (9 a.m. to noon) or afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) window; staff must approve the request, and the preferred slot is not guaranteed. Results are left on site and posted in the portal, so the City asks you not to call for them.
A new home is inspected at plumbing rough, framing, electrical rough, plumbing top-out, mechanical ducts and condensate drains, energy code, the electrical, mechanical and plumbing finals, and the water and sewer service lines. Foundation repairs close with a final engineer report emailed to permits@duncanvilletx.gov.
Every business in a commercially zoned district needs a Certificate of Occupancy before moving in. After the $200 application and the building, health and fire inspections, the certificate is ready 7 to 10 days later; fire inspections are booked by appointment on 972-780-5047.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Local Duncanville rules
Driveways and right-of-way: a new drive approach needs a right-of-way permit, and contractors working in the right-of-way register as utility contractors with a $2,000 paving bond. Contractors pouring on private property register as general contractors.
Fences: maximum height 8 ft, no sheet metal, and a string line is required for the permit.
Storage pods: no more than two permits a year, 15 days each, at $50.
Commercial demolition and renovation: an asbestos survey by a licensed Texas inspector goes in with the permit application.
Codes: the 2021 International Codes, including the property maintenance and fire codes, and the 2023 National Electrical Code were adopted on October 23, 2025.
Texas building code
Texas has no single statewide building code: state law makes the International Residential Code the base code for homes in cities and the International Building Code the base for commercial buildings, with each city choosing the edition and its own amendments, while the National Electrical Code and the energy code apply statewide. Outside city limits most counties issue no building permits for homes. Texas building code rules
Duncanville permit resources
- Duncanville Permit & Inspection Services
- Citizen Access Portal
- Permits & applications and portal guide
- FY 2025–26 Master Fee Schedule (Resolution 2025-536)
- Residential development guidelines
- Commercial development guidelines
- Building inspections and adopted codes
- Fire permitting
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
How much is a building permit for a new house in Duncanville?
It depends on size: $3,000 for 1,001 to 2,000 sq ft and $4,000 for 2,001 to 3,000 sq ft, with trades and inspections included, plus a $300 plan review fee.
Do I need a permit for a fence, shed or roof in Duncanville?
Yes for a new fence ($125), a re-roof or decking ($150) and a shed of 120 sq ft or more ($250). Smaller sheds under 13 ft high need no permit.
How long does plan review take?
About three weeks for a new home, addition or remodel and about two weeks for most other residential projects.
What is the inspection cut-off?
4:00 p.m. for an inspection the next business day, in the morning or afternoon window you request.
Can a homeowner do their own electrical or plumbing?
Only if they do the work themselves; pool trade work requires a homestead exemption, and a water heater may be installed by an owner who has lived in a homestead home for more than a year.
How long is a Duncanville permit valid?
Six months from issue. The Building Official can extend it on a written request, and an expired permit is re-issued at half the original cost.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Duncanville permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.