Fate, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Fate’s Building Inspections office at 1900 CD Boren Parkway (972-771-4601 ext. 101) issues building permits inside the city, and applications, contractor registration and inspection requests all go through MyGov. A new house costs $0.94 per square foot, with electrical, plumbing, mechanical and inspections included, plus a plan review fee of 10%.

What requires a permit in Fate?

Fate’s fee schedule and requirement sheets show which jobs it permits. Its FAQs say outright that fence replacement, sheds and other accessory buildings, foundation repair and water heater replacement all need one.

Electrical, plumbing or mechanical work that is not part of a building permit has its own $75 permit.

Fate building department: who handles permitting

Building Inspections (the City’s Building Safety department) reviews plans, issues building permits, registers contractors and inspects work inside the Fate city limits, applying the 2021 International Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code with City amendments. Fate is in Rockwall County, and the City’s permits cover property inside the city limits. Fire sprinkler and fire alarm permits are priced on the same City fee schedule.

MyGov accounts, contractor credentials and applications

Everything starts in MyGov: create a contact account, use Request Access to add the City of Fate, confirm the email the City sends, then choose Make New Request and search for the contractor credential or the permit type you need. Plans and documents are uploaded as PDFs on the request’s documents tab.

Contractor registration: anyone paid to build, alter, repair or demolish a structure in the city must register first, including general, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, irrigation, sign, pool and home repair contractors. Registration lasts a year and needs a driver’s licence, any state licence the trade requires, and proof of general liability insurance of at least $500,000. It costs $75 a year and $25 to renew; electrical and plumbing contractors are exempt from the fee but must still register. The City publishes a list of registered contractors in MyGov.

Homeowners can pull their own permits. An owner working on the home they live in as a homestead does not have to register, but any contractor they hire does.

Fate permit cost

Fees are set in Appendix A of the City code (Article II, last amended in June 2024) and printed in the City’s Building Permit Fees sheet. A new-house permit covers the electrical, plumbing, mechanical, temporary power pole and temporary utility work, and the residential rate includes the inspections.

For example, a 2,500 sq ft house has a $2,350 permit fee and a $235 plan review fee. Commercial values are checked against the ICC building valuation data.

Work done without a permit is charged twice the permit fee. Water meter, water, sewer and roadway impact fees and park dedication fees are listed separately on the City’s Applications & Fee Info page.

Trade and fire permits in Fate

On a new house the electrical, plumbing and mechanical work rides on the building permit, but every subcontractor must be registered and named on the application before the City releases it. Stand-alone electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits cost $75 each. A water heater replacement needs a permit pulled by a licensed plumber, and when a foundation repair damages plumbing or adds a sump pump, a Texas master plumber or master electrician must take out the trade permit. Irrigation systems must be designed and installed by a Texas licensed irrigator, with a third-party backflow test handed in at the final inspection.

Houses of 5,000 sq ft or more must have an automatic fire sprinkler system on a separate permit. Sprinkler permits start at $275 for up to 100 heads and fire alarm permits at $150 for up to 25 devices.

What to submit

The lot must already be zoned for the use and platted as a lot of record, and review does not start until the whole package is in. For a new house, upload to MyGov:

• Plot or site plan with dimensions, setbacks, finished floor and pad elevations and lot grading
• Floor plan with every room labelled, and an electrical plan showing GFCI locations
• Foundation plan sealed by a Texas professional engineer, with the engineer’s letter saying it was designed for that lot
• Framing details, including the floor joist or truss plan and the wall bracing plan
• Elevations with the masonry veneer marked (at least 70% brick or stone unless the subdivision rules differ) and the elevation approval letter
• Energy code analysis, plus the fire sprinkler and irrigation plans where needed

A commercial package needs a recorded plat, a zoning check and approved site and civil plans first, then a hard copy and PDF of the full plan set with a code analysis cover sheet, energy compliance report, TDLR accessibility review evidence for projects over $50,000, an asbestos abatement letter and a special inspections form where required. A pool application needs the electric provider’s stamped plans, a site plan and an original notarized alarm letter; a foundation repair needs an engineer-sealed repair plan.

How to get a Fate building permit

Inspections in Fate

The general contractor requests inspections in MyGov by 4:00 p.m. on the day before. Cancel by 8:30 a.m. on the day or a fee may be charged. A re-inspection costs $75, a same-day re-inspection $125 (paid by 2:00 p.m.), and an after-hours inspection $65 an hour with a $130 minimum. The permit and the City-approved plans must be on site at every inspection, and the inspector can withhold inspections or red-tag a site that breaks the job-site rules.

A new house goes through the temporary power pole, piers, plumbing rough (with a form board survey uploaded), gas, foundation, framing and top-out, plumbing tests, insulation, drywall, electric and gas meter release, driveway and sidewalk, and final inspections. A pre-construction inspection of erosion control and site sanitation is needed before the City sets a water meter.

At the final, the house must be ready to move into and these documents must be on site and in MyGov: the third-party final energy certificate, the engineered foundation report, the termite treatment report, the final grading survey and, where there is irrigation or water treatment, a backflow test report. For a foundation repair, the engineer of record inspects first and sends the report, and the City then makes its own inspection.

A permit expires after 180 days if no work has been done; once work is under way and continues, it stays valid until the job is finished.

Local Fate details that matter

Driveways: residential driveways must be 8 to 17 ft wide, with a curb cut no wider than 27 ft, 6-inch approaches of 3,000 psi concrete with #3 rebar at 18 inches, and a slope of no more than 12%.

Pools: keep the pool at least 5 ft from side and rear property lines and from buildings with foundations (keeping a 1:1 slope from the foundation), out of easements, with equipment out of the front yard. A temporary fence at least 36 inches high must surround the work until the pool is finished.

Rentals: since January 1, 2020 every rental home must be registered with the City, at $150 per single-family unit a year.

HOA rules: the City does not enforce deed restrictions or HOA rules, so a project the City approves can still be blocked by the HOA.

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

Fate official resources

• Fate Building Safety (adopted codes, contractor list)
• Building Inspection FAQs
• MyGov portal for the City of Fate
• MyGov account, credential and permit instructions
• Single Family Building Permit Packet
• Commercial Permit Submittal Checklist
• Commercial and Residential Building Process
• Applications & Fee Info
• Building Permit Fees
• Code of Ordinances, Appendix A building and development fees
• Swimming pool and spa permit requirements
• Foundation repair requirements

Frequently asked questions

How much is a building permit for a new house in Fate?

$0.94 per square foot, which includes the trade work and inspections, plus a plan review fee of 10% of the permit fee and a $35 processing fee. A 2,500 sq ft house comes to $2,350 plus $235.

What permit system does Fate use?

MyGov. Contractors register for credentials, applicants file permits and upload plans, and general contractors request inspections there.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed in Fate?

Yes. A fence permit is $75, and a shed or other accessory building is $75 up to 200 sq ft, with $0.25 for each extra square foot.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes. An owner working on their own homestead does not need to register, but any contractor they hire must be registered with the City.

When do I need to request an inspection?

By 4:00 p.m. the day before, in MyGov. A re-inspection costs $75.

Can I get a building permit before the subdivision is accepted?

No. Early building permits are not released until the subdivision’s required improvements have been installed, inspected and accepted by the City.

Simplify Fate permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Texas. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fate permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.