The City of Forest Hill’s Permits Department at City Hall, 3219 California Parkway, issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits inside the city, and paper applications are emailed, mailed or brought in. A new home is charged $0.45 per square foot of living, garage and porch area plus a 25% plan review fee, and the City builds to the 2024 International Codes with the 2023 National Electrical Code.
What requires a permit in Forest Hill?
The City’s March 2026 Building Contractor Packet lists the permits it issues for construction:
Permit required
- New buildings, additions and remodels
- Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical (heating and air conditioning) permits
- Drive approaches and concrete or asphalt work
- Pools
- Storage, portable and accessory buildings over 200 sq ft, detached garages and carports
- Demolition and moving a mobile home in or out
- Fire building permit (commercial only), and fire alarm, sprinkler and hydrant meter work
- Floodplain development permit where the lot is in a mapped floodplain
- Grading, irrigation, signs, right-of-way and utility construction
Exempt
- Storage buildings under 200 sq ft
Renovation or demolition work needs an asbestos survey of the affected area with the application, and any job valued at $50,000 or more needs copies of its Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation documents. Grading of 50 cubic yards or less carries no grading fee.
Forest Hill building department: who handles permitting
The Permits Department reviews plans, issues permits and inspects construction throughout the city limits. Zoning, plats and the floodplain development application go through the separate Planning and Zoning office (817-568-3009), whose documents are paid for in person at City Hall.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Permits Department, City of Forest Hill |
| Address | City Hall, 3219 California Parkway, Forest Hill, TX 76119 |
| Phone | 817-806-4561 (permits and inspections) |
| permits@foresthilltx.org | |
| Planning and Zoning | 817-568-3009 |
Forest Hill applications and contractor registration
Forest Hill does not use an online portal. Download the application, fill in the original and return it by email, in person or by mail to the Permit Department; fees are then paid to the City.
- Contractor registration ($100): building, general, roofing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sign, irrigation and backflow contractors register with the City and show proof of liability insurance. Staff other than the master licence holder who apply for a permit must pay with a company check and carry a copy of the master licence.
- Subcontractors: the building contractor pays for all permits, but each subcontractor must register for the project, and no subcontractor inspection is done until that is complete.
- Home backup power and solar: the City publishes declarations for third-party plan reviewers and inspectors under Senate Bill 1202 for one- and two-family homes.
- Engineering review: under Ordinances 2019-07 and 2019-08, civil plan, plat and drainage reviews by the City’s engineering firm are billed to the applicant and paid before the permit is released.
Forest Hill permit fees
These figures come from the Master Fee Schedule printed in the March 2026 contractor packet.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home, addition, remodel or repair | $0.45 per sq ft (new homes count living, garage and porch area) |
| Detached garage, carport, accessory or portable building over 200 sq ft | $0.45 per sq ft |
| Commercial building | Valuation table, e.g. $1,000 for the first $100,000 plus $8 per extra $1,000 up to $500,000 |
| Plan review, residential | 25% of the building permit fee, $50 minimum |
| Plan review, commercial | 40% of the building permit fee, $150 minimum |
| Certificate of occupancy | $40 residential, $100 commercial |
| Re-inspection | $50 the first time, $75 after that |
| Inspection outside business hours | $65 per hour, 2-hour minimum |
| Drive approach | $65 |
| Swimming pool | $100 residential, $150 commercial |
| Demolition | $75 residential, $200 commercial |
| Permit renewal | 75% of the original permit fee |
| Work started without a permit | Double the permit fee |
For example, a new house with 2,000 sq ft of living, garage and porch area has a building permit fee of $900 and a plan review fee of $225, before trade permits and utility fees.
Forest Hill charges water and wastewater impact fees on the City of Fort Worth schedule plus a 10% administrative fee. For permits issued from October 1, 2026, a standard 5/8 or 3/4 inch meter carries $2,990 for water and $2,838 for wastewater. Water and 4-inch sewer taps cost $1,000 each, or $1,500 with a street cut.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical | $65 base fee; $0.10 per total sq ft for new buildings and remodels |
| Temporary pole / service upgrade | $50 / $100 |
| Plumbing | $65 base fee; $0.10 per total sq ft for new buildings and remodels |
| Mechanical, residential | $65 base fee; $150 per air handling unit |
| Mechanical, commercial | $65 base fee; $200 per air handling unit |
| Vent hood or duct work | $65 each |
| Backflow test | $60 |
| Homeowner lights-on inspection | $30 |
Each trade needs its own application and a registered contractor. Commercial projects also need the fire building permit, and fire alarm, sprinkler and fire hydrant meter work has its own City application.
What to submit with a Forest Hill permit
The City prefers electronic files; paper submittals need two copies of everything.
New home
- Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications
- Site plan with drainage arrows and grading, and elevations of all four walls
- Floor plan, building and foundation plans
- Energy code compliance document
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical plans
- Copy of the recorded plat or replat
- Floodplain development permit and checklist where they apply
Commercial
- The four trade and building applications
- Architectural, structural and MEP plans, with structural calculations sealed by a Texas engineer
- Floor plans showing each room’s use, area and exits; wall sections, elevations and roof framing
- Approved site plan
- COMcheck or other energy compliance proof
- TDLR accessibility project number and recorded plat
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Interior finish-outs add a plot plan with parking and the existing building, wall details and the asbestos survey confirmation. In residential districts the packet sets front yards of 30 ft (R-1) or 25 ft (R-2 to R-4), 20 ft side and rear yards, a 35 ft height limit and 80% masonry.
How to get a Forest Hill building permit
File the $100 Contractor Registration Application with licence and insurance details for the general contractor and each trade.
Confirm the lot is platted and whether it lies in a FEMA floodplain; Planning and Zoning handles replats, variances and the floodplain development application.
Fill in the building application (job address, lot, block, valuation, square footage and FIRM panel) plus each trade application.
Email the forms and plans to permits@foresthilltx.org, or deliver or mail two paper sets to City Hall.
Pay the permit, plan review and any engineering review charges; a permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days.
Book inspections by phone or email and finish with the certificate of occupancy.
Inspections in Forest Hill
Call 817-806-4561 or email the Permits Department to book an inspection. A failed inspection costs $50 to re-inspect the first time and $75 after that, and an inspection outside regular business hours is billed at $65 an hour with a 2-hour minimum. Subcontractors’ inspections are only performed once they have registered for the project. A certificate of occupancy closes out the job ($40 for a home, $100 for commercial space).
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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
Forest Hill official resources
- Forest Hill Permits & Applications
- Building Contractor Packet and fee schedule, March 2026 (PDF)
- Forest Hill adopted building codes (PDF)
- Building permit application (PDF)
- Contractor registration application (PDF)
- Forest Hill Planning & Zoning
Forest Hill permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a building permit for a new house in Forest Hill?
$0.45 per square foot of living, garage and porch area, plus 25% for plan review. A 2,000 sq ft total comes to $900 plus $225, before trade, CO and utility fees.
Do I need a permit for a storage shed in Forest Hill?
Not for a storage building under 200 sq ft. Larger accessory and portable buildings are charged $0.45 per square foot.
Does Forest Hill have an online permit portal?
No. Applications are downloaded from the City website and returned by email to permits@foresthilltx.org, in person or by mail.
Which building codes does Forest Hill use?
The 2024 International Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code with North Central Texas Council of Governments amendments, and the 2015 energy code.
How long is a Forest Hill permit valid?
It expires if work does not begin within 180 days, or if work stops for 180 days; renewal costs 75% of the original fee.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 817-806-4561 or email the Permits Department.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Forest Hill permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.