Forney, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Forney city limits, building and trade permits and certificates of occupancy come from the City’s Building Inspections Division at 101 E. Main St., and every application, contractor registration and payment goes through the City’s MyGov portal. Under the FY 2027 fee schedule a new house costs $0.95 per square foot, inspections included.

What requires a permit in Forney?

A permit is needed before any improvement or alteration to a property in the city. The City lists these common permits:

The City’s FAQs say a shed of 120 sq ft or less and a home security or alarm system do not need a permit.

Forney building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspections Division, part of Community Development, reviews plans, issues building permits and certificates of occupancy, inspects construction and enforces the fire code and food establishment rules. The Fire Marshal Division reviews and permits fire alarm and sprinkler systems.

The City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction reaches 1 mile beyond the city limits. There Forney regulates land division through its subdivision process, enforces the fireworks ban and tree preservation within 5,000 ft of the limits and can abate public nuisances, but zoning, land use and other City ordinances do not apply. Land outside the city is in unincorporated Kaufman County.

Applying in MyGov and registering contractors

Create a MyGov account as a “Collaborator”, then apply, upload plans, pay and track the permit online; the City publishes a filing tutorial on its application pages. Commercial plans go in through MyGov too, although the City may ask for several paper copies and a plot plan.

• Contractor registration: every contractor working in the city limits registers in MyGov before a permit is issued. General, electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors pay no registration fee; irrigators pay $30 and backflow testers $100.
• Plumbing work: a licensed master plumber registered with the City pulls the plumbing permit, including for a water heater swap.
• Home backup power: the City publishes an SOP and plan review and inspection certifications for third-party review of home backup power installations under Senate Bills 1202 and 1252.
• Card payments: fees on the City’s documents exclude online charges; the fee schedule sets a 3% card surcharge.

Forney permit fees (FY 2027)

For example, a new 2,500 sq ft house is charged $2,375. Commercial projects are priced on declared valuation, which the building official may ask you to verify. The City’s Certificate of Occupancy page still quotes a $150 fee; the FY 2027 Master Fee Schedule lists $100 plus a $55 fire inspection. Items such as re-roofing, demolition and storage buildings are listed there as minimum fees.

Trade and fire permits in Forney

Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and irrigation work each need a permit pulled in MyGov by a contractor registered with the City. Repairs to a gas line cost $50 and single-trade jobs $100 under the FY 2027 schedule. Fire alarm and sprinkler applications also go through MyGov to the Fire Marshal Division, which publishes its own sprinkler and alarm fee schedule; a business’s certificate of occupancy packet also books a Fire Marshal inspection.

Documents for a new house

Upload these digitally in MyGov, drawn to the 2021 IRC and 2020 NEC:

• Completed building permit application
• Architectural plans, with the garage swing matching the structural sheets
• Structural plans stamped by a licensed engineer
• Foundation letter stamped and signed by a licensed engineer
• 2021 energy compliance (Comcheck) report
• Fence plan

Approval of residential plans is void without the City’s plan review comments attached, which call for a surge protection device at the panel, a 10-mil vapor retarder under the slab, high-efficacy lighting and a two-way sewer cleanout within 30 inches of the house.

How to get a Forney building permit

Inspections in Forney

Request inspections on the voicemail line, 972-564-7380, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, giving the permit number, address, contact and inspection type. Requests in by 4:00 p.m. are inspected the next business day, and the City does not take online or email requests. (The Building Inspection page also lists 972-552-6655 for inspection requests.)

The residential checklist runs from the temporary pole, plumbing rough, water service, yard sewer and form board survey through foundation, flatwork, rough-ins, gas test, brick tie, sheathing and framing, to the finals, backflow test report, energy and termite letters, final grade survey, landscaping, building final and Fire ISO final. The form board survey must be on site at plumbing rough and the engineer’s concrete letter at framing. Covering work before it passes costs $50 per incident, a home cannot be occupied until the building and Fire ISO finals pass, and a failed Fire ISO inspection can bring a fine of up to $2,000 per violation.

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

Forney official resources

• Forney Building Inspection
• MyGov permit portal, City of Forney
• Residential building applications
• Commercial building applications
• Master Fee Schedule FY 2027 (PDF)
• Residential inspection checklist and plan review comments (PDF)
• Scheduling inspections
• Adopted building codes
• Certificate of occupancy
• Fire permits, guidelines and documents
• Forney extraterritorial jurisdiction

Forney permit FAQs

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

$0.95 per square foot under the FY 2027 Master Fee Schedule, with residential inspections included. A 2,500 sq ft house comes to $2,375.

Do I need a permit for a shed in Forney?

Only if the storage building is larger than 120 sq ft.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater in Forney?

Yes. A licensed master plumber registered with the City pulls a plumbing permit, and the work is inspected.

How do I schedule a building inspection?

Call the inspection voicemail at 972-564-7380 by 4:00 p.m. for a next-business-day inspection. Online and email requests are not accepted.

What does Forney regulate in its ETJ?

Subdivision of land, the fireworks ban, tree preservation and public nuisances. The City’s ETJ page says zoning, land use and other City ordinances do not apply there.

Which codes does Forney use?

The 2021 International Code series and the 2020 National Electrical Code, with local and NCTCOG amendments, in effect since January 1, 2023.

Simplify Forney 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 Forney permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.