Friendswood, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Friendswood’s Community Development Department, at City Hall, 910 S. Friendswood Dr., issues building permits throughout the city, in both its Galveston County and Harris County parts, and the process is entirely online. Plan review averages 5 to 7 working days, a new home is charged $0.40 per square foot of air-conditioned space plus a plan check fee of half that amount, and the 2024 International Codes and 2023 National Electrical Code apply to permits from March 1, 2026.

What requires a permit in Friendswood?

A permit is needed to build, move, add to or structurally alter any building or structure. The City’s own examples and help documents cover:

Friendswood building department: who handles permitting

Community Development’s Building Inspection Section is the approval authority for building plans and inspections; appeals go to the Construction Board of Adjustment. Plans for the Fire Marshal’s review are submitted through Community Development too.

Online filing and contractor registration

Paper permits have been phased out. Create an account in the portal (Log In, then Sign Up, then confirm by email) to apply, pay and schedule inspections; several people, such as the owner, contractor and architect, can be added to one job. The City publishes videos on first sign-in and on submitting a building permit.

• Contractor registration: upload a general liability certificate of insurance for $1,000,000 naming the City of Friendswood, Community Development, as certificate holder, and your state trade licence.
• File standards: PDF (or JPG for small jobs) only, searchable, not password-protected, no larger than 250MB per file and no PDF portfolios. Commercial plans go in as two multi-page files, civil and architectural (with structural and MEP), bookmarked by sheet number; a new home uploads one documents file (ResCheck or Manual J and the electrical load analysis) and one plans file, and resubmittals keep the same name with the revision number raised (Rev001, Rev002).
• Generators and solar: since September 1, 2025 home generators and solar panels go through the City’s third-party permit: a qualified third party approves the plans and the installation, and the City still issues the electrical permit (plus a plumbing and gas permit for a generator).

Friendswood permit fees

Fees are set in Appendix D (Schedule of Fees) of the City’s Code of Ordinances, last amended in December 2025. Every non-trade permit also carries a non-refundable $40 issuance fee.

For example, a new house with 2,500 sq ft of air-conditioned space and a 500 sq ft garage has a $1,150 building permit, a $575 plan check fee and the $40 issuance fee, $1,765 in all before trade permits, meter and impact fees. The miscellaneous residential permits (fences to generators) carry no plan check fee, and card payments add up to 3%.

A 1-inch water meter costs $457.50, and water and sewer impact fees for that meter are $1,675 and $3,721 ($5,396 in all). Meter fees took effect on December 4, 2024 (Ordinance 2024-41) and impact fees on January 8, 2024 (Ordinance 2024-02); Public Works (281-996-3380) prices meters above 6 inches.

Trade permits and fire review

Trade permits are pulled in the same portal by contractors registered with their state trade licence. A new home’s plan set must include a Manual J and mechanical layout, an electrical load analysis, a plumbing drain and vent riser diagram and a gas riser diagram showing appliance BTUs, total BTUs and pipe lengths. Solar panels need the utility’s transfer switch approval as well, and commercial plans are checked against the Fire Marshal’s Fire Code Review Sheet.

Documents for a new home or commercial building

Building Inspection staff check each application for completeness and code compliance, which takes 5 to 7 working days on average depending on the permit type, the quality of the submittal and workload.

How to get a Friendswood building permit

Inspections in Friendswood

Schedule inspections in the portal or by calling 281-996-3201 before 5 p.m. the day before; there are no same-day inspections without the Building Official’s approval. A list of required inspections comes with the permit, and the owner or general contractor is responsible for calling them in the right order.

For a new home the City lists the T-pole, ground plumbing and sanitary sewer (a 10 ft head of water for at least 15 minutes), water and sewer taps inspected by Public Works, piers, form survey, slab, cover, brick tie, electric and gas meters, driveway and sidewalk, and final. Paperwork gates the sequence: the surveyor’s sealed form survey before the slab inspection, the windstorm inspector’s sealed letter (and Elevation Certificate #2) before cover inspections, and final energy documents (and Elevation Certificate #3) before the final. The elevation certificates apply to lots in Flood Zones A or AE. No one may occupy the house or move furniture in before the Building Official’s final approval.

Windstorm and flood rules

Friendswood’s design wind speed is 143 mph (Vult) in both counties. Windstorm inspections must be done by a Texas Department of Insurance Appointed Qualified Inspector, because the state does not recognize windstorm inspections by city inspectors; this applies to every property in the city limits, whatever the county. The City notes that it faces storm surge from Galveston Bay and flooding from four major creeks, and it takes part in FEMA’s Community Rating System.

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

Friendswood official resources

• Friendswood Online Permits & Inspections
• Friendswood permit portal
• Inspections & Permits
• Permitting help documents
• New home permit requirements (PDF)
• New home inspection list (PDF)
• Commercial building requirements (PDF)
• Electronic submission standards (PDF)
• Water meter and impact fee list (PDF)
• Code of Ordinances Appendix D, Schedule of Fees
• Third-party generator and solar permits (PDF)
• Friendswood floodplain information

Friendswood permit FAQs

Can I apply for a Friendswood permit on paper?

No. The City’s permitting is 100% online, including contractor registration, payment and inspection requests.

How long does plan review take in Friendswood?

An average of 5 to 7 working days, depending on the permit type, the quality of the submittal and workload.

Do I need a permit for a fence, shed or driveway?

Yes. The City lists fences, storage buildings, driveway replacements, generators, irrigation systems and swimming pools among the work that needs a permit.

Who does windstorm inspections in Friendswood?

A Texas Department of Insurance Appointed Qualified Inspector, who sends a sealed letter to the City before cover inspections can be scheduled.

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

$0.40 per square foot of air-conditioned space and $0.30 for the garage and other unconditioned space, plus a plan check fee of half that amount and a $40 issuance fee. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are $200 each for a home under 5,000 sq ft.

How much are water and sewer impact fees?

For a 1-inch meter, $1,675 for water and $3,721 for sewer, plus $457.50 for the meter itself.

Which codes apply in Friendswood?

From March 1, 2026, the 2024 International Codes with local amendments, the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2024 NFPA Life Safety Code.

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