Greenville, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Greenville city limits, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, pool and accessory-building permits come from the Permits & Inspections division of Community Development at 2315 Johnson St., which takes applications through its EnerGov portal, by email or in person. Homes and residential remodels are charged $0.50 per square foot plus 10% for trades under the fee schedule posted October 1, 2026, and inspections requested by 3:00 p.m. are made the next business day.

What requires a permit in Greenville?

A permit is needed to build, enlarge, alter, repair, replace, remove or install any building or structure. The City’s own packets add these specifics:

Fence work that keeps the same height, location and type and replaces less than half of the fence is treated as a repair and needs no permit.

Greenville building department: who handles permitting

The Permits and Inspections division of Community Development receives and reviews every building permit application and inspects construction on private property within the city. At the end of a job, Public Works inspectors check water and sewer connections and the driveway approach, Community Development checks the site against the approved site plan, and the Fire Marshal’s Office handles fire code permits and fire system approvals. Land outside the city limits is unincorporated Hunt County and is not covered by these City permits.

Applications, contractor registration and homeowner permits

Each kind of work has its own packet: residential new build, residential remodel, accessory building, new building, pool, re-roof, fence and retaining wall, generator, solar, irrigation, repair, demolition, driveway, right-of-way and Certificate of Occupancy. Applications go through the EnerGov portal or to inspections@greenvilletx.gov, or in person with 3 paper copies of the plans. Applications missing required plans are not accepted, and each one must give the contact details of the contractor who will be on site.

Contractor registration: plumbing, electrical, mechanical, irrigation, sign, LP gas and pool contractors register with the City before permits are issued or inspections made. The master licence holder fills in and notarises the application and sends it with the state licence, photo ID and a liability insurance certificate of at least $300,000 naming the City as holder. Registration is free for electricians, plumbers, mechanical and pool contractors and $100 a year for irrigation, sign and LP gas contractors, and it expires on the same date as the insurance. On new homes, each trade signs the Signature Verification Form to be tied to the project.

Homestead permits: a homeowner can pull a mechanical, electrical or plumbing (water and sewer, not gas) permit for work done personally on a home they own, occupy and claim a homestead exemption on, by filing the notarised Homestead Homeowner’s Affidavit with a state photo ID.

Greenville permit fees

Fees come from the City fee schedule posted on October 1, 2026, the date the City said its new and increased permit fees took effect.

Water and sewer taps are paid to GEUS: a 3/4-inch water tap is $1,750 ($3,050 with a street cut), a 1-inch tap $1,900 ($3,200), a sewer tap of 4 inches or less $1,600 ($2,900), and a meter set $525. Water, wastewater and roadway impact fees under Ordinance 22-040 are assessed when the permit is reviewed and collected when the building permit or water meter is issued; owners that are 501(c)(3) non-profits get a 75% reduction. A rezoning, variance or conditional use case is $300, and a plat is $200 plus $5 per lot plus a $73 filing fee.

Trade and fire permits

On new homes and remodels the fee schedule adds 10% to the building fee for the trades, and each licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical master signs the Signature Verification Form; stand-alone trade repairs take a $50 repair permit. Temporary power moved to the permanent service before the final, usually for no more than two weeks, needs its own electrical permit. Every exterior air-conditioning unit must have locking refrigerant caps.

The Fire Marshal’s Office approves fire alarm and sprinkler systems, restaurant fire protection systems and flammable liquid or LP gas storage, and since May 1, 2017 it has required third-party plan review for certain projects. New or relocating businesses and changes of ownership are asked to book a pre-development meeting with Community Development first.

What to submit for a new house

• New home application, including the TDLR registration number when construction is over $50,000
• Signature Verification Form signed by the electrical, plumbing and mechanical masters
• The builder’s list of options for that address
• Designer’s certification letter that the plans meet the adopted codes and regional amendments (additions and alterations under 1,000 sq ft are exempt)
• Structural engineer’s sealed letter and engineered foundation plan
• Energy report and energy compliance form
• Site plan with the footprint, north arrow, setbacks, actual distances to every line, easements, driveway, approach, sidewalk and proposed foundation elevation
• Floor plans with room names and square footage, elevations with material quantities, an electrical plan with GFI outlets and smoke and CO alarms, and framing, ceiling joist and rafter plans

Incomplete submittals are rejected. An accessory building needs a site plan with distances, its size and value, and plans showing materials; a fence needs a site plan with the fence’s location, height and material; a pool needs a survey, a plan with distances marked, the barrier fence detail and any HOA approval. A permit becomes void if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days.

How to get a Greenville building permit

Inspections in Greenville

Request inspections in EnerGov, by email or by phone (903-457-3160 or 903-457-3161) with the business name, address or permit number and inspection type. Requests made by 3:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day and later ones for the second business day; same-day inspections ended on December 1, 2022. Inspectors work 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and after-hours, weekend or holiday inspections need a written request at least 72 hours ahead and the Building Official’s approval. A re-inspection fee can take up to 24 hours to process before the re-inspection can be booked.

A new house normally goes through initial erosion control, temporary pole, plumbing rough with the form board survey (sealed by a registered surveyor and showing the proposed final drainage), foundation, the “second” inspection of framing, electrical rough, ductwork and plumbing top-out together, brick ties or sheathing before any siding, flatwork, temporary utilities, and plumbing, mechanical, electrical and building finals. Third-party inspection is required for spray foam insulation, and since August 1, 2026 a duct leakage test report must be filed before finals are scheduled.

Every site needs a visible address and an 8 ft by 8 ft trash box, and the address and the complete brick, siding or stucco must be in place before the temporary utilities inspection. Driveway approaches may not exceed a 12% slope and city sidewalks 2%. Construction is allowed Monday to Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

After the building final, Certificate of Occupancy inspections can be requested; the engineering check takes up to 48 hours. For a business, review and inspections generally take three working days in a new building and two in an existing one, and utilities are not connected until the CO is approved. Changes of owner or occupant in a single-family home need no CO.

Local Greenville rules that matter

Fences: up to 8 ft in a back yard and 48 inches in a front yard, where the fence must be at least 50% open. Posts must be metal, set in holes at least 18 inches deep and 6 inches wide, and the fence must not block drainage. Fences around pools must meet pool barrier rules and are inspected.

Accessory buildings: they keep the house’s front setback, sit at least 3 ft from side lines, alleys and easements (10 ft beside a side street) and at least 10 ft from the rear line where there is no alley or easement.

Pools: the water’s edge stays at least 5 ft from the rear and side lines, the plan must keep a 1:1 ratio from the water’s edge to the foundation of the house or any other structure, and no pool may sit in an easement.

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

Greenville official resources

• Greenville Permits & Inspections
• EnerGov self-service permit portal
• Greenville fee schedule, October 2026 (PDF)
• Residential New Build Packet (PDF)
• Contractor registration packet (PDF)
• Homestead homeowner’s permit affidavit (PDF)
• Fence and retaining wall packet (PDF)
• Accessory building packet (PDF)
• New pool packet (PDF)
• Greenville certificates of occupancy
• Fire Marshal forms and fire code permits
• Impact fee ordinance 22-040 and study (PDF)

Frequently asked questions

How much is a building permit for a new house in Greenville, TX?

$0.50 per square foot plus 10% for trades under the October 2026 fee schedule, plus the park fee, impact fees and the water and sewer taps.

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

Yes for a new fence, a change of height, location or type, or replacing half or more of a fence ($25), and for any accessory building of 100 sq ft or more.

Does a roof replacement need a permit?

Yes. Every roofing project needs a permit, at a flat $50, and the permit must be posted where it can be seen from the street.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

For mechanical, electrical and water or sewer plumbing work on a home you own, live in and claim a homestead exemption on, yes, with the notarised Homestead Homeowner’s Affidavit. Gas work is not included.

When will my inspection happen?

Requests made by 3:00 p.m. are inspected the next business day; later requests go to the second business day.

Which codes does Greenville enforce?

The 2018 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Fire and Energy Conservation Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code, with local amendments.

Do I need a Certificate of Occupancy?

Yes for a new building, a business moving into a space, and a change of owner or occupant in commercial or multi-family property. The application is $50 per building.

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