Highland Village, Texas Building Permit Guide

In Highland Village, the City’s Building Inspections & Permits Department at the Municipal Complex, 1000 Highland Village Road (972-899-5093), reviews plans and issues building and trade permits; most applications take up to 10 business days. A new home costs $0.48 per square foot plus a plan review fee of 50% of the permit fee, and only City-registered contractors can use the online portal for trade and roofing permits.

What needs a permit in Highland Village?

A permit is needed before building, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building, changing its occupancy, or installing or changing electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems. The City’s own examples:

Accessory buildings over 200 sq ft must meet the zoning ordinance’s masonry rules. Chain-link and woven-wire fences are not allowed, and only split-rail and similar fences may go in a front yard, with City approval.

Who issues permits in Highland Village?

Building Inspections & Permits enforces the structural, building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical codes inside the city, through plan review before a permit is issued and inspections afterwards. The City asks owners to contact the department before starting any construction to find out whether a permit is needed. Planning & Zoning, on the same phone number, handles zoning requests, plats and site plans, and the City’s development fees apply in the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Applications, the portal and contractor registration

Building, certificate of occupancy, electrical, irrigation, mechanical and plumbing applications are printable forms filed at the permit counter. The online portal accepts only plumbing, roofing, mechanical, irrigation and electrical permits, and only from contractors whose City registration is current. Plumbing permits are now offered only through the portal and paid with PayPal; the permit is emailed once staff review it. Payment for any permit can also be made in person.

Contractor registration runs for the City’s fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) and must be done in person. The registration form lists a $150 fee, reduced to $100 if renewed by October 31, with $200,000 of liability insurance for builders, electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors, $100,000 for pool builders and a $5,000 performance bond for irrigators. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical subcontractors on a commercial finish-out must each be registered and pull their own permit.

Homeowners: the City’s FAQ says work at a residence is done by a licensed contractor registered with the City, with exceptions for owners: you may do electrical work on your own house under the adopted electrical code (with a permit where one is required), install your own irrigation system if a registered backflow tester tests the assembly, and do other work with proof of a homestead exemption. HVAC unit replacements must be done by a registered contractor who pulls the permit first. A contractor doing the work should pull the permit, although the owner remains responsible for making sure it is obtained.

Highland Village permit fees

Building permit fees follow the structure Council adopted on June 11, 2019 (effective May 21, 2019) to comply with that year’s state law on permit fees.

A new 3,000 sq ft home is $1,440 for the permit and $720 for plan review. Work started without a permit is charged an investigation fee equal to the permit fee, on top of the permit itself.

Non-residential work is charged on construction value, for example $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000, with plan review at 65% of the permit fee. A non-residential certificate or change of occupant is $40. Water and sewer impact fees are set by meter size, with maximums of $2,495 for water and $2,501 for sewer on a 3/4-inch meter.

What to submit with each application

Every application also needs a digital PDF copy, and the City may ask for more.

Smaller jobs have their own lists: a fence needs 2 stamped surveys with the fence location, height and length; a pool needs 3 plan sets stamped by the electric company, 3 surveys, a notarized letter saying where the dirt will be hauled outside the city, and a letter signed by the homeowner and pool contractor; a retaining wall 4 feet or taller needs engineer-prepared plans and an engineer’s letter on completion. Generator permits need a site plan, the manufacturer’s details, photos of the existing service, a one-line diagram, Article 220 load calculations and the gas line sizing.

How to get a building permit in Highland Village

Scheduling inspections in Highland Village

Every permit needs inspections, booked by phone on 972-899-5093. Calls before 9:00 a.m. go on that day’s morning run (9 a.m. to noon); calls between 9 a.m. and noon go on the afternoon run (1 to 4 p.m.); calls after noon go on the next day’s morning run. Have your name and phone, the contractor’s name and phone, the address, the date and the type of inspection ready.

Inspections are not scheduled while fees are owed or the permit is expired or suspended. A re-inspection can be charged when the work is not ready or corrections were not made. An application stays active for 180 days, and a 180-day extension can be requested at the standard fee. After-hours emergency work must be permitted on the next business day.

Lake Lewisville and flood rules

Under Ordinance 2011-1100, no development is allowed in the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and development near it must be raised at least 2 feet above the flood elevation. Properties along Lake Lewisville also carry a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flowage easement up to 537 feet above sea level, and any change inside that easement needs a Corps permit as well as City approval.

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

Highland Village’s Code of Ordinances adopts the 2015 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Existing Building and Property Maintenance Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code, with local amendments (Ordinance 2016-1211).

Highland Village official resources

• Building Inspections & Permits
• Do I need a permit for that?
• Permit application forms
• Information requirements for permits
• 2019 building permit fee structure (PDF)
• Online permit portal
• Contractor registration form (PDF)
• Permit duration
• Scheduling an inspection
• Building permits and inspections FAQ
• Development fee schedule
• Water and sewer impact fee schedule
• Floodplain administration
• Highland Village Code of Ordinances

Highland Village permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Highland Village?

$0.48 per square foot plus a plan review fee of 50% of the permit fee, so $2,160 for a 3,000 sq ft house before trade permits and impact fees.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Highland Village?

Yes, every fence needs a $75 permit with 2 stamped surveys. Chain-link and woven fences are not allowed, and front-yard fences are limited to split-rail styles.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. A re-roof permit is $100, and registered roofers can apply online.

How long does permit review take?

Up to 10 business days in most cases when the application is complete; the City phones you when it is approved.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Highland Village?

The City’s FAQ allows homeowners to do their own electrical work and irrigation (with a registered backflow tester), and other work with proof of a homestead exemption. HVAC replacements need a registered contractor.

How do I get a same-day inspection?

Call 972-899-5093 before 9:00 a.m. for the morning run or before noon for the afternoon run.

How long is a permit good for?

Work must start within 180 days of issue, and most permits expire 180 days after issue or the last inspection.

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