Inside the Town of Horizon City, the Building Services Department at Town Hall, 14999 Darrington Road (915-852-1046), issues construction permits and inspects the work, with applications filed through the Town’s SmartGov portal. The Town now builds to the 2021 International codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code, residential permits carry a 15% review fee and a 5% technology fee, and inspections must be requested by 4:00 p.m. the day before.
What needs a permit in Horizon City?
The Town’s FAQ says most home improvements need a permit, and Horizon City has removed several of the 2021 IRC’s and IBC’s “work exempt from permit” items. The residential application lists the work Building Services permits:
Homes
- New homes and additions
- Attached and detached garages, and garage conversions
- Storage sheds and other accessory structures
- Porches, decks, pergolas and concrete slabs
- Fences, rock walls and retaining walls
- Driveways and sidewalks
- Re-roofs and exterior siding or veneer
- Wrought-iron bars on windows and doors
- Swimming pools and spas
Commercial and other
- New buildings, shell buildings and apartment complexes
- Commercial additions and tenant improvements
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work (a separate permit for each)
- Landscaping and irrigation
- Signs, including political signs
- Security alarms
- Site grading and clearing on new commercial sites
Who issues permits in Horizon City?
Building Services handles construction permits, business permits and inspections for the Town. Applications go to the Building Official, who checks the plans against the zoning ordinance and the technical codes and normally approves or rejects an application in writing within 30 days. Commercial site plans also go to the Fire Marshal, and water and sewer service comes from the Horizon Regional Municipal Utility District, not the Town.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Office | Details |
|---|---|
| Building Services | Town Hall, 14999 Darrington Road, Horizon City, TX 79928; 915-852-1046; fax 915-852-1005 |
| Inspection line | 915-852-1875 |
| Town Hall hours | Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch); closed Fridays |
| Fire Marshal (commercial site plans) | 14151 Nunda Ave.; 915-852-8400 |
| Horizon Regional Municipal Utility District | 915-852-3917 |
The Town’s permit ordinance says permits issued outside its legal boundaries are charged the Town’s fees if inspections are requested; its pages do not set out which areas that covers. Unincorporated land around the town is in El Paso County.
SmartGov, application forms and contractor registration
Building Services takes applications through its SmartGov online portal, and the forms are also posted as PDFs: residential, commercial plan review, tenant improvement, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, sign, political sign, swimming pool and spa, landscaping and irrigation, security alarm and garage sale. An Affidavit – Appointment of Representative form is used when someone applies for the owner. Approved permits must be picked up within 30 days.
Contractor registration: general, electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors, irrigators, fire sprinkler and sign contractors and trash haulers register with the Town every year before they can get permits. The application asks for the El Paso County assumed name certificate, state licences, a certificate of general liability insurance and a blanket construction bond of at least $10,000. The base fee for a general registration is $75, and adding or changing details costs $40. A Contractor Permit Authorization Form names the employees who may pull permits and request inspections.
Electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors must show a valid licence with each permit; the Town keeps copies on file for subcontractors who work in Horizon City regularly.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Horizon City permit fees
Permit fees follow the fee schedule adopted by the Town Council, and no permit is issued until they are paid. The schedule itself is not posted online, but the Town’s 2024 application forms set out how a permit is priced:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Minor work needing one inspection (siding, fences, re-roofs, sheds, driveways and similar) | $70 minimum |
| Minor work needing two inspections | $140 and up |
| Other projects | Valued from the ICC building valuation data and charged under the zoning ordinance fee appendix |
| Residential plan review | 15% of the permit fee |
| Commercial and pool plan review | 35% of the permit fee |
| Technology fee | 5% |
| Pool or spa engineering review deposit (plans needing review) | $120 |
| Work started before a permit | Double the permit fee |
| Re-inspection after a red tag | $65 |
| Permit extension (90 days) | $50 |
| Replacement permit card | $35 |
| Returned check | Amount plus $30 |
Commercial permits can also carry engineering and site development fees, and applicants pay any attorney, engineering review and publication costs the Town incurs on their application, invoiced separately and due within 30 days.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Plans and documents to submit
New home or addition
- Two sets of dimensioned plans
- Site plan with distances to lot lines, and the plat of survey
- Elevations of all four sides and a wall section
- Plumbing, mechanical and electrical floor plans
- Floor framing plan for multi-storey homes
- Roof framing plan, with truss specifications sealed by an engineer
- Foundation plan; a post-tension design must be engineer-sealed
- Materials description and REScheck, meeting the 2021 IECC
Commercial site and building
- 3 copies of the detailed site development plan, one digital and one letter-size copy, sealed by an engineer or architect
- Proof that 3 site plan sets went to the Fire Marshal
- Building plans with MEP sheets sealed by a Texas architect or structural engineer
- Utility commitment letters (Horizon Regional MUD, El Paso Electric, Texas Gas Service, AT&T)
- Receipt of plan submittal to Horizon Regional MUD
- Project letter and any zoning conditions or special contracts
After commercial approval, the project may also need a grading and clearing permit, the trade permits, and a TCEQ notice of intent or construction site notice 7 days before work starts. Pool applications must show the required 6-foot fence, and pool work over $15,000 needs plans.
Rather not deal with the Horizon City building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a building permit in Horizon City
File the annual Contractors Registration Application with the bond and insurance, and list who may pull permits.
Use the residential, commercial, tenant improvement or pool form, plus a separate electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit for each system.
Upload the application and plan sets in the Town’s SmartGov portal, stating the full construction value including labour and materials.
Respond to review comments; a decision normally comes within 30 days, and an application not pursued is abandoned after 180 days.
Pay the permit, review and technology fees, and collect the permit and its building card (a lost card costs $35 to replace).
Begin work within 180 days, call 915-852-1875 for each inspection the day before by 4:00 p.m., and request a $50 extension if the job runs past 12 months.
Inspections in Horizon City
Building Services inspects construction in the town. Call 915-852-1875 to book or cancel an inspection; requests must reach the Town by 4:00 p.m. on the day before. Work that is not ready or not compliant is red-tagged, and no further work is allowed until the $65 re-inspection fee is paid.
A permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 180 days of issue or stops for 180 days, and every permit expires 12 months after issue unless the Building Official grants a written extension of up to 90 days for a $50 fee. Sites producing a lot of rubbish must keep a trash container on the premises and be cleaned daily.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Horizon City adopted the 2021 International Building Code and 2021 International Residential Code on March 12, 2024 (Ordinances 0300 and 0301), and its 2024 application forms cite the 2021 codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code. The Building Services web page still mentions the 2009 IRC; the code adoption and the forms are newer.
Horizon City official resources
- Horizon City Building Services
- SmartGov online application portal
- Residential permit application (PDF)
- Commercial plan review and building permit application (PDF)
- Swimming pool and spa application (PDF)
- Contractors registration application (PDF)
- Horizon City Code of Ordinances
- Residential code adoption (2021 IRC)
- Zoning ordinance permit procedures
Horizon City permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Horizon City?
The Town’s Building Services Department at Town Hall, 14999 Darrington Road (915-852-1046).
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What building code does Horizon City use?
The 2021 International Building and Residential Codes, adopted in March 2024, with the 2020 National Electrical Code. The department web page still refers to the 2009 IRC.
How much does a small permit like a fence or re-roof cost?
Work needing one inspection starts at $70, and work needing two inspections at $140, plus the review and 5% technology fees.
Do I need a permit for a fence, shed or driveway?
Yes. The residential application lists fences and rock walls, storage sheds, driveways and sidewalks as permitted work.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 915-852-1875 by 4:00 p.m. the day before. A failed inspection is red-tagged and costs $65 to re-inspect.
Is Town Hall open on Fridays?
No. Town Hall is open Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed for lunch from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
How long is a Horizon City permit valid?
Work must start within 180 days, and the permit expires 12 months after issue unless extended.
Simplify Horizon City 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.
Ready to break ground in Horizon City sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Horizon City permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Horizon City permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.