Humble, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Humble Building Department at City Hall, 114 W. Higgins St. (281-446-6228), issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits inside city limits. Jobs that need plans are filed on paper with two full sets, and the plan review fee (half the permit cost) is paid when you submit. A house costs $50 plus $0.32 per square foot of floor space under roof.

What requires a permit in Humble?

Any residential or commercial building project needs a permit with plans. The Building Department gives these examples of work that requires a plan submission:

A floodplain development permit is often needed even when no construction permit is. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work each take their own permit, because the City requires one application per permit type.

Who handles permitting in Humble?

The Building Department reviews plans, issues building and trade permits, registers contractors and inspects work inside Humble city limits. Its fee schedule and plan packets are issued under Chief Building Official Ray Pearson. The City’s GIS map shows whether an address is inside the city; unincorporated land around Humble falls to Harris County.

Humble permit applications and contractor registration

Not every permit can be filed online. The iWorQ portal takes electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications, plat applications, right-of-way and construction permits, tent permits, underground fire line and commercial kitchen suppression permits, among others. Most permits that need plans are not available online and are submitted in person or by courier using the City’s Residential or Commercial Permit Application.

Contractor registration: contractors must register with the City before any permit is issued, though not before plans are submitted. Registration is done through the portal or on a kiosk in the Building Department; paper registration forms are no longer accepted. Remote applicants email a notarized letter of acknowledgement, the insurance certificate, any state master licence and a driver’s licence to permit@cityofhumble.net. Insurance must name the City as certificate holder, with at least $250,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $100,000 for property damage. The fee is $100 per calendar year (January 1 to December 31); responsible master plumbers, master electricians and some other trades are exempt from the fee. A licence holder who registers in person must do so personally.

Plats and civil plans: parcel changes need a plat, and commercial projects adding a structure or 50% or more to an existing one need a development plat first. The plat application and a PDF of the plat go in through the portal; civil plan review then runs through Public Works before the building permit.

Humble permit fees

These are the Building Department’s permit fees effective October 1, 2024. The plan review fee is half the permit cost and is due when plans are submitted.

For a house with 2,000 sq ft under roof, the building permit is $50 plus $640, or $690. Building fees round each fraction of $1,000 of value up, and trade fees each fraction of $100. Work started before the permit is issued is charged double the fees for all required permits, on top of any citation. Sewer capacity and water and sewer tap fees are paid separately to the Water Department before a building permit is issued.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Humble

The Building Department issues each trade permit separately, and each can be applied for in the iWorQ portal. Plumbing and mechanical work need state-licensed contractors, and electrical work needs a master and contractor licence. Humble enforces the 2018 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fire Codes, the 2018 energy code and the 2017 National Electrical Code.

Commercial electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are $50 plus $1 per $100 of value. Fire sprinkler, fire alarm, kitchen suppression, underground fire line, fuel tank, magnetic lock and tent permits are reviewed by the Fire Marshal’s Office, which inspects commercial and public buildings under the 2018 International Fire Code.

Plans and documents for a Humble permit

Pool and spa plans must show distances to fences, property lines and buildings, equipment and self-closing gates, an electrical load analysis, an isometric water line drawing and the heater’s BTU rating and gas line size. Houses are limited to 35 feet in height and commercial buildings to 65 feet.

How to get a building permit in Humble

Inspections in Humble

The contractor or the contractor’s staff requests inspections from the Building Department, and work may not be covered until it has been inspected. The City lists these residential inspections:

• Building and pools: slab and rebar, driveway rebar, gunite, brick ties, framing, ceiling cover and final
• Electrical: temporary pole, service, ground slab, underground, rough-in, wall cover, ceiling cover and final
• Plumbing: underground, sewer, rough-in, top-out, gas test and final
• HVAC: ceiling cover and final

Before a Certificate of Occupancy on new work, the City needs an elevation certificate and a 2018 energy code compliance letter from a third-party energy inspector, whom the builder names in a letter on company letterhead. Failed inspections cost $50, $75 and then $100 to repeat.

For a business, the Fire Marshal carries out a fire final first, then the building official does the building final and issues the Certificate of Occupancy. Every business needs a current CO in its own name; where there is no building permit, book the CO inspection with the Fire Marshal at 281-446-4928. Occupying a nonresidential building without one carries a $250 penalty and utility disconnection, and the CO notice allows fines of up to $2,000.

Local Humble rules that affect a project

Floodplain: a new or substantially improved house in the floodplain must have its lowest floor at least 2 feet above the 500-year flood level. Commercial buildings go 2 feet above the 100-year level and need a floodplain development permit before the construction permit; the City applies 1:1 mitigation up to the 500-year floodplain. Outside the floodplain, slabs must sit at least 12 inches above the nearest sewer manhole or the crown of the nearest street, whichever is higher.

Drainage and sites: sites of 1 acre or more, and renovations of 50% or more, need a detention pond. Silt fencing is required, and land clearing needs the state stormwater (SWPPP) permit posted on site. Driveway approaches need #4 rebar at 12-inch spacing in the first 10 feet.

Fire protection: new triplexes and larger residential buildings, and any building with a fire area of 5,000 sq ft or more, must be sprinklered. Fire lanes are at least 26 feet wide and hydrants no more than 300 feet apart.

Right-of-way: work in a City street or right-of-way needs a Right of Way & Construction permit, applied for in the portal.

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

Official Humble resources

• City of Humble Building & Inspection
• City of Humble online forms (permit applications and plan packets)
• Humble permit fee schedule (effective October 1, 2024)
• Humble Residential Plan Packet
• Humble Commercial Plan Packet (February 2026)
• Humble contractor registration requirements
• Humble Certificate of Occupancy notice
• Humble Fire Marshal’s Office
• Humble iWorQ permit and contractor portal

Humble permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Humble?

The City of Humble Building Department at City Hall, 114 W. Higgins St. (281-446-6228), for property inside city limits.

How much does a permit for a new house cost in Humble?

$50 plus $0.32 per square foot of floor space under roof, plus a plan review fee of half the permit cost and separate trade permits. A 2,000 sq ft house has a $690 building permit fee.

Can I apply for a building permit online?

Only some permits. Trade, plat, right-of-way and several fire permits go through the iWorQ portal, but most permits with plans are filed in person or by courier.

Do contractors have to register with the City?

Yes, before a permit is issued. Registration costs $100 per calendar year, with responsible master plumbers, master electricians and some other trades exempt from the fee.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Humble?

Yes. A residential fence permit is $50 plus $1 per 25 linear feet of fence.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The City charges double the fees for all required permits, in addition to any citation from Code Enforcement.

Does a business need a Certificate of Occupancy?

Yes. Every business needs a current CO in its own name; without a building permit, the Fire Marshal (281-446-4928) schedules the CO inspection.

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