Katy, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Katy city limits, building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits come from the City’s Permit and Building Services Division at City Hall, and applications, payments and inspection requests run through the City’s Civic Access Site. A new home is charged $0.35 per square foot, plus a plan-check fee equal to half the permit fee and a $30 application fee, and inspections requested before 4 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day.

What requires a permit in Katy?

The City requires a permit for most construction and property improvements. Its own list:

The building permit does not cover the trades: electrical, plumbing, heating and air conditioning, flatwork and irrigation each need a separate permit.

Who handles permitting in Katy?

The Permit and Building Services Division administers permits, coordinates plan review and inspects construction inside the city limits, which take in parts of Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties. Land outside the city falls to the county it is in, although the City requires irrigation permits in its extraterritorial jurisdiction too.

Plan review and inspections for the Texas Heritage Marketplace development are handled by SAFEbuilt, the City’s third-party provider; there the City only checks contractor registration and the building, water and sewer tap applications.

Civic Access accounts, forms and contractor registration

Register on the Civic Access Site (Guest, then Register) with the email address the City already has from your contractor registration or a past permit. Each company may hold only one account and shares it among its superintendents. Anyone can search public permit records without an account, with limited detail.

Applications must be complete and signed by the licence holder where one is needed. Forms not yet in the portal, such as the building permit, certificate of occupancy, flatwork and culvert, floodplain, house moving, HUD-code manufactured home, sign and right-of-way construction applications, are emailed to katypermits@cityofkaty.com.

Contractors register with the City before pulling permits: the registration application, a driver’s licence, any state licences, and certificates showing at least $300,000 of general liability insurance (naming the City of Katy as certificate holder) and auto insurance. Registration costs $200 and lasts 12 months; renewals can be done in Civic Access.

Katy building permit fees

Fees are set in Appendix A of the Katy Code of Ordinances (Ordinance 3001, adopted September 27, 2021). Pay online or in person by cash, check or card; card payments carry a convenience fee of 3.95% or $3, whichever is greater.

For example, a 2,500 sq ft house is $875 for the permit, $437.50 for plan check and $30 for the application, or $1,342.50 before trade permits.

Commercial plan check is also half the permit fee. Work started without a permit pays double fees, and permits expire after 180 days.

Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits in Katy

Each trade permit carries the $30 application fee plus its own charges under Appendix A:

Surveys and plans Katy asks for

Homes: a licensed surveyor’s form survey is required for residential slabs, and a final as-built survey before the certificate of occupancy. Both show lot, block, subdivision and recording data, setback lines, every structure’s footprint with distances to property lines, driveways, patios, sidewalks and all easements. The finished floor must be at least 12 inches above the centerline of the front street, 18 inches above the top of curb or 12 inches above the base flood elevation, whichever is highest, and the survey must cite the FIRM panel (48473C0375E for the Harris and Waller sides, 48157C0015J for Fort Bend).

New commercial buildings: the Commercial Plan Submittal Requirements checklist asks for the commercial building application, floodplain development, flatwork and dumpster enclosure applications, temporary utilities, and separate water and sewer tap applications for each meter. Architectural plans must be sealed by a Texas architect, structural and MEP plans by a registered design professional, at 1/8 inch scale on sheets of one size, with COMcheck reports. Commercial design must meet a 130 mph wind speed.

How to get a Katy building permit

Katy inspections

All inspections are requested in Civic Access. Requests made before 4 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.; later requests are scheduled within two business days. You may ask for a morning or afternoon window, but exact times are guaranteed only for residential and commercial final inspections. Foundation and final inspections cannot be booked until the Permit Office has approved the required documents, such as the form or final survey. To cancel, email katypermits@cityofkaty.com by 7:30 a.m. on the day.

Work that is not ready or does not comply is turned down. A yellow tag can be re-inspected free within 10 days ($50 after that); a red tag costs $50 for the first re-inspection and $25 more for each one after. The re-inspection fee must be paid before it is booked.

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

Katy official resources

• City of Katy Permit and Building Services
• Katy Civic Access Site
• Katy applications and forms
• Katy building permit application (PDF)
• Commercial Plan Submittal Requirements (PDF)
• Katy contractor registration
• Scheduling inspections in Katy
• Katy survey requirements
• Katy adopted construction codes
• Katy permit and inspection fee payments
• Katy Code of Ordinances, Appendix A fee schedule

Katy building permit FAQs

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

$0.35 per square foot, plus a plan-check fee of half that amount and a $30 application fee. A 2,500 sq ft house comes to $1,342.50 before trade permits.

Do I need a permit for a shed or storage building?

Yes. A building without a concrete foundation is $25; one on a slab under 500 sq ft is $50 plus $0.08 per sq ft, plus the $30 application fee.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Katy?

Yes. A residential re-roof permit is $15 plus the application fee; other buildings are priced on the commercial valuation table.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Through the Civic Access Site. Requests before 4 p.m. are inspected the next business day between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Do contractors have to register with Katy?

Yes. Registration costs $200 a year and needs proof of at least $300,000 in general liability insurance naming the City as certificate holder.

What codes does Katy use?

The 2021 International Building, Residential, Fire, Energy, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Property Maintenance and Swimming Pool and Spa codes, NFPA 101 (2021) and the 2023 National Electrical Code (Ordinance 3116).

How high must my slab be?

At least 12 inches above the street centerline, 18 inches above the curb or 12 inches above base flood elevation, whichever is highest.

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