Inside Keller, Building Services at Keller Town Hall issues building and trade permits, and since June 17, 2024 every application, contractor registration and payment has gone through the City’s Enterprise Permitting & Licensing system. Before any building permit is issued, the property must have an approved final plat on file. Residential permits are priced by construction value, starting at $23.50, and inspection requests close at 7 a.m. on the day of the inspection.
What requires a permit in Keller?
A permit is needed to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building, to change its occupancy, or to install or change electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems. Keller also requires separate permits for:
Separate permits
- Above-ground and in-ground pools, spas and hot tubs
- New fences, and replacement fences of 8 linear ft or more
- Signs
- Irrigation systems and backflow devices
- Retaining walls over 3 ft tall
- Tree removal and grading not done under a building permit
- Solar panels and wireless facilities
- Any work in the public right-of-way, usually from the curb to the sidewalk
Exempt, per the City
- One-story detached accessory buildings of 120 sq ft or less
- Sidewalks outside the right-of-way, driveways, and decks no more than 30 in above grade
- Painting, flooring, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work
- Prefabricated pools less than 24 in deep
- Playground equipment at one- and two-family homes
- Residential roof repairs that do not include decking
A water heater replacement does need a permit. Homeowners may do their own work on a homestead they own and live in, as long as nobody else is paid, but still need the permit.
Who handles permitting in Keller?
Building Services, part of Community Development, reviews plans, issues permits and inspects construction in Keller, which lies wholly in Tarrant County. Platting questions go to Community Development (817-743-4130, communitydevelopment@cityofkeller.com), and fire sprinkler and suppression permits go through the Fire Department.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Item | Keller detail |
|---|---|
| Office | Keller Town Hall, 1100 Bear Creek Parkway, Keller, TX 76248 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 770, Keller, TX 76244 |
| Phone and email | 817-743-4110, buildingservices@cityofkeller.com |
| Hours | Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Town Hall is closed on Fridays |
| Applications | Enterprise Permitting & Licensing (permits pulled before June 17, 2024 stay in eTrakit) |
Permit types, owner affidavits and contractor registration
The City’s Permit Requirements page sets out a checklist for each record: backflow, certificate of occupancy, demolition, fence, irrigation, new commercial, commercial remodel, commercial accessory, pool, new residential, residential remodel or addition, residential accessory, solar panel and wireless permits. A contractor applying for an owner must attach a notarized Owner Affidavit, pools need a notarized House-Pool Protection Device Certification, and some uses need a Specific Use Permit approved first. Contractors register in the same system for $50 a year.
Plans and permits are reviewed in the order received, and review does not start until the application is complete and its application fee is paid.
Keller permit fees
Residential new construction, additions, alterations and accessory buildings are charged on construction value under Section 1 of the City’s fee schedule. Commercial work uses the same table plus 65% of the building permit fee for plan review, with value based on the ICC building valuation data.
| Construction value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $23.50 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $23.50 + $3.05 per additional $100 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $69.25 + $14 per additional $1,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $391.25 + $10.10 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $643.75 + $7 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $993.75 + $5.60 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,233.75 + $4.75 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $5,608.75 + $3.65 per additional $1,000 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →For example, a house valued at $300,000 is $993.75 plus 200 x $5.60, or $2,113.75 for the building permit.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| In-ground pool / above-ground pool, spa or hot tub | $500 / $50 |
| New fence / replacement fence | $50 / no charge |
| Irrigation | $50 residential, $100 commercial |
| Demolition, moving, sign or temporary building | $50 each |
| Manufactured home, including utility connection inspections | $100 |
| Grading or tree removal without a building permit | $25 per residential lot, $100 per commercial lot |
| Miscellaneous electrical, mechanical or plumbing permit (no building permit) | $50 |
| Certificate of occupancy (no building permit) | $50 |
| Re-inspection, after a second failure for the same item | $50 each |
| Supplemental plan review after approval | $50 per hour (2-hour minimum residential, 3 commercial) |
| Contractor registration | $50 per year |
New-home fees, including impact fees, are due when the application is approved and the permit is issued; on commercial jobs the plan review fee is due at submittal.
Trade permits and fire protection
Commercial electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are each priced by floor area: $35 up to 500 sq ft, $50 up to 1,499, $75 up to 1,999, $100 up to 2,499 and $125 up to 2,999, then $125 plus $20 for each additional 1,000 sq ft over 3,000. Stand-alone trade jobs, such as a water heater or a gas line to a pool, are $50 when no building permit is involved. A gas water heater in a garage must sit at least 18 in above the floor.
Homes with more than 6,000 sq ft of conditioned space need a fire sprinkler system, and an addition that takes an existing house past 6,000 sq ft triggers a sprinkler retrofit of the whole house. Commercial buildings over 6,000 sq ft need a fire suppression system, permitted separately through the Fire Department.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What to submit
New homes (sheets no larger than 24 x 36 in): elevations and roof plan showing materials, floor and electrical plans, irrigation sprinkler plans, a tree survey marking every quality tree over 3 in caliper (or a signed letter if there are none), a site plan with square footages for the house, accessory buildings and paving, a grading plan that matches the subdivision master grading plan or is prepared by an engineer, the Keller Residential Energy Compliance Path Form, and an engineer’s sealed foundation letter and plan designed to the 2021 IRC. Where city sewer is not available, a Tarrant County-approved septic permit is also needed.
Accessory buildings and additions: the same plans, with a grading plan for additions of 500 sq ft or more and an engineered foundation for 400 sq ft or more. New commercial buildings: the City Council must approve a site plan before a building permit application can be made, and the plan set is filed as PDFs; remodels need an asbestos survey of the area being remodeled.
Local design values are 90 mph wind (fastest mile), exposure B, a 5 lb/sq ft roof snow load, seismic category A and a 6-inch frost depth.
How to get a Keller building permit
Even tracts that match Tarrant Appraisal District records need an approved final plat on file before a permit.
Set up the company in Enterprise Permitting & Licensing and pay the $50 annual fee.
Use the requirement sheet for your permit type, and add the Owner Affidavit if you are applying for the owner.
Pay the application fee; review starts only once everything is in.
Residential fees, including impact fees, are paid at issuance.
Book inspections in the portal; finish the Customer Service Inspection with Public Works before the final where plumbing supply or irrigation was affected.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Keller inspections
An inspection can be booked only once the permit is approved, issued and fully paid. Monday to Thursday, requests and cancellations must be in before 7 a.m. on the inspection day; a later cancellation must be phoned to 817-743-4110 by 8:30 a.m. Town Hall is closed on Fridays, but inspectors still work: request a Friday inspection by noon on Thursday and cancel it by email by 8:30 a.m.
Repairs and unit replacements at occupied homes, such as water heaters, gas line repairs and HVAC change-outs, are inspected between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the scheduled day. A re-inspection fee of $50 applies only once an item has failed more than once. Heavy rain cancels outside inspections such as foundations and plumbing rough-ins, and the contractor must request them again. New homes and major remodels that affect the water supply or irrigation need a Customer Service Inspection (Public Works, 817-743-4080) before the final can be booked.
Keller rules for sheds and fences
Accessory buildings: those of 120 sq ft or less need no permit but must be at least 5 ft from side and rear lines, out of easements and no taller than 10 ft. Larger ones need a permit; a lot may have no more than two, their combined area must be under half the size of the house, and they may be up to 15 ft tall. Buildings over 200 sq ft must be brick, stone or match the house, metal walls are allowed only for barns in SF-36 zoning, and anything over 400 sq ft or 10 ft high needs an engineered permanent foundation.
Fences: pool barriers must be at least 4 ft high with self-closing, self-latching gates and openings no wider than 4 in. Fences beside parks, open space and drainage ways must be wrought iron or tubular steel, and barbed wire or pipe fencing is allowed only for farming on undeveloped land over 2 acres. Replacing 60% or more of a non-conforming fence brings it up to current standards.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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
Keller official resources
- City of Keller Building Services
- Keller permit requirements by permit type
- Keller Building Services fee schedule
- Keller inspection scheduling rules
- Keller inspection information and Enterprise Permitting & Licensing
- Keller Building Services FAQ
- Keller adopted codes and ordinances
- New residential permit requirements (PDF)
- Residential accessory permit requirements (PDF)
- Fence permit requirements (PDF)
- Owner Affidavit (PDF)
- Keller energy code
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Keller building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Keller?
It depends on construction value: $23.50 for jobs up to $500, rising through a sliding scale. A $300,000 house is $2,113.75; commercial work adds 65% for plan review.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Keller?
Not for a one-story building of 120 sq ft or less, though it must stay 5 ft from side and rear lines and under 10 ft tall. Anything larger needs a permit.
Do I need a permit for a fence?
Yes for any new fence and for replacing 8 linear ft or more. A new fence permit is $50; replacements are free.
Why does Keller ask for a plat?
The City will not issue a building permit unless an approved final plat is on file, even for tracts that look legal in appraisal district records.
Can I get an inspection on a Friday?
Yes. Town Hall is closed, but Friday inspections are done if requested by noon on Thursday.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Keller?
Yes, for work on a homestead you own and live in, provided you do the work yourself without paying anyone else.
Which codes does Keller use?
Since February 25, 2022, the 2021 International Codes, the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code and the 2020 National Electrical Code.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Keller permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.