The City of Lavon’s Building Inspection Department reviews and inspects every residential and commercial project inside city limits, and permits and contractor registrations are filed online in MyGov. A new home costs $1.03 per square foot under roof under the City’s FY 2025-26 fee schedule, and questions go to City Hall at 972-843-4220.
What requires a building permit in Lavon?
Lavon’s list is broad: almost any work to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or replace a building or its utility system needs a permit application, and the City says the list below is not complete.
Homes and yards
- New homes, room additions and remodels
- Accessory buildings and storage sheds
- Carports, patio covers and pergolas
- Decks
- Fences
- Driveway or patio extensions and other concrete work
- Swimming pools and spas
- Irrigation systems
- Roof repair
- Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work
- Demolition of a building, structure or pool
Commercial
- New buildings
- Finish-outs, remodels and additions
- Signs, permanent or promotional
- Fire alarm and sprinkler systems
- Parking lots and exterior lighting structures
- Certificate of occupancy
Starting work without a permit brings fines and higher permit fees. The only fence work without a fee is a minor repair under 10 feet in total.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in Lavon?
Inside city limits, the Building Inspection Department issues building and trade permits and inspects the work. Planning and platting go through the City’s land use staff, who also regulate subdivisions in Lavon’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Septic systems are no longer permitted by the City: Lavon has handed its septic authority to Collin County.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Building Inspection Department | City Hall, 120 School Road, Lavon, TX 75166 (PO Box 340); 972-843-4220; office hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Online permits | MyGov public portal: permits, contractor credentials and requests |
| Written questions and inspection requests | City contact form, “Permits & Inspections” department |
| Adopted codes (November 2024) | 2021 IRC, IBC, IECC, IPMC, IMC, IPC, IFGC and IFC with NCTCOG amendments; 2023 National Electrical Code |
| Water service | Bear Creek Special Utility District |
Applying in MyGov and contractor registration
Lavon takes permit applications and contractor registrations through its MyGov public portal, where you can apply for a permit, apply for a contractor credential and look up all permit activity at an address. General contractors and other trades pay a $50 annual registration fee; plumbers, electricians and mechanical contractors are exempt from that fee.
If a permit needs more time, the first extension request is free and the second or any later one costs 20% of the permit fee.
Lavon permit fees
Figures come from the City’s FY 2025-26 Schedule of Fees (Ordinance 2025-08-09, last amended February 17, 2026).
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home | $1.03 per sq ft under roof |
| Residential remodel | $1.03 per sq ft under roof, minimum $200 |
| Attached accessory use | $0.50 per sq ft, minimum $150 |
| Detached shell building under 100 sq ft | $50 |
| Detached shell building 100–150 sq ft | $150 |
| Detached building 150 sq ft or larger | 80% of the ICC Building Valuation Table value |
| Fence, first 100 ft | $50, plus $0.50 per ft beyond 100 ft |
| Roofing | $100 |
| Flatwork | $100 |
| In-ground pool / above-ground pool / spa | $400 / $50 / $100 |
| Plumbing or mechanical permit | $75 each |
| Irrigation sprinkler system | $150 |
| Demolition | $75 |
| Certificate of occupancy (home) | $50 |
| Fire sprinkler plan review, one- and two-family | $200 per review |
| Reinspection, second plan review, after-hours inspection | $75 per hour |
For example, a 2,500 sq ft home under roof has a building permit fee of $2,575. Commercial building permits are priced on project value: $200 up to $5,000, $200 plus $14 per extra $1,000 up to $25,000, and $944 plus $5.60 per extra $1,000 between $100,000 and $500,000. Commercial finish-outs are $350 plus the valuation-table amount, and a commercial certificate of occupancy is $100. A single-family sewer tap costs $5,000.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Trade, fire and septic permits in Lavon
The Building Inspection Department issues plumbing and mechanical permits ($75 each) and covers electrical work under the 2023 National Electrical Code. Signs cost $125, or $250 for an electrical sign. Fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems carry separate fire code fees: plan review and inspection are each priced on the installation’s value, from $50 for jobs of $1,000 or less, and a fire certificate of occupancy inspection is $110 per address or unit.
The City no longer acts as the septic (OSSF) agent; that delegation has gone back to Collin County, so septic permits for property in Lavon come from the County. The City still lists a $200 fee for its own OSSF modification and review.
How to get a building permit in Lavon
New development needs zoning that fits and an approved plat; a lot with an extra house on it counts as a subdivision under Lavon’s rules.
Apply for a contractor credential in MyGov and pay the $50 annual fee unless you are a plumber, electrician or mechanical contractor.
Choose the permit type, describe the work and upload the plans.
Revise the plans as the City asks; second and later plan reviews are billed at $75 an hour.
Work that starts before the permit is issued is subject to fines and higher permit fees.
Request inspections through the City, and get the certificate of occupancy for a new home ($50) or commercial space ($100).
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections and closeout
To schedule an inspection, use the City’s contact form and choose “Permits and Inspections”, or call 972-843-4220. A failed inspection is reinspected at $75 an hour, and inspections outside normal business hours cost $75 an hour.
A residential certificate of occupancy costs $50, as does a temporary one; for commercial space it is $100. For commercial occupancy, the fire certificate of occupancy inspection is separate from the building final, and rental homes need a rental registration ($100) and a $75 City inspection.
Platting, the ETJ and land use fees
Lavon regulates subdivisions and platting both inside the city and in its ETJ. A preliminary plat application needs the City’s plat application, two full-size (24 x 36 in.) and ten half-size (11 x 17 in.) printed plats, two PDF sets, a signed Declaration of Ownership and, if the applicant is not the owner, an Authorization of Representation. Final plats add construction plans and the approved preliminary plat, and a drainage study may be required. The City will not approve a plat while the applicant or owner owes it fees.
Under the amended FY 2025-26 schedule, a preliminary plat is $800 plus $20 per acre plus engineering review ($2,500 for 19 lots or fewer, $4,000 for 20 or more), a site plan is $1,000, and a rezoning to a listed district is $1,200.
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
Lavon permit search and official resources
- City of Lavon Building Inspection
- City of Lavon MyGov permit portal
- City of Lavon Schedule of Fees FY 2025-26 (amended February 2026)
- City of Lavon Land Use and Development
- City of Lavon contact form and City Hall details
Lavon permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in Lavon?
$1.03 per square foot under roof, so $2,575 for a 2,500 sq ft home, plus trade, fire review and certificate of occupancy fees where they apply.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Lavon?
Yes. A new, replacement or repaired fence over 10 feet costs $50 for the first 100 feet and $0.50 per foot after that.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Do I need a permit to replace my roof?
Yes. Roof repair is on the City’s permit list, and a roofing permit costs $100 with or without deck replacement.
Which building codes does Lavon use?
The 2021 International codes with North Central Texas Council of Governments amendments, adopted in November 2024, and the 2023 National Electrical Code.
Who issues septic permits in Lavon?
Collin County. The City has given its septic agent role back to the County.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Through the City’s contact form under “Permits and Inspections”, or by calling 972-843-4220.
Simplify Lavon 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 Lavon sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Lavon permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lavon permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.