Levelland, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Levelland, permits come from the City’s Code Enforcement Department (the Building Department) at City Hall, 1709 Avenue H. You fill in the City’s PDF application, print it and hand it in with two sets of plans. A new home is charged the greater of $0.07 per square foot or $50, plus a plan review fee, and the City asks you to allow 2 full weeks for a residential permit.

What requires a permit in Levelland?

The City’s fee schedule (Appendix A of the Code of Ordinances) shows which jobs are permitted, and the 2021 codes adopted in December 2025 apply to all of them.

Under the City’s sign rules, temporary for-sale or for-rent signs and signs put up by transportation authorities need no permit. Starting work before the permit is issued costs up to twice the permit fee or $100, whichever is greater, and the City will not connect the property to its utilities.

Who issues building permits in Levelland?

The City of Levelland permits all building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work inside city limits through its Code Enforcement Department, which also runs zoning and subdivision administration. The City’s Building Official page names Eli Colunga, who took on the building inspector role in 2025. Since February 2026, appeals of the code official’s decisions go to the City Manager; the former Construction Advisory and Appeals Board was abolished.

Land outside the city is in Hockley County, which has no building permit program; the county lists a separate contact for septic inspections (806-241-5066). That county septic program also covers land inside Levelland, because TCEQ lists Hockley County as its septic agent for the entire county.

Levelland application forms

Levelland has no online permit portal. Its Building Permit Process page offers fillable PDF forms that you complete, print, sign and hand in to the Building Department:

• Residential Permit Application, for a new home, addition, remodel or accessory building, with the estimated value, square footage, zoning and flood-zone status.
• Residential Permit Application Guidelines, the plan checklist for homes.
• Commercial Building Permit Application, covering the contractor, occupancy, fire review, storm water and energy code questions.
• Mobile Home Application, which only a licensed installer may file. The permit is good for 6 months, and the setup is inspected when finished.

Contractors pay a $25 registration fee. Restaurant, mobile food and temporary food vendor permit forms are filed with the same Inspections office, because the City contracts with the South Plains Public Health District for food inspections and licensing.

Levelland permit fees

Building fees are set in Appendix A, Article 7.000 of the Code of Ordinances, adopted by Ordinance 1081 on September 9, 2024.

For a new 2,000 sq ft house, the permit fee is $140 and plan review is $50, because 25% of $140 is below the $50 minimum. When a permit needs more than one inspection, each inspection is $15.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Code Enforcement issues and inspects the trade permits too. Each plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas or electrical permit costs the greater of $0.05 per square foot of gross building area or $30; repairing or replacing a meter or other City-owned equipment is $30.

The trades follow the 2020 National Electrical Code and the 2021 plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas codes, each with Levelland’s local changes. For commercial jobs, the application tells you to contact the Fire Marshal’s office for plan review, and the form carries a Fire Department sign-off line.

Plans and documents to submit

Homes: two complete sets of plans showing setbacks from every property line, the site plan, floor plan, wall bracing and rafter spans, ceiling joists, header sizes, footing details, elevations and the plumbing, mechanical and electrical layout. The Building Official may waive some sheets in advance. Plans need an engineer’s stamp for a home of more than one storey, for 5,000 sq ft or more under one roof, or for rafter or ceiling-joist spans over 24 feet. Add an energy code compliance report.

When a house is the first building on an undeveloped lot, a licensed surveyor’s certificate must confirm that the lot corners are staked and say whether the lot is in a FEMA special flood hazard area. A lot in a flood zone also needs an engineered elevation certificate before the permit is processed.

Commercial: the application, plans, a COMcheck energy report, the state accessibility project number, a signed asbestos survey statement for renovation or demolition, and a copy of the storm water notice of intent if one acre or more will be disturbed.

Levelland’s local design values for houses are 115 mph wind, 15 psf ground snow load, a 12-inch frost line, seismic category A and moderate-to-heavy termite risk. The City asks applicants to allow 2 full weeks for a residential permit and 4 to 6 full weeks for a commercial one.

How to get a building permit in Levelland

Inspections and certificate of occupancy

Under Levelland’s residential code amendments, the permit holder must tell the Building Official when work is ready. Homes are inspected at the foundation (before concrete), at plumbing, mechanical, gas and electrical rough-in (before framing), at framing, and at final before anyone moves in. In flood-prone areas, a sealed lowest-floor elevation is due once the lowest floor is placed.

A failed inspection costs $30 to re-inspect the first time and $45 for each later attempt, paid in advance; an inspection that was required but never requested carries the same penalty as working without a permit.

No building may be occupied until the City issues a certificate of occupancy. It is inspected within 10 days of you reporting the work finished, only one temporary certificate is allowed per application, and the City may refuse to connect water without one. Commercial, industrial and multifamily buildings must display the certificate, and a new owner or tenant of a commercial building needs a new one.

Driveways, manufactured homes and zoning

Curb cuts and driveways: since October 2026, a new or altered curb cut onto a public street needs a City permit, a $500 compliance deposit and three inspections, each booked at least 24 hours ahead, and the work must be done within 180 days. In single-family and duplex districts a cut can be up to 24 feet wide or half the lot width, whichever is greater, and must be 5 feet from property lines and 10 feet from another cut.

Manufactured homes: only HUD-code homes may be placed in the city. Each needs a 25-foot front yard, 10 feet from side lot lines and 5 feet from the rear line, must be anchored and skirted before final inspection, and must connect to the public sewer if a main is within 200 feet.

Recent code changes: Levelland defines a tiny house as a dwelling of 600 sq ft or less, not counting lofts (May 2026), and adopted the ICC 500 storm shelter standard in July 2026.

Zoning: a zone change application costs $200, a variance or special exception $150, a preliminary plat $200 and a floodplain development plan $100. The City has been rewriting its zoning and sign ordinances since early 2025; the drafts are on its 2026 Zoning Ordinance Update page.

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

Levelland official resources

• Levelland Code Enforcement Department
• Levelland Building Permit Process and application forms
• Residential Permit Application Guidelines (PDF)
• Commercial Building Permit Application (PDF)
• Mobile Home Installation Fact Sheet (PDF)
• 2021 building codes adopted by Ordinances 1100–1110
• Building and construction permit fees, Appendix A Article 7.000
• Certificate of occupancy rules, Article 3.400
• Ordinance 1119: curb cut and driveway permits (PDF)
• 2026 Zoning Ordinance Update
• Levelland health inspections and food permits

Levelland permit FAQs

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

$0.07 per square foot of gross building area, with a $50 minimum, plus a plan review fee of 25% of that (at least $50). A 2,000 sq ft house comes to $140 plus $50.

How long does a Levelland permit take?

The City says to allow 2 full weeks for plan review and issue of a residential permit, and 4 to 6 full weeks for a commercial one.

Do I need a permit for a fence, carport or shed?

Yes. Accessory buildings, carports and fences each have a $30 permit fee.

Is a roofing permit required?

Yes: $50 for a home and $75 for a commercial building.

Can I apply online?

No. The City publishes fillable PDF applications to print, sign and hand in to the Building Department at City Hall.

What happens if I start work before getting a permit?

The fee can rise to twice the normal fee or $100, whichever is greater, and the City will not connect utilities to the property.

Who issues permits outside Levelland city limits?

Hockley County has no building permit program, so rural homes need no county building permit; septic inspections have a separate county contact.

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