Lumberton, Texas Building Permit Guide

Building permits inside Lumberton city limits come from the City’s Permits & Zoning office at City Hall, 836 North Main (409-755-3700), where the City Inspector reviews and inspects the work. Applications are made on the City’s written form, contractors must register every year with a bond or liability insurance, and no new, renovated or altered building may be occupied until the City issues a certificate of occupancy.

What needs a permit or City approval in Lumberton?

The City does not post a permit list online, but its Code of Ordinances requires approval for these jobs:

Who issues permits in Lumberton?

The City of Lumberton permits work inside its limits from City Hall. Britt Caywood is the City Inspector, and the office also has a Fire & Life Safety Inspector and a permits clerk.

Land outside the city limits is unincorporated Hardin County, where the county Floodplain Administrator in Kountze issues development, electrical service and culvert permits (409-246-5250). Lumberton’s road and street standards also apply to new roads in the City’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Applications and contractor registration

Permits are applied for in writing on the City’s form, signed by the owner or an authorized agent, and the application states how each part of the building and lot will be used. No application form is posted online, so collect it at City Hall or ask the permits clerk.

• Contractor registration: every contractor or builder paid for work that needs a permit, and every contractor who sublets part of it, registers with the City and renews each year.
• Bond or insurance: registration requires either a permit bond of $10,000 or 10% of the project value, whichever is greater, for each permitted project, or general liability cover of $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate plus $300,000 for products and completed operations, filed with the City Clerk.
• Driveway and culvert permits: apply to the permits office with a scaled drawing showing the address, lot and block, driveway width and location and any neighboring driveways.

Lumberton permit fees

Permit fees are set by a City fee schedule adopted by Council, which overrides any fee printed in the building codes. That schedule is not posted on the City website, so ask Permits & Zoning (ext. 106) for the fee before you apply. The figures the City does publish are:

• Zoning change: $250, non-refundable.
• Driveway or culvert work started without a permit: 2.5 times the normal permit fee.
• Occupying a building without a certificate of occupancy: a fine of $25 to $500 for each day.
• Continuing work after a stop work order: a fine of up to $2,000.

Electrical and gas work

No electrical wiring, fixtures or equipment may be installed, altered or repaired without a permit, and the permit must be posted where it can be seen on the job site. Electrical contractors and subcontractors must hold a master licence, and at least one licensed journeyman must be on site. If the inspector asks, provide a diagram showing the wiring and equipment to be installed.

Gas piping from the point of delivery to the appliances, and certain gas appliances, are permitted and inspected by the City, with fees set by Council resolution. Lumberton’s adopted codes are the 2015 International Building, Residential and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code (Ordinance 19-1239, August 2019).

Utilities: Entergy supplies electricity (800-368-3749), CenterPoint Energy natural gas (800-376-9663), and Lumberton Municipal Utility District water and sewer (409-755-1559).

How to get a building permit in Lumberton

Inspections and certificates of occupancy

The City Inspector carries out building inspections, and the certificate of occupancy follows a satisfactory inspection. It is required for any building that has been built, renovated or altered and will be occupied, not only new construction.

For driveway and culvert permits, the Public Works department sets the pipe size, grade and grate inlet spacing after the permit is issued, and the City may inspect at any time to hold the work to its Driveway Design and Paving Detail Standards. A driveway or culvert permit becomes void if the work is not built within six months.

Local Lumberton rules

Floodplain: the City Manager or a designee serves as Lumberton’s floodplain administrator under the City’s floodplain regulations, so building in a mapped flood zone inside the city is reviewed at City Hall.

Sidewalks: standard sidewalks are required within new subdivisions, on arterial and collector streets and where they complete an existing sidewalk system.

Fire safety: the Fire & Life Safety Inspector works from the Permits & Zoning office; the Fire Department’s business line is 409-755-6031.

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

Lumberton official permit resources

• Lumberton Permits & Zoning
• Lumberton Zoning Commission agendas
• Lumberton Code of Ordinances (Municode)
• Lumberton Fire Department
• Hardin County permits (outside city limits)

Lumberton permit FAQs

Where do I get a building permit in Lumberton?

At City Hall, 836 North Main, from the Permits & Zoning office (409-755-3700; permits ext. 106, City Inspector ext. 122).

How much does a building permit cost in Lumberton?

The City sets permit fees by a Council-adopted fee schedule that is not posted online, so the permits office quotes the fee. A zoning change costs $250.

Do contractors need to register in Lumberton?

Yes, every year, with either a project bond of at least $10,000 or proof of general liability insurance.

Do I need a certificate of occupancy after a remodel?

Yes. Any building that is built, renovated or altered and will be occupied needs one, and occupying without it can cost $25 to $500 a day.

Do I need a permit for a new driveway or culvert?

Yes. The City’s permit department issues driveway and culvert permits, which expire if the work is not built within six months.

What building codes does Lumberton use?

The 2015 International Building, Residential and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code, with local amendments.

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