Manor, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Manor city limits, the City’s Development Services Department issues building and trade permits, and since May 27, 2026 every new application has been filed in GovWell. A new house costs $0.75 per square foot with trade permits included, plus at least nine inspections at $75 each and a $35 technology fee. Commercial projects also go through a separate fire review by Travis County ESD 12.

What requires a permit in Manor?

Manor’s online Permit and Development Guide asks a few questions about your project and lists the permits it needs. The City fee schedule shows what Development Services permits:

Who issues building permits in Manor?

The City of Manor’s Development Services Department, led by Director Michael Burrell, handles planning, zoning and building permits for property inside the city. Fire code review is a separate process run by Travis County Emergency Services District No. 12.

Septic systems, inside the city and in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, are permitted by Travis County (512-854-4438). The City applies its subdivision rules and its plumbing code in the ETJ, but site plans for ETJ properties are permitted through Travis County, as is all land outside both.

GovWell filing, registration and pre-application meetings

GovWell has two entry points: one for building, trade and right-of-way permits and contractor registration, and one for plats, site plans, zoning, specific use permits and variances. Pre-application meetings with staff are booked in GovWell too, and the City charges $300 for a pre-development meeting before a subdivision submission unless the development director waives it.

• Contractor registration: $50 for building contractors; plumbing contractors are excluded from the fee.
• Addresses: new addresses are issued or checked by City of Austin 911 Addressing before you apply.
• Withdrawn or denied projects: a $100 application fee is charged on any construction project that is withdrawn, cancelled, voided or denied.
• Commercial fire review: plans, fire alarm, sprinkler and other construction permits go through ESD 12’s own portal, under the 2015 International Fire Code; the City does not collect other agencies’ fees.

Manor building permit fees

Appendix A of the Code of Ordinances, last amended by Ordinance 800 on October 15, 2025, sets these fees:

For a new 2,200 sq ft house (counting garage and covered porches, as the City’s own example does), the permit is $1,650, nine inspections add $675 and the technology fee $35, before taps and impact fees. The City’s February 2026 residential guidelines still work that example at $0.70 per sq ft, but the adopted schedule rate is $0.75.

Water and wastewater: taps cost $750 each, and lots platted on or after July 5, 2023 pay impact fees of $2,022 for water and $7,193.50 for wastewater per single-family unit; earlier plats pay the lower rate in force when they were recorded, and a property that already had service pays no impact fee. Work started before a permit is issued is charged double.

Trade permits and adopted codes

On a new home, addition or remodel, the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are included in the square-foot fee. Stand-alone residential trade permits cost $50 each with a $75 inspection, and commercial electrical, plumbing, mechanical and grease trap permits $100 each; a Type I kitchen hood is $225 with its mechanical and electrical permits included.

The codified schedule (Ordinance 165E, 2016) adopts the 2015 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation and Property Maintenance Codes, and lists the 2014 National Electrical Code; the City’s permit page now points applicants to the 2023 NEC.

What a residential submittal needs

Upload one complete PDF plan set in GovWell for first submittals and resubmittals. The City’s February 2026 checklist asks for:

• An address confirmed by Austin 911 Addressing, and the zoning checked
• A plot plan (available from the Travis Central Appraisal District) showing the house, setbacks, easements, parking and drainage, plus a site plan with landscaping
• A REScheck energy form
• Foundation plan sealed by an engineer, floor plan, wall sections, roof or truss plan, elevations and masonry calculations
• A fire-rated eave detail when eaves reach into the 5-foot side setback
• Electrical plan with a service load analysis, panel locations, GFCI receptacles and smoke detectors; plumbing plan with water meter, service line and water heater sizes; mechanical plan with unit type, size and duct layout

An engineer’s stamp is required on all foundations and on buildings over 5,000 sq ft or with clear spans over 24 feet.

How to apply for a Manor building permit

Inspections in Manor

Inspection scheduling is handled by Development Services (512-272-5555, inspections@cityofmanor.org). Requests made by 4:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day. A typical house runs through plumbing rough, form survey, foundation and water line, framing with the electrical, mechanical and plumbing top-out roughs, insulation before cover-up, gas rough and gas final, temporary pole, yard lines, permanent power (a green tag on the meter) and the building final.

At the form survey the site must have a Republic Services roll-off dumpster, a portable toilet for every four houses or fewer, tree protection and a visible address; the final needs 4-inch address numbers on the building and finished landscaping. Every commercial project also needs ESD 12 fire inspections (512-272-4995) before the certificate of occupancy.

Under the adopted schedule a residential re-inspection costs $100 the first time and $150 after that, and a home found not ready costs $450; commercial re-inspections are $150 and $250. The City’s older inspection guidelines still print $75 and $100. Cancelling an inspection the same day costs $100 (residential) or $150 (commercial), and the inspection guidelines warn of penalties of up to $2,000 a day for occupying a house before its certificate of occupancy is approved.

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

Manor official permit resources

• Manor Building Permits (GovWell)
• Manor Building Permit Resources
• Manor Permit and Development Guide
• Residential Building Permit Guidelines (February 2026, PDF)
• Inspection Permit Guidelines (PDF)
• Most Common Non-Compliance Items (PDF)
• Manor fee schedule (Code of Ordinances, Appendix A)
• Water and wastewater impact and tap fees (PDF)
• Manor adopted building codes
• Travis County ESD 12 permits
• Travis County septic (OSSF) permits

Manor building permit FAQs

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

$0.75 per square foot, which includes the trade permits and certificate of occupancy, plus at least nine inspections at $75 and a $35 technology fee. A 2,200 sq ft house comes to $2,360 before taps and impact fees.

Where do I apply for a permit in Manor?

In GovWell. Since May 27, 2026 all new building and planning applications go through it; call 512-272-5555 ext. 4 for help.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed in Manor?

Yes. Fences need a $50 permit. Accessory buildings of 120 sq ft or more need a $50 permit plus any trade permits.

Who does fire review for Manor projects?

Travis County ESD 12, through its own permit portal. All commercial buildings need its fire inspection before the certificate of occupancy.

Who issues septic permits in Manor?

Travis County, for properties both inside the city and in its extraterritorial jurisdiction.

When are inspections scheduled?

Requests made by 4:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day.

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