Marshall, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Marshall’s Permits and Inspections Division at City Hall, 401 S. Alamo Blvd., issues building and trade permits for work inside the city and inspects it from plan review to final. Permits can be applied for in the City’s iWorQ online portal or on paper forms, and a new home costs $0.30 per square foot plus a $100 plan review fee under the comprehensive fee schedule.

What requires a permit in Marshall?

Under the City’s building code amendments, an owner or licensed contractor needs a permit to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building, and to install or change electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems. The City’s forms and fee schedule cover:

The homeowner guide says permits are valid if work begins within six months. A property must be platted, zoned and served by the required public improvements before a building permit is issued.

Who issues building permits in Marshall?

The Permits and Inspections Division handles permits, plan review and inspections; Daniel Sutton is the Chief Building Inspector, and the division also has a Plumbing Official. Grade plans for new buildings are approved by the City Engineer before a permit is issued.

The City’s subdivision rules apply in its extraterritorial jurisdiction as well as in town. Septic systems, inside the city limits as well as outside them, are permitted by Harrison County Environmental Health, 2005 Warren Drive, Marshall (903-935-4870 ext. 1362), which TCEQ lists as its septic agent for the entire county.

Applications and contractor licences

Apply online through the iWorQ portal or fill in the matching paper application and return it complete to Permits and Inspections. Separate forms exist for general permits, residential, commercial and multi-family construction, accessory structures, residential and commercial certificates of occupancy, demolition, fire alarm and sprinkler systems, irrigation, signs and pools.

• Contractor licence: every builder or contractor working on permitted jobs needs a City contractor’s licence. The code asks for an application, photo ID, general liability insurance of at least $100,000 or a $2,500 surety bond, and the registration fee; the General Contractor form lists that fee as $200.
• Trade registration: responsible master plumbers, master electricians, master sign electricians, licensed irrigators and A or B air conditioning licensees register separately, and an electrical contractor lists the people allowed to sign permits for the licence holder.
• Homeowners: owners working on their own homestead are exempt from the contractor licence but still need the permit, and become the responsible party of record. Trades they subcontract must pull their own trade permits.
• Residential application: lists job value, lot, zoning and flood zone, foundation and framing type, garage and porch area, each trade contractor’s valuation, and water and sewer tap needs.

Marshall permit fees

Fees come from Appendix D, the Comprehensive Fee Schedule in the Code of Ordinances, last amended in July 2025:

For example, a new 2,000 sq ft house has a $600 building permit, a $100 plan review fee and $60 for each of the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, $880 in total before utility taps and impact fees. Demolition is $75, moving a structure $125, a fence over 6 feet $35 and a solar installation $250. Starting work without a permit costs $150 for a first offense, $300 for a second and $500 after that, when inspectors also decide whether the contractor keeps a City registration.

Trade and fire permits

On new construction each trade permit is 10% of the building permit fee. Stand-alone residential and commercial electrical, plumbing and mechanical repairs cost $35; an electrical panel, rewire, service or meter base replacement $50; and a slab-leak, tunneling or sewer main replacement $50. Fire alarm and sprinkler permits are $150 each and fire suppression systems $100.

Marshall’s codified technical codes are the 2015 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Energy Conservation, Plumbing, Fuel Gas and Mechanical Codes and the 2014 National Electrical Code (Ordinance O-17-23, December 2017).

How to get a building permit in Marshall

Inspections and electric service release

Permits and Inspections inspects every permitted job through final. Re-inspections cost $50, and after-hours inspections $50 an hour with a two-hour minimum.

Before SWEPCO restores electric service to a building, the City checks that the address is visible from the street, fixtures, switches and cover plates are intact, GFCI receptacles protect bathrooms, kitchen counters and outdoor outlets, no extension cords serve as permanent wiring and working smoke detectors are in each bedroom and the hallway. A building the inspector finds unsafe is refused power, and a return visit costs $50.

New construction must use the City’s approved dumpster provider; the residential application warns of a $2,000 daily fine for violations.

Local Marshall rules

Historic landmarks: exterior work on a structure in a designated historic landmark subdistrict needs a certificate of appropriateness before the building permit is issued. Send two copies of the plans, elevations and specifications to the historic preservation officer, who passes them to the Historic Landmark Preservation Board within five days.

Utilities: new water and sewer installations pay meter, tap, water and sewer impact fees to the City.

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

Marshall official permit resources

• Marshall Permits & Inspections
• Marshall iWorQ permit portal
• Marshall permit applications
• Marshall contractor registrations
• Do I Need a Permit? Building Guide for Homeowners (PDF)
• SWEPCO service inspection list (PDF)
• Marshall Comprehensive Fee Schedule (Appendix D)
• Marshall Code of Ordinances
• Harrison County Environmental Health (septic permits)

Marshall building permit FAQs

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

$0.30 per square foot plus a $100 plan review fee, and 10% of the building permit fee for each trade. A 2,000 sq ft house comes to $880.

Can I apply for a Marshall permit online?

Yes, through the City’s iWorQ portal, which also lets you search permits and contractor licences. Paper applications are also accepted.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Marshall?

Yes, for work on your own homestead; you are exempt from the contractor licence but responsible for the permit, and subcontracted trades pull their own permits.

Do I need a permit for a new roof or windows?

Yes. A residential roofing permit is $50, and window replacement is $10 per window with a $35 minimum.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The fee schedule charges $150 for a first offense, $300 for a second and $500 for a third or later.

Who issues septic permits in Marshall?

Harrison County Environmental Health, both in town and in the rest of the county (903-935-4870 ext. 1362).

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