Inside Pampa city limits, building permits come from the City’s Building Department (Code Enforcement, Health and Building Safety), in Room 204 of City Hall, 200 W. Foster Ave. (806-669-5740). Applications are paper forms, the fee is based on the value of the work, starting at $15 for the first $1,000, and plumbing, heating and electrical work each need a separate permit.
What requires a permit in Pampa?
The City’s building permit application covers the erection, remodeling, repair and demolition of buildings, and its permit types show the range of work the department handles.
Permit needed
- New construction, additions and remodels
- Roofs
- Carports and accessory buildings over the exempt size
- Plumbing, HVAC and electrical work, each on its own permit
- Water heater replacement
- Moving a building
- Signs
- Driveways where the curb is removed or the approach replaced
- Setting a manufactured home
- Renovating or demolishing a public or commercial building, with an asbestos survey
No building permit
- Fences up to 8 feet high that are not retaining walls
- A one-story, detached residential accessory building of 120 square feet or less
- Driveway work that leaves the curb and approach in place
Exempt work still has to meet the City’s rules: storage buildings must respect the setbacks, and front-yard fences are limited to 4 feet.
Pampa Building Department: who handles permitting
The Building Department sits in Public Works’ Code Enforcement division, which also covers health permits and code complaints. Cary Rushing is the Building Official, and the state floodplain directory also lists him as the City’s floodplain administrator.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Building Department (Code Enforcement, Health and Building Safety) |
| Building permits and inspections | 806-669-5740; fax 806-669-5748 |
| Office | 200 W. Foster Ave., Room 204, Pampa, TX 79065 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed noon to 1:00 p.m. (the Code Enforcement page lists 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) |
| City Hall main line | 806-669-5750 |
| Fire Marshal | 806-669-5800 |
| Action Center (complaints) | 806-669-5888 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The City permits work only inside its limits. Gray County publishes no building permit for land outside Pampa; in the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, the county’s subdivision rules allow an interlocal agreement with Pampa to decide whose development rules apply to a new subdivision.
Pampa forms and contractor registration
Pampa has no online permit portal. The Code Enforcement page posts the forms, which are filled in and brought to Room 204:
- Building Permit Application (2024): one form with check boxes for new construction, remodel, addition, roof, sign, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, carport, driveway, accessory building and moving, plus the total dollar value of the work.
- Contractor Registration/Renewal Form: $40, with the contractor’s state licence number where one applies.
- Backflow Form and Health Permit Application for the related utility and health approvals.
- Permit Manual, with codes, local amendments, submittal lists, fee schedule, setbacks and inspection stages.
| Contractor | Annual City fee | Bond and insurance |
|---|---|---|
| General contractor | $40 | $1,000,000 general liability insurance |
| New residential contractor | $40 | None listed |
| Residential additions and remodeling | $40 | $20,000 surety bond |
| Roofing contractor | $40 | $20,000 bond and $300,000 insurance |
| Irrigation, house moving, pool and spa, non-electrical sign, water treatment | $40 | $10,000 bond |
| Electrical, HVAC and plumbing contractors | No City registration | State licence and state-required insurance |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Pampa permit cost
Building permit fees follow the City’s Schedule of Permit Fees in the Permit Manual, based on the total value of the work written on the application. Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, driveway, moved-building and sign permits carry additional fees that the manual does not list.
| Project value | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1,000 or less | No fee, unless an inspection is needed: then $15 per inspection |
| $1,001 to $50,000 | $15 for the first $1,000, plus $5 for each extra $1,000 or part of $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $260 for the first $50,000, plus $4 for each extra $1,000 or part |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $460 for the first $100,000, plus $3 for each extra $1,000 or part |
| $500,001 and up | $1,660 for the first $500,000, plus $2 for each extra $1,000 or part |
For example, a house valued at $150,000 pays $460 plus 50 × $3, a building permit fee of $610, before the separate trade permits.
Pampa trade permits
The application states that plumbing, heating and electrical work need separate permits, and the Building Department issues them. Licensed electricians, HVAC contractors and plumbers do not register with the City or pay the $40 fee; they work under their state licences.
A homeowner may do electrical, plumbing and heating or air-conditioning work on a house they own and live in as their homestead. Rental and commercial properties need a licensed and bonded trade contractor.
Local electrical rules in the manual: aluminum wiring is allowed for feeders but not for individual branch circuits, and service-entrance conductors must be at least No. 4 AWG copper with the main disconnect outside the building. Water lines are buried at least 24 inches and gas lines 18 inches to the top of the pipe, and the two may share a ditch.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What to submit with a Pampa permit application
The Permit Manual asks for two sets of plans and specifications drawn clearly enough to show the work meets the adopted codes. Plans for a house, addition or alteration may be drawn by anyone if no special engineering is needed; commercial plans must be stamped by a Texas-registered architect or engineer, with supporting calculations.
Plan set
- Site or plot plan to scale with the legal description, setbacks, parking and drainage
- Foundation plan and details
- Floor plan and roof framing plan
- Structural plans
- Plumbing, electrical (with one-line diagram) and mechanical plans
- At least two elevations and wall sections
- A REScheck energy report with the drawings
Also required
- Completed Building Permit Application
- Drainage plan showing runoff for two 100-year events
- Asbestos survey for building or demolition permits on existing buildings covered by the state asbestos rules
- TDLR accessibility registration for commercial projects of $50,000 or more
- Landscape and zoning compliance
- Permit fees
How to get a Pampa building permit: 6 steps
Make sure the address is inside Pampa, then plan around the 25-foot front setback (or the established building line on lots platted before 1969).
General, residential, remodeling, roofing and specialty contractors file the $40 registration with any required bond or insurance before pulling permits.
Follow the Permit Manual list, including the REScheck report and the drainage plan; commercial sets need an architect’s or engineer’s stamp.
Bring the Building Permit Application with the project value to City Hall, 200 W. Foster Ave.
Plumbing, HVAC and electrical work is permitted separately by the licensed trade or the homesteading owner.
Phone 806-669-5740 at each stage, and get the certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Pampa
Schedule inspections by calling 806-669-5740. Many can be done the same day if requested before the 3:00 p.m. cut-off; the office closes from noon to 1:00 p.m. The inspector leaves a written approval or an inspection notice at the site, and work cannot move to the next stage until it is approved. Everything to be inspected must be exposed and accessible.
The manual lists 21 minimum inspections, including:
- Footing and foundation, with trenches dug and steel in place before concrete
- Stem wall, building drain, building sewer, water piping and water service, with pipe under test and not backfilled
- Slab on grade, and strap and shear before any weather barrier
- Underground, rough electrical, rough plumbing and rough mechanical
- Rough frame once the building is dried in and all rough-ins are approved
- Masonry, insulation and wallboard
- Gas piping test, then gas and electrical clearances sent to the utility
- Final inspection and the certificate of occupancy, which must be issued before the building is occupied
Energy code items such as slab, wall and ceiling insulation, envelope sealing and window labels are checked at the framing, insulation and final stages.
Local Pampa rules that affect your plans
Adopted codes: the 2018 International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Energy Conservation Codes, the 2020 National Electrical Code, NFPA 101 and the 2017 Panhandle Residential Foundation Manual, adopted in full by Ordinance 1689 in 2018. Pampa amends the IRC so exterior walls need a one-hour fire rating with exposure from both sides, and concrete must reach 3,000 psi.
Design criteria: ground snow load 20 psf, wind speed 115 mph, seismic category B, frost line 18 inches, and moderate to heavy termite risk.
Accessory buildings: they go on the back half of the lot, 3 feet from the side and rear lines, or 5 feet from the side and 10 feet from the rear if they stand within 5 feet of the house. Corner lots platted before 1969 have a 10-foot side street setback; later corner lots have 25 feet.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Fences: no permit, but front-yard fences are capped at 4 feet and rear-yard fences at 8 feet.
Floodplain: flood hazard areas are regulated under Ordinance 1528, adopted November 4, 2010, and the FEMA flood map for community number 480258.
Asbestos: the City will not issue a renovation or demolition permit for a public or commercial building without evidence of an asbestos survey by a licensed person.
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
Pampa official permit resources
- City of Pampa Building Department
- Code Enforcement: applications, forms and manuals
- City of Pampa Construction and Permit Manual (PDF)
- Building Permit Application 2024 (PDF)
- Contractor Registration Form 2024 (PDF)
- Code Enforcement FAQs
- Current Building Codes
- Gray County regulations (land outside the city)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Pampa building permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Pampa?
The City of Pampa Building Department in City Hall, Room 204, 200 W. Foster Ave. Call 806-669-5740 for permits and inspections.
How much is a building permit in Pampa?
It depends on the project value: $15 for the first $1,000 and $5 per extra $1,000 up to $50,000, with lower rates per $1,000 above that. A $150,000 house pays $610 before trade permits.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Pampa?
No, as long as the fence is not a retaining wall and is no more than 8 feet high. Front-yard fences may be at most 4 feet.
Do I need a permit for a storage shed?
Not for a one-story, detached residential building of 120 square feet or less, but it must still meet the accessory building setbacks.
Can I do my own wiring or plumbing in Pampa?
Yes, on a house you own and live in as your homestead. Rental and commercial property needs a licensed and bonded electrician, plumber or HVAC contractor.
Do contractors have to register with the City?
General, residential, remodeling, roofing and several specialty contractors pay $40 a year, some with a bond or insurance. Licensed electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors do not register.
Can I get a same-day inspection?
Often, if you call 806-669-5740 before 3:00 p.m.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Pampa permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.