Paris, Texas Building Permit Guide

Building permits inside Paris city limits come from the City’s Building Department at 150 1st St. SE (903-784-9234), with permits and inspection requests handled through the City’s MyGov portal. A new single-family home pays $100 plus $0.50 per square foot and a plan review fee of 25% of that permit fee, and every project also needs proper zoning and a platted lot before it can be built.

What requires a permit in Paris?

The City’s fee schedule shows the range of residential work the Building Department permits, from whole houses to single repairs:

Paris Building Department: who handles permitting

The Building Department belongs to Planning and Community Development, which also runs planning, platting and zoning, historic preservation, the Main Street program and code enforcement. Duke McGee is the Building Official.

The City permits buildings only inside its limits. Outside them, Lamar County’s published rules cover driveway culverts, road bores and utility lines in county road right-of-way.

Paris permit types, MyGov and contractor validation

Forms and permit records are kept in MyGov, where applicants and contractors create an account to request permits and inspections. Development in Paris moves through separate approvals: zoning, platting, a site permit from Engineering where site work is involved, the building permit, inspections and the certificate of occupancy.

Permit validation: Paris uses a permit validation system. The general contractor lists, or validates, the plumbing, mechanical and electrical subcontractors on the building permit, and each validated contractor must be licensed and currently registered with the City. Licensed contractors can also take out their own trade permits outside the validation process. An incomplete application is not accepted.

The Permit Requirements page posts submittal sheets for new commercial buildings, commercial finish-outs, residential work and irrigation.

Paris permit cost

Fees are set in Appendix A of the Paris Code of Ordinances, section A3.002, last amended by Ordinance 2026-010 on April 27, 2026.

A new 2,000 sq ft house therefore costs $1,100 for the permit plus $275 for plan review, a total of $1,375. Homes and duplexes with fire sprinklers get a 50% reduction on the permit and plan review fee.

Commercial permits are priced from a valuation table: for example, $1,005.25 for the first $100,000 of value plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 up to $500,000, with plan review at 25% of the permit fee. A site permit from Engineering is $100, site plan review is $120 an hour, a grading permit is $250 and a clearing (tree removal) permit is $200.

Working without a permit costs $50 a day plus double the permit fee.

Paris trade permits

On new construction, the plumbing, mechanical and electrical subcontractors are validated on the general contractor’s building permit. Stand-alone trade jobs on homes are flat fees:

Commercial mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits are priced on job value. Fire sprinkler and fire alarm systems cost $1 per head or device, with a $200 minimum and $1,200 maximum, and an underground fire main is $200.

What to submit

The City’s submittal sheets still cite the 2021 codes; the Building Safety page lists the 2024 editions as current. Each plan page resubmitted after review costs $25.

How to get a Paris building permit: 6 steps

Inspections in Paris

The Building Department inspects permitted work during construction, and a certificate of occupancy is the final step for every project. Requests go through MyGov.

Repeat failures cost more: a reinspection is $50, a second repeated red tag $75, and three or more $100. After-hours inspections are $100 an hour with a 2-hour minimum, and Engineering’s after-hours inspections are $180 an hour. A temporary certificate of occupancy costs $150.

Local Paris details

Floodplain: a floodplain development permit costs $150 for the first acre and $50 for each additional flooded acre. The state directory lists the City Engineer as the floodplain administrator.

Historic districts: the City’s Historic Preservation office supports owners in the Paris historic districts, and the fee schedule sets a vacant-building registration fee there of $500 for commercial and $250 for residential buildings in the first year, rising each year after.

Zoning fees: a zoning change or specific use permit is $400, a Board of Adjustment variance $300 and a planned development $500.

Water and sewer taps: a standard 1-inch water tap is $890 in soil on the same side of the street or $1,790 under pavement; a 4-inch sewer tap is $800 or $2,260.

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

Paris permit search and official resources

• Paris Building Safety (Building Department)
• Paris MyGov permits and inspections portal
• Paris permit submittal requirements
• Paris fee schedule, Code of Ordinances section A3.002
• Planning and Community Development
• The Development Process
• Lamar County culvert and right-of-way policy (land outside the city)

Paris building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Paris, Texas?

The City of Paris Building Department at 150 1st St. SE (903-784-9234). Building Official Duke McGee leads the department.

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

$100 plus $0.50 per square foot, plus plan review at 25% of that fee. A 2,000 sq ft house pays $1,375, and a sprinklered house gets half off.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Paris?

The fee schedule lists a $50 permit for fences over 7 feet and a $100 permit for retaining walls over 32 inches.

Which building codes does Paris use?

The 2024 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Plumbing, Fuel Gas and Mechanical Codes, the 2024 Performance Code and Property Maintenance Code, and the 2023 National Electrical Code.

What does a re-roof permit cost?

$50 for a house. Commercial re-roofs are priced on the job value.

What happens if I build without a permit?

The City charges $50 per day plus double the normal permit fee.

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