Roanoke, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Roanoke city limits, the City’s Building Inspection Department reviews plans and issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits. Completed applications and PDF plans are emailed to the City, and inspections are requested through an online form. A new home costs $0.80 per square foot of total area under roof plus a plan review fee of 45% of that, and the City aims to finish plan review within 15 working days of a complete submittal.

What needs a permit in Roanoke?

Permits are required before new construction, additions, alterations and repairs to buildings and structures, and before electrical, mechanical or plumbing work. The City publishes separate applications for many smaller jobs:

The fee schedule prices a fence permit for every fence type. With a new home, the City’s guidelines call for a separate fence permit for non-masonry fences over 7 ft, any masonry fence, any fence that forms a pool barrier and retaining walls 48 in. or taller (which need an engineered plan); other fences are shown on the house’s plot plan. A fence over 8 ft needs a zoning variance.

Who issues permits in Roanoke?

The Building Inspection Department, within Development Services, issues permits, reviews plans and enforces the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes. Chad Liford is the Chief Building Official. Public Works approves stormwater plans, civil plans and work in the right-of-way, and the Fire Marshal’s office reviews sprinkler, alarm, hydrant and fire-lane plans.

Roanoke lies almost entirely in Denton County, with a very small part in Tarrant County. The City’s subdivision rules apply inside the city and in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, so plats there come to Roanoke; its building permits are for land inside the city limits.

Applications and contractor registration

Every application is a PDF form filed by email with its supporting documents. The general contractor takes out a combination permit covering building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, and subcontractors working under it do not pull their own permits, although each must notify the department and send its information before any inspection.

• Registration first: the general contractor must be registered with the City before the building permit is submitted, and every MEP subcontractor listed on the application must be registered too. There is no registration fee.
• What to send: the Contractor Registration form, a copy of the state trade licence where one applies, a driver’s licence and the company’s general liability insurance. Registration covers general, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, irrigation, fire, roofing, concrete, fence, sign and demolition contractors.
• Stand-alone trade permits: an electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit on its own costs $75.

Roanoke permit fees

Fees are set in Appendix A of the Code of Ordinances, adopted by Ordinance 2025-119 on September 23, 2025.

A 2,500 sq ft new house under roof pays $2,000 for the building permit and $900 for plan review, $2,900 before utility fees. Commercial permits run on valuation, from a $50 minimum to $2,130 for the first $100,000 plus $12 per extra $1,000 up to $500,000, and $12,030 for the first $1,000,000 plus $6.60 per extra $1,000 above that.

Utility fees are collected with the building permit: a 3/4 in. water meter is $350, and the single-family impact fees are $1,982 for Roanoke water (or $1,981 for Fort Worth water) plus $347 for wastewater. A residential meter deposit is $90.

What a submittal must include

The City will not accept a submittal with any checklist item missing, and review starts only when everything is in.

The City’s goal is to finish plan review within 15 working days of a complete submittal. Approved plans not collected within 45 days are treated as abandoned and the plan review fee is charged. On commercial jobs, changes to approved plans are billed at $50 an hour with a 2-hour minimum, and a lost set of approved home plans must be resubmitted for stamping at up to $50 an hour. Homes whose under-roof area exceeds 5,000 sq ft need a fire sprinkler system, designed by a licensed fire protection contractor and reviewed by the Fire Marshal; sprinkler and alarm plan reviews cost $100 each.

Steps to a Roanoke permit

Section 3.402 of the City Code still says work must start within 45 days of issue and be substantially complete within two years, so start promptly.

Inspections in Roanoke

The general contractor requests every inspection through the City’s online form, which is for inspection requests only. Requests in before 5 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day, and cancellations go by email to inspections@roanoketexas.gov before 8 a.m. The permit card and City-stamped plans must be on site for every inspection.

A typical new home is inspected at the temporary pole, plumbing rough, electrical in the foundation, foundation, braced wall, “seconds” (framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical together), insulation and energy tests by a RESNET HERS rater, fireplace, wall ties, stucco where used, meter releases, landscape final where required and final lot grading with the building final. A form survey is due at least 24 hours before the foundation inspection, and concrete is not inspected unless it is 38 degrees and rising. Fire sprinkler and alarm tests are booked with the Fire Marshal at fireinspections@roanoketexas.gov, and driveway approaches by Public Works.

A $100 re-inspection fee can be charged when work is incomplete, the address or permit card is not posted, plans are not on site, the building is locked, corrections are not done, or erosion or trash control is not kept up; it must be paid before more inspections on the site. Covering work before inspection costs $100. The certificate of occupancy application needs a detailed floor plan, takes up to 15 business days, and its $100 fee is due before inspection or move-in.

Local rules in Roanoke

Construction hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, with no work on Sunday.

Job sites: keep a litter container on site and empty it at half full, provide a portable restroom unless an indoor toilet is available, and maintain erosion control throughout; stormwater checks happen with every building inspection and after rain. Commercial dumpsters must come from the City’s franchise hauler, Republic Services. An adjacent lot can be used for access or storage only with an earth disturbance permit, and construction trailers need their own permit.

Commercial sites: no construction may rise above the ground-floor slab until fire hydrants and fire lanes are in and approved by the Fire Marshal. Buildings in business, commercial and industrial districts must have masonry exterior walls at least 6 ft up from the ground, and permits cannot be issued until the infrastructure is in place.

Planning fees: a site plan costs $400, a grading permit $75, preliminary and final plats $300 plus $10 an acre each, and a zoning change $250 plus $10 an acre. Removing a protected tree costs $100 per tree, up to $2,000 per application.

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

Roanoke official resources

• Roanoke Building Inspection
• Roanoke permit applications
• Residential building permit packet, 2026 (PDF)
• Commercial building permit packet, 2026 (PDF)
• Contractor registration application (PDF)
• Certificate of occupancy packet (PDF)
• Accessory structure permit (PDF)
• Request an inspection
• Development Services
• Roanoke Code of Ordinances and fee schedule (Municode)

Roanoke permit FAQs

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

$0.80 per square foot of total area under roof, plus 45% of that for plan review. A 2,500 sq ft house pays $2,000 plus $900, before water and wastewater impact fees.

How do I apply for a permit in Roanoke?

Email the completed application, checklist and PDF plans to permits@roanoketexas.gov. The general contractor and MEP subcontractors must be registered with the City first.

How long does plan review take?

The City’s goal is 15 working days from a complete submittal for a new home. A certificate of occupancy application can take up to 15 business days.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Roanoke?

The City has a fence permit application, with a plot plan showing the fence. It costs $15 for wood, chain-link, metal or vinyl and $50 for fences over 6 ft, masonry or wrought iron. Fences over 8 ft also need a zoning variance.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Use the online inspection request form. Requests before 5 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day; stamped plans must be on site.

Which codes does Roanoke use?

Since June 23, 2026, the 2024 International Building, Residential, Energy, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing, Property Maintenance and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes, and the 2026 National Electrical Code.

Does a new home need fire sprinklers?

Yes, when the under-roof area, counting porches, balconies, garage and qualifying attic space, exceeds 5,000 sq ft.

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