Every building inside Robinson city limits needs a City building permit, issued by the Permits and Inspections Department at 111 W. Lyndale. Applications, plans and inspection requests go through the City’s CivicGov portal, the City issues one permit per project, and every contractor on the job must be registered first. A new home costs $0.60 per square foot under roof plus a fee for each trade, and plan review comments usually come back within 7 to 15 business days.
What needs a permit in Robinson?
CivicGov sorts applications into commercial and non-residential projects, residential projects reviewed in house, and other projects such as plats, zoning requests, specific use permits and engineering plan review. The City’s permit page lists these jobs and thresholds:
Permit required
- New homes, additions and remodels
- New commercial buildings, multi-family buildings and finish-outs
- Re-roofing, solar systems and irrigation systems
- Swimming pools more than 24 in. deep
- Decks over 200 sq ft or more than 30 in. high
- Patio covers and arbors
- Outdoor kitchens (on a residential dwelling application) and outdoor fireplaces
- Retaining walls; those over 4 ft need sealed engineering plans
- Water heaters
- Signs: new, moved, structurally altered or with a new face
- Racking and high-piled storage over 12 ft
No permit
- Fences up to 8 ft high, under the City’s code amendments; for commercial buildings the exemption does not cover pool barriers
- Self-contained portable spas with a locking cover
- Fire pits not connected to gas or electricity
- Sign repairs and repainting with no structural or copy change
Who issues permits in Robinson?
The City’s Permits and Inspections Department reviews plans and issues all building and trade permits inside the city limits, and its Building Official oversees the code. Before issuing a permit, the building inspector checks the project against the City’s building codes and its subdivision, zoning, water and sewer ordinances. Buildings on septic systems are the exception: the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District governs their septic plans and installation. Land outside the city limits is unincorporated McLennan County.
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Get a free quote →| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Office | City of Robinson, 111 W. Lyndale, Robinson, TX 76706; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Phone | 254-662-1415 (permit technician ext. 1015); fax 254-662-1035 |
| Inspection request line | 254-242-0008, or inspections@robinsontexas.org |
| Permits email | permits@robinsontexas.org |
| Portal | CivicGov (applications, plans, inspection requests) |
CivicGov accounts and contractor registration
Create a public user account in CivicGov with your full name, address and phone, then choose Apply for Permit and the permit type. A completed application, digital plans and the other required documents are uploaded with it.
- Every contractor registers: the general contractor and all trades register through CivicGov, uploading a state licence and photo ID. Registration is free and renews every year; no permit is issued until all contractors are registered, and an expired registration blocks further inspection requests.
- Insurance: irrigation, LP gas, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, electrical sign and fire sprinkler contractors must file an ACORD 25 certificate showing at least $1,000,000 of commercial general liability per occurrence, with the City of Robinson as certificate holder. Electrical contractors also attach their state contractor licence.
- City forms: an Owner’s Authorization Form, a Non-Engineered Design Affidavit, a Drainage and Grading Affidavit, an Asbestos Compliance Statement and a notarized House-Pool Protection Device Installation Affidavit.
Robinson permit fees
Fees are in Appendix C of the City Code, the fee schedule adopted by Ordinance 2025-005 on March 18, 2025.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home or addition | $0.60 per sq ft of total area under roof |
| Remodel | $0.45 per sq ft of the altered area |
| Mechanical, electrical and plumbing for homes (each trade) | $95 up to 900 sq ft; $100 to 2,000; $110 to 3,000; $120 to 4,000; $130 to 5,000; $150 above |
| Simple alteration | $75 |
| Re-roof / solar / swimming pool / irrigation | $100 / $150 / $150 / $75 |
| Stand-alone trade permit | $75 up to $500 of work, rising to $100 at $5,000, then $27 + 0.9% of value up to $50,000 |
| Sign | $75 per sign |
| Certificate of occupancy (permanent or temporary) | $100 |
| Re-inspection | $95 in business hours; $150 after hours or same day |
| Work without a permit | Double the building permit fee |
| Permit extension | Half the building permit fee |
| Occupying without a certificate of occupancy | $250 |
| Demolition permit | No charge |
For a 2,500 sq ft house under roof, the building permit is $1,500 and each of the three trades is $110, $1,830 in all. Commercial permits use a valuation table, from $75 for small jobs to $887.25 for the first $100,000 plus $5 per extra $1,000, with an additional plan review fee of 25% of the commercial permit fee. If the City sends review or inspections to a third party, the actual cost is charged where it exceeds the listed fees.
Utility connections: a 3/4 in. water tap is $1,300 and a 1 in. tap $1,600, and a sewer tap is $500 or the City’s actual cost, whichever is greater. Builders pay no water deposit; residential customers pay $75 for water, $35 for wastewater and $13 for solid waste.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Plans and documents
New house or addition
- Residential application in CivicGov and one copy of the full construction set
- Plot plan at 1 in. = 20 ft with lot dimensions, setbacks, building lines, driveways and easements
- Floor plans, elevations and structural framing at 1/4 in. = 1 ft, with a door and window schedule
- Foundation plan sealed by a Texas engineer, plus the engineer’s letter that it was designed for that lot’s soil
- Termite protection certification
- Electrical and plumbing plans
- Energy compliance path form (the compliance certificate follows before final)
- Executed stormwater SWPPP and a water meter and sewer tap application
New commercial or multi-family
- Civil, architectural, structural, MEP, landscape and interior plans as separate bound PDFs, sealed, up to 24 x 36 in.
- TDLR accessibility (TABS) registration number
- Envelope, lighting and mechanical COMchecks
- Executed SWPPP and geotechnical report
- Asbestos survey evidence for work on existing buildings
- After approval, the final set on optical disk; civil as-builts before the certificate of occupancy
Plans are reviewed in the order received, and comments usually come back within 7 to 15 business days, covering building, fire, zoning and platting, accessibility, energy, landscaping, parking, paving, drainage and utilities. The comments include the fee calculation, and you can ask for a pre-permit meeting to work through them. Where water and sewer lines serving the lot are more than five years old, the City asks for proof that they will serve the building.
Steps to a Robinson permit
Register a public user account on the City’s CivicGov portal.
Upload licences and ID, and insurance certificates for the licensed trades; registration is free.
Choose the residential or commercial permit type and upload the application, plans and forms.
Expect comments and the fee calculation within 7 to 15 business days; book a pre-permit meeting if needed.
Pay the fees in full; one permit covers the building and its trades.
Request each inspection by 4 p.m. for the next business day, then get the certificate of occupancy.
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Get a free quote →Inspections in Robinson
Request inspections by phone at 254-242-0008, by email, or in CivicGov from My Dashboard using the Inspect link for the permit. Give your name and company, the address or permit number, any access instructions such as lock-box codes, a call-back number and the preferred time. Requests in by 4 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day, and inspectors work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. An emergency inspection can be requested at any time for $95.
Some jobs can be inspected by photo or video uploaded to CivicGov with a signed Photo/Video Inspection Certification: water heaters, under-slab water and sewer lines, gas repairs, HVAC replacements, electrical service upgrades, rooftop unit change-outs, solar PV and re-roofs. Tests, such as plumbing top-outs and gas pressure tests, must be shown on video. Results come back by email, and the inspector may still ask for a site visit.
A re-inspection costs $95 during business hours and $150 after hours or the same day, and lifting a stop-work order costs $50.
Local rules in Robinson
Foundations: the City’s amendments to the 2024 residential code require every foundation or footing, and any addition to a post-tension slab, to be designed and sealed by a Texas-registered engineer.
Pools: a barrier is required around every pool, and door alarms can be certified by affidavit instead of inspected. Pool plans need a site plan with setbacks, the pool depth and dimensions, and a stamp from the electric provider confirming the service line locations.
Outdoor living: outdoor kitchens must stay open on all sides and list a licensed plumber and electrician. An outdoor fireplace’s firebox must be at least 10 ft from any combustible structure, including on neighboring lots, and a chimney near a structure must rise at least 3 ft above the roof. Deck guardrails must be at least 36 in. high.
Water heaters: the City’s checklist asks for a pan at least 1 1/2 in. deep with a 3/4 in. drain to the outside, an expansion tank, a cold-water shut-off and a disconnect within 15 ft for electric units.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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
Robinson official resources
- Robinson Permits and Inspections
- Obtaining a permit: submittal lists
- CivicGov permit portal
- Scheduling an inspection
- Plan review
- Virtual inspections
- Certificate of insurance requirements
- Owner’s authorization form (PDF)
- Non-engineered design affidavit (PDF)
- Robinson Code of Ordinances and fee schedule (Municode)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Robinson permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in Robinson?
$0.60 per square foot of total area under roof, plus a fee for each of the mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades based on the size of the house ($110 each for 2,001 to 3,000 sq ft).
How long does plan review take in Robinson?
Plans are reviewed in the order received, and comments usually come back within 7 to 15 business days.
Do contractors have to register with the City?
Yes. Every contractor, including the general contractor, registers in CivicGov before a permit is issued. Registration is free and renews yearly.
Do I need a permit for a fence in Robinson?
Not for a fence up to 8 ft high; the City has amended its codes to exempt them. Retaining walls do need a permit, with sealed engineering for walls over 4 ft.
Do I need a permit for a deck or patio cover?
A deck needs one if it is over 200 sq ft or more than 30 in. high. Patio covers and arbors always need a permit.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 254-242-0008, email the inspections address or use CivicGov by 4 p.m. for an inspection the next business day.
Who approves septic systems in Robinson?
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District governs septic plans and installation for buildings on septic.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Robinson permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.