Roma, Texas Building Permit Guide

For property inside Roma city limits, the City’s Development Services Department and its Building Inspections Department review plans, issue building and trade permits and inspect the work. Applications and payment are taken at City Hall, 201 W. Convent Avenue (956-849-1411). A new home costs $0.20 per square foot of living area and $0.10 for non-living area, plus a $25 plan review fee and a $250 park development fee.

What needs a permit in Roma?

A City building permit is needed to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure. The City’s permit page gives these thresholds:

Any plumbing improvement at a home or business with a City of Roma water account needs a plumbing permit. Food businesses also need a Roma Health Department permit, and every commercial building permit needs an additional Fire Marshal permit.

Who issues permits in Roma?

The Building Inspections Department, part of Development Services, enforces the City’s adopted building codes and ordinances within the city limits, and the Building Official inspects buildings before Development Services issues a certificate of occupancy. The Roma Fire Department issues the Fire Marshal permits for commercial work, and the planning director serves as floodplain administrator.

The City’s subdivision ordinance applies inside the city and in its 1- and 5-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction, so plats there come to Roma. The City’s building permit pages describe work within its jurisdiction and city limits; property beyond them is unincorporated Starr County.

Who can pull which permit

• Homeowners can be issued a building permit on proof of ownership. To do your own plumbing, electrical or mechanical work you need a homeowner’s permit, which requires proof of a homestead exemption on the property.
• Trade permits for electrical, mechanical and plumbing work go only to contractors registered with the City; irrigation is the exception. Contractors and subcontractors register with the City and keep a current certificate of insurance on file.
• Commercial permits are picked up by the general contractor, and each licensed trade pulls its own permit. Mechanical contractors also need a special Fire Marshal permit before installing or altering a vent hood.
• Irrigation and landscaping permits need a site plan, and the Building Official approves irrigation applications before they are issued.

The residential building permit covers the electrical and mechanical trades; the plumbing permit is separate. Plan checklists can be submitted online through the City website or in person at City Hall.

Roma permit fees

Building fees are set in Appendix A of the City Code (General Fee Schedule, as amended by Ordinance 2025-08 of March 12, 2025), and the developer information packets add the residential extras.

For example, a house with 2,000 sq ft of living area and a 400 sq ft garage pays $400 plus $40 in permit fees, $25 for plan review and the $250 park fee: $715 before plumbing and utility charges.

Commercial permits are priced on project value: $20 for $100 to $1,000, rising in $10 steps to $110 at $20,000; then $125 for the first $20,000 plus $4 per extra $1,000 up to $50,000; $250 plus $3 per $1,000 up to $100,000; $400 plus $2 per $1,000 up to $500,000; and $1,500 plus $1 per $1,000 above that.

Plumbing, fire and utility charges

The City also requires a $100 water deposit and a $200 gas deposit to start residential service. The 2024 developer packets list the 1 in. residential gas connection at $250; the fee ordinance adopted in 2025 lists $240.

What to submit

The lot must be platted before a permit is issued, and a PE-designed foundation is recommended. Residential plans go to Planning & Zoning and Building Safety; commercial plans also go to Code Compliance, Fire, Public Works and Engineering, and commercial review starts only once the plan review fee is paid. A resubmittal does not carry a second plan review fee. New addresses are assigned after plans are accepted and confirmed by certified letter once the permit is issued.

Steps to a Roma permit

Inspections and certificate of occupancy

Inspections take place as each major phase is finished, and the permit holder, homeowner or general contractor is responsible for calling for every required stage. A permit not posted where it can be seen from the street can delay inspections or lead to a stop-work order, and a permit lapses if work does not start within 6 months or stops for 6 months.

A first failed inspection and its first re-check are free; the $20 re-inspection fee applies from the third visit for the same item, and all re-inspection fees must be paid before the certificate of occupancy. To get the C.O., apply at Development Services with a footprint of the building showing each room’s size and use; the Building Official inspects and the department issues it. Water, wastewater and trash service for a new home are not activated until the C.O. is issued, and a temporary C.O. can be granted for parts of a building that can be occupied safely.

Local details in Roma

Planning calendar: the City publishes 2026 filing deadlines for the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Rezoning, variances and appeals each cost $200 plus publication costs, and preliminary and final plats $250 and $200.

Historic Town Center: in the HTC zoning district, setbacks, building heights and lot coverage are set by the City’s historic preservation ordinance rather than the usual zoning table. Roma’s historic center has been a National Historic Landmark District since 1993.

Floodplain: new and substantially improved homes in a special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor at or above base flood elevation, certified by an engineer, architect or surveyor, and commercial projects in a flood zone file a floodplain development permit application with their plans.

Backflow: homes and businesses must have backflow preventers tested every year, and the fee schedule sets testing charges by device size.

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

Roma official resources

• City of Roma Development Services
• City of Roma permits page
• Residential home builder information packet (PDF)
• Commercial project information packet (PDF)
• General fee schedule and 2025 utility rate amendment (PDF)
• Pre-development meeting request (PDF)
• Subdivision ordinance 2022-13 (PDF)
• Zoning ordinance, chapter 95 (PDF)
• Roma Code of Ordinances (Municode)

Roma permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Roma?

The City’s Development Services Department and its Building Inspections Department, at City Hall, 201 W. Convent Avenue (956-849-1411).

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

$0.20 per square foot of living area and $0.10 for garages and other non-living space, plus $25 for plan review and a $250 park development fee.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes, when 25% or more of the roof covering is replaced. Residential re-roofing is charged $0.10 per square foot.

Do I need a permit for a shed or carport?

Sheds and other structures of 200 sq ft or more need one. Porches, awnings and carports need one at 200 sq ft or more, when attached, or within 5 ft of the house.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Roma?

Yes, with proof of ownership. Doing your own plumbing, electrical or mechanical work also requires proof of a homestead exemption.

Do commercial projects need anything extra?

Yes. Every commercial building permit needs a separate Fire Marshal permit from the Roma Fire Department (956-849-1770), and commercial plan review starts only after the review fee is paid.

When can I connect water to a new house?

After the certificate of occupancy is issued; take it to the City Hall Utilities office to start water, wastewater and trash service.

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