Saginaw, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Saginaw’s Building Inspections & Permits department at 301 S. Saginaw Blvd. issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and irrigation permits inside the city. You download the City’s PDF application for the job, sign it and email it with your plans to permits@saginawtx.org. Under the fee ordinance approved August 11, 2026, a new home costs $0.85 per square foot plus a plan review fee of 25% of the permit fee.

What needs a permit in Saginaw?

The City publishes a separate application for each type of work, and every permit needs phase inspections and a final inspection.

Who handles permitting in Saginaw?

Building Inspections & Permits develops and enforces the construction codes, reviews plans, registers contractors and inspects work inside the city. Chris Dyer is the Chief Building Official. The Saginaw Fire Department reviews fire protection plans, and Planning & Zoning issues the zoning verification letter a business needs for its certificate of occupancy. Saginaw lies in Tarrant County.

Applications, registration and owner permits

Saginaw does not use an online permit portal for building work. Each permit has its own fillable PDF on the Permits & Forms page; the form must carry a digital or written signature, and site plans or construction plans are attached to the same email. Right-of-way permits are the exception and are filed through the City’s GovWell page.

Contractor registration: permits are not issued until every contractor on the job is registered. The City registers 15 contractor types, from builders and roofers to pool, paving, sign and underground utility contractors. Each needs the registration form, a certificate of general liability and completed operations insurance of at least $100,000 naming the City of Saginaw as certificate holder (plumbers are excused), a copy of the state trade licence where one applies, and photo ID. Registration costs $100 and lasts 12 months from payment; electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors do not pay the fee.

Homeowners: an owner who lives in the home, rather than renting it out, may act as the general, electrical, mechanical or plumbing contractor by signing the City’s Property Owner’s Statement, which makes the owner responsible for the work and its inspections.

Home backup power: solar, battery and generator systems have their own application, with a choice of City or third-party review and inspection. Gas-fired generators also need a plumbing permit, and other electrical work needs a separate electrical permit.

Saginaw permit fees (Ordinance 2026-25)

The Master Fee Schedule adopted by Ordinance 2026-25 on August 11, 2026 prices most home permits by square foot or as a flat fee.

For example, a new 2,400 sq ft home costs $2,040 for the building permit and $510 for plan review. Commercial and industrial buildings, additions, remodels, roofs, fences and paving are priced on the City’s valuation table, using the latest ICC Building Valuation Data, with a plan review fee of 65% of the permit fee; non-residential trade permits use the same table, with the 65% plan review fee added only when plans are reviewed.

Other charges: re-inspections cost $50 the first time, $75 the second and $100 from the third; plan revisions are $50 per hour of extra review; after-hours inspections are $75 an hour with a 2-hour minimum. Starting work without a permit doubles the permit fee. A certificate of occupancy is $100, a temporary one $100 per 30 days (180 days at most), and the Fire Department charges another $100 for its certificate of occupancy inspection.

Trade and fire permits in Saginaw

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits share one application, on which you tick the trade. Residential trade permits are $75 each; commercial ones follow the valuation table. Licensed electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors must still register with the City, but without the $100 fee. Mechanical applicants are asked whether a helicopter will be used to change a rooftop unit.

Sprinkler, fire alarm, vent hood, standpipe, fuel tank and private hydrant plans go to the Saginaw Fire Department on its own plan submittal form, with copies of the contractor’s state licences, liability insurance and the company principal’s ID. Most fire construction permits cost $150 plus any review fees. The City enforces the 2021 International Fire Code with local amendments.

What to send with the application

For a new home, the application and plans are sent in this order as a single PDF:

• Completed and signed application, listing living, garage and total square footage
• Plot plan
• Soil report for the foundation
• Shear wall detail
• Framing plan with roof truss, floor joist and header layouts, span chart and ceiling
• Energy report (REScheck)
• Electrical, mechanical (including Manual J) and plumbing plans
• Building plans with code summary, elevations and square footages

Commercial buildings follow the same list with a COMcheck energy report, and the property must already be platted with approved civil plans before the building application is made. A commercial remodel or demolition needs an asbestos survey before the permit is issued. Accessory buildings, additions and remodels need a scaled site plan and construction plans covering framing and any electrical, mechanical and plumbing work.

How to get a building permit in Saginaw

Saginaw inspections

Every permit needs phase inspections as well as a final inspection, and the contractor is responsible for requesting them on the City’s inspection request line, 817-232-4263. A permit lapses if work has not started and an inspection has not been approved within 180 days of issue. Re-inspections are charged from the first repeat visit.

A business must hold a certificate of occupancy and first-year business permit before opening. The application needs the zoning verification letter, the utilities must be on for the inspection, and any remodel of the space needs its own building permit. Restaurants send plans to the Tarrant County Health Department (817-248-6299), which must inspect before the certificate is issued.

Local Saginaw rules

Codes: the City enforces the 2021 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Existing Building, Property Maintenance, Swimming Pool and Spa and Private Sewage Disposal Codes, the 2020 National Electrical Code and the 2021 International Fire Code, with City amendments to several of them.

Accessory buildings: they may be no taller than 12 ft and must be at least 5 ft from property lines under the drainage ordinance; a building 10 to 12 ft tall must be set back at least half its height. Anything over 120 sq ft needs a permanent foundation, metal roofs must be 26 gauge or heavier, and no accessory building may sit in a utility easement.

Fences: permits cover fences over 6 ft, key lot fences, retaining walls and decorative front fences, which may be no taller than 3 ft with pickets at least 6 inches apart.

Site and utilities: an earthwork permit costs $500 plus $5 per acre, floodplain development review $150, and right-of-way contractors register for $150. A 3/4-inch water meter set is $75 plus the meter, and a 4-inch sewer tap $225.

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

Official Saginaw permit resources

• Saginaw Building Inspections & Permits
• Saginaw Permits & Forms
• Saginaw adopted codes
• Master Fee Schedule, Ordinance 2026-25 (PDF)
• Contractor registration information (PDF)
• New single-family home application (PDF)
• New commercial or industrial building application (PDF)
• Accessory detached building application (PDF)
• Property Owner’s Statement (PDF)
• Home backup power system application (PDF)
• Certificate of occupancy and business permit application (PDF)
• Fire Department plan submittal form (PDF)

Saginaw permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Saginaw?

The City’s Building Inspections & Permits department, 301 S. Saginaw Blvd. (817-230-0453), led by Chief Building Official Chris Dyer.

How do I apply for a permit in Saginaw?

Download the PDF application for your project, sign it, and email it with your plans to permits@saginawtx.org.

How much is a permit for a new house in Saginaw?

$0.85 per square foot plus a 25% plan review fee. A 2,400 sq ft home pays $2,040 plus $510.

Do contractors have to register?

Yes. Registration costs $100 a year and needs at least $100,000 of liability insurance naming the City; electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors register without the fee.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Saginaw?

Yes, if you live in the home. Sign the Property Owner’s Statement to act as your own general, electrical, mechanical or plumbing contractor.

How do I request an inspection?

Call the inspection request line, 817-232-4263. The Building Department is closed on Fridays.

How much does a new roof permit cost?

$75 for a home. Commercial roofs are priced on the valuation table with a 65% plan review fee.

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