Building permits inside San Juan are handled by the City’s Planning & Zoning Department at City Hall, 512 S. Nebraska Ave. (956-223-2200), with plan sign-off from building inspections, the fire department and code enforcement. You download the Building Construction Application, then hand it in with your documents at City Hall. A new house costs $0.30 per square foot of total buildable area, so a 2,000 sq ft home pays $600 before trade permits.
What requires a permit in San Juan?
The Unified Development Code says no building or structure may be erected, added to or structurally altered until a Building Inspector has issued a permit, and every use, including a nonconforming one, needs a certificate of occupancy from the Chief Building Official. The City’s fee schedule and forms cover:
Building and trades
- New homes, additions and commercial buildings
- Moving a building into or within the city
- Demolition
- Plumbing, gas, sewer taps and septic tanks
- Electrical services, temporary poles and working clearance
- Heating, air conditioning, ductwork and boilers
- Excavation (Utilities Department)
Planning approvals
- Occupancy and health permit for a business
- Conditional use and rezoning
- Variances
- Subdivision plats
- Zoning and variance letters
The City’s GIS map shows the city limits and zoning; land outside them is served by Hidalgo County Precinct 1 or 2.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who handles permitting in San Juan?
Planning & Zoning takes building permit applications and planning cases; Monica Gomez is Director of Planning & Zoning. The building application is signed off by the inspections staff, the fire department, code enforcement and the Planning Director before the permit is issued, and the Directors of Planning, Public Works and Building Inspections administer the zoning chapter. Excavation permits go through the Utilities Department.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Planning & Zoning | 512 S. Nebraska Ave., San Juan, TX 78589 |
| Phone | 956-223-2200 (the building application lists 956-223-2220); fax 956-787-5978 |
| Stormwater hotline | 956-223-2255 |
| Outside city limits | Hidalgo County |
The Building Construction Application
San Juan has no online building permit portal. The City asks you to download the form, fill it in, gather the plans and supporting documents for the job, and hand everything in at the Planning Department during business hours, asking for a receipt. Payment is required before some applications are processed.
- Owner: must provide a warranty deed for the property.
- Contractor: must submit a Texas residential contractor certificate.
- Project details: description of work, subdivision, block and lot, site address and improvement value.
- Energy: homes must meet the Texas residential building envelope requirements.
Subcontractor permits are issued separately at the Planning & Zoning office, starting at $35, and electrical subcontractors register for a free licence. A new home may not be occupied until its certificate of occupancy is issued.
San Juan permit fees (Ordinance 2019-28)
Section 7.00 of the Unified Development Code’s building standards, adopted by Ordinance 2019-28 on October 8, 2019, charges homes by area and commercial buildings by value. The City’s Planning & Zoning page describes building permits as based on the annual ICC building valuation tables; the code applies that method to commercial work, while homes pay a flat rate per square foot.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home | $0.30 per sq ft of total buildable area |
| Commercial, value $1,000 or less | $60 base rate, or $40 per inspection if inspections are needed |
| Commercial, $1,000 to $50,000 | $150 for the first $1,000 plus $5 per extra $1,000, plus $40 inspection |
| Commercial, $50,001 to $100,000 | $400 for the first $50,000 plus $5 per extra $1,000, plus $40 inspection |
| Commercial, $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,000 for the first $100,000 plus $5 per extra $1,000, plus $40 inspection |
| Commercial, over $500,000 | $2,000 for the first $500,000 plus $5 per extra $1,000, plus $40 inspection |
| Commercial plan review | Half of the building permit fee |
| Moving a building | $200 |
| Demolition | $200 |
| Re-inspection | $40 |
Other City charges include $50 plus mileage beyond 15 miles to inspect a house or mobile home being moved, $50 for an occupancy and health permit, $300 for a variance or conditional use rezoning, $300 plus $50 per acre for a subdivision, $150 for an excavation permit, and 4% of value for subdivision inspection.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Permit issuance (plumbing, electrical or mechanical) | $35 each |
| Plumbing fixtures (sinks, toilets, showers, water heaters and so on) | $6 each |
| Water piping; gas piping; gas test | $25 each |
| Sewer tap | $300 |
| Septic tank | $200 |
| Electrical service, up to 200 A | $100; $150 for 201–400 A; $200 above 400 A |
| Temporary pole | $40 |
| Working clearance | $150 residential (after 90% completion); $50 commercial |
| Air conditioning, 1–2 tons | $35 for the first ton plus $35 for the second |
| Re-inspection | $40 |
Larger mechanical systems are priced by tonnage band, and boilers by BTU input, from $20 to $60. The $200 septic tank charge is the City’s plumbing fee; the septic (OSSF) permit itself comes from Hidalgo County’s Planning Department in Edinburg (956-318-2840), which TCEQ lists as administering San Juan’s septic authorization.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a building permit in San Juan
Use the City’s GIS map to confirm the lot is inside San Juan and to see its zoning.
Fill in the Building Construction Application from the Permits & Forms page.
Warranty deed, the contractor’s certificate, plans and the improvement value; a home builder may also be asked to show funds to finish the house.
Hand the package to Planning & Zoning at 512 S. Nebraska Ave. and keep the receipt.
Inspections, the fire department, code enforcement and the Planning Director review the application.
Subcontractors take out their own permits; the home cannot be occupied before the certificate of occupancy.
San Juan building standards
Codes: the City has adopted the 2018 International Building, Residential and Energy Conservation Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code (Ordinance 2022-25, June 28, 2022), along with plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, property maintenance and swimming pool and spa codes.
Minimum home: a new house must have at least 800 sq ft of floor area, a bathroom of at least 30 sq ft, a concrete or concrete-pier foundation, hot water of at least 120°F and set numbers of outlets and switched lights per room. Builders must show the Building Official they have the funds to finish, by a letter of credit or bank statement.
Moved buildings: a home or commercial building brought into the city must be at least 90% new material, with state and federal law governing manufactured and modular homes. Moving a site-built house within the city needs a building permit, an inspection and the Building Official’s approval first.
Drainage: the City publishes a Storm Drainage Master Plan and a Subdivision Standard Design Guide for new development.
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
Official San Juan permit resources
- San Juan Planning & Zoning
- San Juan permits & forms
- Building Construction Application, October 2025 (PDF)
- Building standards and permit fees (Code of Ordinances)
- Adopted technical and construction codes (Code of Ordinances)
- San Juan charter and code of ordinances
San Juan permit FAQ
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in San Juan?
The City’s Planning & Zoning Department at City Hall, 512 S. Nebraska Ave. (956-223-2200), with review by building inspections, the fire department and code enforcement.
How much is a building permit for a new house in San Juan?
$0.30 per square foot of total buildable area: $600 for 2,000 sq ft. Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are extra.
Can I apply online?
No. Download the Building Construction Application and file it in person at City Hall.
What is the smallest house I can build?
800 sq ft of floor area, on a concrete slab or concrete piers.
How much is a re-inspection?
$40. Residential working clearance, done after 90% completion, is $150.
Which codes does San Juan use?
The 2018 International Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about San Juan permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.