Seguin, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Seguin city limits, building and trade permits come from the City’s Planning & Codes Department at 108 E. Mountain Street (Permits & Inspections, 830-386-2245), and every application goes through the online Development Services Portal (CSS) by a City-licensed contractor or a homestead owner. A new single-family home is charged $0.55 per square foot plus $0.25 per square foot for plan review, and the emailed building final report serves as the home’s certificate of occupancy.

What requires a permit in Seguin?

A permit is needed to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, roof or re-roof a building, change its occupancy, or install a fence. The fee schedule also prices permits for storage buildings, patios and decks, foundation repair, driveways and sidewalks, pools, tents over 200 sq ft, and trade work.

For roofs, City Code Sec. 18-28 settles it: replacing the covering on a one- or two-family home, or a non-structural roof repair, needs no permit unless the decking or framing is affected. The $110 roof replacement permit and the City’s roofing application cover those structural jobs and all other buildings. Two items still conflict: the fee schedule prices a $150 window replacement permit, and the fence application says every new fence, and any repair of more than 50% of a fence, needs a permit ($25 in the 2026 UDC fee schedule). A backup power system still needs an electrical permit for the service equipment and a plumbing permit for any gas piping.

Who issues building permits in Seguin?

Planning & Codes handles contractor licences, permits, pre-construction meetings, plan review, inspections and floodplain permits inside the city. Oscar Arevalo is the Chief Building Official, and Pamela Centeno is the Director of Planning & Codes. The City’s subdivision fees apply equally inside the city and in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, so plats there also go to Seguin. Outside the city limits, Guadalupe County’s rules apply instead.

Licences and the Development Services Portal

Every contractor must hold a City licence or registration before any permit is issued ($100 a year under the fee schedule). In the portal, log in or register, apply for the licence with a certificate of liability insurance and a state licence or government ID, then apply for the permit. Choose the permit type carefully: an application filed under the wrong type is rejected and must be resubmitted. Anyone who has not logged in since September 27, 2024 must create the account again, using the same email address.

An owner who lives in the house and has it registered as a homestead with the Guadalupe County Appraisal District can take out the permit and do the work personally or with immediate family, signing the homeowner affidavit; any phase that is hired out must use a City-licensed contractor. Owners apply for a Home Owner License in the portal. Commercial roofing must be done by a licensed contractor, and the electric, water and wastewater service applications are completed by a licensed contractor and filed with the building permit.

Seguin permit fees

Building fees are set by square footage in Appendix C of the Code of Ordinances.

A 2,000 sq ft new home therefore costs $1,100 for the building permit and $500 for plan review, before trade permits, the compliance fee and impact fees. Starting without a permit doubles the fee.

Impact and parkland fees: for a single-family home on unplatted land, land platted before May 17, 2017, or land platted on or after January 13, 2023, roadway impact fees run from $1,570 to $3,107 per home depending on the service area. The UDC fee schedule effective August 28, 2026 also sets parkland fees of $400 (dedication) and $800 (development) per proposed residential unit.

Downtown historic district: building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sprinkler, alarm and sign permit fees are waived there, though work started without a permit is still charged double and re-inspections are still charged.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits

Electrical fees for work in an existing building are based on the area of the work, not the whole building. The City’s fee schedule includes septic permits, and TCEQ lists the City of Seguin as an authorized agent, with 20 systems installed under it in 2025.

How to get a permit in Seguin

Seguin inspections

Inspections are requested through the Development Services Portal, and each report is emailed automatically to the contacts listed on the permit. Anyone else who wants the emails must be added by the permit holder and needs a portal account. The City’s residential checklist lists 18 inspections, from the temporary meter loop and underground plumbing to the foundation, sheathing, roof deck, pre-cover, brick tie, trade rough-ins and finals, and the building final.

Points the checklist highlights: beams at least 12 inches wide and 24 inches deep, the top of the slab at least 6 inches above grade, a FEMA elevation certificate at the foundation stage for land in the 100-year floodplain, a 3-inch vent on the main drain furthest from the City tap, and the energy code certificate on display at the final. Approved plans must be kept on site in a weatherproof place.

For a single-family home or duplex, the approved building final report, emailed to the permit holder, is the certificate of occupancy; no separate certificate is issued. A permit lapses if work is suspended or abandoned or regular inspections stop, and the City publishes a Permit Extension Request Form.

Local Seguin rules

Floodplain: building in the floodplain needs a Floodplain Development Permit from the portal ($100 residential, $250 non-residential), and a flood zone verification letter costs $25.

Fences: the fence application asks for two copies of a plot plan and the fence specifications, and the permit must be picked up within 75 days of submittal.

Short-term rentals: since January 1, 2026, owners operating a short-term rental inside the city must register it through the permit portal.

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

Seguin official resources

• Seguin Permits and Inspections
• Seguin Development Services Portal (CSS)
• Seguin Permits: how to register and apply
• Seguin Permit Applications
• Seguin fee schedule, Code of Ordinances Appendix C
• Residential Inspection Checklist (PDF)
• Residential Energy Backup Systems
• How to apply for a Floodplain Development Permit
• Unified Development Code fee schedule, August 2026 (PDF)
• Seguin Building Inspectors

Seguin permit FAQs

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

$0.55 per square foot plus $0.25 per square foot for plan review: $1,600 for a 2,000 sq ft house, before trade permits and impact fees.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Seguin?

Yes, if the owner lives in the house, it is registered as a homestead with the Guadalupe County Appraisal District, and the owner or immediate family does the work. Hired trades must be City-licensed.

Do I need a permit to replace windows or a roof?

Re-roofing a house or duplex needs no permit unless the decking or framing is affected (City Code Sec. 18-28); those jobs and other buildings take the $110 roof permit. Window replacement in an existing home or duplex is listed as permit-free on the Permits and Inspections page, yet the fee schedule still prices a $150 window permit, so ask the Permits Department at 830-401-2435 before starting.

Does Seguin issue a certificate of occupancy for a new house?

No separate certificate. The approved building final inspection report, emailed to the permit holder, serves as the certificate of occupancy for single-family homes and duplexes.

Do I need a permit for a home generator or battery?

Not for the generator (up to 50 kW) or solar and storage equipment (up to 100 kW) itself, but the electrical service connection needs an electrical permit and any gas line a plumbing permit.

How do I request an inspection?

Through the Development Services Portal. Reports are emailed to everyone listed as a contact on the permit.

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