Sherman, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Sherman city limits, permits come from the Development Services Department (Building Inspections) at 317 S. Travis Street (903-892-7229), and every application, inspection request and contractor registration goes through the City’s Self Service Portal. A new home is charged $0.50 per square foot, and plan review takes about 15 working days from the day all fees are paid.

What requires a permit in Sherman?

The City’s Permits Required sheet spells out the triggers:

Building permits are issued only for a single undivided platted lot, and new commercial and multi-family projects need site plan approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission before the building application is accepted.

Who issues building permits in Sherman?

Development Services issues construction, electrical, plumbing, irrigation, HVAC, certificate of occupancy and sign permits, registers contractors, and inspects the work. Larry Bollier is the Building Official, and Rob Rae is the Development Services Director. Engineering handles driveway, sidewalk, right-of-way, grading and floodplain development permits and civil plans.

Sherman also regulates subdivision plats in its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ): land there follows the City’s Subdivision Ordinance but not its zoning. Land outside the city limits is in unincorporated Grayson County.

Registration and who can pull a permit

Every contractor working in Sherman registers with the City in the Self Service Portal; registration is free and expires on December 31 each year. Roofing contractors register as “Roofing Contractors” and upload a $300,000 certificate of insurance naming the City. On new construction, the general contractor applies and the plumbing, mechanical and electrical subcontractors validate on that single permit; their permits are paid with the building permit. On a residential remodel, all three trades are validated on one permit as well.

A homeowner can act as contractor only for a remodel or addition, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, roofing or fence permit on the home they own and live in, with a homestead exemption filed at the Grayson County Appraisal District. Upload the signed Homestead Exemption Affidavit with the application; all the work must be done by the owner, and work that state law reserves for licensed trades is not covered.

Sherman permit fees

Fees come from Appendix C, the Comprehensive Fee Schedule (revised March 3, 2025).

A new 2,000 sq ft home has a $1,000 building permit fee, before stormwater plan and impact fees. If the Building Official sends plan review or inspections to a third party, the applicant pays that firm’s fee plus 10%.

Impact fees: roadway impact fees are collected with the building permit, and water and wastewater impact fees when the water meter is applied for. Rates depend on the land use, the roadway service area (the city has four) and the meter size; the City’s Impact Fee Calculator worksheet, required with a new home application, gives the amount. The current collection rates took effect on January 1, 2023.

What to submit

• Building plans uploaded to the portal: form board survey, plot plan and survey showing improvements, floor and roof plans, elevations, foundation and framing plans, engineered shear wall and bracing plans, door and window details, landscaping and mechanical, electrical and plumbing plans
• Manual J load calculations (Manual N for commercial) and a 2021 REScheck or COMcheck energy report
• A stormwater plan (SWP3) and fee; commercial and multi-family jobs also file a Notice of Intent or Construction Site Notice
• The Impact Fee Calculator worksheet and fee
• For commercial and multi-family work over $50,000, the Texas Accessibility registration number; for commercial and multi-family remodels, an asbestos survey

Buildings over 5,000 sq ft must be designed by a Texas professional engineer and a licensed architect. Plan review starts only after all fees are paid and takes about 15 working days; every resubmittal restarts the 15-day clock. Changes after approval go in on the Building Permit Plan Revision Form. Driveway approaches and water and sewer taps are separate permits filed in the portal.

How to get a permit in Sherman

Inspections in Sherman

Schedule inspections in the Self Service Portal, which also posts results in real time. A new home is inspected at the stringline or form board survey, plumbing rough, sewer and water services, foundation or piers, electrical and mechanical rough, plumbing top-out, framing, brick ties, meter loop, the plumbing, mechanical and electrical finals, and the building final with the certificate of occupancy. A residential re-roof has one final inspection, for which the owner or tenant must give access to the attic, and a residential demolition has none.

A permit is valid for 6 months and expires if no inspection has taken place in the previous 6 months; the Building Official can extend an active permit in 6-month steps, up to 2 years in all. Permit fees are not refunded on an expired permit. A certificate of occupancy inspection, for a new building or a new owner or tenant of a commercial space, checks for a 5 lb ABC fire extinguisher and an address visible from the street. Multi-family complexes must hold a rental property license before their CO is issued.

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

Sherman official resources

• Sherman Building Permits & Inspections
• Sherman Inspections
• Sherman Self Service Portal
• Appendix C Comprehensive Fee Schedule (PDF)
• Permits Required (PDF)
• Inspections Required (PDF)
• Building permit application checklist (PDF)
• Homestead Exemption Affidavit (PDF)
• Sherman Impact Fees
• City of Sherman Development Guide (PDF)

Sherman permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Sherman?

$0.50 per square foot for new homes, additions and remodels, with a $75 minimum. A 2,000 sq ft house is $1,000 before stormwater and impact fees.

How long does plan review take?

About 15 working days, starting once all fees are paid. Each resubmittal restarts the 15-day count.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Sherman?

Yes. A residential or commercial roof permit is $75, the roofer must be registered as a Roofing Contractor, and starting without a permit adds a $250 fee.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Sherman?

Yes, for remodels, additions, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, roofing and fences on their own homestead, by uploading the Homestead Exemption Affidavit and doing the work themselves.

Do I need a permit for a shed or fence?

A new fence needs a $75 permit, but repairs without new posts do not. A shed needs a permit unless it is 100 sq ft or smaller with no permanent foundation.

Does a new business need a certificate of occupancy?

Yes. A change of owner or tenant in a non-residential space requires a $75 certificate of occupancy permit and inspection.

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