South Houston, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of South Houston Inspection Department, at the corner door of City Hall (1018 Dallas St., 713-947-7700 ext. 121 or 126), issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits inside the city. Applications are paper forms from the City’s Permits & Inspections page, filled out in blue or black ink, and each building application carries a $15 application fee on top of the permit fee set by Section 6-20 of the City Code.

What requires a permit in South Houston?

The City’s fee list and forms show which jobs need a permit inside South Houston.

The City Code requires a permit before any fence is built, moved, repaired, added to or structurally altered. Electrical permits are needed for any wiring, fixture or equipment; replacing fuses or lamps and plugging portable equipment into existing receptacles are the published exceptions.

Who handles permitting in South Houston?

The Inspection Department (the building application calls it the Division of Building Inspections) takes applications, reviews plans, issues permits and inspects building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work for property inside South Houston. The Street & Bridge Department sizes culverts, and the Fire Marshal’s Office reviews fire suppression and inspects businesses before a certificate of occupancy.

South Houston application forms

South Houston does not run an online permit portal; every application is a printable PDF on the Permits & Inspections page, completed in blue or black ink and turned in at the Inspection Department. The forms in use for construction are:

• Building Permit Application for new construction, alterations and repairs, with square footage and total cost; plans come as one 11 x 17 set and one 22 x 34 set.
• Electric, Plumbing and Mechanical Permit Applications, each with its own fee table, filed by the licensed contractor with the building permit number.
• Utility Verification Report ($150 per lot), with a survey or site plan attached; the City fills in water, sewer and culvert information, and the report is valid for six months.
• Driveways, Parking Lot, Approach and Culverts application and the separate culvert application.
• Residential/Commercial Site Work Application for storm drains, inlets and tie-ins to the City storm sewer.
• Demolition, house moving, mobile home, sign and certificate of occupancy applications.

Under the City Code, a contractor working in South Houston agrees in writing, as a condition of the permit, to repair any water or sewer line damage the work causes.

South Houston permit fees

Building fees are set by Exhibit A to Section 6-20 of the City Code, posted as the Building Permit Fee List. Most building items are a base fee plus a square-foot charge; the list sets the square-foot fee at $0.15 for residential work and $0.20 for commercial work.

Every building application also pays a $15 application fee, and the minimum fee is $50. Plan checking is listed with a $45 minimum and a $500 maximum, or 50% of the building fee, and work the City Engineer reviews is billed at $75 an hour. A re-inspection costs $45 on a residential job and $50 on a commercial one, and a new review of revised plans costs $35. An expired permit is renewed for half the original fee, with a $45 minimum. Starting work without a permit costs $250.

Section 6-5 of the Code still prints an older fence fee ($30 plus 6 cents a foot); the newer posted fee list charges $40 plus 15 cents a foot.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

The Inspection Department issues all three trade permits, and the forms state that no trade permit is issued before the building permit when the job needs one. The City’s new construction checklist requires a licensed plumber, electrician and mechanical contractor to pull these permits, and utilities are not released until every permit has passed inspection. The electrical form asks for the master electrician’s licence number; under Section 8-62 a homeowner may do electrical work on their own property after buying a regular permit, but not on property built or bought for sale or rent.

Each trade form also lists a $45 plan checking fee and a $250 charge for working without a permit. Electrical permits expire if work has not started within 60 days or stops for 180 days. Restaurant hood suppression systems go to the Fire Marshal’s Office, whose checklist asks for a UL 300 wet chemical system designed to the 2015 International Fire Code, NFPA 96 and NFPA 17A, with the manual pull station 10 to 20 feet from the hood along an exit path.

New construction checklist

The Inspection Department’s checklist for a new building lists what must come in with the application:

• Utility Verification Report and the building permit application
• Deed as proof of ownership
• Boundary survey plat and topographic survey plat, showing lot lines, utilities, drainage structures, easements, adjoining streets and building setback lines
• Elevation certificate showing street crown, top of form and finished floor
• Two complete sets of plans drawn to scale: a site plan with all buildings, distances to property lines, driveways, approaches and sidewalks and how the site drains, with plans by an architect and an engineer’s seal on the foundation
• Drainage plan and, where needed, a culvert application
• Smoke detectors shown on the plans, hard wired with battery backup
• For commercial work, a soils report and plans already approved by a registered accessibility specialist

A form survey by a registered surveyor is due before the slab is poured. Gutters and downspouts must drain through PVC drain tile into the culverts, and driveways and parking lots follow Ordinance 2002-13.

How to get a building permit in South Houston

South Houston inspections

Request inspections by calling 713-947-7700 ext. 121 or 126 before 3 p.m.; the electrical, plumbing and mechanical forms all give that cut-off. For a new building, the form survey must be in before the slab is poured, and utilities are released only after every trade permit has passed inspection.

A business needs a certificate of occupancy before it opens. The application costs $400 and needs a Texas driver’s licence, sales and use tax permit, assumed name (DBA) and lease. Building, electrical, plumbing, code enforcement and Fire Marshal inspections are scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., the applicant or a representative must be there, and the business cannot open until all of them pass. Food businesses also need a Harris County health certificate.

Local South Houston rules to plan around

Slab height: the top of the slab must be at least 12 inches above the crest of the street, or at the floodplain elevation if that is higher. Section 6-102 requires the lowest floor of new and substantially improved homes in a special flood hazard area to be at or above the base flood elevation, certified by an engineer, architect or surveyor.

Floodplain permits: the City’s Emergency Management Coordinator is the floodplain administrator and reviews floodplain development permits, using the Berry Bayou flood insurance study and maps dated May 2, 2019.

Culverts: after the culvert permit is issued, Street & Bridge tells you the size; the owner or contractor buys new pipe (no used culverts), marks the location, provides 3-sack stabilized sand, and calls Street & Bridge to set an installation date.

Fences: a fence application needs a survey in duplicate and a scale drawing, and the fence line must be staked before the permit is issued. In residential areas, fences in front of the building line are limited to 3 ft for wood or masonry, 5 ft for chain link and 6 ft for wrought iron; side and rear fences top out at 6 ft 6 in. Pools, spas and hot tubs need an enclosure 4 ft to 6 ft 6 in tall with self-closing, latching gates.

Carports: metal or wood only, with no walls and posts at least 5 ft from side lines.

Adopted codes: the City Code adopts the 2015 International Building Code (without Appendix Chapters A–L), the 2015 International Residential Code with appendices, the 2015 Mechanical and Plumbing Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code.

Demolition: a $500 bond must be on file, the sewer line must be capped below grade, and the owner or contractor removes all debris.

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 South Houston permit resources

• South Houston Permits & Inspections (forms and contacts)
• Building Permit Fee List (PDF)
• Building Permit Application (PDF)
• Inspection Department checklist for new construction (PDF)
• Electric Permit Application (PDF)
• Plumbing Permit Application (PDF)
• Mechanical Permit Application (PDF)
• Utility Verification Report, residential (PDF)
• Culvert requirements and application (PDF)
• Certificate of Occupancy Application (PDF)
• Fire Marshal kitchen hood suppression checklist (PDF)
• South Houston Code of Ordinances

South Houston permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in South Houston?

The City Inspection Department at City Hall, 1018 Dallas St. (713-947-7700 ext. 121 or 126), for building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work.

Can I apply for a permit online?

No online portal is published. Print the form from the City website, fill it out in blue or black ink and take it to the Inspection Department.

How much is a building permit in South Houston?

New homes are $150 plus $0.15 per square foot, remodels $20 plus the square-foot fee, and every building application adds a $15 application fee and a plan check fee of at least $45.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes, to build, move, repair or alter one. The fee is $40 minimum plus 15 cents a foot, and you need a survey and a scale drawing.

Can a homeowner do their own electrical work?

Yes, on their own property, after buying a regular electrical permit. Property built or bought for sale or rent is excluded.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 713-947-7700 ext. 121 or 126 before 3 p.m.

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