Southlake, Texas Building Permit Guide

Southlake’s Building Inspections division of Planning & Development Services (1400 Main Street, Suite 250, 817-748-8236) reviews plans, issues permits and inspects construction inside the city, and every permit is filed online in EnerGov Self-Service. A new house costs $50 plus $1 per square foot of enclosed area, a combination permit that already includes the electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, and the City aims to finish residential plan review within 10 working days.

What requires a permit in Southlake?

Building Inspections’ guidelines spell out which residential jobs need a permit and which are exempt.

A fence or wall needs its own permit when it is over 7 ft tall, forms part of a pool barrier, has brick or stone columns, or is masonry or a retaining wall 48 inches or more from the bottom of the footing; all commercial fencing needs one too. Grading and soil storage need an Earth Disturbance permit, and any site with trees needs a Tree Protection permit.

Who handles permitting in Southlake?

Building Inspections, part of Planning & Development Services, handles building permits, plan review, contractor registration and construction inspections inside Southlake. Zoning, plats, site plans and impact fee questions go to the Planning side of the department, civil plans and stormwater approval to Public Works Engineering, and fire sprinkler and alarm tests to the Fire Marshal. A new septic system needs a Tarrant County permit before it is installed; TCEQ names Southlake among the cities where Tarrant County is the septic agent.

EnerGov filing and contractor registration

EnerGov Self-Service is used to apply, upload plans, pay fees, follow review comments and request inspections. Before a building permit can be filed, the general contractor must hold a current City registration, applied for online as a general contractor licence for $100 a year. Southlake permits are multi-trade: the electrical, plumbing and mechanical subcontractors are listed on the main permit rather than pulling their own, but each must have an EnerGov account and be registered with the City. Registration is free for state licence holders. Roofers register as general contractors.

A homeowner doing their own work signs the notarised Homeowner’s Affidavit, which is limited to owners who live at the address with a homestead exemption and lists the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fence or general building work they will do themselves. Other City forms include the Sub-Contractor Form, Change of Contractor Form, Permit Extension Request (30 to 120 days, emailed to the permit technicians), Pool Barrier Certification, Residential Elevator Installers Affidavit, 2021 IECC Performance Testing Form and the Special Inspections Report.

Southlake permit fees (2025 Municipal Fee Schedule)

Building fees come from the 2025 Municipal Fee Schedule. The new residential and commercial permits include the building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, the drainage inspection and plan review; impact fees are extra.

40% of the permit fee is paid as a plan review fee when you submit, and the other 60% when the permit is issued. For example, a house with 4,000 sq ft of enclosed area costs $4,050, so $1,620 is due at submittal. Covering work before it is inspected costs $350, and working without a permit triggers an investigation fee equal to the permit fee.

Commercial permits are priced on valuation: $2,130 for the first $100,000 plus $12 for each additional $1,000, $6,930 for the first $500,000 plus $10.20 per $1,000, and $12,030 for the first $1,000,000 plus $6.60 per $1,000, with a $100 minimum. Roadway impact fees are collected when the building permit application is submitted, and water and wastewater impact fees, plus a City of Fort Worth water impact fee, when a tap is bought; the amounts depend on plat date, meter size, use and location.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire

Because Southlake permits are multi-trade, the electrical, plumbing and mechanical work on a new house, addition or commercial building is reviewed and inspected under the general contractor’s permit. Stand-alone trade jobs, such as a water heater, HVAC change-out, irrigation system or generator, get their own permit. Electrical work follows the 2023 National Electrical Code, which Southlake adopted by Ordinance No. 1280 on November 7, 2023.

Water heater, re-roof, HVAC replacement and window replacement jobs can be inspected from photos uploaded as a PDF, including a photo of the house address. Fire sprinkler plans are submitted by a licensed fire protection contractor to one of the outside reviewers the City lists, at the applicant’s cost, and the approved plan goes to the Fire Marshal. Houses need sprinklers when the enclosed area, including garage and habitable attic, exceeds 6,000 sq ft, and commercial buildings over 6,000 sq ft also need them.

What to submit and review times

Plans are uploaded as flattened, unlocked, bookmarked PDFs drawn to scale; scanned plans are not accepted. A new house needs:

• SWPPP approval letter from Public Works, obtained before the building permit
• Approved Tree Protection permit where trees exist
• Plot plan with access, setbacks, sidewalk and driveway, drainage arrows and any septic system
• Floor, electrical, elevation and roof plans with the full square footage
• Engineered truss layout, framing and wall bracing plans, and a foundation plan sealed by a Texas engineer with a cover letter
• Drainage and grading plan matching the subdivision plan, or an engineered drainage study
• Energy code analysis (E-CALC, REScheck, Energy Star or the 2021 IECC prescriptive method)

Commercial applicants also need the property zoned and platted first, civil plans approved by Public Works, proof of TDLR accessibility registration, an asbestos survey for renovations, a 911 emergency contact form, sealed MEP plans and a special inspections report. The City’s review goal is 10 working days for residential plans, counted from a complete submittal with the fee paid. Commercial first comments take up to 10 business days, or 15 for new buildings and additions, and permits with no response for 45 days are withdrawn.

How to get a building permit in Southlake

Southlake inspections

Inspections are requested online in EnerGov by the general contractor, except fire tests, which are booked with the Fire Marshal (817-748-8909). Requests made before 7:00 a.m. are generally inspected the same day; otherwise the inspection moves automatically to the next business day. Field inspections run 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and cancellations must be phoned in to 817-748-8236 before 8:30 a.m. Morning or afternoon slots are reserved for water heater and HVAC change-outs in occupied homes. The City-stamped plans must be on site for every inspection.

A new house is inspected in this order: temporary pole, first lot grading (with tree protection and erosion control in place), plumbing rough, form survey, electrical in the foundation, foundation, and “seconds” covering framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical together. The form survey must be uploaded and approved at least 48 hours before the foundation inspection, and the engineer’s letters for the foundation and framing must be uploaded before those inspections. A $100 re-inspection fee applies when work is not ready, plans or the permit card are missing, or erosion, trash or tree protection rules are broken, rising to $200 for repeat failures.

Local Southlake rules to plan around

Trees: the Tree Preservation Ordinance (585-E) requires a tree survey of canopy trees over 6 inches, orange fencing at the drip line with signs every 20 ft, and an approved tree inspection before the building permit is released.

Sewer, wells and meters: houses must connect to sewer if it is within 100 feet. Homes with a well need an RPZ backflow assembly or air gap, and the City recommends upgrading an existing 3/4-inch water meter to 1 inch.

Construction hours: work is allowed from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday to Saturday; on Sundays only work not audible at the property line. Sites need a litter container and a portable toilet, and inspections can be withheld without them.

Fences: perimeter fences over 8 ft need a Zoning Board of Adjustment variance, but a rear-yard fence set at least 10 ft inside the property line may reach 14 ft.

Commercial sites: no building may rise above the ground floor slab until fire hydrants and fire lanes are approved by the Fire Marshal. Projects in the Airport Overlay Zone need a noise-reduction certification, and exterior lighting needs a photometric plan under Ordinance 693-C.

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 Southlake permit resources

• Southlake Building Inspections
• Construction Information (guidelines and checklists)
• Online Permitting and Inspections
• EnerGov Self-Service portal
• 2025 Municipal Fee Schedule (PDF)
• Southlake building codes and amendments
• Residential construction guidelines for new dwellings (PDF)
• Accessory buildings, additions and remodels guidelines (PDF)
• Fence and pool barrier guidelines (PDF)
• Roof replacement guidelines (PDF)
• Commercial submittal guidelines, April 2026 (PDF)
• Tree protection guidelines (PDF)
• Impact fee information
• Development & Permitting

Southlake permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Southlake?

The Building Inspections division of Planning & Development Services, 1400 Main Street, Suite 250 (817-748-8236), through EnerGov Self-Service.

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

$50 plus $1 per square foot of enclosed area, covering building and trade permits. A 4,000 sq ft house pays $4,050, plus impact, tap and park fees.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Only if it is detached and over 120 sq ft. Attached structures always need a permit.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof?

Yes. The permit is $100, the roofer must be registered as a general contractor, and the final inspection can be done from photos.

Do I need a fence permit?

Only for fences over 7 ft, pool barriers, fences with masonry columns, masonry walls or retaining walls 48 inches or more from the footing, and commercial fencing.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, for a home they live in with a homestead exemption, by filing the notarised Homeowner’s Affidavit.

How long does plan review take?

The goal is 10 working days for residential plans once everything is in and the review fee is paid; commercial first comments take up to 10 business days, or 15 for new buildings.

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