Terrell, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Terrell’s Development Services department, at 400 Industrial Blvd. since June 8, 2026 (972-551-6606), issues building, trade and septic permits inside the city limits, and every application is uploaded to the City’s Citizen Portal. A new home costs $2,900 for the first 1,500 sq ft plus $0.90 for each additional square foot, and plan review takes 14 to 21 business days, though plumbing, mechanical, electrical, roofing and residential demolition permits can be issued the same day.

What requires a permit in Terrell?

The City’s Building Permits and Inspections page lists the work that needs a permit:

Every business also needs a certificate of occupancy, and a new one is required whenever the building, business, tenant, owner, use, business name, occupancy or zoning changes. Grading needs its own permit, and moving a structure over 240 sq ft on public streets also needs a police permit.

Who handles permitting in Terrell?

Development Services (also called Municipal Development on some forms) reviews plans, registers contractors, issues permits and inspects construction within the city limits. Since February 2022 the City has also been the TCEQ-approved authority for septic systems (OSSF) inside the city limits. Certificates of occupancy are reviewed by Planning and Zoning, the Building Official and the Fire Marshal.

In the extraterritorial jurisdiction, an interlocal agreement with Kaufman County (Resolution 2123) gives the City exclusive control of subdivision platting, while the County keeps its fire code, building permits under the county’s Subdivision and Land Development Regulations, septic, floodplain, driveway culvert and 9-1-1 addressing permits.

Citizen Portal, applications and contractor registration

Permits are applied for in the Citizen Portal: upload the residential or commercial permit application and, where it applies, a site plan, then follow the City’s portal instructions. Right-of-way permits need the application, a site plan and, where needed, a traffic control plan, and the contractor must call 811 for locates. Sign permits need the application, renderings and a site plan. Fire sprinkler, underground fire line, annual fire inspection, special event and temporary use applications are also in the portal.

All contractors must register through the portal before applying, with a registration application, copies of their licences and a certificate of insurance; registration lasts one year. The August 2025 fee ordinance sets the registration fee at $105 a year, but the City’s permit page says plumbing, mechanical, electrical, backflow and fire sprinkler or alarm contractors do not pay it. A licensed electrician, plumber or mechanical contractor can let an employee or agent pull permits under their licence with the notarised Authorization to Pull Permits form ($35 per person). Any unpaid City balances on the property must be cleared before a permit is issued.

Terrell permit fees (Ordinance 3121, August 2025)

Building and development fees are set by Ordinance No. 3121, adopted August 26, 2025. Permits in the Downtown District and Central Business District get a 50% discount.

For example, a 2,000 sq ft new home costs $2,900 plus 500 x $0.90, or $3,350. Re-inspections cost $105 the first time, $210 the second and $840 the third; after-hours inspections are $185 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Work done without a permit, or by unregistered or unlicensed trades, costs $130 plus triple the normal permit fee. Water and sewer connection, engineering review and park land fees are set by separate ordinances.

Trade, septic and fire permits

Plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits are filed in the Citizen Portal by registered contractors and can be issued the same day when complete; remodels and commercial repairs are charged $92 per trade. Every trade on a new home must be registered before the application package is reviewed, and the application lists the general, mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors.

Septic systems inside Terrell are permitted and inspected by the City under its TCEQ authorization, using the City’s OSSF installation permit application and affidavit; a failed installation or maintenance inspection must be corrected within 30 days. Fire sprinkler and alarm systems need a fire permit at $0.05 per sq ft ($210 minimum) and must follow the Terrell Fire Department Technical Manual and the City’s 2021 International Fire Code amendments.

New home packet and plan review

The New Residential Construction Packet (October 2025) lists what a complete application needs:

• Residential permit application or project summary sheet, property survey and deed
• REScheck energy compliance report
• Site plan with legal description, lot lines, all structures, easements, setbacks and any septic system and spray area
• Stamped engineered foundation and shear wall plans, plus a foundation letter confirming the design suits the lot’s soil and the 2021 codes
• Elevations, framing, mechanical, electrical and plumbing plans
• Engineered driveway approach and drainage culvert plans; a TxDOT permit for driveways onto state highways
• Civil plans (cover, grading, utility and drainage) following the City’s 2024 Technical Construction Standards and Specifications
• For infill lots, a water and sewer plan checklist

Review takes 14 to 21 business days depending on what the project needs. Commercial projects can request a free first Development Review Committee meeting; later meetings cost $265.

How to get a building permit in Terrell

Terrell inspections

Next-day inspections are requested in the Citizen Portal before 4:00 p.m.; later requests go to the following day. Only request an inspection once the work is ready, because unready or failed work can be charged a re-inspection fee, and one person should schedule for each job. The City-stamped “field copy” of the plans must be on site.

A new home has eight inspections: temporary power pole; plumbing rough, with erosion control, a portable toilet, trash box and form board survey on site; piers where used; foundation, including the Ufer ground; a combined framing, mechanical and electrical rough, plumbing top-out, brick tie and poly seal visit; flatwork, with concrete culvert pipe; electric meter release; and the final, which covers lot and ditch grading, sod and landscaping. Energy code inspections are done by a third-party agency the builder hires, and their reports, the termite treatment report, any backflow report and a final grade survey must be in before the final.

For a business, the certificate of occupancy review takes up to 14 business days, then the Building Official, Fire Marshal and, where needed, the Health Inspector inspect together. Construction must be finished first, and a grand opening should not be scheduled until the signed certificate arrives.

Local Terrell rules to plan around

Codes: Terrell enforces the 2021 International Code Council codes, the 2020 National Electrical Code and the Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance 2895, updated 2025).

Trash service: construction dumpsters must come from the City’s franchise hauler, Waste Connections Lone Star; inspections are refused at sites using another provider, and penalties reach $2,000 a day.

Site rules: erosion control goes in immediately after the permit is issued and stays until landscaping; addresses must be visible; mud on streets can shut a job down; excavations over 4 ft need a barrier; water meters may not sit in concrete driveways or sidewalks; single-builder subdivisions need one portable toilet per five houses.

Floor elevation and flooding: on infill lots the finished floor must be at least 1 ft above the street centerline or top of curb, whichever is higher, and lots flagged by the floodplain administrator need a post-construction FEMA elevation certificate before the certificate of occupancy.

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 Terrell permit resources

• Terrell Building Permits and Inspections
• Terrell Citizen Portal
• New Residential Construction Packet (PDF)
• Residential permit application (PDF)
• Commercial permit application (PDF)
• Building Permit and Development Fees, Ordinance 3121 (PDF)
• Contractor registration application (PDF)
• Authorization to pull permits (PDF)
• Certificate of occupancy process and application (PDF)
• Septic (OSSF) permits
• ETJ interlocal agreement with Kaufman County (PDF)
• Developer’s Corner (ordinances and fees)
• Terrell building regulations (Code of Ordinances)

Terrell permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Terrell?

The City’s Development Services department at 400 Industrial Blvd. (972-551-6606), through the Citizen Portal, for property inside the city limits.

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

$2,900 for up to 1,500 sq ft plus $0.90 for each additional square foot, so a 2,000 sq ft house is $3,350.

How long does plan review take?

14 to 21 business days. Plumbing, mechanical, electrical, roofing and residential demolition permits can be issued the same day.

Do I need a permit for a fence or roof?

Yes. The City lists fences, roofs, retaining walls, decks, patios and driveways among the work that needs a permit.

Who permits septic systems in Terrell?

The City, inside the city limits, under its TCEQ authorization since February 2022. In the ETJ, Kaufman County handles septic permits.

When can I get an inspection?

Request it in the Citizen Portal before 4:00 p.m. for the next day.

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