Inside the Texas city of Texarkana, the City’s Inspections & Code Enforcement department (Municipal Building, 220 Texas Blvd., Room 301, 903-798-3912) reviews plans and issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and sign permits, and applications and contractor registration go through the MyGOV TXK portal. In April 2026 the City adopted the 2024 International Building, Residential and Energy Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code; a residential plan review costs $50, and trade permits on new construction or remodels are $0.05 per square foot each.
What requires a permit in Texarkana?
The City Code requires a permit before anyone builds, alters, restores, moves or demolishes a building or does electrical or plumbing work covered by the code. The department lists these permit types:
Building and site
- New construction, including additions and attached decks, garages and porches
- Remodels, repairs and re-roofing
- Demolition, including outbuildings
- Portable buildings and construction trailers
- Swimming pools
- Driveways and street or alley cuts
- Signs, banners and promotional signs
- Tents larger than 10 x 10 ft
- Moving oversized loads or houses
Trades
- Electrical new work, remodels, change-outs, service repairs, temporary power and mobile homes
- Plumbing new work and remodels, water heaters, sewer taps, grease traps and sand/oil separators
- Gas lines and gas tests
- Irrigation heads and RPZ backflow devices
- Heating and air conditioning units
- Vent hoods, fire alarms and sprinklers
Replacing lamps or fuses and plugging portable equipment into existing receptacles need no electrical permit. A new structure that needs an address must get one from Public Works before the building permit is issued.
Who handles permitting in Texarkana?
Inspections & Code Enforcement, led by Director Mashell Daniel, reviews plans, issues permits, inspects construction and enforces the sign and site management rules inside the city limits; Shawn Maxey is the Chief Building Official. The same office handles zoning applications, code enforcement and health inspections. Fire alarm, sprinkler and extinguishing system permits are issued by the Fire Department, and the state floodplain directory lists the Director of Public Works as the City’s floodplain administrator.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Inspections & Code Enforcement, Municipal Building, 220 Texas Blvd., Room 301, Texarkana, TX 75501 |
| Phone and fax | 903-798-3912; fax 903-794-1257 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Chief Building Official | Shawn Maxey, 903-798-3914 |
| Director | Mashell Daniel, 903-798-3947 |
| Fire Administration (fire permits) | 919 Elm Street; 903-798-3994 |
| Portal | MyGOV TXK |
MyGOV TXK, contractor registration and insurance
Permits are applied for in MyGOV TXK. Contractors register there first; once registration is complete they can apply for permits, and only state-licensed contractors registered with the City may pull permits. The FY 2026 fee list charges nothing for registering builders and plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractors.
Before any permit is issued, the City Code requires a certificate of general liability insurance on file with the department: at least $300,000 per occurrence for roofing and siding contractors and $500,000 for building construction and remodeling contractors, plus proof of workers’ compensation or self-insurance for all contractors.
A homeowner who owns and lives in a house may apply for permits there and, under the electrical code, do their own electrical work, which is still inspected. The sewer tap at the street is the exception: a Texas-licensed plumber must make it and pull the permit. Approved permits must be picked up within 60 days or the fees are forfeited.
Texarkana permit fees (FY 2026 Master Fee List)
The posted FY 2026 Master Fee List was adopted September 8, 2025 and amended April 13, 2026, and it states that building permit fees follow the fiscal-year schedule in which construction is scheduled to begin.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New residential building permit (homes, additions, attached decks, garages and porches) | $0.00 per sq ft on the FY 2026 list |
| Residential remodeling, alterations or repairs | $0.25 per sq ft |
| Residential plan review; re-review of changes | $50; $50 |
| Non-residential building under $25 million | $0.50 per sq ft plus $0.10 per sq ft of site development area |
| Non-residential over $25 million | Contractor pays third-party inspection plus 10% |
| Non-residential plan review | $500; re-review $250 under $1 million, $500 above |
| Re-roofing or roof repair | $75 residential; $100 non-residential |
| Demolition | $150 (bond or cashier’s check required); outbuilding $50 |
| Swimming pool (new construction) | $200 |
| Driveway | $30 |
| Portable building moved on site | $30 |
| Construction or work site trailer | $250 |
| Certificate of occupancy (existing building) | $50, including 2 inspections |
Two inspections are included with a building permit, and each courtesy or follow-up inspection after that is $25. Residential re-inspections are $25; non-residential re-inspections are $50 per trade and rise by $25 with each further failure. Weekend and after-hours inspections cost $100 an hour with a three-hour minimum. Work started without a permit costs double, and renewing an expired permit costs 25% of the original fee.
Electrical, plumbing, gas and HVAC permits
Electrical work must be done under a master or sign electrician, except a homeowner’s own work in the house they live in. On new construction and remodels, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are each charged by floor area; smaller jobs have flat fees:
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical, plumbing or HVAC on new construction or remodels | $0.05 per sq ft each |
| Basic electrical rough-in or repair, up to 4 circuits | $25, plus $2.50 per additional circuit |
| Restore or repair electrical service | $25 (100 amp) to $45 (over 600 amp) |
| Temporary power pole | $50 |
| Courtesy inspection for SWEPCO power release | $25 |
| Plumbing: water fixtures or water heater | $15 |
| Sewer line or tap | $20 |
| Gas, up to 4 openings | $15, plus $1 per additional opening |
| Irrigation RPZ installation | $50 |
| HVAC unit replacement | $25 residential; $50 commercial |
SWEPCO, the electric utility, requires the City’s inspection before it turns power on. The Fire Department charges $100 for a commercial fire alarm installation permit and $150 each for sprinkler or standpipe and fixed extinguishing system permits.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a building permit in Texarkana
Confirm the zoning, and get an official address from Public Works if the building needs one; site plans, rezonings and special use permits have their own applications.
Contractors register and file insurance and workers’ compensation certificates; homeowners building their own home can apply directly.
Submit the building permit application with plans that meet the 2024 codes and Texas Accessibility Standards where they apply.
Pay the plan review and permit fees once approved; fees for permits not picked up within 60 days are forfeited.
Electrical, plumbing, gas and HVAC contractors pull their own permits for the job.
Request inspections through the department at each phase; the City inspects before SWEPCO connects power.
Texarkana inspections
Inspectors check new and remodeled work several times during construction for compliance with the approved plans and the building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical codes, and also check the City’s site management requirements and signs. Two inspections come with each building permit; further courtesy inspections and failed-inspection re-checks are charged as listed above. The department does not publish a daily request cut-off; call 903-798-3912 or use MyGOV TXK.
Outside the city but inside its extraterritorial jurisdiction, the City Code lets the builder of a house, duplex, townhouse or condominium ask the building official for a code compliance inspection; the FY 2026 fee is $150 per request, paid before the final report is released. Apartments and non-residential buildings in the ETJ are not covered. For an existing commercial building, an initial certificate of occupancy costs $50 and includes two inspections.
Local Texarkana rules to plan around
Codes: since April 13, 2026 the City Code adopts the 2024 International Building, Residential and Energy Conservation Codes (Ordinances 2026-009 to 2026-011) and the 2023 National Electrical Code (Ordinance 2026-012); the IRC’s energy chapter is deleted. The department’s Building Codes page still lists the older 2015 codes and 2014 electrical code.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Demolition: a bond, cash, cashier’s check or escrow of $2,500 is required to demolish a house or duplex (commercial amounts are set by the Chief Building Official), unless the owner does the work personally on a structure with no prior demolition permit or city action. Demolition permits last 90 days and can be extended in writing.
Addresses: building numbers must be at least 4 inches high, contrast with the background and be visible from the street, or 2-inch numbers on both sides of a curbside mailbox for houses.
Fire limits: downtown, the City Code sets fire limits bounded by State Line, Front Street, Fifth Street and Cedar Street.
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 Texarkana permit resources
- Texarkana Inspections and Code Enforcement
- MyGOV TXK permit portal
- Contractor Services and permit list
- Contractor registration and permits
- FY 2026 Master Fee List (PDF)
- Building codes and brochures
- Texarkana Code of Ordinances (Land Development Code, Chapter 105)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Texarkana permit FAQ
Who issues building permits in Texarkana, Texas?
The City’s Inspections & Code Enforcement department, Municipal Building, 220 Texas Blvd., Room 301 (903-798-3912), through MyGOV TXK.
Which building codes apply?
The 2024 International Building, Residential and Energy Conservation Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted April 13, 2026.
How much does a permit cost for a new house?
The FY 2026 list shows $0.00 per sq ft for the residential building permit, a $50 plan review, and $0.05 per sq ft each for the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits.
Can a homeowner pull a permit?
Yes, for a home they own and live in. A licensed plumber must still make and permit the sewer tap at the street.
Do contractors pay to register?
No. Registration is free, but contractors must be state licensed and keep liability and workers’ compensation certificates on file.
Does the City inspect homes in the ETJ?
Only when the builder requests a code compliance inspection, at $150 per request.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Texarkana permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.