The Colony, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside The Colony city limits, permits come from the City’s Building Inspections Department at 6053 Main Street. You email the application and plans as PDFs, pay a $50 application fee when staff call, and can expect a plan review response in 10 to 15 business days. A new house costs $1.01 per square foot under the City’s current Master Fee Schedule.

What requires a permit in The Colony?

The City requires a permit before any new construction and before additions, alterations or repairs to buildings, structures and plumbing, electrical or mechanical systems. Since October 1, 2025 that has included roof replacement, siding replacement and foundation repair. The City’s “Do I need a permit?” sheet (revised May 2026) spells out the common cases:

Before building a carport or converting a garage, call the Planning Department (972-624-3122) to check that zoning allows it.

Who handles permits in The Colony?

The Building Inspections Department reviews plans, issues development-related permits, inspects the work and issues certificates of occupancy for the whole city. It enforces the building codes and the Zoning Ordinance. The Colony lies in Denton County, and land outside the city limits is not covered by these City permits.

Applications and how The Colony takes them

The City has no online application portal for building permits: send the completed application and every supporting document as PDF files to permits@thecolonytx.gov. Files in any other format are refused. A customer service clerk then contacts you by the email or phone on the form to take the $50 application fee, and review does not start until it is paid. eTRAKiT is used for inspections and results.

The City’s Applications folder holds separate forms for:

• Residential Building Permit (new homes, additions, remodels) and the Residential General Permit (roofs, trades and other smaller work)
• Commercial Permit and Commercial General Permit
• Certificate of Occupancy
• Fence and retaining wall, swimming pool and spa (2026 form), irrigation, sign and miscellaneous permits
• Fire permit, storm water pollution prevention permit and plan amendment
• Contractor Validation Form

Permit costs and fees in The Colony

These figures come from the City’s Master Fee Schedule for October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, which is the schedule the Building Inspections page still links.

A new 2,000 sq ft house therefore carries a $2,020 building permit fee before the application, plan review and trade permit fees. Work started without a permit is charged double. Water connections are extra: a 5/8-inch tap and meter is $475, and water and sewer impact fees also apply.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits

Building Inspections also issues the trade permits. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits each cost $10 for every $1,000 of job value, with a $100 minimum; a temporary power pole is $100, a backflow repair or replacement $75 and a new lawn sprinkler system with backflow test $125. Trade work must be done by a state-licensed contractor who is registered with the City.

Contractor registration: every contractor working in the city registers on the City’s Contractor Registration Form with a copy of a driver’s licence and, where one applies, the master licence. General contractors, which the fee schedule says include residential, commercial, moving, pool, fence, sign, demolition, foundation and remodeling contractors, pay $75 a year, and a registration lasts one year from the day it is paid.

Homeowners: an owner acting as their own general contractor fills in the free Homeowner Registration Form. To do electrical, mechanical or plumbing work yourself, county records must show a homestead exemption on the house, and you still need the permit.

Fire systems: fire sprinkler and fire alarm shop drawings are deferred submittals that go to the Fire Department for their own permit before installation. Fire alarm permits start at $150 and sprinkler permits at $175, priced by device or head count.

What to submit with the plans

The City’s Plan Submittal Checklist asks for a completed application, the plan review fee and a full PDF plan set. What the plans must show depends on the project:

A house on a lot that was not part of a City-approved subdivision also needs civil sheets from a Texas Professional Engineer: site, grading, drainage, utility and erosion control plans with City details. If no fire hydrant is within 500 ft, the owner must install one.

Foundation repair needs drawings sealed by a Texas engineer showing pier locations and details, plus the engineer’s letter; under-slab plumbing repairs need their own permit and a licensed plumber.

How to get a permit in The Colony

Inspections in The Colony

Request inspections in eTRAKiT, by email to building_inspections@thecolonytx.gov, or on the automated line at 972-624-3150, giving the permit number, site address, inspection type and a contact phone. Requests made by 4 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day. Cancellations must be made by speaking to staff between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m.; voicemail cancellations are not accepted, and an inspection not cancelled properly is failed and charged the $75 re-inspection fee.

For a new home the City inspects in this order: temporary power pole, plumbing rough (with a 5 ft water head test and a surveyor’s form-board survey on site), piers, foundation, exterior sheathing, brick veneer, frame and MEP rough, insulation, sheetrock, utility final, right-of-way approach and sidewalk, a camera run of the building sewer, then the finals. An inspection booked before the previous one is approved is not carried out.

No foundation or plumbing rough inspection is done in wet conditions or below 38 degrees and rising. The permit packet and stamped plans must be on site, by the front window or at the trash container if there is no trailer. For a re-roof, the final needs attic access; a homeowner can instead sign a notarised Residential Final Roof Waiver.

Local rules on The Colony job sites

Working hours: construction is allowed from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Dumpsters: roll-off containers must come from Republic, the City’s exclusive waste hauler (817-317-2000). Using another company can bring a stop work order and fines.

Site rules: each development needs a concrete wash-out station, a posted address, a trash container and portable toilets, and no dirt or materials may be left in the street or right-of-way.

Shoreline and Corps land: the fee schedule lists shoreline permits (a MUZ permit is $20, an irrigation permit $20), and any work on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property needs a permit from the Corps.

Codes: the 2024 International Codes and 2023 National Electrical Code apply to construction documents submitted after July 16, 2025.

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

The Colony official resources

• The Colony Building Inspections/Permits
• Do I need a permit? (May 2026)
• Building permit applications
• Requirement information and checklists
• Plan Submittal Checklist (PDF)
• Residential Construction Information Packet (PDF)
• Commercial Construction Packet (PDF)
• Master Fee Schedule, October 2025 to September 2026 (PDF)
• Contractor Registration
• Adopted Codes and Ordinances
• Residential Re-Roof Requirements (PDF)
• Foundation Repair Requirements (PDF)
• eTRAKiT inspections portal

The Colony permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in The Colony?

$1.01 per square foot, so $2,020 for 2,000 sq ft, plus the $50 application fee, $100 residential plan review and the trade permits.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in The Colony?

Yes. Since October 1, 2025 a re-roof needs a permit; for a single-family house it costs $75, and the final can be replaced by a notarised waiver.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Every new fence or gate needs a $50 permit. A detached shed needs one at 120 sq ft or more.

How do I apply for a permit in The Colony?

Email the application and supporting documents as PDFs to permits@thecolonytx.gov. Staff will contact you to collect the $50 fee.

How long does plan review take?

The City asks applicants to allow 10 to 15 business days for a plan review response.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in The Colony?

Yes, using the free Homeowner Registration Form. For electrical, plumbing or mechanical work the house must have a homestead exemption and you must do the work yourself.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Through eTRAKiT, by email, or on 972-624-3150 by 4 p.m. for the next business day.

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