In Universal City, the Development Services Department at 2150 Universal City Boulevard reviews plans, issues permits and inspects construction. Applications go through the City’s online permit portal after you register an account and, for contractors, a City registration. Fees are flat by class: a new house is $1,200 and a roof or fence $150, and residential plan review takes 14 to 21 business days.
What requires a permit in Universal City?
The City publishes a long list of work that needs a permit before it starts. If your project is not on it, call Development Services on 210-659-0333.
Around the house
- Structural work, framing and fireplaces
- Roofing, siding, soffit and fascia, skylights and window replacement
- Plumbing, including water and sewer trenching, water heaters and water softeners
- Electrical and mechanical work; solar panels
- Fences (new or replaced), decks, retaining walls and patio covers or sunrooms
- Sheds, greenhouses, gazebos and pool houses, including moving an existing shed
- Pools, spas and lawn irrigation, including backflow devices
- Concrete flatwork such as slabs, patios, sidewalks and driveways; brick or masonry mailboxes
Site and commercial
- Fire sprinklers, standpipes and fire hydrants
- Paving and parking lot changes, including overlays and striping
- Curb cuts and street cuts
- Floodplain construction or modification
- Construction trailers, tents and signs
- Gas tank installation or removal
- Moving buildings, blasting, burning and mobile home parks
The City’s building code ordinance exempts finish work such as painting, tiling, carpeting and cabinets, clearing drain stoppages and minor repairs the building official approves. Emergency repairs can start first, but the permit application must follow on the next working day.
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Get a free quote →Who handles permits in Universal City?
Development Services reviews construction plans, issues building permits and certificates of occupancy, inspects work, administers the floodplain rules and registers contractors. Plans may also be reviewed by the Fire Department, Public Works and Police, and the Fire Department handles sprinkler, alarm and fire lane review. The city is in Bexar County.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Development Services, 2150 Universal City Blvd., Universal City, TX 78148 |
| Phone / fax | 210-659-0333 / 210-659-7062 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Portal helpline | 210-330-6517 |
| Inspection line (permits from the old system) | 210-659-0333 ext. 444 |
Applying online and registering contractors
The online process has three steps: register an account in the portal, apply for contractor registration if your trade needs it, then submit, pay for and receive permits in the portal. Contractors who were registered in the City’s old system do not pay the registration fee again. Permits issued in the old system still use the phone inspection line.
Contractor registration: every contractor working in the city must register with Universal City; registrations from other cities are not accepted, and each lasts one year. The City lists general, home improvement, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, lawn irrigation, backflow testing, sign, fire alarm, fire suppression, fire sprinkler, utility and underground storage tank contractors. Permits are not processed until every contractor on the job is registered.
Under the City’s Development Services Package, general and home improvement contractors pay $150 to register and $100 to renew and post a $5,000 bond; electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors show their state licence and at least $300,000 of general liability insurance naming the City; irrigators post a $5,000 bond. Working without the required licence or bond carries a $200-a-day fine.
Permit costs and fees in Universal City
Ordinance 361-AJ-2026, effective October 1, 2026, sets one flat price per permit class. The price includes three plan reviews and the initial inspection fees.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Fee class | Projects |
|---|---|
| A: $150 | Fence, roof, mechanical, residential solar, water softener, floodplain development, temporary use, master-plan sheds |
| B: $185 | Plumbing, electrical, flatwork, demolition |
| C: $240 | Foundation, patio enclosure or sunroom, utility, boring |
| D: $320 | Accessory structure, deck or patio cover, spa, above-ground pool, retaining wall, irrigation and backflow, sign |
| E: $395 | Fire alarm, moving a building, commercial CO only |
| F: $550 | In-ground pool (with pool fence), fire suppression |
| G: $700 | Residential addition or remodel |
| H: $1,200 | New house, commercial finish-out |
| I–K: $2,500–$17,500 | Commercial shell or remodel, new commercial building, apartments per building |
A re-inspection costs $123. Working without a permit or a required inspection costs $320 per trade per day, and occupying without a certificate of occupancy $320 per day. Water and sewer connection, impact, outside-agency and scan fees are extra, and a new subdivision’s engineering review (averaging $12,500) is separate from the $1,200 house fee. Building permits that add impervious cover may also owe a detention fee-in-lieu of $0.15 per sq ft. Refunds keep 15% of the fee, up to $50.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Plans and documents
Residential
- Permit application with MEP verification letters from the trade contractors
- Two full plan sets: sealed site plan with setbacks, sidewalks, curb cut and driveway
- Engineer-sealed foundation plan, construction plans and roof truss plan
- MEP plans and a ResCheck energy report
- Maximum Lot Coverage Worksheet
- Floodplain certificate if the lot is in a flood hazard area
- Water meter sizes and plumbing fixture counts
Commercial
- Three plan sets, including a life-safety plan with code analysis and parking plan
- Sealed foundation, MEP, architectural and civil plans
- Building Safety Inspection notes for existing buildings
- Knox Box order confirmation for each suite
- FAA Form 7460-1 notification
- CommCheck report, and a TDLR project number above $50,000
- Asbestos survey for any demolition
New construction plans must be full size, at least 24 x 36 inches, and a final PDF set must be handed in before the permit is issued. Residential review takes 14 to 21 business days and commercial review 21 to 45. No permit or certificate of occupancy is issued while fees, fines or City liens are unpaid on the property.
How to get a permit in Universal City
Create your account; call the portal helpline at 210-330-6517 if you get stuck.
Upload licences, insurance certificates and bonds; a registration from another city does not count.
Use the residential or commercial plan submittal checklist, including the lot coverage worksheet.
Development Services, Fire, Public Works and Police review as needed; three reviews are included in the fee.
Fees are collected when the permit is issued, and the approved plans and permit stay on site.
Book each inspection in the portal by midnight the day before, through to the final and certificate of occupancy.
Rather not deal with the Universal City building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Universal City
Inspections are requested in the portal by midnight the day before. The general contractor requests all inspections, including the trades’, so that each is ready when the inspector arrives. Emergency inspections, and those needed to restore lost service, get priority at the department’s discretion.
The City’s inspection sequence starts with a stormwater (SWPPP) check at plan review and monthly visits after that, then rough plumbing (setbacks, soil pipe, forms survey), foundation (forms, reinforcing, under-slab copper and electrical), frame (top-out plumbing, rough HVAC, gas, rough electrical, framing, wind bracing), insulation, finish wiring and the finals for plumbing, heating, electrical, driveways and sidewalks, and building. A building cannot be occupied until the building official and fire marshal issue the certificate of occupancy; food and drink businesses also need the health officer’s inspection.
Local rules worth knowing
Dumpsters: the City has an exclusive contract with Waste Management for job-site dumpsters inside the city limits and the extraterritorial jurisdiction; trailer or same-day haul-off does not need one.
Carbon monoxide alarms: the City reminds plumbing, mechanical and electrical contractors as well as builders that the 2021 codes require CO alarms, and publishes a primer on the rule.
Wastewater: sewer service comes from the San Antonio River Authority or the Cibolo Creek Municipal Authority, depending on location.
Codes: Ordinance 370-P-2022 adopts the 2021 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy, Property Maintenance and Pool and Spa codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code, with local amendments.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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
Universal City official resources
- Universal City permits and fee schedule
- Contractor registration
- Construction information
- Development Services Package (PDF)
- Residential plan submittal checklist (PDF)
- Commercial plan submittal checklist (PDF)
- Suggested sequence of inspections (PDF)
- Ordinance 370-P-2022, building codes (PDF)
- Universal City Code of Ordinances
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Universal City permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in Universal City?
$1,200, which covers three plan reviews and the first inspections; utility connection and impact fees are extra.
How much is a roof or fence permit?
Both are Class A permits at $150.
How long does plan review take?
The City quotes 14 to 21 business days for residential plans and 21 to 45 for commercial plans.
Do contractors need to register in Universal City?
Yes. Every contractor registers with the City for one year, with insurance naming the City or a bond; other cities’ registrations are not accepted.
How do I schedule an inspection?
In the online portal by midnight the day before. Permits from the old system use 210-659-0333 ext. 444.
Can I use any dumpster company?
No. Job-site dumpsters in the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction must come from Waste Management.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Universal City permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.