Inside Weslaco city limits, permits come from the Building Permit and Inspection Division of the Planning & Code Enforcement Department at City Hall, 255 S. Kansas Ave. (956-973-3123, building@weslacotx.gov). You file the City’s building permit application with plans saved as PDFs on a thumb drive, and every building permit carries a $5 processing fee; electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits start at a $50 base fee.
What requires a building permit in Weslaco?
The City’s building permit application lists the kinds of work it covers, for residential, multi-family, commercial and industrial property:
Building permit
- New buildings and additions
- Alterations, remodels and repairs
- Accessory buildings and uses
- Pools and spas
- Re-roofs
- Fences
- Demolition and moving a building
- Signs, temporary or permanent
- Grading
Street and site work
- Curb cuts, street cuts and boring
- Driveways and sidewalks (the Code requires a City permit to build or rebuild an access driveway)
- Use of the public right-of-way
- Small cell network nodes in the right-of-way, on a separate application
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and lawn irrigation work each need their own permit. Any development in a mapped flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit under Chapter 54 of the City Code.
Who issues permits in Weslaco?
Planning & Code Enforcement has four divisions: Planning & Zoning, Building, Code Enforcement and Health. The Building division reviews applications, issues the permits and inspects the work, and changes to approved plans need its written authorization. Rebekah De La Fuente is the Planning & Code Enforcement Director. For commercial buildings, the Fire Marshal’s Office reviews the plans and carries out the final fire code inspection.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building Permit and Inspection Division | 255 S. Kansas Ave., Weslaco, TX 78596; 956-973-3123; building@weslacotx.gov |
| Planning & Zoning (plats, zoning, variances) | 956-447-3403; planning@weslacotx.gov |
| Fire Marshal’s Office (Fire/EMS Administration) | City Hall; 956-447-3415 |
| City Hall hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; main line 956-968-3181 |
| Online permits | EnerGov Self Service at permitting.weslacotx.gov |
Land outside city limits is in unincorporated Hidalgo County. The Code of Ordinances includes an agreement dividing the overlapping extraterritorial jurisdiction of Weslaco and Donna, and the irrigation permit form has a box for ETJ sites.
Weslaco permit fees
The City does not post its building permit fee table. The application asks for the improvement value on commercial jobs and the project square footage on residential jobs, and staff fill in the permit fee, plan review fee, any double fee and the park development fee. The amounts the City does publish are:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Processing fee, every building permit | $5 |
| Contractor registration, initial (one year) | $100 |
| Contractor registration, renewal | $30 |
| Subdivision review application | $55 |
| Subdivision plat, residential | $300 plus $25 per lot |
| Fire review of a subdivision | $100 |
| Park fee, per residential lot | $400 ($250 per apartment unit) |
| City construction inspections on subdivisions | $85 per hour, rounded up |
| Appeal to the construction board | $250 |
Contractors can hold a permit fee account with the Building Official. Statements are due on the 15th of the following month, and anyone with a delinquent account cannot be issued any City permit until it is paid.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and irrigation permits
Each trade has its own one-page City application naming the licensed contractor and TDLR or state licence number. The fees printed on the forms are:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical base fee | $50 |
| New electrical service | $20 |
| Temporary service pole | $10 |
| Circuits | $1 each for the first 42, $0.50 each for the next 42, $0.25 each above 84 |
| Generator | $100 |
| Mechanical | $50 base plus $5 processing; $2 per $1,000 of value above $1,000 |
| Plumbing base fee | $50, plus $3 per fixture |
| Water heater, sewer line or water piping | $20 each |
| Sewer connection, sewer tap or grease trap | $100 each |
| Gas test | $50 |
| Irrigation | $50 base, $5 processing, $30 sprinkler system, $20 water piping, $3 backflow preventer |
The electrical form asks whether power comes from Magic Valley Electric or AEP. Irrigation permits need three 11x17 drawings, and the City allows up to 5 days to review them. Backflow assemblies must be tested before use, and the tester files each report with the Building Official within 10 days.
What to submit with a Weslaco application
The City wants every submittal as PDFs on a thumb drive, split into separate files by discipline.
Residential
- Completed building permit application, signed by the owner or authorized agent
- One set of plans at 11x17
- Energy report and Manual J load calculation
- Site plan
- Shear wall compliance sealed by an engineer
Commercial
- Completed application with IBC construction type, occupancy group, occupant load and sprinkler or alarm details
- One full hard-copy plan set with wet seals
- Site plan
- TDLR project registration
- Flood zone and base flood elevation, water meter and backflow details
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →For any renovation or demolition, the owner must have an asbestos survey done under the Texas Asbestos Health Protection Rules and federal NESHAP rules before the City issues the permit. The City’s contractor registration lasts one year and requires general liability insurance of at least $300,000 per occurrence and $600,000 in aggregate.
How to get a Weslaco permit
Use the City’s Address-Setbacks-Zoning Request if you need the address, setbacks or zoning confirmed, and plat any unplatted land through Planning & Zoning first.
Each contractor files the City registration form with insurance proof and the $100 fee.
Save the plans, energy report, site plan and engineer’s documents on a thumb drive, one file per discipline.
Bring the application to the Building division at 255 S. Kansas Ave. or use EnerGov Self Service, and add separate trade and irrigation applications.
A permit lapses if work does not start within 6 months or stops for 6 months, and it is good for 1 year; longer jobs must re-apply.
Nothing may be occupied until the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
Inspections and occupancy in Weslaco
Building division inspectors check the work under the City’s 2015 codes. Energy code tests are done by third-party inspectors who are registered with the City and carry $500,000 of liability cover, and their test results must be filed with the Building division before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. On commercial buildings the Fire Marshal’s Office follows the job from plan review to its own final compliance inspection under the 2015 International Fire Code and NFPA 101.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Work that departs from the approved plans or ignores the Building Official can bring a Class C misdemeanor fine of up to $2,000 a day, and carrying on after a stop work order a fine of $2,000 to $10,000.
Local Weslaco rules to plan for
New development code: the City has drafted a Unified Development Ordinance and new zoning map, with public hearings before the Planning and Zoning Commission on October 7, 2026 and the City Commission on October 20, 2026, plus an impact fee hearing on October 6, 2026. The proposed impact fee is a one-time charge on new development for water and wastewater infrastructure.
Job site toilets: every permitted building site needs a construction toilet; one builder can share one toilet among up to three of his own projects if they are within 200 feet of each other.
Front yard trees: in the R-1, R-3 and M-1 districts each lot needs one shade tree within 15 feet of the front lot line for every 60 feet of frontage.
Flood areas: new homes and substantially improved homes in a flood hazard area must have the lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation, certified by an engineer or surveyor.
Utilities: new water meters and service are requested on Public Utilities forms, and new subdivisions must plan for Post Office cluster mailboxes.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Weslaco official resources
- Weslaco Building division and permit forms
- EnerGov Self Service permit portal
- Building permit application (PDF)
- Electrical permit application (PDF)
- Plumbing permit application (PDF)
- Mechanical permit application (PDF)
- Irrigation permit application (PDF)
- Contractor registration (PDF)
- Planning & Zoning applications
- Development Fee Chart (PDF)
- Unified Development Ordinance update
- Fire Marshal’s Office
- Weslaco Code of Ordinances
- Subdivision review application (PDF)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Weslaco permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Weslaco?
The Building Permit and Inspection Division of the City’s Planning & Code Enforcement Department, at City Hall, 255 S. Kansas Ave. (956-973-3123).
How much is an electrical permit in Weslaco?
A $50 base fee plus items: $20 for a new service, $10 for a temporary pole and $1 per circuit for the first 42 circuits.
Do I need a permit for a fence or a new roof in Weslaco?
Yes. Fences and re-roofs are both listed on the City’s building permit application.
How does contractor registration work in Weslaco?
General, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and sign contractors use the same City form. Registration lasts one year and costs $100, then $30 to renew.
How long is a Weslaco building permit valid?
One year. It becomes invalid if work does not start within 6 months of issue or is stopped for 6 months.
What building code does Weslaco use?
The 2015 International Building, Residential, Existing Building and Energy Conservation Codes, in effect since August 1, 2017, with local amendments.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Weslaco permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.