Dallas vs Plano Permit Fees (2026)
How residential building permit fees compare across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, using the City of Dallas schedule effective May 1, 2024 and the City of Plano schedule (Ordinance No. 2025-11-4). Neither city sits under a Texas statewide levy.
Direct answer: For a new 2,500 sq ft home, permit plus plan review is about $2,158 in Dallas versus about $1,355 in Plano. Dallas keeps the building-permit line low ($992.50) but charges plan review by the square foot ($0.46/sq ft), while Plano charges a higher per-square-foot permit ($1,200) with only an $80 plan-review fee. Plano also publishes simple flat fees - an in-ground pool is $300 and a demolition is $100 - where Dallas routes those through its valuation tables.
How Each City Structures Its Fees
Both DFW cities price new homes per square foot and neither adds a state levy, but the balance between the permit line and the plan-review line is reversed. Dallas charges a low building permit and a square-foot plan review; Plano charges a higher square-foot permit and a small flat plan review. For pools, fences and demolition, Plano publishes flat fees while Dallas runs them through its valuation tables.
| Element | Dallas | Plano |
|---|---|---|
| New-home permit method | Per sq ft, Table A-I (rate steps down) | Flat $0.48 per sq ft under roof |
| New-home permit (2,500 sq ft) | $992.50 | $1,200.00 |
| Plan review | greater of $0.46/sq ft or $577 | $80 + $75 plumbing cert |
| In-ground pool | Not itemized (via tables) | $300 flat |
| Demolition | $205 + $0.21/sq ft | $100 flat |
| Small single-family remodel | $181 flat + $100/trade | $0.48/sq ft, $40 min + $45 review |
| Routine add-on | $15 per document | $10 Day Laborer (specific permits) |
| State levy | None (Texas) | None (Texas) |
Worked Examples
New home, permit plus plan review (all in)
| Home size | Dallas (permit + review) | Plano (permit + review + plumbing) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,500 sq ft | $1,523.54 | $875.00 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $2,157.50 | $1,355.00 |
Dallas: building permit (Table A-I) + $15 technology fee + plan review at the greater of $0.46/sq ft or $577. At 1,500 sq ft that is $818.54 + $15 + $690; at 2,500 sq ft, $992.50 + $15 + $1,150. Plano: $0.48/sq ft permit + $80 plan review + $75 plumbing certificate. Plano is lower at both sizes because Dallas's square-foot plan review climbs steeply. Note: on the building permit alone (before plan review), the two cross near 2,230 sq ft - below that Plano's permit is lower, above it Dallas's is.
Flat-fee projects
| Project | Dallas | Plano |
|---|---|---|
| In-ground pool | Via tables (no flat figure) | $300 |
| Demolition (1,500 sq ft) | $520 | $100 |
| Re-roof | Via alteration schedule | $75 |
| Solar | Via electrical / alteration | $150 |
Plano publishes flat fees for pools, re-roofs, solar and demolition; Dallas does not print standalone figures for pools, re-roofs or solar, pricing them through its square-foot or valuation tables. We do not invent a flat Dallas figure where the schedule does not publish one.
How to Read the Difference
- New construction: Plano is lower all-in at common home sizes because Dallas's plan review is charged by the square foot ($0.46/sq ft) and climbs fast. Dallas's building permit alone is competitive - and edges ahead above about 2,230 sq ft - but plan review tips the total to Plano.
- Demolition: Plano wins with a flat $100 against Dallas's $205 + $0.21 per square foot (about $520 for a 1,500 sq ft house).
- Pools, re-roofs, solar: Plano publishes clean flat fees ($300 pool, $75 re-roof, $150 solar); Dallas routes these through its tables, so the figure depends on the project and is harder to predict.
- Small remodels: Dallas's flat $181 single-family alteration is simple and cheap; Plano charges $0.48/sq ft ($40 minimum) plus a $45 plan review. The cheaper option depends on the remodel's footage.
Practitioner Insight
These two DFW cities make opposite bets on where to put the cost. Dallas advertises a low building permit but recovers more through a square-foot plan review, so on a larger home the plan-review line quietly becomes the biggest permit-office charge. Plano front-loads the permit at a flat $0.48 per square foot but keeps plan review to a small $80 fee, which is why Plano's all-in number is lower at the home sizes most buyers build. The other practical difference is predictability: Plano's flat fees for pools, fences, solar and demolition make a backyard project easy to budget, while in Dallas those run through valuation or square-foot tables and need a quick call to the Building Inspection Division. As always, the utility, impact and zoning charges that sit outside the permit are frequently larger than the permit itself on new construction in both cities.
Dallas vs Plano Permit FAQ
Is a building permit cheaper in Dallas or Plano?
For a new home at common sizes, Plano is lower all-in - about $1,355 versus $2,158 in Dallas for a 2,500 sq ft house - because Dallas charges plan review by the square foot. On the building permit alone the two cross near 2,230 sq ft.
Which city is cheaper for a pool or demolition permit?
Plano. Its in-ground pool permit is a flat $300 and a residential demolition is a flat $100. Dallas does not publish a flat pool figure (it runs through the tables) and charges $205 + $0.21 per square foot for demolition.
Do Dallas or Plano charge a state permit levy?
No. Texas has no statewide percentage levy. Dallas adds a $15 technology fee per document (and a 10% surcharge only in planned-development areas); Plano adds a $10 Day Laborer Fee to specific permits such as pools and fences. Neither adds a general percentage levy.
Why is Dallas's permit lower but its total higher?
Dallas keeps its building-permit line low under Table A-I, but its plan review is charged at $0.46 per square foot, so on a 2,500 sq ft home the plan review alone is $1,150. Plano's plan review is a flat $80, so even though its permit is higher, its all-in total is lower at these sizes.
Sources
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City of Dallas Permit Fee Schedule (PDF) Dallas, TX - Ordinance 32676; Table A-I ($0.077/sq ft + $800 for 2,351-10,500), plan review (greater of $0.46/sq ft or $577), demolition $205 + $0.21/sq ft, single-family alteration $181. Effective May 1, 2024; re-confirmed current June 27, 2026.
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City of Plano - Permit Application Fees Plano, TX - Ordinance No. 2025-11-4; new single-family $0.48/sq ft + $80 plan review + $75 plumbing certificate, in-ground pool $300, demolition $100, solar $150. Adopted November 2025; verified June 10, 2026.