Killeen vs Round Rock: Building Permit Fees Compared (2026)

Key Takeaways

• New home - size decides it: Killeen charges $0.20/sq ft ($200 minimum) plus $0.04/sq ft plan review plus a $10 tech fee; Round Rock charges a flat $485 with plan review bundled. A 1,000 sq ft home is $250 in Killeen vs $485 in Round Rock; a 2,500 sq ft home is $610 vs $485. Computed from those verified inputs, the crossover is about 1,979 sq ft.
• What each number includes: Killeen's per-square-foot fee bundles the structure plus electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades and inspections (plan review is a separate $0.04/sq ft line). Round Rock's $485 bundles plan review into the building permit ("no additional fees will be added to the permit fee," per its live pages).
• Decks and pools favor Killeen: uncovered deck $80 all-in vs $125; above-ground pool $90 vs $125; in-ground pool $255 vs $350.
• Solar is a blowout for Round Rock: a flat $150 versus Killeen's $545 for a 20-panel system ($100 base + $5/panel + $335 plan review + $10 tech fee, single-application assumption).
• Fences and re-roofs need no permit in Round Rock: Killeen permits both (fence $0.25/linear ft, $70 minimum, + $10; re-roof floor $60 with a disclosed unit ambiguity). Round Rock requires no building permit for a fence, and no permit for a re-roof unless the roof structure is modified.
• Source vintages differ: Killeen's schedule carries printed effective dates (October 1, 2025 - September 30, 2026, current FY 2026). Round Rock's figures come from live department pages with no printed effective date; the only dated companion PDF is marked August 2023. Every Round Rock figure on this page carries that caveat.
• No state levy in either city. Texas has no statewide permit surcharge. Both cities bill impact/capital-recovery and utility fees separately - none of those are in any figure on this page.

How Each City Structures Its Fees

Killeen prices new residential construction per square foot: $0.20/sq ft with a $200 minimum for the building permit - which includes the structure plus the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades and inspections - plus a separate $0.04/sq ft plan review and a $10 Technology/Application Fee on every application. Round Rock publishes a flat-fee menu: one number per project type, with residential plan review bundled into the building permit fee. Smaller projects in Killeen are mostly flat fees too ($70 deck, $245 in-ground pool), each carrying the $10 tech fee; all Killeen figures below are shown all-in with that $10 included.

Source-currency note (applies to every Round Rock figure on this page): Killeen's fee schedule prints its effective window - October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026 (current FY 2026). Round Rock's figures come from its current live Building Inspection department pages, retrieved June 2026, which carry no printed effective date (they reference 2024 codes; the only dated companion PDF is marked August 2023). If Round Rock has adopted newer fees without updating its pages, its side of this comparison would shift.

Re-roof note: Killeen's schedule prints a $0.03 re-roof rate with a $50 minimum, but the unit column reads "Per Application" rather than per square foot - the basis is ambiguous, so this page shows only the verifiable floor of $50 + $10 = $60 and does not extrapolate a per-square-foot total. Confirm the calculation basis with Killeen Building Inspections (254-501-7762) before budgeting a re-roof.

Worked Examples: New Single-Family Home

Same assumptions in both cities: a new single-family home at the stated square footage, permit-office charges only (utility, water meter, tap, and impact fees excluded on both sides). Killeen totals are all-in: $0.20/sq ft building permit (which includes the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades and inspections; $200 minimum) + $0.04/sq ft plan review + $10 tech fee. Round Rock is a flat $485 with plan review bundled at every size (undated live pages - see source note above).

Crossover, computed from verified inputs: Killeen's all-in rate is $0.24/sq ft ($0.20 permit + $0.04 review) plus $10, so it passes Round Rock's flat $485 at about 1,979 sq ft. Below roughly 1,980 sq ft Killeen is cheaper; above it Round Rock is cheaper. Scope note: the two totals are close but not perfectly identical - Killeen's per-square-foot fee bundles all four trades into one permit, while Round Rock's $485 bundles plan review and prices standalone trade permits at $50 each when pulled separately.

Project-by-Project Comparison

All Killeen figures are all-in, including the $10 Technology/Application Fee, from the FY 2026 schedule (effective October 1, 2025 - September 30, 2026). All Round Rock figures are from current live department pages with no printed effective date (retrieved June 2026 - see source note above).

Remodels and interior finish-outs are deliberately not compared: Round Rock's remodel methodology is in transition (its August 2023 companion PDF uses a valuation table while its current live pages list flat fees), so the two cities are not directly comparable for that project type. For deck specifics, see the Killeen deck permit guide and the Round Rock deck permit guide.

Which City Is Cheaper?

• Smaller and mid-size new homes (under ~1,980 sq ft): Killeen. A 1,000 sq ft home is $250 vs $485 - Killeen at barely half Round Rock's flat fee. The gap narrows as square footage grows.
• Larger new homes (over ~1,980 sq ft): Round Rock. Its $485 never moves, while Killeen's $0.24/sq ft all-in rate keeps climbing - $610 at 2,500 sq ft.
• Decks and pools: Killeen across the board - $80 vs $125 uncovered deck, $90 vs $125 above-ground pool, $255 vs $350 in-ground pool.
• Solar: Round Rock, decisively. A flat $150 versus Killeen's $545 for a 20-panel system, where the $335 plan review alone is more than twice Round Rock's entire fee.
• Demolition and sheds: Round Rock - $50 vs $80 on both.
• Fences and re-roofs: Round Rock, because it charges nothing - no fence permit at all, and no re-roof permit unless the roof structure is modified. Killeen permits both ($70 min + $10 fence; $60 re-roof floor).
• Trade-only work: Small edge to Round Rock - $50 flat versus Killeen's $50-$55 + $10 tech fee ($60-$65 all-in).

Geography matters here too: these are not neighboring suburbs. Killeen sits in Bell County near Fort Cavazos; Round Rock is in Williamson County in the Austin metro, about 50 miles south along I-35. To sanity-check a specific project against other jurisdictions we cover, run the permit fee calculator or browse the full comparison hub. For how Round Rock's flat menu stacks up against Austin's per-square-foot system, see Austin vs Round Rock.

When This Comparison May Not Apply

• Different source vintages: Killeen's schedule prints its effective window (October 1, 2025 - September 30, 2026, current FY 2026). Round Rock's figures come from live department pages with no printed effective date, retrieved June 2026; the only dated companion PDF is marked August 2023. If Round Rock has adopted newer figures without updating its pages, its side of every table above would shift.
• Scope is close, not identical: Killeen's per-square-foot new-home fee bundles the structure plus all four trades and inspections, with plan review as a separate $0.04/sq ft line. Round Rock's $485 bundles plan review but prices standalone trade permits at $50 each when pulled separately. A Round Rock project that pulls multiple standalone trades will cost more than the headline flat fee.
• Permit fees are not total project cost: Both cities bill impact/capital-recovery, utility, and tap fees separately - Killeen's are not on its permit schedule at all, and Round Rock adds a 5/8" water meter ($320), water/sewer line charges ($200), plat-based roadway impact fees, and per-LUE water/wastewater impact fees on new construction. None of those are in any figure on this page.
• Remodels are excluded: Round Rock's remodel/finish-out methodology is in transition (August 2023 valuation-table PDF vs current flat-fee live pages), so remodels are not directly comparable and are deliberately left out.
• Killeen's re-roof basis is ambiguous: the printed $0.03 rate carries a "Per Application" unit, so only the $60 all-in floor is shown; a per-square-foot reading would change that line.
• Killeen's solar total assumes one application: the $545 example ($100 base + $5/panel x 20 + $335 plan review + $10) treats the job as a single application with one tech fee.
• Penalties change the math: Round Rock charges double the fee when work starts before a permit is issued.

Killeen vs Round Rock Permit FAQ

Is a building permit cheaper in Killeen or Round Rock?

It depends on the project. For new homes, Killeen is cheaper below about 1,980 sq ft (a 1,000 sq ft home is $250 all-in vs Round Rock's flat $485) and Round Rock is cheaper above it ($485 vs Killeen's $610 at 2,500 sq ft). Killeen wins on decks and pools; Round Rock wins on solar, demolition, sheds, and anything that needs no permit there at all (fences, re-roofs).

How is a new-home permit calculated in each city?

Killeen charges $0.20 per square foot ($200 minimum) for the building permit - which includes the structure plus electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trades and inspections - plus a separate $0.04/sq ft plan review and a $10 Technology/Application Fee. Round Rock charges one flat $485 building permit with plan review bundled ("no additional fees will be added to the permit fee," per its live pages, which carry no printed effective date).

Do I need a permit for a fence or a re-roof in either city?

In Round Rock, no on both counts - fences need no building permit, and a re-roof needs no permit unless the roof structure is modified. In Killeen, both are permitted: a fence runs $0.25 per linear foot ($70 minimum) plus the $10 tech fee, and a re-roof carries at least $60 all-in ($50 minimum + $10), with the printed rate's unit ambiguous on the FY 2026 schedule.

How much is a pool permit in each city?

Killeen: $255 all-in for a below-ground pool ($245 + $10) and $90 for an above-ground pool ($80 + $10). Round Rock: $350 for an in-ground pool and $125 for a spa or above-ground pool, per its current live pages. Killeen is cheaper on both pool types.

Why is solar so much more expensive in Killeen?

Killeen's schedule charges a $100 base plus $5 per panel plus a $335 solar plan review, so a 20-panel system totals $545 with the $10 tech fee (single-application assumption). Round Rock lists one flat $150 solar fee. The Killeen plan-review line alone ($335) is more than double Round Rock's entire fee.

Does either city charge a state or city surcharge?

Texas has no statewide permit levy, so neither city adds one. Killeen's only across-the-board add-on is the $10 Technology/Application Fee per application. Round Rock adds no city surcharge, but charges double the fee when work begins before a permit is issued. Both cities bill impact and utility fees separately.

Sources