Demolition Permit Cost in New Braunfels, TX (2026)
Demolition permit fees for the City of New Braunfels, Texas (Comal and Guadalupe counties), pulled directly from Appendix D of the Code of Ordinances. The schedule prints one residential demolition line: Building demolition fee residential = $100.00. Unlike the per-square-foot flatwork and per-linear-foot wall lines elsewhere on the schedule, demolition is a flat fee that does not scale with the size of the building - a small detached garage and a full house carry the same $100.00 line. Adding the 3% technology fee gives about $103.00; if the department bills a separate $35.00 inspection on the teardown, the modeled all-in is roughly $139.00. The $50.00 application fee and 25% plan review are printed only for new construction, additions, and substantial alterations, so they are not added to a stand-alone demolition. Texas has no statewide permit levy. One caution controls this page: the adopted fees are more than two years old (last amended October 9, 2023).
This guide covers: The City of New Braunfels, Texas (Comal and Guadalupe counties) residential building demolition permit fee as printed in Appendix D of the Code of Ordinances - "Building demolition fee residential" at a flat $100.00. That $100.00 figure is exact from the published schedule. The $103.00 figure adds only the 3% technology fee; the $139.00 all-in figure is a modeled estimate that also assumes one $35.00 inspection applies, then rounds down per Sec. B(k).
The fee is flat - it does not scale with building size: the schedule charges $100.00 for a residential building demolition regardless of the structure's square footage. A detached garage, a mobile home, and a full single-family house are all the same $100.00 line. (Note: the commercial demolition fee is $100.00 per story, a different basis, and is outside this residential guide.)
Current codified fee is flat $100 - an older superseded schedule used a cubic-foot basis: the city's currently codified Appendix D sets residential demolition at a flat $100.00. An older, superseded "2018 Fees" PDF that the city site also links used a cubic-foot demolition fee; that document is superseded and was not used here. A City newsflash confirms development-related fees were amended effective April 1, 2024, moving demolition to flat rates. Confirm the current amount with the Building Division.
The $50.00 application fee and 25% plan review are not added: the schedule prints those "for all new construction, additions and substantial alterations." A demolition is none of those, so they are excluded from the estimate here.
This guide does NOT cover: utility disconnections and New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) cut/cap charges (electric, water, sewer, gas must usually be disconnected before demolition); asbestos survey and notification requirements (a state and federal requirement under Texas and EPA NESHAP rules, handled outside the city permit); septic-system abandonment; tree-protection, erosion-control, and floodplain review; right-of-way and dumpster/roll-off placement permits; interior-only strip-out tied to a remodel (which may fall under the $0.25 per square foot remodel line instead of this demolition line); impact fees; any separate Comal or Guadalupe county fees; and the contractor's actual teardown, hauling, and disposal costs.
A residential demolition permit in New Braunfels, TX is a flat $100.00 on Appendix D of the Code of Ordinances - the exact printed rate, and it does not change with the size of the building. Adding the 3% technology fee makes it about $103.00; if a $35.00 inspection is billed on the teardown, the modeled all-in is roughly $139.00. The $50.00 application fee and 25% plan review are not added to a stand-alone demolition. Utility disconnections, an asbestos survey, and hauling costs are separate. Texas adds no state levy. The adopted fees date to October 9, 2023 - confirm the current rate with the Building Division before budgeting.
- New Braunfels, Texas prints one residential demolition line - "Building demolition fee residential" at a flat $100.00 - in Appendix D of the Code of Ordinances. That $100.00 is the exact printed figure.
- The fee is flat and does not scale with building size: a detached garage, a mobile home, and a full house are all the same $100.00 line. (Commercial demolition is a different $100.00-per-story basis, outside this residential guide.)
- Adding the 3% technology fee makes the permit about $103.00. If the department bills a separate $35.00 inspection on the teardown, the modeled all-in is ($100.00 + $35.00) x 1.03 = $139.05, rounded down to $139.00 under Sec. B(k) - a labeled estimate, not a printed total.
- The $50.00 application fee and 25% plan review are printed only for new construction, additions, and substantial alterations, so neither is added to a stand-alone demolition. Texas has no statewide percentage permit levy.
- Bigger costs usually sit outside the permit: utility disconnections and NBU cut/cap charges, a required asbestos survey, septic abandonment, erosion control, and the contractor's teardown, hauling, and disposal are all separate from the $100.00 city fee.
- The adopted building-permit fees date to October 9, 2023 (Ordinance No. 2023-76) and the city has publicized development-fee amendments effective April 1, 2024 - confirm current amounts with the Building Division. For same-city context, see the New Braunfels driveway permit guide and the New Braunfels shed permit guide.
New Braunfels Demolition Fee Structure
The residential demolition permit is a single flat line at $100.00 - the exact printed rate, the same for any size of building. There is no per-square-foot or per-cubic-foot component on the current codified schedule and no statewide levy. To model a realistic out-the-door cost, the 3% technology fee is applied, and one optional $35.00 inspection is shown; Sec. B(k) rounds the total down to the nearest whole dollar. The $50.00 application fee and the 25% plan review are printed only for new construction, additions, and substantial alterations, so they are shown below as NOT added to a demolition. Every line in the table is exactly as printed on the schedule.
| Item | Fee | How It Is Calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Building demolition fee (residential) | $100.00 flat | Exact flat line on the schedule. The same $100.00 applies to a garage, a mobile home, or a full house - it does not scale with square footage. |
| Technology fee | 3% | Applied to all review, building, zoning and development related fees - so $100.00 x 1.03 = $103.00. |
| Residential inspection fee (if billed) | $35.00 | The schedule prints a $35.00 residential inspection but does not state whether a separate inspection is billed on a demolition. Shown as an optional add-on in the all-in estimate; confirm with the department. |
| Permit application fee | $50.00 - not added | Printed only for new construction, additions, and substantial alterations. A demolition is none of those, so it is excluded from the estimate. |
| Plan review fee | 25% - not added | 25% of permit cost, also tied to new construction, additions, and substantial alterations. Excluded for a demolition. |
| Utility cut/cap & asbestos survey | Separate | Electric, water, sewer, and gas disconnections (NBU) and a required asbestos survey are handled outside this permit line. Not part of the $100.00. |
| Sec. B(k) round-down | To nearest $1 | Applied once at the end. $139.05 rounds down to $139.00. |
| State / city percentage levy | None | Texas has no statewide permit levy. The only percentage add-on is the city's 3% technology fee. |
Source: City of New Braunfels (TX) Code of Ordinances, Appendix D - Fee Schedule; building-permitting section last amended by Ordinance No. 2023-76 on October 9, 2023. The flat $100.00 residential demolition fee, the 3% technology fee, the $35.00 inspection fee, the $50.00 application fee, the 25% plan review, and the Sec. B(k) round-down all appear on the city schedule. The all-in figure assumes the application fee and plan review do NOT apply to a demolition, and models a single optional inspection - confirm the current rate and whether an inspection is billed with the Building Division, especially given the fees date to October 9, 2023.
Worked Examples - Real Demolition Projects in New Braunfels
Because the residential demolition permit is a flat $100.00, the building line is the same whether you are tearing down a shed or a whole house - the size of the structure does not change the fee. The examples below show the same $100.00 line with and without a modeled inspection. Every figure is direct arithmetic from the published schedule, with the exact line and the modeled estimate labeled separately.
A homeowner tears down an old detached garage. Demolition is a flat fee, so building size does not matter.
- Residential demolition line: $100.00
- Technology fee: $100.00 × 1.03 = $103.00
- Permit estimate (no separate inspection): $103.00
The $100.00 line is exact; $103.00 adds only the 3% technology fee. Utility disconnections and hauling are separate.
A full house demolition ahead of a rebuild - the same flat $100.00 line as the garage, plus a modeled site inspection.
- Residential demolition line: $100.00
- Inspection fee (modeled): $35.00
- Subtotal: $135.00 × 1.03 = $139.05 → round down $139.00
- All-in estimate: $139.00
Same $100.00 permit as a small structure. A house teardown carries much larger separate costs - utility cut/cap, asbestos survey, and disposal - none of which are in the $139.00 city-fee estimate.
A homeowner guts a kitchen and bath down to the studs but keeps the house standing.
- This may not be a "building demolition" at all: interior-only strip-out tied to a remodel commonly falls under the remodel line at $0.25 / sq ft, not the $100.00 demolition line.
- Which line applies is a department determination - confirm before you file.
The flat $100.00 line is for demolishing a building or structure. A gut-remodel that keeps the building may be permitted as a remodel instead - ask the Building Division which applies to your scope.
When This Estimate May Not Apply
The flat $100.00 covers the residential building demolition permit line as printed, and the all-in figures are modeled estimates. Route your project to the Building Division before relying on these figures if any of the following applies:
- You are gutting the interior but keeping the building. An interior-only strip-out for a remodel commonly falls under the $0.25 per square foot remodel line, not the flat $100.00 demolition line. Confirm which the department applies.
- Your project is commercial. The commercial demolition fee is $100.00 per story, a different basis from the flat residential $100.00 on this page.
- The adopted fees have been amended since October 9, 2023. The building-permit schedule was last amended by Ordinance No. 2023-76 on October 9, 2023, and the city has publicized development-fee amendments effective April 1, 2024. Confirm the current rate before budgeting.
- Utilities are still connected. Electric, water, sewer, and gas usually must be disconnected before a teardown, and NBU cut/cap charges are separate from the $100.00 permit.
- The structure may contain asbestos. A pre-demolition asbestos survey and notification are required by state and federal (EPA NESHAP) rules for many structures - handled outside the city permit and not in this estimate.
- Site work is involved. Septic abandonment, tree-protection and erosion control, floodplain review, and right-of-way or roll-off dumpster placement may each carry separate requirements or fees.
- A separate inspection is billed. The $103.00 figure assumes no separate inspection; the $139.00 figure assumes one $35.00 inspection. The schedule does not state which applies to a demolition - confirm with the department.
Utility disconnections, asbestos survey and abatement, septic abandonment, erosion and tree-protection review, right-of-way and dumpster permits, impact fees, any Comal or Guadalupe county fees, and the contractor's teardown, hauling, and disposal costs are excluded from the figures on this page, and the page-standard disclaimer applies. Because the adopted fees date to October 9, 2023, always verify the current rate with the New Braunfels Building Division before budgeting.
New Braunfels Demolition Permit Cost vs Other Verified Texas Cities
Texas cities price residential demolition differently, and several print a single flat fee. Scope differs, so each figure below notes its basis, and each department should be verified separately.
| City | Demolition Fee Basis | Residential Demolition Permit |
|---|---|---|
| New Braunfels, TX | Flat residential line + 3% tech fee | $100.00 (~$103-$139 all-in) |
| Conroe, TX | Flat "demolition without a building permit" | $150.00 flat |
| League City, TX | Flat "Demolition" line | $250.00 flat |
Scope note: all three cities print a flat demolition fee, and New Braunfels is the lowest at $100.00 (about $103.00 with the technology fee, or roughly $139.00 if an inspection is billed). Conroe prints $150.00 for a "permit for demolition without a building permit," and League City prints a flat $250.00 "Demolition" line. None of these include utility cut/cap, asbestos survey, or hauling. Compare the basis, not just the number, and confirm current figures with each department - New Braunfels' adopted fees date to October 9, 2023.
See New Braunfels' full residential fee schedule, or price other New Braunfels projects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who to Contact
| Department | City of New Braunfels, Texas - Building Division |
| County | Comal and Guadalupe counties, Texas |
| Phone | 830-221-4000 |
| Ask them | Whether a separate inspection is billed on a demolition, whether your interior strip-out is a demolition or a remodel, what utility cut/cap and asbestos-survey steps are required, and whether the adopted fees have changed since October 9, 2023 |
| Fee schedule | New Braunfels Code of Ordinances - Appendix D, Fee Schedule (Municode) |
Sources
-
City of New Braunfels, TX - Code of Ordinances, Appendix D (Fee Schedule) New Braunfels, TX (Comal and Guadalupe counties) - official Code of Ordinances on Municode, Appendix D Fee Schedule. Primary source for the flat $100.00 residential building demolition fee, the 3% technology fee, the $35.00 inspection fee, the $50.00 application fee, the 25% plan review, and the Sec. B(k) round-down. Building-permitting section last amended by Ordinance No. 2023-76 on October 9, 2023; recorded July 2026 Fees date to Oct 9, 2023 - verify current
-
Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 214 Texas statute (.gov) confirming municipal building- and demolition-regulation authority and that Texas imposes no statewide percentage building-permit levy. Context for the "no statewide levy" statement. Verified July 2026.