Austin Building Permit Fees (2026)
Actual residential building permit fee formulas from the official City of Austin Development Services Department (DSD) FY 2025-26 fee schedule, effective October 1, 2025.
Direct answer: In Austin, the building permit for a new one or two-family dwelling of 1,000 sq ft or less is $838.82. That figure is the sum of five separate trade lines on the FY 2025-26 schedule - Building $289.53, Electrical $166.99, Mechanical $116.07, Plumbing $200.43, and Energy $65.80. Plan review is charged separately, starting at an $896.50 base plus a $106.72 application processing fee. Texas has no statewide percentage levy on permits.
- Austin prices one and two-family dwelling permits per square foot, tiered by size, and charges five trade lines (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy) that are summed into the permit total.
- A new dwelling of 1,000 sq ft or less is $838.82 for the permit; above 1,000 sq ft each trade line adds a per-square-foot increment over the tier floor.
- Plan review is a separate charge - an $896.50 base for new construction plus a $106.72 application processing fee. The permit fee and the plan-review fee are two different numbers.
- Verified flat items include a $370.00 residential roof replacement inspection, a $73.70 demolition permit, and a $132.86 small-projects review that covers fences and pools.
- The 10% Austin Energy technology fee applies only to Austin Energy and solar (auxiliary power) line items, not to the core per-square-foot building permit fees.
What These Fees Cover - and What They Do Not
Included: The residential building permit fee for one and two-family dwellings (the five summed trade lines) and the separate residential plan-review fee, as printed in the City of Austin FY 2025-26 Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees schedule.
Excluded: Austin Water tap and capital recovery fees, zoning plan review (a separate schedule), commercial building permits (a separate schedule), subdivision and site-plan review, transportation and right-of-way fees, and the 2.35% ($2.00 minimum) credit-card service fee charged through the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal. Standalone trade work that is not part of a new-dwelling permit (for example a change-out HVAC system or an electric service inspection) is priced separately.
How Austin Calculates a Residential Permit
For one and two-family dwellings, the permit fee is the sum of five trade lines, each with a base fee for the size tier plus a per-square-foot rate for footage over the tier floor. The table below shows the verified base fee for each trade at each size tier, exactly as printed.
| Conditioned sq ft tier | Building | Electrical | Mechanical | Plumbing | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1,000 (base) | $289.53 | $166.99 | $116.07 | $200.43 | $65.80 |
| 2,001-3,000 (base) | $347.12 | $209.38 | $123.88 | $231.96 | $65.80 |
| 5,001+ (base) | $478.50 | $268.76 | $166.17 | $306.26 | $65.80 |
Intermediate tiers (1,001-2,000, 3,001-4,000, 4,001-5,000) follow the same structure with their own base fees and per-square-foot increments. For the Building line, the increment over 1,000 sq ft is $0.0576 per sq ft. Above 1,000 sq ft the exact total depends on conditioned square footage, so confirm the precise figure with the Development Services Department.
Plan review (charged separately)
New construction plan review starts at an $896.50 base, plus a $106.72 application processing fee. Additions and remodels use a separate plan-review tier ($179.30 base, rising with square footage). A resubmittal or major plan revision is $532.52; a minor plan revision is $84.15.
Worked Example: New Dwelling, 1,000 sq ft or Less
Every figure below is taken directly from the FY 2025-26 schedule; the totals are the sum of those verified inputs.
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Building permit line | $289.53 |
| Electrical permit line | $166.99 |
| Mechanical permit line | $116.07 |
| Plumbing permit line | $200.43 |
| Energy permit line | $65.80 |
| Permit subtotal | $838.82 |
| Plan review (new construction base) | $896.50 |
| Application processing fee | $106.72 |
| Permit + plan review total | $1,842.04 |
This total is the building permit plus residential plan review only. It excludes Austin Water tap and capital recovery fees, zoning review, and any standalone trade work - all of which are billed separately and, on new construction, frequently exceed the permit itself.
Verified Flat and Itemized Fees
These line items are printed as standalone amounts on the FY 2025-26 schedule.
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Residential roof replacement inspection | $370.00 | Like-for-like reroof; structural or decking changes add review. See the Austin roof replacement guide. |
| Demolition permit (each) | $73.70 | Pre-demolition inspection $55.00; relocation processing $97.02 where applicable. |
| Small-projects plan review (fences, pools) | $132.86 | Austin does not publish a single flat deck/pool/fence permit total; this review plus inspection fees applies. |
| Boat dock (new construction) permit | $187.68 | Lakefront structures. |
| Solar (auxiliary power) electrical permit base | $111.66 | Includes the 10% Austin Energy technology fee; intake fee $32.47 separate. |
| Reinspection fee (per inspection) | $76.23 | Charged when a re-visit is required. |
Verify With the City of Austin
Austin Development Services Department (DSD)
Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, TX 78752
Phone: 512-978-4000 (or Austin 3-1-1) · Portal: Austin Build + Connect (AB+C)
Always verify the current fee directly with the Development Services Department before budgeting or filing. Fee schedules are revised periodically and your exact project scope can change which lines apply.
When This Estimate May Not Apply
- Your dwelling exceeds 1,000 sq ft - each trade line then adds a per-square-foot increment over the tier floor, and the exact total depends on conditioned square footage.
- Your project is commercial, multifamily, or mixed-use - those use a separate Austin fee schedule outside the scope of this page.
- Your project triggers Austin Water tap or capital recovery fees, zoning review, or tree and environmental review - all billed separately.
- The schedule is revised after the October 1, 2025 effective date used here.
Source note: The official PDF contains two printed internal inconsistencies that we report as-is rather than silently correct: (1) the new-construction plan-review tier for 5,001+ sq ft prints a "$0.018 per sq ft" increment where the lower tiers print "$0.18"; and (2) page 1 shows "$118 per additional structure" in narrative text versus "$130.68" in the adjacent fee column. Confirm these specific lines with DSD if they apply to your project.
Austin Permit Fee FAQ
How much is a building permit in Austin?
For a new one or two-family dwelling of 1,000 sq ft or less, the permit is $838.82 - the sum of five trade lines (Building $289.53, Electrical $166.99, Mechanical $116.07, Plumbing $200.43, Energy $65.80). Plan review adds an $896.50 base plus a $106.72 application processing fee, for $1,842.04 in permit and plan-review charges before any utility, zoning, or trade fees.
Does Austin charge a state permit levy?
No. Texas has no statewide percentage levy on building permits. The only percentage add-on in Austin is the 10% Austin Energy technology fee, and it applies only to Austin Energy and solar (auxiliary power) line items, not to the core building permit.
How much is a roof permit in Austin?
A residential roof replacement inspection is $370.00 on the FY 2025-26 schedule for a like-for-like reroof. Re-decking or structural changes can trigger additional review. See the Austin roof replacement permit guide for the full breakdown.
Is there a flat deck or pool permit fee in Austin?
No single flat amount is published. Decks, pools, and fences run through a $132.86 small-projects plan review plus standalone inspection fees, so the total depends on the project. We do not publish a fabricated flat figure for these.
Sources
-
City of Austin Development Services Department - Fees Austin, TX - FY 2025-26 Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees; footer "Updated 11/13/2025 - Effective 10/01/2025." Verified June 10, 2026.