Baytown, TX Building Permit Fees (2026)
Actual residential building permit fees from the City of Baytown Building Permit Fee Schedule dated June 1, 2026 (current). Baytown is a Houston-metro industrial port city in Harris and Chambers counties, about 26 miles east of downtown Houston. Verified directly against the published city schedule.
This page covers: The flat tiered residential new-construction fee - $1,660 under 2,000 sq ft, $1,900 from 2,000 to 4,000 sq ft, and $2,030 above 4,000 sq ft - the flat residential miscellaneous fees (fence $67, re-roof $128, demolition $128, foundation repair $128, window/doors/siding $128, carport $175, storage building $175, driveway $235, remodel without trades $315), the $620 MEP-inclusive swimming pool fee, standalone residential MEP permit fees ($100/$140), and the commercial valuation tiers. Every figure is exact from the published Building Permit Fee Schedule dated June 1, 2026.
Trades are INCLUDED on a new home: The schedule prints "Includes MEP Permit Fees" on the residential new-construction tiers, so the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits are bundled into the flat tier fee - there is no separate trade-permit stack on a new house. The same note appears on the pool ($620), manufactured home placement ($356), and in-city house moving ($370) lines. Standalone trade work is separate at $100 (no plan review) or $140 (with plan review) per permit.
Texas has no statewide levy: Unlike Virginia or Maryland, Texas adds no statewide percentage building-permit levy, and Baytown adds no city percentage surcharge on residential permits. The $35 permit processing fee is printed only under the commercial sections of the schedule, so it is not added to the residential figures on this page.
This page does NOT cover: Impact fees and water/sewer tap fees (separate, not on this schedule), zoning and planning fees (separate Planning Fee Schedule), plan revisions ($114) and resubmittals beyond the second staff review ($80), re-inspections ($65/hour, 1-hour minimum), and after-hours inspections ($80/hour, 2-hour minimum) - all excluded from every figure on this page.
A new single-family home in Baytown pays a flat building permit tiered by square footage - $1,660 under 2,000 sq ft, $1,900 from 2,000 to 4,000 sq ft, and $2,030 above 4,000 sq ft - and the schedule states that fee includes the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) permit fees, so there is no separate trade-permit stack on a new house. A swimming pool is $620 with MEP included. Flat residential fees cover a fence ($67), re-roof ($128), demolition ($128), driveway ($235), carport or storage building ($175), and a remodel without trades ($315); standalone residential MEP work is $100 (no plan review) or $140 (with plan review) per permit. Texas has no statewide permit levy.
Date note: the schedule carries a printed date of 6/1/2026 - the most current schedule of any Texas city we cover - but the document does not use the word "effective," so figures are cited as "schedule dated June 1, 2026." Confirm with Planning and Development Services before budgeting.
- Residential new construction is a flat, three-tier fee: $1,660 (under 2,000 sq ft), $1,900 (2,000-4,000 sq ft), $2,030 (over 4,000 sq ft) - and the schedule prints "Includes MEP Permit Fees," so the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are bundled in. Baytown is one of the few Texas cities we cover with a genuinely all-in new-home permit number.
- A swimming pool permit is $620 and also includes the MEP permit fees - the pool electrical is not a separate line, unlike most Texas cities. See the Baytown pool permit guide.
- Standalone residential MEP permits (for maintenance, repair, replacement, alterations, extensions, and additions) are $100 without plan review or $140 with plan review, per permit, based on enclosed finished area.
- Common flat residential fees: fence $67, re-roof $128, demolition $128 ($310 with court orders), foundation repair $128, window/doors/siding $128, carport $175, storage building $175, driveway $235, remodel without trades $315, manufactured home placement $356 (MEP included), house moving within city limits $370 (MEP included).
- Commercial permits are valuation-tiered (for example, $101.65 for the first $2,000 plus $10.60 per additional $1,000 up to $25,000) plus a $35 permit processing fee - the processing fee is printed only under the commercial sections, so it is not assumed on residential permits. Impact fees and water/sewer taps are separate. Texas has no statewide levy.
How Baytown Prices a Residential Permit
Baytown does not use a per-square-foot rate or a valuation formula for houses. Residential new construction is a flat fee in three square-footage tiers with the MEP trade permits bundled in, and the common small jobs are flat fees. The tables below show the verified figures exactly as published on the schedule dated June 1, 2026.
New residential construction (includes MEP permit fees)
| Improvement size | Flat fee (MEP included) |
|---|---|
| Less than 2,000 sq ft | $1,660.00 |
| 2,000 to 4,000 sq ft | $1,900.00 |
| In excess of 4,000 sq ft | $2,030.00 |
The schedule states residential new construction "Includes MEP Permit Fees" - the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits are part of the flat fee, not billed on top. That makes the tier fee an all-in permit number for the house itself (impact fees and taps remain separate).
Residential MEP permits (standalone trade work)
| MEP permit type | Fee (per permit) |
|---|---|
| No plan review (maintenance, repair, or replacement of existing) | $100.00 |
| Plan review (alterations, extensions, and additions) | $140.00 |
The schedule's scope note for these lines covers single-family attached and detached homes, duplexes, multifamily, and manufactured housing, plus remodeling and additions, based on enclosed finished area. A remodel that adds trade work is read as the $315 "remodel without trades" fee plus the applicable MEP permit fee(s) - the schedule does not print a single remodel-with-trades line, so that build-up reading is disclosed here rather than assumed silently.
Flat residential permit fees
| Permit | Flat fee |
|---|---|
| Swimming pool (includes MEP permit fees) | $620.00 |
| Fence | $67.00 |
| Roof replacement | $128.00 |
| Demolition | $128.00 |
| Demolition with court orders | $310.00 |
| Foundation repair | $128.00 |
| Window / doors / siding | $128.00 |
| Secure structures | $128.00 |
| Carport | $175.00 |
| Storage building | $175.00 |
| Driveway | $235.00 |
| Remodel without trades | $315.00 |
| Manufactured home placement (includes MEP) | $356.00 |
| House moving within city limits (includes MEP) | $370.00 |
Commercial construction uses valuation tiers instead: a $35 permit processing fee plus, for example, $53 up to $500 of value, $101.65 + $10.60/$1,000 from $2,000 to $25,000, $845 + $4.70/$1,000 from $100,000 to $500,000, and $5,400 + $6.00/$1,000 over $1,000,000. Commercial MEP permits have their own valuation tiers ($65 minimum + $35 processing). Sign permits are $0.67/sq ft. Plan revisions are $114; resubmittals after the second staff review are $80.
Baytown Permit Fee Components
A Baytown residential building permit total is unusually simple: for a new home it is a single flat tier fee with the MEP trades already inside it. There is no per-square-foot rate, no percentage surcharge, and no residential processing fee on the schedule. Impact fees and water/sewer taps sit outside this stack entirely.
| Component | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| New-home building permit fee | $1,660 / $1,900 / $2,030 by size tier | Exact schedule figure |
| MEP trade permits (new construction) | Included in the tier fee | Bundled - schedule prints "Includes MEP Permit Fees" |
| Standalone residential MEP permit | $100 (no plan review) / $140 (plan review) | Separate - only for trade-only jobs, not new homes |
| Permit processing fee | $35.00 | Commercial only - printed under commercial sections, not added to residential figures |
| Impact / water & sewer tap fees | Separate schedules | Excluded - can far exceed the building permit on a new home |
| Plan revision / re-inspection | $114 revision / $65-hr re-inspection | Excluded - charged only if your project triggers them |
There is no percentage surcharge and Texas has no statewide building-permit levy. Because the schedule prints the $35 processing fee only under the commercial sections, no processing fee is added to any residential figure on this page - confirm with the department whether one applies at filing.
Worked Examples
Because Baytown's residential fees are flat, most examples are direct schedule lookups rather than calculations. Every figure below is from the published schedule dated June 1, 2026. The remodel-with-trades example shows the disclosed build-up reading ($315 remodel fee + the applicable MEP permit fee) because the schedule prints no single remodel-with-trades line.
Example 1: New 2,400 SF Single-Family Home
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit (2,000-4,000 sq ft tier) | flat tier fee | $1,900.00 |
| MEP trade permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing) | included in tier fee | $0.00 |
| Full permit package (exact) | flat, MEP included | $1,900.00 |
Assumptions: A 2,400 sq ft home falls in the 2,000-4,000 sq ft tier at a flat $1,900.00, and the schedule states this "Includes MEP Permit Fees," so the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing permits are already inside the fee - an exact schedule figure with nothing to add for trades. A home under 2,000 sq ft is $1,660 and one over 4,000 sq ft is $2,030. Impact fees and water/sewer taps are separate and not included. Source: City of Baytown Building Permit Fee Schedule (dated June 1, 2026).
Example 2: Swimming Pool
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Swimming pool permit | flat fee | $620.00 |
| Pool electrical (MEP) | included in pool fee | $0.00 |
| All-in total (exact) | flat, MEP included | $620.00 |
Assumptions: A swimming pool is a flat $620.00, and the schedule states that fee "Includes MEP Permit Fees," so the pool electrical is not billed on top - unlike most Texas cities. See the Baytown pool permit guide for a full walkthrough. Source: City of Baytown Building Permit Fee Schedule (dated June 1, 2026).
Example 3: Flat-Fee Projects - Fence, Re-Roof, Demolition
| Project | Rule Applied | Flat Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Fence | flat | $67.00 |
| Re-roof (roof replacement) | flat | $128.00 |
| Demolition (standard) | flat | $128.00 |
Assumptions: Each of these is a single flat permit fee with no add-on: fence $67.00, re-roof $128.00, demolition $128.00. Demolition under court orders is $310.00 instead of the standard $128.00. Foundation repair and window/doors/siding are also $128.00 each. Source: City of Baytown Building Permit Fee Schedule (dated June 1, 2026).
Example 4: Remodel With One Trade
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Remodel without trades | flat fee | $315.00 |
| MEP permit (plan-review tier) | 1 × $140 | $140.00 |
| Remodel with one trade (build-up estimate) | $315 + $140 | ~$455 (estimate) |
Assumptions: The $315 "remodel without trades" line is exact. If the remodel adds one trade needing plan review (for example, an electrical alteration), add the $140 residential MEP permit, for about $455 total. This is a disclosed build-up reading because the schedule prints no single remodel-with-trades line - the department determines how your specific job is filed and billed. A water heater swap or other like-for-like replacement uses the lower $100 no-plan-review MEP tier instead. Source: City of Baytown Building Permit Fee Schedule (dated June 1, 2026).
Read before you budget from these examples
- New-home and pool totals are exact: the flat tier fees ($1,660 / $1,900 / $2,030) and the $620 pool fee are exact schedule figures, and the schedule states each includes the MEP permit fees - there is nothing to add for trades.
- Remodel-with-trades is a build-up estimate: the schedule prints a $315 "remodel without trades" line and separate residential MEP permit fees ($100/$140), but no single remodel-with-trades line, so the ~$455 figure is a disclosed reading, not a printed number.
- No residential processing fee is added: the $35 permit processing fee is printed only under the commercial sections, so it is not included in any residential total above - confirm at filing.
- Excluded fees can dwarf the permit: impact fees and water/sewer tap fees are separate schedules, not on this fee schedule, and are not in any total above.
- Tier boundaries and area determinations are the city's call: the schedule prints the tiers as "less than 2,000," "2,000 to 4,000," and "in excess of 4,000" sq ft - confirm boundary handling with the department.
Practitioner Insight
Baytown is one of the cleanest new-home permit numbers in the Texas metros we cover: a single flat tier fee with the MEP trades already bundled in. A 2,400 sq ft home is exactly $1,900.00, trades and all - there is no per-square-foot metering and no separate electrical, mechanical, and plumbing stack to add. That is a very different structure from a per-square-foot city like College Station ($0.74/sq ft plus separately priced trades), where the same house is a build-up rather than a single sticker. For a typical 2,000-2,200 sq ft new home, Baytown's $1,900 tier lands close to Denton's $1,921 building-plus-review figure - but Baytown's number already includes the trades.
The flat tiers make Baytown comparatively expensive for small homes and a bargain for large ones: a 4,500 sq ft home is $2,030 here versus roughly $3,770 in College Station. The one place Baytown is not clean is remodels: the schedule prints a $315 "remodel without trades" line and separate $100/$140 MEP permits, but no single remodel-with-trades line, so any remodel that adds trade work is a build-up reading (about $455 with one plan-review trade) rather than a printed figure. Anyone budgeting a full build should also price the excluded site charges early: impact fees and water/sewer tap fees are separate schedules and can exceed the building permit itself. And because the $35 processing fee is printed only on the commercial sections, this page adds none to residential permits - confirm that at filing.
Permit Requirements - Common Residential Projects in Baytown
| Project Type | Permit Required? | Fee Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New single-family home | Yes | $1,660 / $1,900 / $2,030 flat | Tiered by size; MEP trades included in the fee |
| Remodel without trades | Yes | $315 flat | Add a $100/$140 MEP permit if trade work is involved |
| Swimming pool | Yes | $620 flat | MEP included; pool electrical is in the fee |
| Fence | Yes | $67 flat | Single flat fee |
| Re-roof | Yes | $128 flat | Roof replacement |
| Demolition (residential) | Yes | $128 flat | $310 if under court orders |
| Carport / storage building | Yes | $175 flat | Each is a flat $175 |
| Driveway | Yes | $235 flat | Single flat fee |
| Standalone trade work (electrical / mechanical / plumbing) | Yes | $100 / $140 per permit | $100 no plan review, $140 with plan review |
| Manufactured home placement | Yes | $356 flat | MEP included |
Permit trigger thresholds and enclosed-finished-area determinations (which square footage counts, and how a project is classified) are set by the City of Baytown Planning and Development Services. When uncertain whether a permit is required, contact the department before starting work.
City of Baytown Planning and Development Services
Planning and Development Services
City Hall: 2401 Market Street, Baytown, TX 77522
City main line: (281) 422-8281
Fee schedule and permit information: baytown.org/822/Building-Permit-Fees
Building Permit Fee Schedule
Printed date June 1, 2026 · current
When This Estimate May Not Apply
Your remodel includes trade work
The schedule prints a $315 "remodel without trades" line and separate residential MEP permit fees ($100/$140), but no single remodel-with-trades line. The ~$455 example on this page is a disclosed build-up reading; the department determines how your specific job is filed and billed.
Your home is exactly at a tier boundary
The schedule prints the tiers as "less than 2,000," "2,000 to 4,000," and "in excess of 4,000" sq ft; this page reads a 2,000 sq ft home as the $1,900 tier, but confirm boundary handling with the department.
A residential processing fee applies at filing
The $35 permit processing fee is printed only under the commercial sections, so it is not added to residential figures here - but confirm at filing whether one applies to your permit.
You are building a new home - site fees are separate
Impact fees and water/sewer tap fees are separate and not on this schedule; they are not included in any total on this page and can exceed the building permit itself.
Your plans need revisions or repeat inspections
Plan revisions are $114, resubmittals after the second staff review are $80, and re-inspections are $65/hour (1-hour minimum), all on top of the permit fee. Moving a house outside city limits is billed at hourly rates set by the chief building official rather than a flat fee.
Source note: All figures come from the City of Baytown Building Permit Fee Schedule, printed date 6/1/2026, served as a PDF at the city's official Building Permit Fees page - extracted with pdfplumber on July 4, 2026, and the page re-confirmed live the same day. The document does not use the word "effective," so this page cites it as "schedule dated June 1, 2026." Minor typos on the printed schedule ("RESIDENTAL," "MISCELANEOUS") are as printed in the source. City Hall contact details were verified against baytown.org on July 4, 2026.
Baytown Permit Fee FAQ
Sources
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City of Baytown - Building Permit Fee Schedule Baytown, TX - official Building Permit Fee Schedule PDF served at the city's Building Permit Fees page, printed date June 1, 2026 (current). Primary source for every residential tier, flat fee, MEP fee, and commercial valuation tier on this page. Extracted with pdfplumber July 4, 2026; page re-confirmed live July 4, 2026. Verified
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City of Baytown - Official Website City Hall contact details (2401 Market Street, Baytown, TX; 281-422-8281). Verified July 4, 2026.
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Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 - Impact Fees Texas (statutes.capitol.texas.gov) - the statewide statute that authorizes and governs the water, wastewater, and roadway impact fees Texas cities charge separately from building permit fees. Cited here because impact and utility tap fees are excluded from the permit figures on this page.
See how Baytown's flat-tier structure compares to a per-square-foot Texas city, or estimate fees in covered jurisdictions.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your Baytown permit cost, two related numbers round out your total budget picture:
Property tax impact after your project closes
A permitted addition or pool increases your assessed value in Harris or Chambers County. See how Texas jurisdictions calculate the ongoing property tax impact at CountyTaxTools.com.
Impact fees and utility tap costs for larger projects
Impact fees and water/sewer tap fees in Baytown are separate schedules from the building permit and can exceed it on a new home. Research zoning and site costs at ZoneFee.com.