McAllen, TX Building Permit Fees (2026)
Actual residential building permit fees from the City of McAllen Building Permits & Inspection Department Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2016). McAllen is a Hidalgo County city in the Rio Grande Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border. Verified directly against the city's published fee schedule. Because the schedule carries a 2016 effective date, confirm current amounts with Building Permits & Inspections before budgeting.
This page covers: The residential building permit fees in McAllen. New construction (including R-3 one- and two-family dwellings and all occupancy groups) is priced per square foot at $0.16 per square foot of living and non-living space for 301 sq ft or more, with a $48.00 minimum fee. A remodel or alteration is $0.0060 times the construction value, also with a $48.00 minimum. Flat permits include a swimming pool at $55.86, a residential demolition at $39.60, a sign at $79.80, and a moving permit at $159.60. Each figure is exact from the City of McAllen Permit Fee Schedule.
Important note on fee schedule age: The Permit Fee Schedule published by McAllen reads "Effective October 1, 2016" and its footer is dated "Updated 7/25/2017" - roughly ten years old at the time of writing. It is the current official published schedule on the city's website, and a 2026 web search echoed the same $0.16 per square foot rate, $48 minimum, and 18% plan-review figures. Even so, confirm the current amounts with McAllen Building Permits & Inspections (956-681-1328) before relying on any figure.
Trade permits are priced separately: The building permit does NOT include the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade permits - each carries its own fee. So a full new home is the $0.16 per square foot building permit PLUS separate electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits. This page reports the building permit and the trade base fees separately and does NOT sum a single all-in new-home total - see the new-construction worked example.
Plan review is commercial only: The 18% plan review fee (60% additional for advance plan review) applies to commercial projects only and is NOT charged on residential permits under this schedule.
Texas has no statewide levy: Texas adds no statewide percentage building-permit levy, and McAllen adds no residential percentage surcharge on top of the per-square-foot building permit.
This page does NOT cover: Impact fees, water and sewer tap fees, and the commercial 18% plan review - all excluded from every figure on this page. The Park Development fee of $700.00 per unit is listed on the schedule but its applicability scope must be confirmed with the city, so it is disclosed separately and NOT included in any worked-example total.
In McAllen, TX a new-construction building permit is $0.16 per square foot of living and non-living space (for 301 sq ft or more), with a $48 minimum - so a 2,000 sq ft home is a $320 building permit. A remodel is $0.0060 times construction value (also $48 minimum), so a $30,000 remodel is $180. A swimming pool permit is a flat $55.86 and a residential demolition is $39.60. The building permit is separate from the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade permits, which each carry their own fee, so a full new home costs more than the building permit alone. The 18% plan review is commercial only, Texas has no statewide levy, and the schedule is dated effective October 1, 2016 - verify current amounts.
- New construction in McAllen is priced per square foot: $0.16 per square foot of living AND non-living space for 301 sq ft or more, with a $48.00 minimum. A 2,000 sq ft home is a $320.00 building permit - but that is the building permit only.
- Remodels and alterations are $0.0060 times the construction value, with the same $48.00 minimum. A $30,000 remodel is exactly $180.00.
- Trade permits are billed separately from the building permit. Base fees are: electrical $15.60 plus $2.40 per circuit/feeder; plumbing $39.60 plus $4.80 each fixture; and mechanical $39.60 plus $15.60 for the first $1,000 of unit value and $3.20 each additional $1,000. A full new home is the building permit PLUS these trade permits.
- Flat fees are simple: a swimming pool permit is $55.86 - one of the lowest verified pool-permit fees in Texas - a residential demolition is $39.60 (commercial $79.80), a sign permit is $79.80, and a moving permit is $159.60. Re-inspections, permit renewals, and permit takeovers are each $48.00.
- The 18% plan review fee (60% additional for advance plan review) is COMMERCIAL ONLY and is not charged on residential permits. The fees come from the City of McAllen Permit Fee Schedule effective October 1, 2016 (footer updated 7/25/2017) - roughly ten years old, so confirm current amounts with Building Permits & Inspections. Impact fees and water/sewer taps are separate and NOT included. Texas has no statewide levy.
McAllen Building Permit Fee Structure
McAllen prices its building permit per square foot for new construction and on a construction-value basis for remodels, with a $48.00 minimum on each. The electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade permits are priced separately from the building permit. There is no residential percentage surcharge and no statewide Texas levy. The tables below show the verified figures exactly as published in the City of McAllen Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2016).
New construction & remodels (building permit)
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| New construction (R-3 one & two family dwellings, and all occupancy groups) - building permit | $0.16 / sq ft ($48.00 minimum) |
| New-construction per-square-foot basis | Living AND non-living space, for 301 sq ft or more |
| Remodel / alteration (all groups) - building permit | $0.0060 × construction value ($48.00 minimum) |
The building permit above is priced separately from the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade permits (see the next table). A full new home is the $0.16 per square foot building permit PLUS the separate trade permits, so no single all-in new-home figure is stated here. Confirm the correct new-construction total with Building Permits & Inspections before budgeting.
Trade permits (priced separately)
| Trade permit | Base fee | Per-unit charge |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical | $15.60 | + $2.40 per circuit / feeder |
| Plumbing | $39.60 | + $4.80 each fixture |
| Mechanical | $39.60 | + $15.60 first $1,000 unit value, + $3.20 each add'l $1,000 |
These trade permits are additive to the building permit - they are not bundled into it. A new home therefore pays the per-square-foot building permit plus each applicable trade permit.
Flat & other fees
| Permit / fee | Fee |
|---|---|
| Swimming pool permit | $55.86 |
| Sign permit | $79.80 |
| Moving permit | $159.60 |
| Demolition - residential | $39.60 |
| Demolition - commercial | $79.80 |
| All re-inspections | $48.00 |
| Permit renewal | $48.00 |
| Permit takeover | $48.00 |
| Park development fee (per unit - confirm applicability scope) | $700.00 |
| Plan review fee (COMMERCIAL ONLY - not on residential) | 18% of building permit fee |
| Advance plan review (commercial) | 60% additional |
The Park Development fee of $700.00 per unit is listed on the schedule, but confirm its applicability scope with the city before adding it to any project total - it is not included in the worked examples below. The 18% plan review fee applies to commercial projects only.
McAllen Permit Fee Components
A McAllen project is built from a building permit plus any separate trade permits. The building permit is per square foot (new construction) or construction-value based (remodels), and the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are additive. There is no residential percentage surcharge, and the 18% plan review applies to commercial projects only.
| Component | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| New-construction building permit | $0.16 / sq ft ($48 min) | Living and non-living space, 301 sq ft or more |
| Remodel / alteration building permit | $0.0060 × value ($48 min) | Construction-value basis; same $48 minimum |
| Electrical / mechanical / plumbing trade permits | Separate base + per-unit | Additive to the building permit - not bundled |
| Residential percentage surcharge / state levy | $0.00 | None - Texas has no statewide levy; McAllen adds no residential surcharge |
| Plan review fee (18%) | Commercial only | Not charged on residential permits per this schedule |
| Impact / water & sewer tap fees | Separate schedules | Excluded - can far exceed the building permit on a new home |
For a flat-fee project - a pool ($55.86) or a demolition ($39.60) - the printed fee is the whole building-permit cost. For new construction, add the applicable electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade permits to the per-square-foot building permit, and confirm the current amounts with Building Permits & Inspections before treating any total as final.
Worked Examples
Every figure below is direct from the City of McAllen Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2016). Per-square-foot and construction-value fees produce exact building-permit totals; the new-construction example deliberately does not sum a single all-in figure because the trade permits are billed separately. Impact fees and utility taps are separate and not included.
Example 1: New 2,000 SF Home (building permit only)
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New-construction building permit | 2,000 SF × $0.16 | $320.00 |
| Building permit total (exact) | $0.16/SF, $48 minimum | $320.00 |
| Electrical / mechanical / plumbing trade permits | separate base + per-unit | Additive (see below) |
Assumptions: New construction is $0.16 per square foot of living and non-living space (for 301 sq ft or more). A 2,000 sq ft home computes to exactly $320.00 (2,000 × $0.16 = $320), well above the $48 minimum. This is the building permit only. The electrical, plumbing, and mechanical trade permits are billed SEPARATELY - base fees are electrical $15.60, plumbing $39.60, and mechanical $39.60, each plus per-unit charges - so the full permit cost is higher than $320. This page does not sum a single all-in number; the $320 is the building permit and the trades are additive. Source: City of McAllen Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2016).
Example 2: $30,000 Remodel
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Remodel building permit | $0.0060 × $30,000 | $180.00 |
| Remodel permit total (exact) | $0.0060 × value, $48 minimum | $180.00 |
Assumptions: A remodel or alteration is $0.0060 times the construction value, with a $48.00 minimum. A $30,000 remodel computes to exactly $180.00 ($0.0060 × $30,000 = $180), above the minimum. Any trade work draws a separate electrical, mechanical, or plumbing permit. Source: City of McAllen Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2016).
Example 3: Swimming Pool
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Swimming pool permit | flat | $55.86 |
| Pool permit total (exact) | flat fee | $55.86 |
Assumptions: A swimming pool permit is a flat $55.86 - one of the lowest verified pool-permit fees in Texas. Pool electrical bonding may draw a separate electrical permit (base $15.60 plus $2.40 per circuit/feeder). Source: City of McAllen Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2016).
Example 4: Demolition & Sign Permits
| Project | Rule Applied | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition (residential) | flat | $39.60 |
| Sign permit | flat | $79.80 |
Assumptions: Each of these is a flat permit fee with no residential surcharge, so the figures are exact: residential demolition $39.60 and sign permit $79.80. A commercial demolition is instead $79.80. Source: City of McAllen Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2016).
Read before you budget from these examples
- Source age: the schedule is dated effective October 1, 2016 (footer updated 7/25/2017) - roughly ten years old. Confirm current amounts with Building Permits & Inspections before relying on any figure.
- Trades are separate: the $320 new-home figure is the building permit only. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are additive, so the full permit cost is higher - do not treat $320 as an all-in total.
- Flat fees are the whole permit cost: for a pool ($55.86), demolition ($39.60 residential / $79.80 commercial), or sign ($79.80), the printed fee is the entire building-permit charge with no surcharge.
- Minimums apply: both new construction and remodels bill at their rate but never below the $48.00 minimum.
- Excluded fees can dwarf the permit: impact fees, water/sewer taps, and the commercial-only 18% plan review are separate and not in any figure above. The $700/unit Park Development fee is disclosed separately - confirm its scope with the city.
Practitioner Insight
McAllen uses one of the leaner per-square-foot building-permit rates in Texas: at $0.16 per square foot, a 2,000 sq ft home is a $320 building permit, and small flat permits like a $55.86 pool or a $39.60 demolition are among the lowest verified in the state. That makes McAllen noticeably cheaper to permit than most Rio Grande Valley peers - its neighbor Brownsville and larger metros like Austin price new construction on richer valuation- or per-SF scales, so a small project is meaningfully cheaper to permit in McAllen.
Two cautions. First, the schedule carries a 2016 effective date, so it is worth a quick call to Building Permits & Inspections (956-681-1328) to confirm the amounts are still current before you file - though a 2026 web check echoed the same $0.16/SF, $48 minimum, and 18% figures. Second, the $0.16 per square foot is the building permit only: the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade permits are billed separately, so anyone permitting a whole house should add those trade permits rather than treating the per-square-foot figure as the total. The 18% plan review does not apply to residential work at all - it is commercial only.
Permit Requirements - Common Residential Projects in McAllen
| Project Type | Permit Required? | Fee Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New single-family home | Yes | $0.16/SF ($48 min) | Building permit only; E/M/P trade permits separate |
| Remodel / alteration | Yes | $0.0060 × value ($48 min) | $30,000 remodel = $180 |
| Swimming pool | Yes | $55.86 flat | Pool electrical bonding may draw a separate electrical permit |
| Demolition (residential) | Yes | $39.60 flat | Commercial demolition is $79.80 |
| Sign | Yes | $79.80 flat | Flat sign permit fee |
| Moving a structure | Yes | $159.60 flat | Flat moving permit fee |
| Electrical / mechanical / plumbing | Yes | Base + per-unit | Elec. $15.60+$2.40/circuit; plumb. $39.60+$4.80/fixture; mech. $39.60+$15.60/$3.20 |
| Re-inspection / renewal / takeover | Yes | $48.00 each | Flat administrative fees |
Permit trigger thresholds and project-classification determinations (which square footage counts, whether a project is new construction vs. a remodel) are set by the City of McAllen Building Permits & Inspection Department. When uncertain whether a permit is required, contact Building Permits & Inspections before starting work.
City of McAllen Building Permits & Inspections
Building Permits & Inspections
City of McAllen, Hidalgo County, Texas · 956-681-1328
mcallen.net - Permit Fee Schedule
Confirm the current permit fee schedule and counter hours on the city's permits-and-inspections page
Permit Fee Schedule
Effective October 1, 2016 (footer updated 7/25/2017) - confirm current amounts before filing
When This Estimate May Not Apply
The schedule is dated effective October 1, 2016
The published Permit Fee Schedule is effective 10/1/2016 with a footer updated 7/25/2017 - roughly ten years old. It is the current official published version and a 2026 web search echoed the same $0.16/SF, $48 minimum, and 18% figures, but a fee could have changed since. Confirm current amounts with Building Permits & Inspections before filing.
You are building a new home
The $0.16 per square foot building permit is exact, but the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing trade permits are billed separately and are additive. Add each applicable trade permit rather than treating the per-square-foot figure as the all-in total.
Your project is commercial, not residential
The 18% plan review fee (60% additional for advance plan review) applies to commercial projects only. A commercial demolition is $79.80 rather than the $39.60 residential fee. Commercial work carries plan review that residential does not.
Your project needs a trade permit
Standalone electrical (base $15.60 + $2.40 per circuit/feeder), plumbing (base $39.60 + $4.80 each fixture), and mechanical (base $39.60 + $15.60 first $1,000 unit value + $3.20 each additional $1,000) permits are billed separately from the building permit.
Site fees apply to a new build
Impact fees and water/sewer tap fees are separate site charges NOT in any figure on this page and can far exceed the building permit on a new home. The $700/unit Park Development fee is listed on the schedule but its applicability scope must be confirmed with the city.
Source note: All figures come from the City of McAllen Building Permits & Inspection Department Permit Fee Schedule, which reads "Effective October 1, 2016" and carries a footer dated "Updated 7/25/2017," published on the city's website. A 2026 web search echoed the same $0.16 per square foot rate, $48 minimum, and 18% plan-review figures. Impact fees, water/sewer taps, the commercial-only 18% plan review, and the $700/unit Park Development fee (scope unconfirmed) are not used in any worked-example total here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
-
City of McAllen Building Permit Fee Schedule (Effective Oct 1, 2016) McAllen, TX - official building permit fee schedule, effective October 1, 2016 (footer updated 7/25/2017). Primary source for the $0.16/SF rate, $48 minimum, $0.0060 remodel rate, trade base fees, and every flat fee on this page 2016 - verify current
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City of McAllen - official city website City site linking the Building Permits & Inspection Department, the permit fee schedule, and department contact information (956-681-1328). Verified July 2026.
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Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 214 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov) Texas .gov statutory context: Texas municipalities regulate building construction and adopt their own permit fee schedules by ordinance, and Texas imposes no statewide building-permit levy - which is why the McAllen schedule is the whole permit cost. Verified July 2026.
See how McAllen's per-square-foot fees compare to other Texas cities, or estimate fees in covered jurisdictions.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your McAllen 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 Hidalgo County. A permitted project may change the property's taxable value. The county appraisal district determines that value and local taxing units adopt the rates, both separately from this permit fee.
Impact and utility fees for larger projects
Impact fees and water/sewer taps in McAllen are separate from the building permit. These items are governed by fee schedules separate from the building permit and are not included in the figures above.
These charges are administered separately from the building permit fee, though the responsible office and billing process vary by jurisdiction. See which tool covers each charge →