Odessa, TX Building Permit Fees (2026)
Residential building permit fees from the City of Odessa Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule. Important: the schedule's printed effective date is January 16, 2018 — it is still the document the city's own Building Inspection (Permits) page links to as of July 21, 2026, but it is more than eight years old and must be confirmed with the Inspection Division before you budget from it. Odessa is the Ector County seat in the Permian Basin of West Texas.
Source-age disclosure, first: every figure on this page comes from the City of Odessa Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule whose printed effective date is January 16, 2018. The city's Building Inspection (Permits) page still links to that document and introduces it with the line "New City of Odessa permit fees start January 16, 2018." No newer schedule was found on July 21, 2026. A schedule that old can have been superseded by council action that is not reflected in the posted PDF, so confirm every amount with the Inspection Division before you rely on it.
This page covers: the Odessa building permit fees printed on that schedule — residential new construction at $50.00 + $0.12 per square foot, additions, remodels and finish-outs at $50.00 + $0.10 per square foot, and the flat fees for carports and storage buildings ($50.00), enclosed garages ($50.00), fences ($50.00), fire places ($25.00), foundation only ($100.00), grading ($100.00), site work ($50.00), moving or demolition ($100.00), signs ($50.00), mobile home location ($100.00), and certificates of occupancy.
Plan review is 25% of the permit fee, applied at pick-up: the schedule prints "Plan Review 25% of Permit Fee Applied At Pick Up." It is charged when the permit is collected, not at application. The schedule does not state whether it applies to residential, commercial, or both, so every plan-review figure on this page is labeled as applying that printed 25% rule to the residential permit fee.
MEP trades are NOT bundled: plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits are printed in their own sections of the schedule, each with its own $50.00 base plus per-square-foot component. Nothing on the schedule says the building permit fee includes them. The Mobile Home Location Permit line even states in parentheses that it "Requires separate plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits." Budget them as additional permits.
Texas has no statewide levy: Texas adds no state permit levy or state building-permit surcharge, and no state fee is added to City of Odessa permit fees.
This page does NOT cover: re-roof permits, deck permits, accessory dwelling units, and the structural/building side of an in-ground pool — none of those have a printed line item on the schedule, so no figure is given for them here. Also excluded: Ector County fees for property outside Odessa city limits, and any portal convenience charge, since no technology, application, or credit-card surcharge is printed on the schedule and whether the mgoconnect.org online portal adds one is not stated.
Odessa charges $50.00 plus $0.12 per square foot for a new residential building permit, and $50.00 + $0.10 per square foot for additions, remodels, and finish-outs. A 2,000 sq ft new home's building permit is $290.00, and plan review at 25% of the permit fee adds $72.50 at pick-up for $362.50. Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits are priced separately at $50.00 each plus $0.05 per square foot for complete work. Flat fees include a fence at $50.00, a fire place at $25.00, and a demolition permit at $100.00. Texas has no statewide permit levy. These amounts come from a schedule whose printed effective date is January 16, 2018 — confirm them with the Inspection Division.
- A new residential building permit is $50.00 + $0.12 per square foot. For 2,000 sq ft that is $50.00 + $240.00 = $290.00 on the building permit line.
- Plan review is 25% of the permit fee and is applied at pick-up, not at application. On a $290.00 permit that is $72.50, for $362.50 collected in total on the building permit.
- Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits are separate line items with their own $50.00 base fees — complete plumbing and complete electrical are each $50.00 + $0.05/sq ft, and mechanical is $50.00 + $10.00 per unit + $0.05/sq ft. The building permit fee does not bundle them.
- Additions, remodels, and finish-outs use the lower $50.00 + $0.10 per square foot rate. Flat fees cover carports and storage buildings ($50.00), enclosed garages ($50.00), fences ($50.00), fire places ($25.00), foundation only ($100.00), grading ($100.00), and moving or demolition ($100.00).
- The schedule's printed effective date is January 16, 2018 — more than eight years before this page was verified on July 21, 2026. It is still the document the city links to, and no newer schedule was found, but it must be confirmed with the City of Odessa Inspection Division (city main line 432-335-3200) before use.
- No re-roof, deck, or ADU line item is printed on the schedule, and the square-footage basis (conditioned area, gross area, or area under roof) is not defined. Those gaps are disclosed rather than guessed at anywhere on this page.
Odessa Building Permit Fee Structure
Odessa prices a building permit as a flat base amount plus a per-square-foot component, then adds plan review at 25% of the permit fee when the permit is picked up. Small and single-purpose jobs are flat fees. Every rate below is printed on a schedule whose effective date reads January 16, 2018 — treat the amounts as the city's posted figures pending confirmation with the Inspection Division.
Building permit and associated fees
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential (new residential building permit) | $50.00 + $0.12 / sq ft |
| Additions, remodels and finish outs | $50.00 + $0.10 / sq ft |
| Commercial | $1,000.00 + $0.12 / sq ft |
| Residential carports and storage buildings | $50.00 |
| Residential enclosed garages | $50.00 |
| Mobile home location permit | $100.00 (requires separate plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits) |
| Foundation only | $100.00 |
| Fences | $50.00 |
| Fire places | $25.00 |
| Grading permit | $100.00 |
| Site work permit | $50.00 |
| Moving and/or demolition permit, each | $100.00 |
| Sign permit | $50.00 |
| Towers and satellite dishes | $250.00 |
| Temporary buildings | $200.00 |
| Address change | $50.00 |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (extension $25.00) | $50.00 |
| Certificate of Occupancy — change of use/owner/name (re-issue $15.00) | $100.00 |
| Plan review (applied at pick-up) | 25% of permit fee |
Source-age note: these are the amounts printed on the City of Odessa Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule with a printed effective date of January 16, 2018. The schedule does not define whether "per square foot" means conditioned floor area, gross area, or total area under roof, and does not state whether the 25% plan review applies to residential permits, commercial permits, or both. No re-roof, deck, or ADU line item is printed.
Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits (priced separately)
| Trade permit | Base | Per-square-foot component |
|---|---|---|
| Plumbing | $50.00 | Complete $0.05/sq ft; finish out only $0.025/sq ft; rough in only $0.025/sq ft |
| Electrical | $50.00 | New service/replacement $30.00 + $0.10/sq ft; complete $0.05/sq ft; finish out only $0.025/sq ft; rough in only $0.025/sq ft |
| Mechanical | $50.00 + $10.00 per unit | Complete $0.05/sq ft; finish out only $0.025/sq ft; rough in only $0.025/sq ft |
| Irrigation permit | $50.00 | — |
| Swimming pool permit (plumbing section) | $50.00 | — |
| Water well permit | $50.00 | — |
| Solar panel installation | — | $0.10 per amp |
| Temporary power pole | $50.00 | — |
| Move, change, or alter service | $50.00 | — |
| Light pole | $50.00 | 1-10: $7.50 each; 11 and over: $5.00 each |
| Fire sprinkler / fire alarm | — | $0.03/sq ft each |
| Fire suppression | $100.00 | — |
The mechanical section is printed on the schedule as "MECANICAL". These trade permits sit in their own sections with their own base fees — nothing on the schedule states that the building permit fee covers them, and the mobile home line explicitly calls out that separate plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits are required.
Odessa Permit Fee Components and Surcharges
An Odessa permit total stacks the building permit fee, the 25% plan review charged at pick-up, and any separately priced trade permits. Penalty-style charges (re-inspection and stop work order release) apply only when triggered.
| Component | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee | $50.00 + $0.12/SF (new residential) or $50.00 + $0.10/SF (addition, remodel, finish out) | Printed schedule figure (2018 effective date) |
| Plan review | 25% of permit fee | Applied at pick-up; schedule does not state whether it applies to residential, commercial, or both |
| Plumbing permit | $50.00 + $0.05/SF complete | Separate permit — not bundled into the building permit |
| Electrical permit | $50.00 + $0.05/SF complete | Separate permit — not bundled into the building permit |
| Mechanical permit | $50.00 + $10.00 per unit + $0.05/SF complete | Separate permit — not bundled into the building permit |
| Re-inspection fee | $50.00 (1st-2nd), $75.00 (3rd-4th), $100.00 (5th and above) | Only when a re-inspection is required |
| Stop work order release | $100.00 | Inspector's discretion |
| Miscellaneous permit fee | $50.00 | Printed catch-all line; the schedule does not say which projects fall under it |
| Texas state levy | $0.00 | Texas has no state permit levy or state building-permit surcharge |
No technology, application, or credit-card convenience surcharge is printed on the schedule. Permits are applied for online at mgoconnect.org; whether that portal adds a processing charge is not stated on the schedule, so no such charge is included in any total on this page. Plan reprints are $1.00 per page.
Worked Examples
Every figure below is direct arithmetic from the printed amounts on the City of Odessa Master Permit Fee Schedule. Each example states its assumptions. All of them inherit the schedule's January 16, 2018 printed effective date and the undefined square-footage basis, so confirm the counted area and the current amounts with the Inspection Division before budgeting.
Example 1: New 2,000 SF Single-Family Home — Building Permit
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base building permit fee | flat, residential | $50.00 |
| Per-square-foot component | 2,000 SF × $0.12 | $240.00 |
| Permit fee subtotal | $50.00 + $240.00 | $290.00 |
| Plan review (at pick-up) | 25% × $290.00 | $72.50 |
| Building permit total | $290.00 + $72.50 | $362.50 |
Assumptions: a 2,000 sq ft new single-family home; the full 2,000 sq ft is the chargeable area (the schedule does not define whether "per square foot" means conditioned floor area, gross area, or area under roof); the printed 25% plan review rule applies to the residential permit fee. This total is the building permit only. Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits are additional — see Example 2. Source: City of Odessa Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule, printed effective date January 16, 2018.
Example 2: The Same 2,000 SF Home — Separate MEP Trade Permits
| Trade Permit | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Complete plumbing | $50.00 + (2,000 × $0.05) | $150.00 |
| Complete electrical | $50.00 + (2,000 × $0.05) | $150.00 |
| Complete mechanical (one unit) | $50.00 + $10.00 + (2,000 × $0.05) | $160.00 |
| MEP subtotal (one mechanical unit) | $150 + $150 + $160 | $460.00 |
Assumptions: the same 2,000 sq ft of chargeable area on each trade permit; "complete" scope on all three (finish-out-only or rough-in-only work bills at $0.025/sq ft instead of $0.05/sq ft); exactly one mechanical unit at $10.00 — each additional unit adds another $10.00. Plan review is not added to these three lines because the schedule does not state whether the 25% rule reaches trade permits; if the Inspection Division applies it to trades as well, add 25% to each. Combined with Example 1, the building-plus-MEP figure for this house is $362.50 + $460.00 = $822.50 under these assumptions. Source: City of Odessa Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule, printed effective date January 16, 2018.
Example 3: 400 SF Addition or Remodel
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base permit fee | flat, additions/remodels/finish outs | $50.00 |
| Per-square-foot component | 400 SF × $0.10 | $40.00 |
| Permit fee subtotal | $50.00 + $40.00 | $90.00 |
| Plan review (at pick-up) | 25% × $90.00 | $22.50 |
| Permit total | $90.00 + $22.50 | $112.50 |
Assumptions: 400 sq ft of chargeable area billed at the additions/remodels/finish-outs rate of $50.00 + $0.10 per square foot; the printed 25% plan review applied to that permit fee. Any plumbing, electrical, or mechanical work in the addition draws its own permit at $50.00 plus the applicable per-square-foot rate — a rough-in-only or finish-out-only trade permit on 400 sq ft is $50.00 + (400 × $0.025) = $60.00. Source: City of Odessa Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule, printed effective date January 16, 2018.
Example 4: Flat-Fee Projects — Fence, Fire Place, Demolition, Storage Building
| Project | Printed Permit Fee | With 25% Plan Review at Pick-Up |
|---|---|---|
| Fence | $50.00 | $62.50 |
| Fire place | $25.00 | $31.25 |
| Moving and/or demolition permit | $100.00 | $125.00 |
| Residential carport or storage building | $50.00 | $62.50 |
| Foundation only | $100.00 | $125.00 |
Assumptions: the left column is the flat amount printed on the schedule; the right column applies the printed "Plan Review 25% of Permit Fee Applied At Pick Up" rule to that flat amount. Because the schedule does not say whether plan review is charged on small flat-fee permits, the printed permit fee is shown separately so you can see both figures. A swimming pool draws the $50.00 plumbing-section pool permit; whether an additional building permit is required for the pool shell is not stated on the schedule, and no deck or re-roof line item is printed at all. Source: City of Odessa Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule, printed effective date January 16, 2018.
Read before you budget from these examples
- The schedule is dated January 16, 2018. Every figure above is arithmetic from that document. It is the schedule the city still links to, and no newer one was found on July 21, 2026, but it is more than eight years old — confirm the amounts with the Inspection Division.
- MEP trades are separate permits. Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical each carry their own $50.00 base plus a per-square-foot component. The building permit fee does not bundle them.
- Plan review is charged at pick-up, at 25% of the permit fee. The schedule does not state whether it applies to residential, commercial, or both, or whether it reaches trade permits.
- The square-footage basis is undefined. The schedule does not say whether "per square foot" means conditioned floor area, gross area, or total area under roof, so the counted area can change every per-SF figure above.
- Some projects have no printed fee at all. No re-roof, deck, or ADU line item exists on the schedule. A re-roof might fall under the $50.00 Miscellaneous Permit Fee, but the schedule does not say so and no figure is asserted here.
Practitioner Insight
Odessa's building permit is cheap by Texas standards on the headline line — $50.00 + $0.12/sq ft puts a 2,000 sq ft new home at $290.00, well under what San Marcos charges for the same house at $0.63/sq ft. But the headline is not the bill. Odessa unbundles in two directions at once: plan review adds 25% on top at pick-up, and plumbing, electrical, and mechanical are three more permits, each with its own $50.00 base and its own per-square-foot charge. Run the full stack for that same 2,000 sq ft house and you are at roughly $822.50 rather than $290.00 — a figure that only appears if you read past the building permit line.
The other thing to plan around is the age of the document. The Inspection Division's Master Permit Fee Schedule carries a printed effective date of January 16, 2018, and the city's Building Inspection page still introduces it with "New City of Odessa permit fees start January 16, 2018." That is the current posted schedule — but eight years is long enough for amounts to have moved without the PDF being reposted, so a phone call to the Inspection Division (city main line 432-335-3200) before you file is worth the five minutes. Ask three things while you have them: what square footage they count, whether plan review is charged on trade permits, and what a re-roof or deck costs, since neither has a printed line. If your property sits outside the city limits, Ector County fees apply instead and this schedule does not cover them. For a like-for-like comparison against another West Texas city, see Lubbock and Abilene.
Permit Requirements - Common Residential Projects in Odessa
| Project Type | Printed on Fee Schedule? | Fee Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New single-family home | Yes | $50.00 + $0.12/SF | 2,000 SF = $290.00 permit; $362.50 with 25% plan review; MEP separate |
| Addition, remodel or finish out | Yes | $50.00 + $0.10/SF | 400 SF = $90.00 permit; $112.50 with plan review |
| Enclosed garage | Yes | $50.00 flat | Residential enclosed garages line |
| Carport or storage building | Yes | $50.00 flat | Residential carports and storage buildings line |
| Fence | Yes | $50.00 flat | $62.50 with 25% plan review applied |
| Fire place | Yes | $25.00 flat | Lowest printed permit fee on the schedule |
| Demolition or moving | Yes | $100.00 each | Printed as "Moving and/or demolition permit fee, each" |
| Plumbing, electrical or mechanical work | Yes | $50.00 base each + per-SF component | Separate permits; mechanical adds $10.00 per unit |
| Swimming pool | Plumbing section only | $50.00 pool permit | Whether the pool shell needs an additional building permit is not stated |
| Re-roof | No printed line | Not stated | May fall under the $50.00 Miscellaneous Permit Fee, but the schedule does not say so — verify |
| Deck | No printed line | Not stated | No deck fee is printed; ask the Inspection Division which category applies |
| Accessory dwelling unit (ADU) | No printed line | Not stated | No ADU line item exists on the schedule |
"Printed on fee schedule?" describes whether a fee line exists on the Master Permit Fee Schedule — it is not a statement about whether a permit is legally required. Permit trigger thresholds and chargeable-area determinations are set by the City of Odessa Inspection Division. When uncertain whether a permit is required, contact the Inspection Division before starting work.
City of Odessa Inspection Division
Inspection Division (Building Inspection / Permits)
City of Odessa, Texas
City main line: 432-335-3200
The city's Building Inspection page lists no dedicated inspection-division direct number. Permits are applied for online at mgoconnect.org.
Master Permit Fee Schedule
Printed effective date January 16, 2018 — over eight years old at the July 21, 2026 verification date
When This Estimate May Not Apply
The posted schedule has been superseded since 2018
This is the single biggest caveat on this page. The Master Permit Fee Schedule's printed effective date is January 16, 2018. It is the document the city currently links to and no newer schedule was found on July 21, 2026, but an eight-year-old PDF can lag a council fee change. Confirm every amount with the Inspection Division.
You budgeted the building permit and forgot the trades
Plumbing, electrical, and mechanical permits are printed in their own sections with their own $50.00 base fees and per-square-foot components. They are not included in the $50.00 + $0.12/sq ft building permit. On a 2,000 sq ft home they add about $460.00.
Your project's chargeable square footage is not obvious
The schedule never defines whether "per square foot" means conditioned floor area, gross area, or total area under roof. Garages, porches, and covered patios can shift the counted area and therefore every per-SF figure on this page.
Your project type has no printed fee line
Re-roofs, decks, and accessory dwelling units have no line item on the schedule, and no separate building-permit line exists for an in-ground pool shell. A re-roof may fall under the $50.00 Miscellaneous Permit Fee, but the schedule does not say so and this page does not assert it.
Plan review scope, re-inspections, or a stop work order
The 25% plan review is printed without saying whether it applies to residential, commercial, or trade permits. Re-inspections run $50.00 for the first and second, $75.00 for the third and fourth, and $100.00 for the fifth and above; releasing a stop work order is $100.00 at the inspector's discretion.
Your property is outside Odessa city limits
This schedule is the City of Odessa's. Ector County fees for property outside the city limits are set separately and are not covered anywhere on this page.
Source note: All figures come from the City of Odessa Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule, printed effective date January 16, 2018, extracted with pdfplumber from the official city-hosted PDF on July 21, 2026. Both the raw text layer and the table extraction were captured and agree; no OCR was needed because the PDF carries a text layer. The city's Building Inspection (Permits) page still links to this document and introduces it with "New City of Odessa permit fees start January 16, 2018." Ambiguities are disclosed on this page rather than guessed at: the square-footage basis is undefined, the plan-review scope is undefined, and no re-roof, deck, or ADU line items exist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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City of Odessa - Inspection Division Master Permit Fee Schedule Odessa, TX - official Master Permit Fee Schedule, printed effective date January 16, 2018. Primary source for every permit fee, per-square-foot rate, trade fee, plan review rule, and penalty charge on this page. Extracted with pdfplumber July 21, 2026. Source-age warning: this schedule is more than eight years old. Verified
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City of Odessa - Building Inspection (Permits) Department page that still links to the January 16, 2018 Master Permit Fee Schedule and introduces it with "New City of Odessa permit fees start January 16, 2018." Also the source for the online permit application route (mgoconnect.org) and the note that no dedicated inspection-division direct number is published. Verified July 21, 2026.
Call the Odessa Inspection Division at 432-335-3200 to confirm the 2018 schedule is still in force, then compare Odessa's base-plus-per-SF structure with other Texas cities.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your Odessa permit cost, two related numbers round out your total budget picture:
Property tax impact after your project closes
A permitted addition or garage increases your assessed value in Ector 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.
Zoning and site costs outside the permit fee
Grading ($100.00) and site work ($50.00) carry their own Odessa permits, and zoning and platting sit outside the Master Permit Fee Schedule entirely. 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 →