General contracting permits in Houston, TX
A Houston building permit covers new construction, conditioned additions and whole-house projects with trade subs. Save your license, insurance and bond details once, then produce the completed application — plus the attachments this jurisdiction expects — in under a minute.
Who pulls the building permit in Houston
The contractor of record pulls the permit. Where Texas allows it, an owner-builder can pull it directly by signing the owner-builder affidavit — the app swaps the contractor block for that disclosure automatically.
Where Houston general contracting permits are reviewed
Files with
Houston Permitting Center (Houston Public Works)
Online portal: Houston Permit Portal
Houston has no zoning code, but residential permits still require deed-restriction and Chapter 19 floodplain compliance checks.
Where Harris County permits are filed
Harris County Office of the County Engineer, Permits Division
Online portal: ePermits
Plans, applications, delivery and payment are all handled online through ePermits.
Jurisdiction detail confirmed from the county's own website. Cities inside Harris County may run their own building department.
The Harris County general contracting packet
Generated by the same engine the app uses — these are the forms this scope actually triggers here, not a generic list.
New construction / addition in Harris County
7 documents on a $12,000 job.
- Residential Building Permit
Master building permit application.
- Mechanical / HVAC Changeout Permit
Trade permit for mechanical scope.
- Plumbing / Water Heater Permit
Trade permit for plumbing scope.
- Electrical Permit
Trade permit for electrical scope.
- OSHA Lockout / Tagout Sheet
Jobsite safety plan kept on site for inspection.
- Client Project Proposal
Signed scope and price for the homeowner file.
- FL Product Approval / Miami-Dade NOA Sheet
TDI windstorm certification (WPI-1 / WPI-8) — seaward counties require product certification and inspection sign-off.
- Texas requires an IECC energy compliance certificate at final inspection. Attach the REScheck or performance report to this packet.
- Unincorporated Texas counties often issue no building permit — confirm whether the address falls inside a city ETJ before filing.
Interior remodel / alteration in Harris County
3 documents on a $12,000 job.
- Residential Building Permit
Alteration permit application.
- OSHA Lockout / Tagout Sheet
Jobsite safety plan kept on site for inspection.
- Client Project Proposal
Signed scope and price for the homeowner file.
- Texas requires an IECC energy compliance certificate at final inspection. Attach the REScheck or performance report to this packet.
- Unincorporated Texas counties often issue no building permit — confirm whether the address falls inside a city ETJ before filing.
Why Houston general contracting applications get kicked back
The most common cause is the subcontractor list submitted without current license numbers for each trade. Because the application is generated from your saved shop profile and the job scope, that field is populated before it ever reaches the counter.
What a Houston general contracting permit costs
A planning range for this trade — adjust the contract value to match the job.
Use the full contract amount — labor and materials. Under-declaring is the fastest way to a stop-work order.
Estimated Houston permit cost
$2,329 – $25,357
Modelled range, not a quote from the Houston building department.
- Building permit feeCalculated from a declared job value of $250,000.$1,514 – $3,610
- Plan reviewCommonly billed at roughly half to two-thirds of the permit fee.$815 – $1,747
- Impact / capacity feesNew conditioned square footage can trigger school, road, water and sewer impact fees that dwarf the permit itself.$0 – $20,000
Method: valuation-based lines follow the stepped ICC/UBC Table 1-A progression that most residential schedules are still derived from, widened to reflect how much neighboring jurisdictions differ. Confirm the exact figure with the office listed on this page before you put it in a bid.
Inspection sequence
- Footing / foundation
- Framing
- Rough trades
- Insulation
- Final building
Never cover work ahead of the inspection that covers it — a re-open is the most expensive avoidable cost on a general contracting job.
What each Houston inspector checks, step by step →Get the Houston general contracting permit checklist
One page covering the forms, attachments and inspection sequence Houston general contracting crews get held up on.
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Other trades in Houston
General contracting permits in other Texas metros
General guidance for Houston general contracting contractors, not legal advice. Confirm requirements and fees with the authority having jurisdiction.