Austin Building Permit Fees for Home Projects in 2026-27

Quick Facts

From our city pages and each city's open permit data (refreshed October 30, 2026).

How Austin Structures Residential Fees

Austin charges in layers. Projects that need plans pay a review fee when they are submitted, then permit fees for each trade when the permit is issued, then inspection-related fees if extra visits are needed. Simpler jobs use flat program fees instead. The City's fee schedule says the review fee is payable at submittal and is non-refundable unless collected in error, and the building and trade permit fees are payable at issuance.

Several departments contribute lines. Development Services sets most of them, but Austin Energy charges for new electric service applications and solar, Watershed Protection charges for floodplain reviews, and the Fire Department charges for wildland-urban interface and some residential fire reviews.

Every Project Type in Austin

These summaries come from the same official sources as our city pages and were last checked October 30, 2026. Permit counts are the city's own open-data records for the last 12 months.

Roofing: Often No

Austin exempts asphalt shingles that replace asphalt shingles, and any roof covering that does not affect the roof structure. You do need a permit (normally an Express permit) to replace more than 128 sq ft of roof decking, or if the home is in the Wildland-Urban Interface and 50% or more of the roof is replaced.

• Exempt: like-for-like asphalt shingle replacement outside the WUI.
• Permit required: more than 128 sq ft of roof decking.
• Permit required in the WUI when 50% or more of the roofing is replaced.
• Official fees: Express Residential Plan Review (FY2026): $136.45; Residential Express Permit (FY2026): $87.49.
• Austin issued 485 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 4 days from application to issue.

Source: Austin DSD: Work Exempt from Building Permits · Full details: Do You Need a Roofing Permit in Austin?

HVAC: Yes

Replacing a central heat and air system, a packaged unit or a mini-split in a one- or two-family home requires a Residential Change-Out permit, pulled by a licensed mechanical contractor. Replacing supply and return duct runs alone is exempt.

• HVAC replacement uses the Residential Change-Out permit (Residential Code R109.5).
• The responsible contractor must be a licensed mechanical contractor.
• Exempt: replacing supply/return duct runs and minor parts.
• Austin issued 1,891 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 4 days from application to issue.

Source: Austin Build + Connect Manual: Change Out Permits · Full details: Do You Need an HVAC Permit in Austin?

Solar Panel: Yes

Solar panels or solar shingles inside Austin city limits that interconnect to Austin Energy need a residential building permit. Systems in the ETJ use a separate auxiliary permit through the AB+C portal.

• Inside city limits: residential building permit.
• In the ETJ: separate solar permit through the AB+C portal.
• Interconnection with Austin Energy is part of the process.
• Austin issued 621 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 8 days from application to issue.

Source: Austin DSD: Types of Permits · Full details: Do You Need a Solar Panel Permit in Austin?

Fence: Usually No

A fence up to 7 feet high is exempt from a building permit unless it is in a flood hazard area. A permit is required above 7 feet, and residential fences over 6 feet along a public right-of-way also need a letter of authorization.

• Exempt: fences up to 7 ft outside a flood hazard area.
• Permit: any fence in a floodplain or over 7 ft.
• Over 6 ft along a public right-of-way needs a City letter of authorization.
• Austin issued 52 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 72 days from application to issue.

Source: Austin DSD: Fencing Regulations · Full details: Do You Need a Fence Permit in Austin?

Deck: Usually Yes

A deck is exempt only if it is 200 sq ft or less, no more than 30 inches above grade, not attached to the house, not used for egress and not in a flood hazard area. Other decks need a building permit; repairs limited to existing deck boards are exempt.

• Exempt: detached decks up to 200 sq ft and 30 in above grade.
• Exempt: non-structural repairs limited to deck boards.
• Attached decks need a building permit.
• Austin issued 274 matching permits in the last 12 months, with a median of 101 days from application to issue.

Source: Austin DSD: Work Exempt from Building Permits (linked above) · Full details: Do You Need a Deck Permit in Austin?

Step-by-Step: What to Do

1. Find out whether the job is exempt, a change-out, an express permit or a plan-review project.
2. For plan review, budget for the $112.76 application processing fee, which is paid at submittal and is non-refundable.
3. Add the review tier for your project size and the permit fees that are paid when the permit is issued.
4. Allow for reinspections at $83.85 each if work is not ready when the inspector arrives.
5. Check whether tree, floodplain or fire review applies, since those add separate fees.

Plan Review Fees for Additions, Remodels and New Homes

A major revision is one that needs revised plans or changes calculations; a minor revision is administrative. Projects that need engineering review pay more: grading and drainage review is $386.63 at the preliminary stage and $1,031.02 for full plan review, and a detailed floodplain review from Watershed Protection is $470.

Permit Fees When the Permit Is Issued

For single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses and other residential structures, each trade has its own base fee, which then rises with floor area above 1,000 square feet:

Added together, the base fees come to $922.70 before any floor-area charges, review fees or other departments' lines. That is why a new home or large addition in Austin often costs several thousand dollars in total, while a single replacement job costs under $100.

Flat Fees for Common Home Jobs

The schedule notes that the change-out program also covers water heaters, replacement of backflow devices, irrigation systems, and water and sewer yard lines. The rules on who qualifies are explained in Austin's Residential Change-Out Permit for HVAC. The Fire Department's roof replacement inspection and wildland-urban interface fees apply case by case, depending on the property.

How Busy Austin's Permit Office Is

We matched keywords in permit descriptions from Austin's open data for permits issued from October 30, 2025 to October 29, 2026. The counts show where the flat-fee routes do their work:

Water heaters and panel work, which usually go through fast routes, were issued in a median of a few days. Kitchen and bathroom remodels, which often need review, took a median of more than two months, and accessory dwelling units took longest. Time matters as much as fees here, because each failed or incomplete inspection adds an $83.85 reinspection fee.

Refunds and Other Charges to Know

• No refund is given once work under the permit has started, once an inspection has been performed, scheduled or requested, or if only the minimum fee was paid.
• Where a refund is allowed, it equals 75% of the original permit fee less the minimum fee for that permit type, and it must be requested in writing with the receipt.
• An expired permit costs a contractor $53.56 per permit, and a permit maintenance fee is also $53.56.
• General contractor registration is $82.56, but the schedule says it does not apply to people acting as contractors on their own homestead and principal residence.
• After-hours inspections are $166.57 per hour, with a one-hour minimum.

For how permit fees compare across cities and what else belongs in a project budget, see How Much Does a Building Permit Cost? Verified Fee Examples.

Where to Go Next

For Austin's rules on specific projects and live permit counts, start at Austin Building Permits for Home Projects.

Who Issues Permits in Austin

Residential permits in Austin are issued by the City of Austin Development Services Department. Its website has the current application portal, fee schedule and inspection scheduling. Issued permits are published as open data in Austin Issued Construction Permits, which is the source of the permit counts and recent permits shown on our Austin pages. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the department before you start work.