Austin Building Permit Fees (2026)
Actual residential building permit fee formulas from the official City of Austin Development Services Department (DSD) FY 2026-27 fee schedule, effective October 1, 2026 (current). Austin is the Travis County seat and the largest permitting jurisdiction in Central Texas. Verified directly against the published city schedule.
This page covers: The residential building permit fee for one and two-family dwellings - the five summed trade lines (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy) - and the separate residential plan-review fee, as printed in the City of Austin FY 2026-27 Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees schedule. It also covers verified flat items: a $370.00 residential roof replacement inspection, an $81.07 demolition permit, a $146.15 small-projects review (fences and pools), a $230.87 boat dock permit, a $169.83 solar (auxiliary power) electrical permit base, and an $83.85 reinspection fee. Each figure is exact from the published schedule. Totals for homes above 1,000 sq ft are NOT estimated here - see the source note on the FY 2026-27 size-tier table below.
Plan review is SEPARATE: The permit fee and the plan-review fee are two different numbers. New-construction plan review starts at a $986.15 base plus a $112.76 application processing fee; additions and remodels use a separate plan-review tier ($197.23 base, rising with square footage).
Texas has no statewide levy: Unlike Virginia or Maryland, Texas adds no statewide percentage building-permit levy. The FY 2025-26 schedule printed a 10% Austin Energy technology fee on Austin Energy and solar line items; the FY 2026-27 residential schedule no longer prints that line, so Austin Energy (AE) items are shown here exactly as printed, with no add-on applied.
This page does NOT cover: Austin Water tap and capital recovery fees, zoning plan review (a separate schedule), commercial building permits (a separate schedule), subdivision and site-plan review, transportation and right-of-way fees, tree and environmental review, and the 2.35% ($2.00 minimum) credit-card service fee charged through the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal. Standalone trade work that is not part of a new-dwelling permit (for example a change-out HVAC system or water heater) is priced separately - all excluded from every figure on this page.
In Austin, the building permit for a new one or two-family dwelling of 1,000 sq ft or less is $922.70. That figure is the sum of five separate trade lines on the FY 2026-27 schedule (effective October 1, 2026) - Building $318.48, Electrical $183.69, Mechanical $127.68, Plumbing $220.47, and Energy $72.38. Plan review is charged separately, starting at a $986.15 base plus a $112.76 application processing fee, so permit plus plan review runs $2,021.61 for that small home. Verified flat items include a $370.00 roof replacement inspection and an $81.07 demolition permit. Texas has no statewide percentage levy on permits.
- Austin prices one and two-family dwelling permits per square foot, tiered by size, and charges five trade lines (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy) that are summed into the permit total.
- A new dwelling of 1,000 sq ft or less is $922.70 for the permit on the FY 2026-27 schedule, up from $838.82 in FY 2025-26. Above 1,000 sq ft the new schedule prints per-square-foot increments that appear misprinted, so we do not estimate larger homes until DSD confirms them.
- Plan review is a separate charge - a $986.15 base for new construction plus a $112.76 application processing fee. The permit fee and the plan-review fee are two different numbers, and together run $2,021.61 for the small-home example.
- Verified flat items include a $370.00 residential roof replacement inspection, an $81.07 demolition permit, and a $146.15 small-projects review that covers fences and pools.
- The 10% Austin Energy technology fee printed on the FY 2025-26 schedule no longer appears on the FY 2026-27 residential schedule. Texas has no statewide levy.
Austin Building Permit Fee Structure
For one and two-family dwellings, the permit fee is the sum of five trade lines, each with a base fee for the size tier plus a per-square-foot rate for footage over the tier floor. Plan review is charged separately, and common small jobs (roof, demolition, decks) are priced as their own line items. The tables below show the verified figures exactly as published in the FY 2026-27 schedule.
Per-trade base permit fees by size tier
| Conditioned sq ft tier | Building | Electrical | Mechanical | Plumbing | Energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1,000 (base) | $318.48 | $183.69 | $127.68 | $220.47 | $72.38 |
| 2,001-3,000 (base) | $318.48 | $204.53 | $127.68 | $223.49 | $72.38 |
| 5,001+ (base) | $498.28 | $295.63 | $182.79 | $336.89 | $72.38 |
Tier base fees are shown exactly as printed (the FY 2026-27 schedule repeats the base-tier Building fee, $318.48, as the 2,001-3,000 base). Each tier also prints a per-square-foot increment, but on the FY 2026-27 schedule those increments read about 100 times the prior year: the Building line prints "$6.33000 per additional sq ft over 1,000 sq. ft." where FY 2025-26 printed $0.0576. Taken literally, a 2,000 sq ft home's Building line alone would exceed $6,600. Because that looks like a decimal error, PermitPrice does not compute totals above 1,000 sq ft - confirm the figure for your home with the Development Services Department.
Plan review (charged separately)
| Plan-review item | Fee |
|---|---|
| New construction plan review (base) | $986.15 |
| Application processing fee | $112.76 |
| Additions and remodels plan review (base) | $197.23 |
| Resubmittal or major plan revision | $585.77 |
| Minor plan revision | $92.57 |
The new-construction plan-review fee rises $0.1972 per sq ft within each 1,000 sq ft tier above the base, and the additions and remodels plan-review base rises with square footage. Plan review is billed on top of - not instead of - the five-line permit fee.
Verified flat and itemized fees
| Item | Fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Residential roof replacement inspection | $370.00 | Like-for-like reroof; structural or decking changes add review. See the Austin roof replacement guide. |
| Demolition permit (each) | $81.07 | Pre-demolition inspection $60.50; a $106.72 demolition/relocation processing fee is also printed. |
| Small-projects plan review (fences, pools) | $146.15 | Austin does not publish a single flat deck/pool/fence permit total; this review plus inspection fees applies. |
| Boat dock (new construction) permit | $230.87 | Lakefront structures. |
| Solar (auxiliary power) electrical permit base | $169.83 | Austin Energy column; intake fee $53.56 separate; solar inspection $84.92 (1-50 kW) also printed. |
| Reinspection fee (per inspection) | $83.85 | Charged when a re-visit is required. |
These line items are printed as standalone amounts on the FY 2026-27 schedule. The 2.35% ($2.00 minimum) credit-card service fee applies at payment through the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal and is not part of any figure above.
Austin Permit Fee Components
An Austin residential permit total stacks a few separate components: the five summed per-square-foot trade lines, and a separately charged plan-review fee. Water taps, zoning, and commercial review sit outside this stack entirely.
| Component | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit fee (five trade lines summed) | $922.70 for a dwelling ≤ 1,000 sq ft | Exact schedule figure |
| Plan review (new construction) | $986.15 base + $112.76 app processing | Separate - a different number from the permit fee |
| Austin Energy technology fee | Not printed | The 10% line on the FY 2025-26 schedule does not appear on the FY 2026-27 residential schedule |
| Credit-card service fee (AB+C portal) | 2.35% ($2.00 minimum) | Excluded - payment surcharge only |
| Austin Water tap / capital recovery fees | Separate schedules | Excluded - can far exceed the building permit on a new home |
| Zoning / commercial / subdivision review | Separate schedules | Excluded - not part of the residential building permit |
There is no percentage surcharge on the Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, or Energy trade lines, and Texas has no statewide building-permit levy. The only percentage charge on this page is the optional 2.35% card-payment service fee.
Worked Examples
Every figure below is taken directly from the FY 2026-27 schedule; the totals are the sum of those verified inputs. We do not show a worked example above 1,000 sq ft because the FY 2026-27 per-square-foot increments appear misprinted - confirm larger-home totals with DSD.
Example 1: New Dwelling, 1,000 sq ft or Less
| Line item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Building permit line | $318.48 |
| Electrical permit line | $183.69 |
| Mechanical permit line | $127.68 |
| Plumbing permit line | $220.47 |
| Energy permit line | $72.38 |
| Permit subtotal (exact) | $922.70 |
| Plan review (new construction base) | $986.15 |
| Application processing fee | $112.76 |
| Permit + plan review total | $2,021.61 |
Assumptions: A new one or two-family dwelling of 1,000 sq ft or less. The five trade lines sum to $922.70 - an exact schedule figure. Adding the $986.15 new-construction plan-review base and the $112.76 application processing fee brings permit plus plan review to $2,021.61. This total excludes Austin Water tap and capital recovery fees, zoning review, and any standalone trade work - all of which are billed separately and, on new construction, frequently exceed the permit itself. Source: City of Austin Development Services FY 2026-27 fee schedule (eff. Oct 1, 2026).
Example 2: Residential Roof Replacement
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement inspection | flat, like-for-like | $370.00 |
| All-in total (exact) | flat inspection fee | $370.00 |
Assumptions: A like-for-like residential roof replacement bills the $370.00 roof replacement inspection fee. Re-decking or structural changes can trigger additional review beyond this flat figure. See the Austin roof replacement permit guide for the full breakdown. Source: City of Austin Development Services FY 2026-27 fee schedule (eff. Oct 1, 2026).
Example 3: Residential Demolition
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Demolition permit | flat, each | $81.07 |
| Pre-demolition inspection | flat | $60.50 |
| Permit + inspection total (exact) | $81.07 + $60.50 | $141.57 |
Assumptions: A residential demolition draws the $81.07 demolition permit plus the $60.50 pre-demolition inspection, for $141.57. The schedule also prints a $106.72 demolition/relocation processing fee in its plan-review section; if DSD applies it to your demolition the total would be $248.29. A relocation (rather than demolition) permit is $58.08. Source: City of Austin Development Services FY 2026-27 fee schedule (eff. Oct 1, 2026).
Example 4: Residential Solar (Auxiliary Power)
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Solar (auxiliary power) electrical permit base | Austin Energy column, flat | $169.83 |
| Intake fee | flat | $53.56 |
| Permit + intake total (exact) | $169.83 + $53.56 | $223.39 |
Assumptions: A residential rooftop solar (auxiliary power) install draws the $169.83 electrical permit base plus the separate $53.56 intake fee, for $223.39. The schedule also prints a $84.92 solar inspection fee for 1-50 kW systems in the Austin Energy column; if it is billed on your job the total would be $308.31. The FY 2025-26 10% Austin Energy technology fee is not printed on the FY 2026-27 schedule. Source: City of Austin Development Services FY 2026-27 fee schedule (eff. Oct 1, 2026).
Read before you budget from these examples
- Plan review is separate: the $922.70 permit is an exact schedule figure, but a new home also incurs the $986.15 plan-review base plus the $112.76 application processing fee - $2,021.61 combined before any utility, zoning, or trade fees.
- Above 1,000 sq ft is not estimated: each of the five trade lines adds a per-square-foot increment over the tier floor, but the FY 2026-27 schedule prints those increments about 100 times higher than FY 2025-26 (Building "$6.33000" vs $0.0576 per sq ft). We treat that as a probable misprint and do not estimate larger homes - ask DSD for your figure.
- No technology fee line in FY 2026-27: the 10% Austin Energy technology fee printed on the FY 2025-26 schedule does not appear on the FY 2026-27 residential schedule. Texas has no statewide levy.
- No fabricated deck/pool figure: Austin does not publish a single flat deck, pool, or fence permit total - those run through a $146.15 small-projects plan review plus standalone inspection fees, so we do not print a made-up flat number.
- Excluded fees can dwarf the permit: Austin Water tap and capital recovery fees, zoning review, and commercial or subdivision review are separate schedules and not in any total above.
Practitioner Insight
Austin's residential permit is unusual for its five-line structure: Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Energy are each priced and then summed, so a new dwelling of 1,000 sq ft or less lands at exactly $922.70 before plan review on the FY 2026-27 schedule. The number people miss is that plan review is a separate charge - a $986.15 base plus a $112.76 application processing fee - which more than doubles the up-front cost to $2,021.61 for that same small home. Anyone comparing Austin to nearby metros should look at Round Rock and Dallas, or the side-by-side Austin vs Round Rock and Austin vs Dallas breakdowns.
The two places Austin's schedule trips up budgets are the larger-home size tiers and the flat-fee gaps. On the FY 2026-27 schedule the per-square-foot increments above 1,000 sq ft are printed about 100 times higher than the year before, so anyone building a larger home should get the trade-line figure from DSD in writing before budgeting. And Austin publishes no single flat deck, pool, or fence permit - those run through a $146.15 small-projects plan review plus standalone inspection fees, so a clean all-in number does not exist for them. For a like-for-like reroof ($370.00) or a demolition ($81.07 plus a $60.50 pre-demolition inspection), the figures are exact. Anyone budgeting a full build should price the excluded charges early: Austin Water tap and capital recovery fees, zoning review, and site or subdivision review are separate schedules and can exceed the building permit itself.
Permit Requirements - Common Residential Projects in Austin
| Project Type | Permit Required? | Fee Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New one/two-family dwelling | Yes | 5 trade lines summed | ≤ 1,000 SF = $922.70 permit; plan review separate |
| Addition or remodel | Yes | Trade lines + $197.23 review base | Separate additions/remodels plan-review tier |
| Roof replacement (like-for-like) | Yes | $370.00 inspection | Structural or decking changes add review |
| Demolition (residential) | Yes | $81.07 + $60.50 pre-demo | $141.57; $106.72 processing fee also printed |
| Deck, pool, or fence | Yes | $146.15 small-projects review | No single flat permit total; inspection fees add |
| Boat dock (new construction) | Yes | $230.87 | Lakefront structures |
| Solar (auxiliary power) | Yes | $169.83 base + $53.56 intake | $84.92 solar inspection (1-50 kW) also printed |
| Standalone trade work (electrical / mechanical / plumbing) | Yes | Priced separately | Not part of a new-dwelling permit; billed on its own |
Permit trigger thresholds and how conditioned square footage is counted are set by the Austin Development Services Department. When uncertain whether a permit is required, contact DSD before starting work.
Austin Development Services Department
Development Services Department (DSD)
Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, TX 78752
Phone: 512-978-4000 (or Austin 3-1-1)
Portal: Austin Build + Connect (AB+C)
FY 2026-27 Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees
Effective October 1, 2026 · updated October 1, 2026
When This Estimate May Not Apply
Your dwelling exceeds 1,000 sq ft
Each trade line then adds a per-square-foot increment over the tier floor. The FY 2026-27 schedule prints those increments about 100 times higher than FY 2025-26 (Building "$6.33000" vs $0.0576 per sq ft), which looks like a decimal error, so we do not estimate homes above 1,000 sq ft. The $922.70 figure is the base-tier permit only - get the larger-home figure from DSD.
Your project is commercial, multifamily, or mixed-use
Those use a separate Austin fee schedule outside the scope of this page, which covers one and two-family dwellings only.
You are building a new home - site fees are separate and large
Austin Water tap and capital recovery fees, zoning review, and tree and environmental review are all billed separately, are NOT in any total here, and can far exceed the building permit.
Your plans need resubmittal, or you pay by card
A resubmittal or major plan revision is $585.77 and a reinspection is $83.85 per occurrence, on top of the permit fees. A 2.35% ($2.00 minimum) credit-card service fee applies at payment through the AB+C portal.
The city revises the schedule after October 1, 2026
Fees are from the FY 2026-27 schedule (updated and effective October 1, 2026) and can change in a later fiscal year. Confirm the current schedule before filing.
Source note: The official PDF contains printed internal inconsistencies that we report as-is rather than silently correct: (1) the per-trade size-tier table prints per-square-foot increments above 1,000 sq ft about 100 times the FY 2025-26 rates (Building "$6.33000", Electrical "$2.5800", Plumbing "$3.16000" per additional sq ft; Building 5,001+ "$31.67000") and repeats the base fee as the 2,001-3,000 tier base, so we do not compute larger-home totals; (2) the new-construction plan-review tier for 5,001+ sq ft prints "$0.02099 per sq ft" where the lower tiers print "$0.1972"; and (3) a Volume Builder line says "an additional fee of $192.72" in narrative text versus "$159.10" in the fee column. Confirm these specific lines with DSD if they apply to your project. All figures come from the City of Austin FY 2026-27 Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees schedule (footer "Updated: 10/01/2026 - Effective 10/01/2026"), verified October 8, 2026. The prior FY 2025-26 schedule put the base-tier permit at $838.82 and plan review at $896.50.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
-
City of Austin Development Services Department - Fees Austin, TX - FY 2026-27 Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees; footer "Updated: 10/01/2026 - Effective 10/01/2026." Primary source for every trade-line fee, plan-review fee, and flat fee on this page. Verified October 8, 2026 Verified
See how Austin's five-line structure compares to nearby Texas metros, or estimate fees in covered jurisdictions.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your Austin permit cost, two related numbers round out your total budget picture:
Property tax impact after your project closes
A permitted addition or new build increases your assessed value in Travis 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.
Water tap, zoning, and site fees for larger projects
Austin Water tap and capital recovery fees, zoning plan review, and subdivision or site-plan review are all 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 →