Austin Permit Fee Estimator
Estimates based on the FY2025-26 fee schedule, Ordinance No. 20250813-004, effective October 1, 2025. Austin charges plan review and per-trade permit fees separately, so this estimate shows both.
Estimates are based on the City of Austin FY2025-26 fee schedule (Ordinance No. 20250813-004), effective October 1, 2025. Plan review is charged at application and is non-refundable. Per-trade permit fees (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy) are charged at permit issuance. We are not a government agency and are not liable for differences between these estimates and final city billing. Fees are updated every October 1. Fee schedule current as of September 2026.
Building Permits in Austin: 2026 Guide
Austin is building at a pace few American cities can match, from infill duplexes in East Austin to towers reshaping the downtown skyline. Whatever your project looks like, the permit fee is usually the first number you need. Here is how Austin actually figures it.
How Austin calculates your fee: two bills, not one
Austin is the only city in our Texas portfolio that bills you twice: once for plan review (paid when you submit your application, non-refundable) and again for the permit itself (paid when the permit is issued). On top of both sits an application processing fee: $106.72 for residential projects, $176.76 for commercial ones. All of it comes from the FY2025-26 fee schedule adopted under Ordinance No. 20250813-004, effective October 1, 2025.
Plan review is priced by project type and square footage. A new single-family home starts at a flat $896.50 for the first 1,000 square feet and climbs from there. Additions and remodels start at $179.30 for the first 100 square feet. Commercial plan review starts at $2,949.82 for general occupancies, $4,143.00 for hazardous occupancies, and shell buildings have their own flat-fee table.
Permit fees are charged per trade, and Austin has five of them: Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Energy. Each trade has its own square-footage bracket table, so a single project generates five separate permit fees. Apartments, motels, and hotels (Group R) are priced differently, by a formula using square footage, unit count, and floor count. Warehouses and parking garages get lower tables of their own.
What that looks like in real numbers
- 2,000 square foot new home: $106.72 application, $1,255.10 plan review, $984.01 across the five trade permits, about $2,345.83 all in
- 400 square foot home addition: $106.72 application, $896.50 plan review, $838.82 across the five trade permits, about $1,842.04 all in
- 10,000 square foot new office building: $176.76 application, $4,420.58 plan review, $2,548.73 across the five trade permits, about $7,146.07 all in
- 3,000 square foot commercial remodel: $176.76 application, $3,419.96 plan review, $1,217.55 across the five trade permits, about $4,814.27 all in
Our calculator above runs the city's exact tables for all three layers, so the number you get is the number the tables produce.
One honest quirk worth knowing
Austin's published brackets have jumps at the edges. Residential electrical permits are $166.99 flat through 1,000 square feet, then jump to a $185.94 base the moment you cross 1,001. Shell-building plan review is $3,526.37 flat through 20,000 square feet, then $4,831.88 from 20,001 up. That is genuinely how the city's tables read. We implemented the tables exactly as published, and the city sets the final fee when you submit, so treat any estimate near a bracket edge as a ballpark.
No mystery surcharge
Older Austin fee documents floating around the internet mention a 4 percent Development Services surcharge. The current FY2025-26 schedules carry no such surcharge on plan review or permit fees. The only surcharge in the current tables is a 10 percent technology fee on Austin Energy's own line items (electric service applications and solar inspections), which are separate utility fees outside this calculator.
The fee schedule changes every October
Austin runs on an October-to-September fiscal year, so fee amounts refresh every October 1. The current schedule runs through September 30, 2026. We re-verify these numbers every September.
A payment tip worth real money
Austin charges a 2.35 percent service fee on credit and debit card payments (minimum $2.00), but ACH eCheck payments are free. On a $7,146 commercial permit bill, paying by card adds about $168. Paying by eCheck adds nothing. A returned ACH costs $30, so make sure the account is funded.
What the estimate does not include
Fire review and permitting, Austin Energy service application fees, certificates of occupancy, tree review fees, reinspection fees, and demolition permits are all separate. S.M.A.R.T. Housing-certified affordable developments can qualify for fee waivers under the FY2025-26 ordinance, which this calculator does not apply. Starting work without a permit brings its own penalties, so the permit is always the cheap part.
How to Get a Building Permit in Austin, Texas
The short version: You apply online through the city's Austin Build + Connect portal, pay the application processing fee and plan review fee, upload your plans, the Development Services Department reviews them, you pay your trade permit fees at issuance, and then you schedule inspections as work progresses.
Do you actually need a permit?
In Austin, most real construction work needs one: new buildings, additions, structural changes, and anything touching electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems. Cosmetic work like painting and flooring that does not touch structure or systems generally does not. When in doubt, a quick call to 512-978-4000 settles it, and that call is a lot cheaper than a stop-work order. One important check first: projects inside Austin city limits go through the Development Services Department, while projects in unincorporated Travis County follow county rules.
How to apply, step by step
- Figure out your permit type. Match your project to the city's categories: new residential, residential addition or remodel, new commercial, commercial remodel, or a standalone trade permit. Each has its own submittal requirements.
- Gather your documents. Construction plans are required, and depending on the project you may need a site plan, survey, energy code compliance forms, and for some areas a tree survey.
- Apply online through Austin Build + Connect. The city's portal at abc.austintexas.gov handles applications around the clock. Pay the application processing fee and the plan review fee up front, then upload your plans. A handy feature: the portal's public permit search works without an account, so you can look up any Austin permit's status before you ever register. You can also visit the Permitting and Development Center in person at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, TX 78752, Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 3:30pm.
- Wait for plan review. Published industry timelines put standard initial plan review and resubmittals at roughly 15 to 25 business days. Austin offers expedited plan review for qualifying commercial and residential projects, though not every project type qualifies. If reviewers send comments, you correct and resubmit, which starts another cycle.
- Pay your trade permit fees. Once plans are approved, you pay the five per-trade permit fees (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy) and the permit is issued.
- Schedule inspections. Inspections happen at key milestones: foundation, framing, rough-ins, and final. Schedule through the portal or by phone.
In a hurry? A faster lane exists
Austin offers expedited plan review for qualifying commercial and residential projects, which compresses the standard review timeline for an additional fee. Separately, small straightforward projects like garage conversions, carport and porch enclosures, fences, and pools fall under small-project plan review at $132.86, a much lighter process than full plan review. Ask the Development Services Department whether your project qualifies before assuming the standard timeline.
How long does the whole process take?
Plan review for a standard project runs roughly 15 to 25 business days per cycle, with resubmittals taking similar time. Expedited review shortens that for qualifying projects. As with every city, the biggest controllable factor is on your side: complete plans the first time through.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a building permit cost in Austin?
It depends on the project. A 2,000 square foot new home runs about $2,345.83 all in, a 400 square foot addition runs about $1,842.04, and a 10,000 square foot new office building runs about $7,146.07. The calculator at the top of this page runs the city's exact tables.
Where do I apply for an Austin building permit?
Online through the Austin Build + Connect portal at abc.austintexas.gov, or in person at the Permitting and Development Center, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, TX 78752.
How long does Austin plan review take?
Published industry timelines put standard review at roughly 15 to 25 business days per cycle. Expedited plan review is available for qualifying projects.
Do I need a permit for a remodel in Austin?
If the work touches electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or structural elements, yes. Purely cosmetic updates generally do not need one. When in doubt, call 512-978-4000.
Why does Austin charge twice, plan review plus permit fees?
That is simply how Austin structures it. Plan review covers the cost of reviewing your plans and is paid at application (non-refundable). The per-trade permit fees cover inspections and are paid when the permit is issued. Our calculator shows both so there are no surprises.
Who do I contact with questions about my Austin permit?
The main line is 512-978-4000, appointments are 512-978-4504, and payments are 512-974-7045.
Are Austin permit fees going up soon?
Fee amounts refresh every October 1 with the city's fiscal year, so the next update is expected October 1, 2026. We re-verify these numbers every September.
Real stories: why permits matter
These are real cases from around the country. The names and fines are real, and every one of them comes down to the same lesson: the permit is the cheap part.
The HGTV stars who skipped permits and paid $20,000 in penalties
HGTV hosts Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama of "Renovation Aloha" flipped houses on Oahu without waiting for building permits. Work on the show's Season 1 homes began before permits were approved, and one home's permit listed only windows and a carport while the crew did $425,000 of structural, electrical and plumbing work. The city revoked the permit and the couple paid $20,000 in penalties, then faced another $40,000 in fines for related rental violations.
Illustrates: even professionals with TV crews behind them cannot outrun the permit office, and fines follow the property.
Source: TV Insider
The New Jersey homeowner hit with a Stop Construction Order and weekly fines
Merrick Wilson of Lambertville, New Jersey, had tenants living in his garage and began installing a bathroom on an enclosed porch without permits. The city issued a Stop Construction Order and fined him $2,000 plus another $2,000 for each week the violations stayed open, and the penalties survived his appeal.
Illustrates: weekly fines turn a small unpermitted project into an open-ended bill.
Source: New Jersey Courts opinion (PDF)
The Florida treehouse that cost its owners 14 years and a $188,621 lien
Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen built a two-story treehouse at their beachfront resort in Holmes Beach, Florida, in 2011. The city cited them for building without a permit, and $125-a-day fines piled up for 14 years. A judge ordered the treehouse removed, it was demolished on August 29, 2024, and in July 2025 the city refused to reduce the resulting $188,621 lien.
Illustrates: fighting the permit office for a decade costs far more than the permit ever would.
Source: Anna Maria Island Sun
The $6.7 million estate with a secret second house built without permits
The owners of a palatial home in West Vancouver, assessed at more than $6.7 million, built a small second residence at the back of the property with no permits and no inspections. After a neighbor complaint, the city posted a Stop Work Order and ordered the 1,500-square-foot structure demolished, and the owners lost their appeal.
Illustrates: wealth does not exempt anyone from permits.
Source: News report (YouTube)
The $3 million "renovation" that was really a new house
Philip and Raven Garrow of West Vancouver pulled a permit to renovate a small house and add a garage, then demolished the original house entirely and built a massive ultra-modern home with almost no permits or inspections. After neighbors complained, the District issued Stop Work orders and asked the B.C. Supreme Court to force demolition at the owners' expense.
Illustrates: a permit for one thing does not cover doing something else.
Source: Canadian Contractor
The flipped rowhouse with an illegal, leaking gas tap
In 2003, Washington Post real estate columnist Jill Chodorov Kaminsky was representing a buyer on a newly flipped rowhouse in Washington, D.C. During the home inspection, they smelled gas and the inspector found the flipper had tapped into the gas meter illegally and it was leaking at an alarming rate. The deadly defect might have been caught earlier if the flip had been properly permitted and inspected.
Illustrates: unpermitted work can be genuinely dangerous, not just a paperwork problem.
Source: Washington Post column (PDF)
The South Florida homeowner facing foreclosure over the previous owner's unpermitted work
Angelica Martinez bought her South Florida home in 2019 after a clean title search. Years later, city inspectors found unpermitted work done by the previous owner, code enforcement fines piled up, and CBS News Miami reported her home was on the brink of foreclosure over violations she did not create.
Illustrates: unpermitted work follows the property, not the person who did it.
Source: CBS News Miami (YouTube)
The Bethesda homeowner whose permits caught the previous owner's shortcut
A Bethesda, Maryland homeowner hired a contractor to build a second story on an addition the previous owner had built. Because the contractor pulled permits before starting, the county discovered the existing addition had never been permitted and required the foundation to be dug up and rebuilt.
Illustrates: pulling permits before you build catches hidden problems while they are still fixable.
Source: Washington Post column (PDF)
The Silver Spring sellers who checked permit records before listing
Before listing a home, agent Jill Chodorov Kaminsky looked up the property's permit history and found the contractor had never pulled permits for a back addition built five years earlier. The sellers hired an engineer, got a post-construction permit, and the only cost was the engineer's report and the permit fee.
Illustrates: a five-minute permit lookup before selling can save a deal and a lawsuit.
Source: Washington Post column (PDF)
The HVAC system that got its permit after the fact, before the sale
A home's new HVAC system had no county inspector approval sticker, and the seller admitted a family member had installed it. Before listing, the seller applied for a permit and received approval after installation.
Illustrates: it is never too late to legalize work.
Source: Washington Post column (PDF)
The treehouse owners who asked the city first (and why you get it in writing)
Before building their treehouse, Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen say they contacted the building department to ask whether they needed a permit and were told they did not. After it was built, code enforcement cited them anyway: the original inquiry described a simple platform in a tree, not the elaborate two-story structure actually built.
Illustrates: asking first is the right instinct, but get the city's answer in writing.
Source: Anna Maria Island Sun
Figures on this page come from the City of Austin FY2025-26 fee schedules (Ordinance No. 20250813-004, effective October 1, 2025) and the Development Services Department's published permit materials. Fee amounts refresh every October 1, so confirm current fees with the city before finalizing your project budget. Last updated September 2026.
Good News in Austin
Good things are happening all over Austin. Here are a few worth knowing about.
The Confluence Opens, Downtown Austin's Newest 13-Acre Park
June 2026. Waterloo Greenway Phase II, The Confluence, celebrated its grand opening on June 6, adding 13 acres of restored green space along Waller Creek between 4th Street and Lady Bird Lake. The $91.5 million public-private investment planted nearly 1,550 trees and 200,000 mature plants, rebuilt eroded creek banks for flood mitigation, and added an 800-foot creek-level boardwalk plus three lattice bridges linking downtown trails.
Source: Waterloo Greenway
COTALAND Theme Park Opens at Circuit of the Americas
September 2026. COTALAND, a new 30-acre Formula One-inspired amusement park at Circuit of the Americas, opens to the public on September 26 with 30 rides and attractions. Headliners include Circuit Breaker, Texas' first tilt coaster, and Palindrome, the country's first infinity shuttle coaster, alongside family rides, go-karts, and Texas comfort food.
Source: Majic 95.5
Austin-Bergstrom Opens 75,000-Square-Foot West Infill Expansion
February 2026. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport opened the West Infill project at the Barbara Jordan Terminal, a 75,000-square-foot, four-level addition with a new TSA checkpoint that began operations February 23. The expansion adds an eight-lane checkpoint, a 1.5-mile baggage system handling 4,000 bags per hour, and new ticketing counters, serving an airport now handling 21+ million passengers a year, five years ahead of master plan projections.
Source: Wilco Guide
1 Hotel Austin Opens Inside Waterline, Now the Tallest Building in Texas
September 2026. The sustainability-focused luxury brand 1 Hotels opened its first Texas property on September 3, with 252 rooms inside Waterline, the 74-story downtown tower that is now the tallest building in Texas. The hotel sits where Waller Creek meets Lady Bird Lake beside The Confluence park, with a Bamford Wellness Spa, rooftop restaurant watr overlooking the lake, and interiors inspired by Hill Country ranches and Texas river houses.
Source: Traveler Today
CesiumAstro Expands Bee Cave Headquarters in $500M Project, 500 Jobs
January 2026. Aerospace and communications company CesiumAstro confirmed plans to expand its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Bee Cave near Austin, a more than $500 million project expected to create over 500 jobs in five years. The new 270,000-square-foot, three-building campus near State Highway 71 will house advanced manufacturing and the company's global headquarters, with production scheduled to begin in 2027.
Source: Area Development
Apollo Global Management Selects Austin for New Strategic Hub
August 2026. Governor Greg Abbott announced August 3 that Apollo Global Management, one of the world's largest alternative asset managers, will establish a new strategic hub in Austin to drive innovation and emerging technology. The hub, building on nearly 20 years of Apollo partnerships in Texas, is intended to represent meaningful capital investment with significant job creation in the state's financial services sector.
Source: Office of the Governor
AI Company Partly Moves Headquarters From New Zealand to Austin
June 2026. Partly, an AI company focused on the automotive industry, is moving its headquarters from New Zealand to Austin and plans to more than double its workforce over the next few years, expecting to bring 200 jobs. Fresh off a $50 million Series B round, the company cited UT Austin graduates and the city's deep pool of Bay Area transplants as reasons for choosing Texas.
Source: The Real Deal
Austin Ranked No. 11 Best City in America for 2026
June 2026. Austin landed at No. 11 in Resonance Consultancy's annual "America's Best Cities" report for 2026, which evaluated all 393 U.S. metropolitan areas on livability, lovability, and prosperity. The report also ranks Austin fifth nationally for perceived job opportunities, part of a Texas triangle with Dallas and Houston that it calls one of the most formidable regional economies in the world.
Source: GlobeNewswire
Austin FC Extends MLS' Longest Active Home Sellout Streak
February 2026. Austin FC opened its sixth MLS season February 21 with a 2-2 draw against Minnesota United at Q2 Stadium, where attendance of 20,738 marked the club's 89th consecutive MLS home sellout. The streak, the league's longest active, means the Verde and Black have sold out every MLS regular season and playoff home match in club history.
Source: Austin FC
AEG Presents Announces United Heritage Hall, a New Austin Music Venue
August 2026. AEG Presents announced United Heritage Hall, a new music venue minutes from downtown Austin and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, in partnership with United Heritage Credit Union. The venue is designed to marry Austin's rich musical legacy with the next chapter of its live music story, with inaugural performances and programming details to be announced.
Source: Pollstar
Know a good-news story from around Austin we should feature? We would love to hear about it.