Houston, Texas Building Permit Cost Calculator

Structural permit fees for one- and two-family dwellings are set by square-foot tier tables organized by construction type, with a base charge per tier plus an incremental charge for each additional increment of floor area; a non-refundable administrative fee and a plan review fee also apply.

The 2026 Building Code Enforcement Permit Fee Schedule carries no line item named deck. A deck at a one- or two-family dwelling is permitted as a residential structural/building permit, and those fees are set by square-footage tier tables rather than a flat fee. There is one table per construction type (IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IV, VA and VB), and within each table each tier has a base charge plus, above the first tier, an incremental charge for each additional increment of floor area beyond a stated threshold. All permit fees are subject to the minimum permit fee and to the non-refundable administrative fee, and plans submitted for a building permit are charged a non-refundable plan review fee calculated as a percentage of the estimated building permit fee. Figures below are from the Type VB construction table, the type most commonly used for wood-framed housing.

Electrical permit fees are itemized per device, outlet, fixture, panel and service, subject to a minimum permit fee plus the administrative fee.

Fence permit fees are charged by lineal feet of fence, plus the non-refundable administrative fee and a plan review fee.

A non-refundable administrative fee applies in addition to the permit fee established by the adopted fee schedule.

No retaining-wall-specific price is published. The 2026 Building Code Enforcement Permit Fee Schedule was read in full and carries no line item for a retaining wall under Structural Permit Fees or anywhere else, although a permit is required for walls over 4 feet in height. What can be stated from the schedule is the charges that attach to any Houston permit: the schedule notes that all permit fees are subject to the minimum permit fee and the non-refundable administrative fee, and that plans submitted for a building permit are charged a non-refundable plan review fee calculated as a percentage of the estimated building permit fee. The underlying permit fee itself is set either from the commercial valuation table or, for one- and two-family residential projects, from the square-footage tier tables by construction type; the schedule does not state which applies to a retaining wall, so no amount is recorded for it here. Confirm the charge with Houston Public Works Building Code Enforcement before submitting.

The 2026 Building Code Enforcement Permit Fee Schedule carries no line item named shed or detached accessory structure. A shed at a one- or two-family dwelling is permitted as a residential structural/building permit, and those fees are set by square-footage tier tables rather than a flat fee. There is one table per construction type (IA, IB, IIA, IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IV, VA and VB), and within each table each tier has a base charge plus, above the first tier, an incremental charge for each additional increment of floor area beyond a stated threshold. All permit fees are subject to the minimum permit fee and to the non-refundable administrative fee, and plans submitted for a building permit are charged a non-refundable plan review fee calculated as a percentage of the estimated building permit fee. Figures below are from the Type VB construction table, the type most commonly used for wood-framed structures.

Water heater work is permitted under the plumbing schedule as a plumbing fixture. The 2026 Building Code Enforcement Permit Fee Schedule carries no water-heater line of its own; the governing line is "Fixtures (Plumbing)", charged $34.24 for one to three and $11.41 for each additional, subject to the plumbing minimum permit fee plus the non-refundable administrative fee. Note the separate "Wall Heater" line in the same table carries the identical $34.24 / $11.41 amounts and is a different fee; it is not the water-heater fee.