Do you need a plumbing permit in Texas?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
- Always required
- 10
- of 10 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 0
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Plumbing Permit rules nationwide, beyond Texas.
Requirements and size thresholds for plumbing permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Texas county or city requires. Always confirm with the local office before starting.
Comparing states? See plumbing permit rules across every locality we cover.
The application steps and inspection sequence for plumbing permits come from the model code rather than from Texas law, so they read the same wherever you build. We keep that walkthrough in one place: how a plumbing permit application and its inspections work, start to finish. What changes between Texas jurisdictions is below: who requires a permit, what they charge, and which office you file with.
Swipe sideways to see thresholds and confidence.
| Locality | Permit required? | Typical threshold | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Austin | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Corpus Christi | Yes | A plumbing permit is needed to install a gas or electric water heater, add water lines, connect to sewer lines, extend or alter gas pipe systems, install or replace a drain or vent, or install an irrigation system or backflow preventer; stopping and repairing leaks, clearing drain stoppages, and removing and reinstalling a plumbing fixture without modifications are excluded. | Confirmed on official page |
| Dallas | Yes | Not specified | Based on building code |
| El Paso | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Fort Worth | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Houston | Yes | Not specified | From an official source |
| Lubbock | Yes | Installation, alteration, repair, removal, conversion or replacement of a plumbing system regulated by the adopted codes is permitted work. | Confirmed on official page |
| Plano | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| San Antonio | Yes | Not specified | From an official source |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a plumbing permit costs in Texas
10 Texas jurisdictions we cover publish a fee figure for this work. Each line is quoted from that office's own schedule and linked to its citation. The figures are not comparable to one another: some are flat minimums, some a percentage of job value, some charged per fixture, so what you pay depends on which schedule applies and on your job's valuation.
Planning and Development Services Fee Schedule, Effective June 1, 2026, Resolution No. 26 - 151, Plumbing Permits: "Per Trade - Commercial and Residential New Construction Permits $100.00" where associated with a building permit. Not associated with a building permit: "Base permit fee $100.00" plus items such as "Water heater, first water heater $20.00", "New fixtures (lavatory, sink, water closet, tub, etc.) for the first three $40.00", "Replace fixtures (lavatory, sink, water closet, tub, etc.) for the first five $30.00" with a "Maximum fee of $600.00 per building address", "Sewer line $15.00", "Water line $15.00", and "Install new gas line $30.00".
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Plumbing trade permit base fee is $200.43, per the FY2025-26 DSD residential fee schedule effective 10/01/2025
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FY 2026 Development Fee Schedule, Plumbing Permits: Residential $0.075 per square foot, Minimum Permit Fee $146.41 (commercial is the greater of the minimum fee or 0.25% of total project valuation). Asterisked fees carry a 4.5% surcharge. Related published fees include a Lawn Irrigator registration at $197.65, a Backflow prevention assembly tester registration at $197.62, and a Backflow prevention device testing fee of $20.00 with a $100.00 minimum.
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Billed under the Alterations or Repairs schedule (Table B-I), value of work times 0.009652 times 1.33 with a $175 minimum plus a $125 single-trade inspection fee, per the fee schedule effective 7/1/2025
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FY 2026 Schedule C Departmental Fee List, Planning & Inspections, Plumbing: "Base fee, ea. (non-refundable)" is "$110 plus applicable technology fee," plus per-fixture charges including "Water closet 1-5 $20.12 plus base fee and applicable technology fee," "house to sewer curb cut $26.48 plus base fee and applicable technology fee," "Sewer tap $10.59 plus base fee and applicable technology fee," and "Fixture: Backflow prevention device $9.53 Based on quantity plus base fee and applicable technology fee."
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Billed per fixture on the Schedule of Plumbing Fees, Table 1-I: first fixture or appliance $9.85, additional fixtures or appliances each $4.02, sewer first 120 feet $9.85, water service first 120 feet $9.85, each additional 100 feet or portion thereof $9.38, gas service $9.85, backflow preventer $9.85, floor drain $4.02, each lawn sprinkler system $113.40. Add the $31.50 permit application fee and the $16.87 technology fee. Per Ordinance No. 27191-09-2024, effective October 1, 2024.
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Minimum plumbing permit fee is $97.56 plus the $33.56 administrative fee, with itemized charges per fixture, per the 2026 Permit Fee Schedule effective 1/1/2026
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Building Safety Fee Schedule, fiscal year effective dates October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026, under Plumbing Permit Fees: "Commercial or Residential Gas Line Permit $75.", "Commercial or Residential Water Line Permit $75.", "Commercial or Residential Water Heater $75.", "New Construction Permits $0.07 per square foot of gross floor area under roof.", and "Generic Permits Not Listed Above $75."
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Building Inspections Fee Schedule effective Jan. 2, 2026 (Exhibit "A" to Ordinance No. 2025-11-4): "SIMPLE TRADE PERMITS (MEP) each" with "Residential 85.00", and "PLUMBING PERMIT (See Mechanical Permit Fee)". Related published lines: "PLUMBING SITE PRE-BUILD 360.00", "LAWN IRRIGATION SYSTEMS (per back flow device) Residential Permit Fee 165.00" plus "Day Laborer Fee 10.00" for $175.00, and "Plumbing Certificate 75.00" on a new single family residence.
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For work on an existing home, a $50 plumbing inspection fee plus a $10 administrative processing fee, then $7 per fixture, per the FY2026 Development Fee Schedule
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Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.
Common questions about plumbing permits in Texas
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Texas?
- In most of Texas, yes. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Texas city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 10 Texas jurisdictions we have verified for plumbing work, 10 require a permit outright, 0 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
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