Permit Fees in Texas
5 cities tracked. 5 verified from published fee schedules. Bathroom remodel permits range from $328.60 to $540.47 across 4 cities.
| City | Bathroom | Kitchen | Roof | HVAC | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $540.47 | $540.47 | Exempt | $67.32 | ✓ |
| Dallas | Exempt | Exempt | $196.00 | $196.00 | ✓ |
| Fort Worth | $525.95 | $287.95 | $168.95 | $66.86 | ✓ |
| Houston | $403.13 | $403.13 | $353.15 | $124.62 | ✓ |
| San Antonio | $328.60 | $328.60 | $26.50 | $66.26 | ✓ |
How Texas Cities Compare
The permit for a bathroom remodel runs from $328.60 in San Antonio to $540.47 in Austin. Dallas exempts it.
The permit for a kitchen remodel runs from $287.95 in Fort Worth to $540.47 in Austin. Dallas exempts it.
The permit for a roof replacement runs from $26.50 in San Antonio to $353.15 in Houston. Austin exempts it.
The permit for an HVAC replacement runs from $66.26 in San Antonio to $196.00 in Dallas.
Each figure is the city's own published fee for that project, the same number as in the table. Exempt means the city's code exempts the typical version of that job; each city page lists the conditions.
How permits work in Texas
Texas sets its statutory baseline in the past tense: state law points municipalities at the International Residential Code as it existed on May 1, 2012, and lets each city amend from there by ordinance. In practice the big cities run far ahead of the baseline. Houston has enforced the 2021 code family since January 1, 2024. The edition on your project depends entirely on which city you're standing in.
Outside city limits the system changes shape completely. Counties don't issue residential building permits; in covered counties, new homes instead get a minimum of three inspections (foundation, framing and mechanical, completion) from third-party inspectors the builder hires, and the county is barred from charging enforcement fees or requiring approval before construction starts. There is also no statewide general-contractor license in Texas; the state licenses specific trades like electricians and HVAC contractors, and that's it.
Fees and exemptions are set city by city, so San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Dallas each price the same project differently, and some exempt work the others charge for.
One date to know: SB 783, effective September 1, 2025, slowed the state's energy-code machinery. Energy codes can now change at most once every six years, with at least nine months of lead time and a cost-payback analysis first, so the energy chapter under your remodel is likely to sit still for a while.
Sources: Tex. Local Gov't Code ch. 214 · Tex. Local Gov't Code ch. 233 (county inspections) · Houston 2021 code adoption · SB 783 (2025) · verified 2026-06