Building Permit Fees in Houston, TX (2026)

City of Houston 2026 BCE Permit Fee Schedule (Type VB p. 8); CE-1109; CE-1059 20% rule, retrieved Sep 1, 2026. These totals are a Houston city permit from Houston Permitting Center (Building Code Enforcement), not Harris County.

For a residential roof replacement on this row, a permit is required except roof covering of 100 sf or less. The official path is a square-footage reroof path.

The official fee band is $167.31 / $230.78 / $266.67. The official typical project value is $12,000.

Listed assumed valuations are $8,000 low, $12,000 typical, and $22,000 high. Job valuation does not change the permit fee; roof square footage does, so those assumed valuations are unused.

Fees use documented roof-surface specs of 1,000 / 1,500 / 1,800 sf. The method is the Type VB 1-2 family new-construction fee from the 2026 schedule p. 8 by aggregate sf, then reroof or remodel at 20% of that, then the greater of that 20% result or the $91.06 minimum, then plus the $33.56 administrative fee on every permit.

Walk the typical first. Typical documented roof surface is 1,500 sf, which is Type VB Tier 3 (after first 1,224.89 sf): $815.07 plus $5.03 per 8.17 sf (rounded up).

That new-construction fee is $986.09. 20% of $986.09 is $197.22, which is above the $91.06 floor.

Then $197.22 plus $33.56 admin equals $230.78, so the typical fee is $230.78.

• Low 1,000 sf is Tier 2 (after first 57.16 sf): $47 plus $5.36 per 8.17 sf (rounded up).

New-construction is $668.76. 20% of that is $133.75, then plus $33.56 so the low fee is $167.31.

• High 1,800 sf is Tier 4 (after first 1,633.19 sf): $1,066.86 plus $4.70 per 8.17 sf (rounded up).

New-construction is $1,165.56. 20% of that is $233.11, then plus $33.56 so the high fee is $266.67.

The $266.67 high is not added on top of the $230.78 typical. The $91.06 minimum is the floor before admin.

• Typical 1,500 sf is above that floor.

An illustrative 500 sf still pays $124.62, which is the $91.06 minimum plus $33.56 admin. The 1,800-sf new-dwelling 50% discount is not applied to reroof.

City of Houston 2026 BCE Permit Fee Schedule p. 3 HVAC; CE-1017 (Jan 2026) (source retrieved Sep 1, 2026). Totals use the published 2%-of-valuation repairs/alterations line plus the administrative fee.

The fee is based on the project valuation. A permit is required on the official typical path.

The low fee is $180.56, the typical fee is $230.56, and the high fee is $400.56. The official typical project value is $7,500.

Listed assumed valuations are $5,000 low, $7,500 typical, and $16,000 high. Walk the fee in three steps on the typical path.

1. Step 1: confirm the job is on the published repairs/alterations line (2% of valuation + $47), not the alternate complete-system per-ton path and not an exempt portable or minor-part swap.
2. Step 2: compute the alteration line at the official $7,500 valuation.

0.02×7500+$47=$197. The $91.06 minimum before admin is not binding because $197 is higher.

1. Step 3: add the administrative fee of $33.56. $197 + $33.56 = $230.56, which is the typical fee of $230.56 and matches the extras repairs/alterations line of $197.

The official extras are the $197 repairs/alterations line and the $33.56 administrative fee, and both are included in the $230.56. The alternate complete-system line of $124.62 stays in extras and is not included in that total.

• Low $5,000: 0.02×5000+$47=$147.

The $91.06 minimum before admin is not binding because $147 is higher. Then $147 + admin $33.56 = $180.56, which is the low fee of $180.56.

• High $16,000: 0.02×16000+$47=$367.

Add the administrative fee: $367 + $33.56 = $400.56, which is the high fee of $400.56. The $400.56 high is not added on top of the $230.56 typical.

The administrative fee of $33.56 is on every permit and is included in the low $180.56, typical $230.56, and high $400.56 totals. The alternate complete-system per-ton path stays in extras at $124.62 and is not used for the published totals.

Portable appliances and minor part replacement are exempt. Those exempt paths are not the low fee, the typical fee, or the high fee, and this note does not add a $0 line.

This note does not invent a fee beyond the official $180.56, $230.56, and $400.56 totals.

City of Houston 2026 BCE Permit Fee Schedule Type VB p. 8; HPC Plan Review exemptions; Houston IRC R105.2 (source retrieved Sep 1, 2026). The official typical path is a Type VB new-construction deck at the documented 16x20 size of 320 sf.

Type VB Tier 2, after the first 57.16 sf, is $47 + $5.36 × ceil((sf-57.16)/8.17). The administrative fee of $33.56 is added on every permit.

There is no 20% remodel discount on this new-accessory path. The fee is based on square footage.

A permit is required on that typical path. The low fee is $177.04, the typical fee is $257.44, and the high fee is $305.68.

The official typical project value is $12,000. Listed assumed valuations are $8,000 low, $12,000 typical, and $19,200 high.

Those valuations are kept for dataset consistency. Fees are area-based, not valuation-driven, so the $8,000, $12,000, and $19,200 amounts are unused and do not change the official $177.04, $257.44, and $305.68 fees.

Documented deck sizes are 200 sf low, 320 sf typical, and 400 sf high.

• Low 200 sf: valuation is unused, so the low fee stays $177.04.

Tier 2 is $47 + $5.36 × ceil((200-57.16)/8.17). (200-57.16)/8.17 ceils to 18. $5.36 × 18 = $96.48. $47 + $96.48 = $143.48. Add the administrative fee: $143.48 + $33.56 = $177.04, so the low fee is $177.04.

• Typical 320 sf: valuation is unused, so the typical fee stays $257.44.

The documented typical deck is 16x20 = 320 sf. ceil((320-57.16)/8.17) = 33. $47 + $5.36 × 33 = $223.88. Add the administrative fee: $223.88 + $33.56 = $257.44, so the typical fee is $257.44.

The official extra for Type VB new-construction (typical 320 sf) is $223.88 and is included in the typical total. It is not added again.

The administrative fee of $33.56 is included in that total and is not added again.

• High 400 sf: valuation is unused, so the high fee stays $305.68. ceil((400-57.16)/8.17) = 42. $47 + $5.36 × 42 = $272.12.

Add the administrative fee: $272.12 + $33.56 = $305.68, so the high fee is $305.68. The $305.68 high is not added on top of the $257.44 typical.

A typical attached deck more than 30 inches above grade needs a permit. The HPC Plan Review exemptions cover an uncovered deck at 30 inches or less that is not over a story or basement.

Houston IRC R105.2 covers a deck of 200 sf or less, 30 inches or less, not attached to the dwelling, and not serving the required exit. Those exempt paths are not the official typical totals.

They are not the low fee, the typical fee, or the high fee, and this note does not add a $0 line. The official typical path stays the Type VB new-construction total of $257.44 at 320 sf.

The official low stays the 200 sf Type VB total of $177.04. The official high stays the 400 sf Type VB total of $305.68.

This note does not invent a fee beyond the official $177.04, $257.44, and $305.68 totals.

Documented typical kitchen remodel affected area 200 sf (low 150 / high 400). Structural = Type VB 20% by altered sf, then max(min $91.06) + $33.56 admin.

150 sf new $111.32 → 20% $22.26 → floor $91.06 + $33.56 = $124.62. 200 sf new $143.48 → 20% $28.70 → same floor $124.62.

400 sf new $272.12 → 20% $54.42 → same floor $124.62 (still min until ~700 sf). 1,000 sf illustrative remains $167.31.

Plumbing min+admin $131.12 and electrical min+admin $124.62 stay in extras, not in totals.