Austin Residential Remodel Permit Requirements

When you DO NOT need a permit

• Refer to the City of Austin 'Work Exempt from Building Permits' list (linked from the Types of Permits page) for the full set of exempt work; the fetched pages reference this list but do not enumerate items.
• The 'Do I Need A Permit?' interactive tool can determine whether a specific project requires a permit based on jurisdiction, property type, and scope.

Required permits and forms

• Residential Building Permit
  Required for new construction, additions, or interior remodels of single-family, duplex, two-family houses, and accessory dwelling buildings on one lot. Also covers Amnesty Certificate of Occupancy, garage conversion or carport/porch enclosure, uncovered deck, and/or pool.
• Electrical Repairs permit (stand-alone)
  Stand-alone trade permit for electrical repair work that does not require formal plan review. Contractor must be registered before applying. Submitted via AB+C Portal.
• Plumbing Repairs permit (stand-alone)
  Stand-alone trade permit for plumbing repair work that does not require formal plan review. Contractor must be registered before applying. Submitted via AB+C Portal.
• Mechanical Change Out or Mechanical Repair permit (stand-alone)
  Stand-alone trade permits for mechanical change-out or repair work. Contractor must be registered before applying. Submitted via AB+C Portal.
• Interior Non-Structural Demolition permit
  Listed under commercial permits in source pages; stand-alone permit for interior non-structural demolition that does not require formal plan review. May apply to residential remodel scope; source page did not explicitly list a residential equivalent in the fetched excerpt.
• Demolition permit
  Required for all total demolitions and qualifying partial demolitions that remove more than half of exterior walls.
• Contractor Registration
  Trade contractors (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) must be registered with the City of Austin before applying for stand-alone trade permits.
• Inspections by Austin Development Services Building Inspections
  Building Inspections performs construction-related inspections for residential buildings within the City limits. Inspections can be scheduled through Building Inspections.

Fees

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Typical timeline

Timeline varies by project complexity; the city does not publish a typical range.

Contractor licensing

The City of Austin requires trade contractors (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) to register with the City via the Contractor Registration process before applying for stand-alone trade permits. Texas state trade licensing (e.g., state electrician/plumber licenses) applies separately under state law but is not detailed on the fetched city pages.

Apply online

Contact

Austin Development Services phone line: 512-978-4000 (business hours); 3-1-1 after hours. Permitting and Development Center (PDC) offers walk-in services and appointments.

Sources

• https://www.austintexas.gov/dsd
• https://www.austintexas.gov/development-services/types-permits
• https://www.austintexas.gov/development-services/inspections