Austin Residential Remodel Permit Requirements

When you DO NOT need a permit

• Work listed on the City's 'Work Exempt from Building Permits' page does not require a permit (full exemption list not included in the fetched pages; refer to that page for the authoritative list).
• Use the City's 'Do I Need A Permit?' interactive tool to determine if a specific project requires a permit based on jurisdiction, property type, and scope.
• Stand-alone trade permits (electrical repairs, plumbing repairs, mechanical repair, mechanical change out, etc.) are described as work that 'does not require a formal review by plan review staff,' meaning plan review is not needed for these scopes (a permit is still required).

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. Apply via the Residential Building Permit Webpage.
• Interior Non-Structural Demolition permit
  Stand-alone permit available for interior non-structural demolition that does not require formal plan review. Applicant must be a registered contractor. Listed under Commercial Building and Trade Permits in the source; residential applicability is not explicitly stated on the fetched pages.
• Demolition permit
  Required for all total demolitions and qualifying partial demolitions that remove more than half of exterior walls. Apply via Res Total Demolition Permit Web Form.
• Electrical Repairs permit (stand-alone)
  Required for electrical repair work that does not require formal plan review. Contractor must be registered. Applied via AB+C Portal.
• Electrical Upgrade permit (stand-alone)
  Required for electrical upgrade work that does not require formal plan review. Contractor must be registered. Applied via AB+C Portal.
• Plumbing Repairs permit (stand-alone)
  Required for plumbing repair work that does not require formal plan review. Contractor must be registered. Applied via AB+C Portal.
• Plumbing Change Out permit (stand-alone)
  Required for plumbing change-out work that does not require formal plan review. Contractor must be registered. Applied via AB+C Portal.
• Mechanical Repair permit (stand-alone)
  Required for mechanical repair work that does not require formal plan review. Contractor must be registered. Applied via AB+C Portal.
• Mechanical Change Out permit (stand-alone)
  Required for mechanical change-out work (e.g., HVAC equipment swap) that does not require formal plan review. Contractor must be registered. Applied via AB+C Portal.
• Driveway/Sidewalk permit
  Required if work affects the right-of-way (new, modify, repair, demolition of curb, gutter, or driveway approach). Applied via AB+C Portal.
• Tree permit
  Listed as a separate permit type; may apply if remodel work affects protected trees. Source page is truncated for residential tree-permit details.
• Contractor registration
  Stand-alone trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) require the applicant to be a registered contractor with the City of Austin prior to applying.
• Inspections
  Building Inspections performs construction-related inspections for residential buildings within City limits. Electrical and plumbing inspections also performed in the ETJ. Schedule via the Building Inspections webpage.

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 contractors to register with the City before applying for stand-alone trade permits (electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and similar). Registration is handled through the Contractor Registration webpage referenced from the Types of Permits page. State-level trade licensure (e.g., Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for electricians, Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners for plumbers) is not addressed on the fetched City pages.

Apply online

Contact

Austin Permitting and Development Center (PDC), 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr., Austin, TX 78752. General City line: 3-1-1. Appointments (virtual or in-person) available via the Development Services Appointments webpage. Specific phone, email, and office hours for residential remodel permits are not listed on the fetched pages.

Sources

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