Permits
Harris County permit services cover many types of development, construction, property improvements, fire protection systems, floodplain work, right-of-way activity, inspections, and occupancy-related approvals. This article explains how to identify the correct permit, use the county’s online systems, prepare project information, review fees, request inspections, obtain completed documents, and contact the office responsible for a particular stage of the process.
County Permit Office Responsibilities
The Harris County Office of the County Engineer Permits Division facilitates development, construction, and occupancy activities that fall under county regulations. Its work includes issuing permits, reviewing plans, conducting inspections, confirming compliance, and maintaining permit-related records.
The division handles applications across several technical areas. Depending on the project, a submission may involve residential review, commercial building review, civil development, traffic review, floodplain management, wastewater requirements, stormwater quality, fire code review, signs, platting, or right-of-way work. A project can require more than one review when the proposed work affects several regulated systems.
The main Harris County permits service page provides access to project status searches, payment functions, document retrieval, inspection requests, certificate requests, plat searches, floodplain information, and the ePermits login system.
Applicants should identify the work being performed rather than choosing a permit based only on a general project name. For example, a commercial remodeling project may involve a building permit, fire code review, a tenant-space application, sign permits, and inspections. A residential project may also require separate approval for a driveway, septic system, water well, floodplain development, or site grading.
Matching Permits to Project Work
The county’s permit catalog organizes applications by common areas of interest, applicable regulations, and application type. The Permits A to Z application finder is designed to help applicants locate the application that best matches the scope of work.
Searching by the actual activity usually produces a more accurate result than searching by a broad property category. Useful search terms may include driveway, culvert, septic, grading, tenant improvement, fire alarm, swimming pool, construction trailer, right of way, water well, sign, or site development.
Residential Property Projects
Residential permit categories include home construction, manufactured homes, additions, remodeling, accessory structures, swimming pools, driveways, culverts, water wells, and on-site sewage facilities. The catalog also includes applications for tract home builders, model homes, residential conversions, and septic feasibility studies.
The application labeled “Residential Construction and On-site Sewage System” covers several types of residential work, including home construction, manufactured homes, trailers, septic systems, driveways, culverts, and access drives. Applicants should still review the specific scope shown in the application before submitting because additional permits or separate reviews may apply to individual project components.
A swimming pool application includes pools and related features such as spas, Jacuzzis, and cabanas. A residential water well has its own application, while septic-related work may require an on-site sewage facility application or a feasibility study.
Commercial Building Projects
Commercial permit categories include new buildings, additions, remodeling, renovations, lease-space improvements, tenant buildouts, speculative lease spaces, commercial site development, holding tanks, septic facilities, water wells, and construction trailers.
A commercial building application may cover a new structure, renovation, addition, or vertical improvement. Smaller interior projects may fit a small tenant improvement or tenant-space application. Site work involving paving, grading, drainage, driveways, culverts, access drives, or stormwater quality may require a commercial site development application instead of, or in addition to, the building application.
Applicants should avoid assuming that a building permit automatically includes all exterior improvements. Site development, driveway construction, signs, wastewater facilities, and stormwater features are separately identified in the county’s permit system and may have their own reviews and inspections.
Fire Protection Systems
Fire protection applications include fire alarm systems, fire sprinkler plans, fire pumps, standpipes, fixed suppression systems, underground fire lines, fire water tanks, access control systems, surveillance cameras, and electronic locking systems.
Different applications are used for different fire protection systems. A fire alarm application should not be substituted for a sprinkler plan, access control system, or fixed suppression system application. Replacing a fire alarm control panel also has a separate application category.
Fire code operational permits cover regulated activities and occupancies such as compressed gases, flammable liquids, high-piled storage, hazardous materials, mobile food preparation vehicles, places of assembly, temporary membrane structures, tents, fireworks, pyrotechnic effects, and certain licensed facilities. Permit frequency may be annual, event-based, or scheduled for another period depending on the permit category.
Road and Traffic Work
Right-of-way and traffic applications cover pavement work, utility crossings, network nodes, public works notifications, traffic studies, traffic control plans, special events, and oversize or overweight loads.
Work affecting county pavement, roadside areas, or public rights of way should be classified according to the activity. Pavement replacement and extensions are treated differently from non-pavement work outside the travel surface. Oversize and overweight transportation also uses a separate application and may require a bond.
Special event applications involving fire code review must be submitted at least 30 business days before the event. Applications submitted between 29 and 10 days before the event are subject to a late fee. Applications are not accepted or reviewed when the event is less than 10 days away.
Preparing a Permit Application
The exact documentation depends on the selected application. Applicants should open the application description and consult the county’s forms, checklists, standards, procedures, and plan review documents before uploading project materials.
The county’s permit document repository can be filtered by area of interest, category, document type, description, or keyword. Available materials include applications, affidavits, agreements, certificates, inspection checklists, plan review checklists, procedures, review sheets, specifications, standards, maps, user guides, and workflow documents.
Common information that may be needed includes:
The property or project address.
A clear description of the proposed work.
The permit application matching the project scope.
Site plans, construction plans, surveys, or engineering documents required by the application.
Existing and proposed site conditions when land development is involved.
The project number for later status searches and inspections.
Floodplain information when the property is in or near a Special Flood Hazard Area.
Supporting wastewater, water well, driveway, sign, stormwater, or fire protection documents when those systems are part of the project.
Applicants should use the current version of each form or checklist. The repository displays modification dates for many documents, which helps distinguish current review materials from older versions.
Using the ePermits System
The ePermits system supports online permit activity, project status searches, payments, and access to completed order documents. The application selected through the permit catalog determines which online process should be used.
Project Number Searches
The ePermits project status search requires a complete 10-digit project number. An incomplete project number will not return the intended project details.
The project number should be retained after an application is created. It may be needed when checking review activity, communicating with a county group, requesting an inspection, or submitting a certificate request. It is different from a payment receipt number, which is used to retrieve documents from a completed order.
Account and Support Issues
Some ePermits functions require a user account, while public project status, guest payments, and anonymous document printing have separate access pages. Users who encounter a persistent system problem may contact ePermits support at ePermitsHelp@hctx.net.
Applicants should avoid creating duplicate submissions merely because a project does not appear to update immediately. Status information should be reviewed using the original project number, and questions should be directed to the group responsible for the review area.
Floodplain Development Requirements
Floodplain rules apply to structures and other development within a Special Flood Hazard Area. Harris County requires a Floodplain Development Permit for all work in the floodplain, including construction, grading, filling, paving, and certain renovations.
The county’s floodplain management information explains flood risks, development controls, property protection measures, flood maps, and permit requirements.
A residential floodplain permit submission may require:
A completed residential permit application.
Three sets of project plans.
Existing and proposed contours for the site.
Elevations shown using the required datum.
An Elevation Certificate before the slab is poured when the structure is in or adjacent to the Special Flood Hazard Area.
A post-construction Finished Floor Elevation Certificate.
The finished-floor certificate must be certified by a Texas registered professional surveyor, engineer, or architect. A property owner planning a substantial improvement or repairing a structure with significant flood damage may also have to meet current floodplain development standards.
Applicants should not assume that a property outside a commonly recognized flood area is exempt from all drainage or development review. Site development can alter runoff paths, and individual applications may require drainage, grading, stormwater, or floodplain information based on the property and proposed work.
Permit Fees and Payments
Permit charges vary by permit type, project size, construction value, acreage, linear footage, number of inspections, and applicable review category. Commercial building and fire code fees may be calculated using the cost of construction. Site development, right-of-way, platting, wastewater, stormwater, and fire protection permits use their own fee structures.
The published fee schedule states that permit fees are not refundable and inspection fees are charged for each visit to the job site. Fees are rounded up to the nearest dollar. Permit applications submitted to correct violations are subject to a double fee. Late fees may also be assessed for each month of noncompliance, with a one-month grace period before additional charges are applied where the fee schedule provides for that treatment.
The ePermits guest payment page accepts credit card payments. The payer must provide a name, email address, and contact phone number.
Permit item groups must be paid separately when the system identifies them as different groups. The guest payment page may display items associated with the Permits Office, Fire Marshal’s Office, or Sheriff’s Office. A payer should verify the selected items before continuing to the external payment page.
If the payer cancels after being redirected to the payment processor, the ePermits order may remain locked for up to 10 minutes. During the lock period, another payment attempt for the same items is blocked to reduce the risk of duplicate charges.
After payment is processed, the receipt number should be saved. It is used to obtain printable documents associated with the completed order.
Inspections and Project Approval
A permit may require one or more inspections before the work can be approved. Inspection categories include residential development, commercial development, fire code systems, driveways, septic facilities, site development, stormwater quality features, right-of-way work, signs, and other regulated improvements.
Inspection fees are generally associated with each site visit. A failed inspection or a site that is not ready may result in a reinspection fee. Applicants should review the applicable inspection checklist before scheduling so that required work, documents, and site access are ready.
Inspection approval does not always complete every part of a multi-review project. A commercial development may have separate site work, fire code, stormwater, sign, and right-of-way requirements. The applicant should confirm that each applicable inspection group has passed before requesting final compliance documentation.
Certificate of Compliance Requests
A Certificate of Compliance request is processed only through the county’s electronic submission form. The online Certificate of Compliance request asks for the project address, business or project name, owner information, requestor contact information, permit number, and email addresses for project contacts.
The request form also asks whether applicable inspections have been completed for:
Site development work.
Left-turn lane or right-of-way construction.
Signs used to advertise the business.
Stormwater quality features.
Requests are processed within 10 business days after the required inspections have been completed or passed. Only one request should be submitted for each project or permit number. Duplicate requests do not accelerate processing and can interfere with orderly review.
The certificate is emailed to the contacts entered on the request. Applicants should verify all email addresses before submitting because the system sends the document to those listed contacts.
Permit Documents and Records
Completed payment documents can be retrieved through the ePermits Print Documents service. The search requires the receipt number from the completed order.
A receipt number is not the same as the project number used for status searches. Entering the project number in the receipt search may fail to locate the documents. Users should keep both numbers and label them according to their purpose.
When a receipt number is unavailable, permits, approved plans, and other records may be requested through the county’s public records process. The county directs users to download the Public Records Request Form and submit it by email to records@harriscountytx.gov.
Platting and Land Division
Platting requirements apply when land is divided or infrastructure is submitted for county approval and acceptance. The county’s platting staff enforces regulations adopted by the Harris County Commissioners Court for subdivision-related infrastructure in unincorporated areas.
Some municipalities extend subdivision ordinances into their extraterritorial jurisdictions. A project in one of those areas may require both municipal review and Harris County review. Land outside a municipal extraterritorial jurisdiction may be reviewed solely by the Harris County Platting Group.
The platting process has two main stages. Pre-recordation is the initial review of the plat application for compliance with county regulations and applicable municipal ordinances. Recordation begins after the fully executed mylar and required documentation are submitted. Following approval, the plat is signed by the Office of the County Engineer, presented to Commissioners Court, and filed in the official map records.
A development without known public sewer service may require an On-Site Sewage Facility Subdivision Planning Report before plat approval. Variance requests from county regulations must be submitted through ePermits.
Applicants who are unsure whether a plat is required may submit a Platting Exception Request. Relevant review information includes the Harris County project number, appraisal district number, address, site plan, deeds, and survey. The stated response period for the exception request is 48 to 72 hours.
The county may issue certain permits before a plat is recorded when the applicant provides a final CPC 101, approved plans, and evidence of municipal utility district service. Sites using individual septic systems and water wells do not qualify for this process.
Frequent Permit Filing Errors
Permit delays often result from selecting an application that does not match the project, submitting incomplete plans, or confusing the identifiers used by different ePermits functions.
Using an incomplete project number: The public status search requires the complete 10-digit project number.
Choosing one broad application: Building, site development, fire protection, signs, driveways, wastewater, and stormwater work may require separate applications or reviews.
Starting regulated work too early: Work begun before the required permit and inspection is obtained may be subject to an additional fee, and violation-related applications are subject to double fees.
Losing the payment receipt: The receipt number is needed to retrieve printable documents from a completed order.
Mixing payment groups: Permit item groups identified by the system must be paid separately.
Repeating certificate requests: Only one Certificate of Compliance request should be submitted for each project or permit number.
Ignoring floodplain documents: Work in a Special Flood Hazard Area may require plans, elevation information, and multiple Elevation Certificates.
Missing event deadlines: Fire code special event applications should be filed at least 30 business days before the event and will not be accepted when fewer than 10 days remain.
Assuming the absence of zoning eliminates permits: Harris County does not have zoning regulations in unincorporated areas, but it enforces rules involving floodplains, septic facilities, driveways, signs, infrastructure, fire code, and other development matters.
Scheduling an inspection before the site is ready: Additional site visits may produce reinspection charges.
Permit Office Contacts
The county provides separate email contacts for clerical receiving, compliance, power release, enforcement, development inspections, commercial civil review, traffic review, minor development, acceptance, sign permits, fire code, public review, platting, residential review, stormwater quality, and wastewater matters. The Permits Division contact directory identifies the email address assigned to each review group.
The main Permits Office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Customer parking is available in the garage with an entrance on Fannin Street.
Relevant Departments and Offices
Harris County Permits Office — 1111 Fannin Street, 1st Floor Lobby, Houston, TX 77002 — (713) 274-3900
Harris County Compliance Group — 10555 Northwest Freeway, Suite 120, Houston, TX 77092 — (713) 274-3926
Harris County Platting Group — 10555 Northwest Freeway, Suite 120, Houston, TX 77092 — (713) 274-3932
Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office — 7701 Wilshire Place, Houston, TX 77040 — (713) 274-1700
Permits FAQs
Why can’t I find my boarding home fee?
The Harris County guest payment system searches Class 2 boarding home permit fees using the name or property address associated with the application. Enter at least six characters, then select the matching result rather than typing an unlisted entry. If no fee appears, confirm that the application name and address match the information submitted to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The permit application may still need to be created or connected to the payment system.
Why would an approved plat be returned?
A plat can be returned when its CPC-101 approval expires before the document reaches Commissioners Court. When Harris County has the plat mylar but approval may expire first, the applicant must timely request an Extension of Approval from the City of Houston. Only one one-year extension is allowed under the applicable process. If the extension also expires, the applicant may have to submit a new municipal plat application. Review the county’s platting requirements and deadlines throughout recordation.
Why is a utility service plan required?
The utility service plan confirms how water and wastewater service will be provided to the proposed development. It may document available capacity from an existing provider, service through a new utility district, or the planned use of individual wells and septic systems. Supporting attachments should match the service arrangement shown on the plat and recordation checklist. Incomplete or inconsistent utility documentation can prevent the plat from advancing to recordation.
How long does a fire permit last?
Fire code operational permit periods depend on the regulated activity. Some permits are renewed annually, while others remain valid for two, three, or five years. Temporary activities, including certain special events, tents, pyrotechnic displays, and flame effects, may require a separate permit for each event. Use the county’s permit application finder to confirm the correct application and renewal frequency.