Permits are set by your city, not by the state
There is no single statewide answer. Texas cities set their own permit requirements and fees through their building or development services departments. What is consistent is the shape of the rule.
Generally needs a permit
- Water heater replacement
- Repiping, or altering supply pipework
- Moving or adding a fixture
- Sewer or drain line repair and replacement
- Gas line work of any kind
- Anything involving the slab
- Backflow prevention devices
Generally does not
- Replacing a tap, a toilet or a waste disposal in the same position
- Clearing a blockage
- Replacing a flapper, a washer, or similar parts
If you are unsure, the permit office will tell you over the phone, and that call is free.
Why it is worth having
An inspection is a second competent person checking the work that is about to be covered up. For gas connections, relief valve discharge and venting, that is a meaningful safety check.
It also protects resale. Unpermitted work shows up in a title search or a buyer’s inspection, and the buyer’s response is to ask for a price reduction covering the worst case.
And it protects an insurance claim. An insurer that finds unpermitted work related to the loss has a straightforward reason to argue about the payout.
The cost
Fees vary by city and by scope. Where we hold a verified figure for your city, it is on that city’s page with a link to the fee schedule it came from - for example, Austin. Where we do not hold one, we show nothing rather than guess.
Ask before work starts
Put it in these words: “Does this need a permit, are you pulling it, and is it in your quote?” All three parts matter. The third one is where quotes diverge.
Common questions
Who pulls the permit - me or the plumber?
Normally the licensed plumber, and that is what you want. A permit pulled by the contractor puts the work in their name for inspection. Some cities let a homeowner pull one for their own homestead, which shifts responsibility to you.
What happens if work was done without a permit?
It surfaces when you sell, when you claim on insurance, or when the next permit application reveals it. Retrospective permitting means opening up completed work for inspection, which costs more than permitting it at the time.
Does a like-for-like fixture swap need a permit?
Usually not - replacing a tap or a toilet in the same position generally does not. Changing pipework, moving a fixture, replacing a water heater or altering gas or drainage generally does. Rules are set per city, so check yours.