Austin building permits: what needs one and the order approvals come in

Last verified August 5, 2026 against the Austin Land Development Code · Kimbrough Gray · KiliGray Homes

A building permit is required for work regulated by any of the 4 construction codes — building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing — and for sidewalks, curbs, gutters and driveway approaches. Approvals must be obtained in order: zoning, then subdivision, then site plan, then building permit.

Applies to: Construction in Austin's zoning jurisdiction. Demolition is a separate permit and a building permit does not authorize it.

The order is fixed, and it is not negotiable

§25-1-61 sets the sequence, and it is worth having in front of you before any project is scheduled:

zoning;
subdivision;
site plan; then
building permit.

And within subdivision, a second sequence: preliminary plan (if required), then plat, then subdivision construction plan.

Most residential infill starts at step 3 or 4 because the zoning and the plat already exist. But if a project needs a rezoning or a resubdivision, everything downstream waits — and that is usually where a program slips, not at the permit counter.

What triggers a permit

§25-11-32(A) is a list, and the first item does most of the work: any activity regulated by the building, electrical, mechanical or plumbing codes in Chapter 25-12 needs the appropriate permit, unless a technical code exempts it.

The rest of the list catches things people do not think of as "building":

constructing, altering or repairing a sidewalk, curb, gutter or driveway approach — on your own property or in the right-of-way adjoining it;
erecting, moving or structurally altering an outdoor sign;
piers and structures along the shores of Lake Austin below 504.9 ft above mean sea level, Town Lake below 435.0 ft, or Lake Walter E. Long; and
altering the shoreline or bed of those waters by filling or dredging.

Subsection (A)(6) closes the loop: causing or permitting any of these to occur counts too, so you cannot avoid it by having someone else do the work.

A building permit does not let you demolish anything. §25-11-32(B) is explicit: a building permit does not authorize the demolition or removal of any part of a structure. Demolition is its own permit, with its own historic review and its own expiry clock — and partial demolition counts.

Which work must go to a licensed contractor

§25-11-36 requires a licensed contractor for two categories, unless state law or a technical code exempts the activity:

work needing a plumbing, electrical, solar or mechanical permit; and
work needing a sidewalk, curb, gutter or driveway approach permit.

The second one catches owners who plan to pour their own driveway apron. The approach crosses public right-of-way, and it is licensed work.

How long it takes — what the code does and does not say

This is the most-asked question and it deserves an honest answer rather than a confident one.

The code sets no number of days for a decision. §25-1-64 says only that the director shall grant or deny an application "within the timeframe established by state law". There is no figure in Title 25 to quote, and anyone quoting one is not getting it from the code.

What the code does fix are the completeness deadlines, and those are concrete: an application must be complete by the 45th day after submission or it expires, and if it is rejected as incomplete you must receive a written explanation of the deficiencies within 10 working days. The application page works through both.

§25-11-63 does list the permit types that carry review deadlines — commercial new build, commercial remodel and finishout, residential new build, residential remodel of a complying structure, residential remodel or addition to a noncomplying structure, signs, demolition and relocation — but it then defers every one of those deadlines to rules adopted under §25-1-82 rather than stating them.

Review and issuance

§25-11-62 describes what happens after you file: the building official routes the application to each city department whose regulations bear on it, and each returns a determination. That is why a permit can be held by a department you have never spoken to — watershed, transportation, the arborist.

§25-11-91 then sets the issuance test, and it is a compliance test rather than a discretionary one. The building official shall issue the permit on determining that the application, plans, specifications and support data comply with applicable law and the fees are paid.

One useful provision at the other end: §25-1-66 provides that a permit or approval authorizing a particular use of land or structure transfers with ownership. Selling the lot does not void the approvals attached to it.

Exempt does not mean unregulated. §25-11-34 states plainly that activity exempt from the permit requirement must still comply with City regulations and Code requirements. No permit is not the same as no rules — setbacks, impervious cover and tree protection apply either way.

Where permits actually go wrong

Rarely at the decision. Usually at completeness — an application sits, the 45-day clock runs, and it expires rather than being denied. An expired application cannot be updated; it has to be filed again from scratch. That is the failure mode worth guarding against.

The second is sequencing. Clients ask why the permit is slow when the real answer is that the site plan behind it has not been released, or the plat has not recorded. §25-1-61 is not advice, it is an order — and the queue only moves at the pace of the slowest upstream approval.

The third is the driveway approach. It is a separate permit, it is licensed work, and it is easy to leave out of a schedule until a certificate of occupancy depends on it.

Common questions

Do I need a building permit in Austin?

For anything regulated by the building, electrical, mechanical or plumbing codes, yes — and also for sidewalks, curbs, gutters and driveway approaches, outdoor signs, and shoreline structures on Lake Austin, Town Lake and Lake Walter E. Long.

How long does a building permit take in Austin?

The code does not say. §25-1-64 requires the director to act within the timeframe established by state law and states no number of days. What the code does fix is completeness — an application expires if it is not complete by the 45th day after submission.

What order do Austin development approvals come in?

Zoning, then subdivision, then site plan, then building permit, under §25-1-61. Within subdivision it is preliminary plan if required, then plat, then subdivision construction plan.

Does a building permit let me demolish part of my house in Austin?

No. §25-11-32(B) states that a building permit does not authorize the demolition or removal of any part of a structure. Demolition is a separate permit, and partial demolition counts.

Can I pour my own driveway apron in Austin?

No. §25-11-36 requires work needing a sidewalk, curb, gutter or driveway approach permit to be performed by a licensed contractor.

Does an Austin permit transfer if I sell the property?

Yes. Under §25-1-66 a permit or approval authorizing a particular use of land or a structure transfers with the ownership of that land or structure.

Send us an address and we will tell you what we find

We do this research ourselves on every project we take on — zoning, floodplain, watershed, trees, whether it is a legal lot. Send us an address and we will run it and tell you what we find. It works the same whether you own a vacant lot, a house you are thinking of adding a unit to, or a house you are thinking of replacing. No charge and no strings, and if it is a bad lot we will say so.

Send us an address

We are homebuilders, not the City of Austin. This page explains how we read the code in practice — it is not legal advice and it is not an official determination. Always confirm with Austin Development Services before you rely on it for a project. The authoritative text is the Austin Land Development Code; permitting questions go to Austin Development Services Department.