What is in this dataset?
This table lists residential building permit fees published by four cities in Greater Houston (Houston, Pearland, Humble and Missouri City) and by Harris County for unincorporated areas. Each row is one fee item, with its basis, amount, effective date where the city states one, and source.
Residential building permit fees in Greater Houston: City of Houston
| Jurisdiction | Fee item | Basis | Amount | Effective date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Houston | Administrative fee | Flat | $33.56 | 2026-01-01 | houstonpermittingcenter.org |
| City of Houston | Minimum fee, most Building Code Enforcement permits | Minimum | $91.06 | 2026-01-01 | houstonpermittingcenter.org |
| City of Houston | Minimum fee, plumbing permits | Minimum | $97.56 | 2026-01-01 | houstonpermittingcenter.org |
Residential building permit fees in Greater Houston: City of Pearland
| Jurisdiction | Fee item | Basis | Amount | Effective date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Pearland | New one- and two-family dwellings, townhomes and additions | Per square foot | $0.41 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Residential remodel, without reconfiguration of space | Flat | $120.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Residential remodel, with reconfiguration of space | Flat | $180.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Swimming pool | Flat | $350.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Residential accessory structure, minor (one inspection) | Flat | $60.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Residential accessory structure, major (two or more inspections) | Flat | $120.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Residential miscellaneous permit | Flat | $60.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Manufactured home placement | Flat | $180.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Demolition permit | Flat | $60.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Re-inspection fee | Per re-inspection | $75.00 | pearlandtx.gov | |
| City of Pearland | Plan review fee | Share of building permit fee | One-half of the building permit fee | pearlandtx.gov |
Residential building permit fees in Greater Houston: City of Humble
| Jurisdiction | Fee item | Basis | Amount | Effective date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Humble | Residential building permit | Base plus per square foot of roof-covered floor space | $50.00 plus $0.32 per square foot | 2024-10-01 | cityofhumbletx.gov |
| City of Humble | Residential fence permit | Base plus per 25 linear feet | $50.00 plus $1.00 per 25 linear feet | 2024-10-01 | cityofhumbletx.gov |
| City of Humble | Plan review fee | Share of permit cost | One-half of the permit cost | 2024-10-01 | cityofhumbletx.gov |
Residential building permit fees in Greater Houston: City of Missouri City
| Jurisdiction | Fee item | Basis | Amount | Effective date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Missouri City | Single-family residential and townhome building, including additions: permit fee | Per square foot of total area | $0.50 | missouricitytx.gov | |
| City of Missouri City | Single-family residential and townhome building, including additions: plan review fee | Per square foot of total area | $0.20 | missouricitytx.gov | |
| City of Missouri City | Major remodel: permit fee | Flat | $100 | missouricitytx.gov | |
| City of Missouri City | Major remodel: plan review fee | Flat | $38 | missouricitytx.gov | |
| City of Missouri City | Minor remodel: permit fee | Flat | $50 | missouricitytx.gov | |
| City of Missouri City | Minor remodel: plan review fee | Flat | $25 | missouricitytx.gov |
Residential building permit fees in Greater Houston: Harris County (unincorporated)
| Jurisdiction | Fee item | Basis | Amount | Effective date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Residential single- and multi-family dwellings, manufactured homes and tract homes: permit fee | Flat | $165.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Residential dwellings: inspection fee in a mapped floodplain, floodway or coastal high hazard area | Per permit (one inspection) | $73.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Accessory and all other residential structures (paving, storage sheds, pools, additions and remodels): permit fee | Flat | $35.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Accessory and all other residential structures: inspection fee in a mapped floodplain, floodway or coastal high hazard area | Per permit (one inspection) | $73.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Fill material: permit fee | Flat | $20.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Fill material: inspection fee in a mapped floodplain, floodway or coastal high hazard area | Per permit (one inspection) | $64.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Fill material: re-inspection fee | Per re-inspection | $64.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Residential driveway: permit fee | Flat | $63.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
| Harris County (unincorporated) | Residential driveway: inspection fee | Per inspection (two inspections) | $69.00 | 2025-10-01 | oce.harriscountytx.gov |
Download the full dataset (CSV)
How do the fee structures differ?
Pearland charges $0.41 per square foot for new one- and two-family dwellings, townhomes and additions. Missouri City charges a $0.50 per square foot permit fee plus a $0.20 per square foot plan review fee for single-family homes and townhomes. Humble charges $50.00 plus $0.32 per square foot of roof-covered floor space.
Harris County’s Office of the County Engineer charges a flat $165.00 permit fee for a new home in an unincorporated area. If the structure is in the 500-year floodplain, 100-year floodplain, floodway or coastal high hazard area, a $73.00 inspection is added. Outside those areas no inspection fee is added. Additions, remodels, pools and sheds carry a $35.00 permit fee. The county schedule took effect October 1, 2025.
Plan review is billed separately in Pearland, Humble and Missouri City. Pearland and Humble set it at one-half of the permit fee. Missouri City lists it as its own per-square-foot charge.
Houston sets its building permit fees in a city fee schedule. Most permit, license and registration fees rose by the Consumer Price Index on January 1, 2025, by 2.9367 percent, and on January 1, 2026, by 1.3910 percent. The 2026 notice set the administrative fee at $33.56 and the minimum fee for most Building Code Enforcement permits at $91.06.
How was the data compiled?
- Each amount was copied from the city’s or county’s own fee page or fee schedule, read on November 3, 2026.
- Harris County rounds all permit fees up to the nearest dollar and charges a double fee on applications filed to abate a violation.
- Fee item names follow the city’s wording.
- The effective date is filled in only where the document states one. Missouri City’s schedule shows “Last Updated: February 2026” but no effective date.
What are the limits?
- Houston’s per-project building permit fees are not in the table. The city’s fee schedule file could not be opened for this release, and its pages point to a fee calculator.
- Harris County’s schedule also covers site development, platting, stormwater and fire code permits. Only residential building, driveway and fill items are listed here. Fire code fees are set by the county fire marshal.
- Sugar Land and Katy were checked again. Sugar Land’s 2026 building permit section points to a fee estimator in its online portal and lists no amounts. Katy’s fee schedule is in its code of ordinances, which could not be opened.
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical trade permits are mostly left out. Fees for a single project can add several items together.
- Cities change fees by ordinance. Check the source before applying for a permit.
Related entries: Houston, Pearland, Humble, Missouri City and Harris County.