Texas permit review deadlines
How long does it take to get a building permit in Texas?
Texas gives a city 45 days to grant or deny a building permit, or to explain in writing why it cannot. After that notice, the city has 30 more days.
If the city misses that deadline, it cannot collect the permit fees and must refund what it has. Since 2023, a late review can also go to a third party.
See the deadlines ↓Current Texas state-level guidelines
The short answer
Under Texas Local Government Code 214.904, a city must do one of three things within 45 days of a building permit application: grant or deny the permit, give written notice of why it cannot yet do so, or sign a written agreement with the applicant setting a deadline. If it gave written notice, it must grant or deny the permit within 30 days after the notice is received. A city that misses that deadline, or an agreed deadline, cannot collect permit fees for the application and must refund any it collected. Separately, a 2023 law lets an applicant use a third party when a city is more than 15 days late on a required review.
By project type
Texas permit review deadlines.
The Texas clock is in Local Government Code 214.904 and covers permits to erect or improve a building in a city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction.
| Project type | Deadline | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit application | 45 days | To grant or deny, give written notice of the reasons for delay, or agree in writing on a deadline. |
| After written notice of delay | 30 days | To grant or deny the permit. |
| Third-party review | 15 days late | Under the 2023 law, a third party may review once the city is 15 days past the legal deadline. Confirm against the current statute. |
| Appeal to the governing body | 60 days | If the governing body does not affirm a decision within 60 days, the document is considered approved. |
Step by step
How Texas's review clock works.
The statute counts calendar days.
Decide, explain the delay in writing, or agree with the applicant on a deadline.
After that the city must grant or deny.
Fifteen days past a deadline, the applicant can use a city-employed reviewer, another government's approved reviewer, or a licensed engineer.
What this means for a review team
- The 45 days cover every discipline's review, so one late reviewer puts the whole fee at risk.
- A written notice of delay has to give reasons, which means knowing where the application is stuck.
- A city may not ask an applicant to waive the third-party review deadlines.
When the clock runs out
What happens when a Texas department misses the deadline.
A city that misses the 30-day follow-up or an agreed deadline may not collect permit fees and must refund any already paid.
Under the 2023 law, the city may not charge a fee for a review or inspection done by a third party.
An appeal must be filed within 15 days. If the governing body does not affirm the decision within 60 days, the document is considered approved.
Faster permit approvals start with more efficient plan review.
See how your team can spend less time chasing comments, waiting on other disciplines, and tracking down the status of a review, without changing your permitting system or CDP.
Recent changes
What changed, and when.
September 1, 2023
HB 14 takes effectAdds third-party review and inspection when a city or county is more than 15 days past a legal deadline.
2025
The Legislature revisits third-party reviewTexas lawmakers took up changes to the third-party review rules in the 2025 session. This page describes the 2023 law. Check the current text of Local Government Code Chapter 247 before relying on the details.
City by city
How Texas cities handle review times.
Texas cities publish some of the most detailed review targets in the country. All five below are city goals that sit on top of the state law.
Austin
Austin posts how many business days each kind of home permit review should take and cut those times starting July 1, 2026. New homes are promised a first review in 10 business days and most small jobs in 5.
Read the source →Dallas
After a permit backlog in 2021 and 2022, Dallas set public goals: 10 days for a new home's first review and 15 days for commercial. It posts actual numbers every month.
Read the source →Fort Worth
Fort Worth posts a goal of first-review comments on building permits within 7 business days.
Read the source →Houston
In July 2025 Houston started a pilot that aims to issue single-family home permits in 30 business days or less. Builders who join agree to send complete plans and answer city comments within a week.
Read the source →San Antonio
San Antonio tells homebuilders that a first plan review usually takes about three business days. It does not publish a formal deadline for commercial projects.
Read the source →City details come from each city's public pages as of November 12, 2026. Cities change their targets and processes often, so check the linked source for the current version.
Common questions
Texas building permit deadlines, answered.
How long does it take to get a building permit in Texas?
A city has 45 days to grant or deny the permit or explain in writing why it cannot. If it sends that notice, it has 30 more days. Many Texas cities publish faster targets of their own.
What happens if a Texas city misses the permit deadline?
If it misses the 30-day follow-up or an agreed deadline, it cannot collect the permit fees and must refund any it collected.
What is third-party review in Texas?
A 2023 law, HB 14, lets an applicant have a required review or inspection done by a third party when the city or county is more than 15 days past the legal deadline. A licensed engineer is one of the people who can do the review.
Lawmakers revisited these rules in 2025, so confirm the current requirements in Local Government Code Chapter 247.
Can a Texas city ask me to waive the deadline?
Not the third-party review deadlines. The law says a city or county may not require or ask an applicant to waive them. A city and an applicant can agree in writing to a decision deadline under section 214.904.
How do Texas building departments keep up with these deadlines?
Three habits show up in the departments that hit the clock. They check applications for missing items in the first few days. They let building, fire, planning, and engineering review the same plans at the same time. And they track the days left on every review, so a manager can step in before a deadline passes.
Read it for yourself
Sources.
State law
Keep exploring
Deadlines in other states.
If you review plans in Texas
Working under Texas's review clock? See how e-PlanSoft can help you hit it consistently.
Meeting a review deadline starts with a good intake process, disciplines that work together, and a clear view of every review in progress.
Book a demoSee how collaborative review works →This page summarizes public laws, rules, and city review practices in Texas as of November 12, 2026. Deadlines vary by location and permit type. These summaries are for reference, not legal advice. Check the linked sources and local requirements for the rules that apply to your project.