Building permits in Dallas, TX

Short answer: In Dallas, permits are issued by City of Dallas Planning & Development Department (Building Inspection); of the 16 common projects we checked, 6 always need a permit, 2 do not, and 7 depend on the details (1 unverified).

Permitting authority: City of Dallas Planning & Development Department (Building Inspection). Applies inside Dallas city limits. Historic, conservation and planned development districts can require permits for otherwise-exempt work.

Permit rules in Dallas
Project	Answer	Verified
ADU or garage conversion	Unverified, confirm locally We did not find an official Dallas page on ADU or garage conversion permits.	2026-10-19
Deck	Depends on your project No permit for decks not more than 30 in above grade and not over a basement or story. Higher decks need a permit.	2026-10-19
Driveway or patio	No permit required No permit for walks or driveways up to 30 in above grade, not over a basement, at a single-family or duplex home. Patio covers under 200 sq …	2026-10-19
Electrical panel upgrade	Permit required Yes. Dallas requires a permit to install, replace or alter building service equipment, which includes electrical services.	2026-10-19
EV charger	Permit required Yes. Installing an EV charger is building service equipment work that needs a permit.	2026-10-19
Fence	Depends on your project No permit for fences 4 ft or less in a front yard or 6 ft or less elsewhere (outside historic, conservation and planned development district…	2026-10-19
HVAC / AC replacement	Permit required Yes. Replacing HVAC equipment is building service equipment work that needs a permit. Homesteaded owners may do some mechanical work themsel…	2026-10-19
Interior / bathroom remodel	Depends on your project Nonstructural interior remodeling that adds no floor area and does not change exterior doors or windows needs no building permit. Replacing …	2026-10-19
Pool or hot tub	Depends on your project Above-ground prefabricated pools (up to 5,000 gallons) at a house or duplex need no permit. In-ground pools need a permit, and pool barriers…	2026-10-19
Retaining wall	Depends on your project No permit for retaining walls up to 4 ft (bottom of footing to top) unless supporting a surcharge. Taller walls need a permit.	2026-10-19
Roof replacement	Permit required Yes, unless the re-roofing work is valued at $500 or less.	2026-10-19
Shed	Depends on your project No permit for a utility building under 200 sq ft with no utilities. Larger buildings, or any with utilities, need a permit.	2026-10-19
Siding replacement	No permit required No permit to add siding to a building. Historic, conservation and planned development districts may have extra requirements.	2026-10-19
Solar panels	Permit required Yes. Installing solar equipment is building service equipment work that needs a permit.	2026-10-19
Water heater replacement	Permit required Yes. Dallas requires a plumbing permit to replace a water heater.	2026-10-19
Window and door replacement	Depends on your project Adding storm windows needs no permit. Interior remodeling is exempt only if it does not change exterior doors or windows, so replacing exter…	2026-10-19

Fee schedule: https://dallascityhall.com/departments/sustainabledevelopment/buildinginspection/Pages/building_inspection_faqs.aspx · 1 verified Dallas permit fee

Other cities in Texas

All Texas cities · All cities · Permit guides

Not legal advice. Always confirm with your local building department. Rules change, and your parcel's zoning, HOA, historic district, floodplain or utility work can change the answer. We show the official source and the date we last checked it so you can verify for yourself.