Which Austin remodels need a permit
| Work | Permit | Source (read 23 October 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| "Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, and similar finish work" | None | Exempt list |
| Drywall repair up to 128 sq ft, not fire-rated and not a tub or shower surround | None | Exempt list |
| Replacing doors of the same size and operation; exterior trim, fascia and soffits | None | Exempt list |
| Siding, roof decking, floor decking or foundation repair up to 128 sq ft each | None | Exempt list |
| A new or replacement shower or tub | Permit; "is not exempt" | Exempt list |
| Small bathroom or kitchen remodel, roof work, window replacement | Express (Minor Repairs) permit | Types of Permits |
| "changes to structural components and/or new/relocating plumbing fixtures" | Interior Remodel Building Permit | Types of Permits |
| Garage conversion, carport or porch enclosure | Building permit, 5-day review | Residential Plan Review |
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work inside any of these is a separate trade permit, issued with the building permit after review. Express permits are for single-family, duplex and two-family lots that are not in a floodplain.
Review times and what to submit
Residential Plan Review publishes these targets from 1 July 2026: Express "typically same day"; Interior Remodel, Garage Conversion/Porch Enclosure and Demolition 5 business days; update submittals 7 business days (Residential Plan Review). Review starts once the invoice is paid.
What the City asks for on a remodel:
- Floor plans with scale, room labels, dimensions, ceiling heights, doors and windows, smoke and CO detector locations and plumbing fixture locations, existing and proposed where walls, windows, doors or fixtures change. Legible hand drawings to scale are accepted.
- A Structural Verification Report can replace structural drawings for some projects, such as interior remodels with no addition.
- An Acknowledgment of Expired Permits if the property's permit history in Public Search shows open old permits.
Who can pull it
The City's Contractor Registration page: "In Texas, anyone can be a General Contractor, including homeowners, and a state license is not required." Whoever pulls it must register with Building and Trade Contractor Services first. The trades are different: electrical, plumbing and HVAC need a licensed, City-registered trade contractor, or an owner who qualifies for the homestead trade permit and does the work personally.
What it costs
From the City's residential fee schedule, effective 1 October 2026:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application processing | $112.76 |
| Express residential plan review | $112.76 |
| Express permit / kitchen remodel inspection | $72.96 |
| Addition / initial remodel plan review, base | $197.23 |
| Addition / remodel, 101–200 sq ft | $394.46 + $1.972 per sq ft over 100 |
| Addition / remodel, 201–300 sq ft | $591.69 + $1.972 per sq ft over 200 |
| Residential plan review resubmittal | $585.77 |
| General contractor registration (not charged for your own homestead) | $82.56 |
The resubmittal line is the expensive one: an incomplete first set can cost more than the review itself. Prices for the work are in home remodel cost.
What 7,109 Austin remodel permits show
| Measure | Austin remodel and repair |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 7,109 |
| Firms | 837 |
| Firms that pulled exactly one | 545 (65.1%) |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the window | 410 |
| Reached Final (permits a year or more old) | 82.5% |
| Usual days from issue to Final | 67 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 45.6% / 97.0% |
| Busiest month | March (index 119) |
Austin's remodel category is a mix: the busiest filers in the last 12 months were Renewal by Andersen, GL Hunt Foundation Repair and We Level It (Formally Centex House Leveling), because window replacement and foundation repair file under the same building permits as a kitchen. Most remodelers appear rarely (65.1% of firms filed once), and the spread between the 10th and 90th-percentile firm is wide, so a remodeler's own record matters more than the city average. Austin remodel permits carry no job value.
See every Austin remodeler by permits finished →
Next steps
Find the remodeler on the Austin remodel list and check the subcontractors' trade licenses with the Austin contractor license lookup. Bathroom and kitchen rules elsewhere: bathroom remodel, kitchen remodel, home remodel. The hiring checklist is in hiring a remodeling contractor; Austin's monthly counts on Austin permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our remodel count is building permits; the trade permits on the same job are counted under electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Exempt finish work leaves no record at all. Fees change every 1 October.
How we know this
The exempt list, permit types, review targets and registration rule are quoted from City of Austin Development Services pages read 23 October 2026; fees from the residential fee schedule effective 1 October 2026. Counts are City of Austin issued construction permits classified as remodel and repair, October 2023 to September 2026; finished share uses permits a year or more old, and days to Final is the median from issue to completion.
Numbers come from City of Austin issued construction permits, data through October 10, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen in Austin?
Not for cabinets, countertops, tile or paint: those are on Austin's exempt list. Once wiring, plumbing or a wall changes, yes. A small kitchen or bath remodel can go through the City's Express (Minor Repairs) permit; moving plumbing fixtures or changing structure needs an Interior Remodel Building Permit.
- How long does a remodel permit take in Austin?
The City says Express review is typically same day and Interior Remodel review is 5 business days, from 1 July 2026. After issue, the usual Austin remodel permit in our file reached Final in 67 days.
- How much is a remodel permit in Austin?
Plan review for an addition or initial remodel starts at a $197.23 base fee, rising to $394.46 plus $1.972 a square foot over 100 for 101 to 200 square feet (fee schedule effective 1 October 2026). Express plan review is $112.76, and the Express or kitchen remodel inspection is $72.96. Trade permits are separate.
- Can I pull my own remodel permit in Austin?
Yes. The City says that in Texas 'anyone can be a General Contractor, including homeowners', but homeowners acting as contractors must register with Building and Trade Contractor Services. The $82.56 registration fee does not apply to your own homestead. Trade work still needs a licensed trade or the homestead trade permit.
- Do I need a permit to replace drywall in Austin?
Not for a repair of up to 128 square feet that is not part of a fire-rated wall or a tub or shower surround. More than that, or any rated wall, needs a permit.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Austin building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Foundation repair in Austin: the 128 sq ft permit line, the one-day Express permit, and who does the leveling
- Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom? The rule in 14 cities, and what is exempt
- Do I need a permit to remodel my house? The rule in 14 departments, and what gets filed
- Do I need a permit to remodel in Cambridge, MA? Who can pull it, fees, review time and the HIC catch
- Do I need a remodel permit in Cleveland? The 10% repair rule, drawings, the $5 per $1,000 fee, and why half of permits never close
For one city
- Austin contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Do I need a demolition permit in Austin? The 45-year historic review, the pre-demolition inspection and neighbor notice
- Do I need a driveway permit in Austin? The right-of-way line, the DS permit and the $220 review fee
- Work Exempt from Building Permits — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Types of Permits — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Residential Plan Review — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Contractor Registration — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Residential Building Plan Review & Inspection Permit Fees (effective 1 October 2026) — City of Austin (accessed 2026-10-23)