Do I need a permit to build a new home in McKinney, TX? The builder packet, fees, and how long 3,360 permits took

What the City requires

The City of McKinney's Residential Builder Packet (read 24 October 2026) covers single-family detached, attached and duplex homes. Applications go online through Citizen Self Service at mckinneytexas.org/css; the City has not taken paper forms since 31 December 2019, and "Incomplete submittals will be rejected."

The signature verification form asks for the TDLR electrical contractor and master electrician, the master plumber licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), and the TDLR air conditioning and refrigeration contractor, each signed by the license holder. The packet does not say whether an owner can be the builder of record; call Building Inspections at 469-617-4800 before you plan on it.

What it costs

From the City's permit fee schedule, linked from its Fee Schedule page:

A 2,500 sq ft house comes to $1,700 + $100 + $120 + $100 = $2,020 in City permit fees before water and sewer taps; the builder packet lists those separately (a 1-inch water tap alone is $1,450, effective 1 October 2025). The City notes the fees are set in Appendix A of its Code of Ordinances and can change by ordinance.

The inspection sequence

The builder packet lists the inspections in order:

1. Pre-construction: initial erosion control.
2. Temporary pole (if any) and ground plumbing: rough, sewer, water, gas.
3. Foundation, with a pier letter if applicable.
4. Frame and electrical rough (foundation and framing letters required), plumbing top-out and mechanical rough, brick ties or pre-stucco.
5. Flatwork: walks, drives and patios.
6. Electric and gas meters.
7. Finals: plumbing and HVAC, then building and electrical.

Before final, the builder uploads to Citizen Self Service a drainage survey no more than 30 days old, a third-party energy report, a termite affidavit, a spray foam letter if used, the irrigation final report and the Water Department's blue tag.

What 3,360 McKinney new-home permits show

A McKinney house usually goes from permit to completion in a little over six months, and three in four finish within 242 days. If a builder quotes a much longer schedule for a standard plan, ask why. The declared value is the builder's figure on the permit, not the sale price. Monthly counts and days are on McKinney new-home permits, the spread on how long permits take in McKinney, totals on McKinney permit statistics, and the rows on browse McKinney permits.

Before you build or buy new

Look up the permit and its inspections in Citizen Self Service (McKinney building permit search), and check the trade licenses on TDLR and TSBPE (how to check a contractor's license in Texas). General rules are in do I need a permit to build a house; costs in new home construction cost.

What this does not tell you

The City's file names no builder, so we cannot rank builders. It has no status column: a permit without a completion date may be under construction, cancelled or lapsed. And it has no ZIP code, so there are no neighborhood counts. Unincorporated Collin County, Allen, Frisco, Prosper and Melissa permit their own homes.