What needs a permit, and what does not
| No permit (City's No Permit Required list) | Building permit (Home Remodeling FAQs) |
|---|---|
| Cabinets and countertops | Work on windows, doors and walls |
| Carpet and wood or laminate flooring | Adding or removing structural walls (third-party engineering report and an inspection) |
| Painting, plastering, sheetrock repair, wallpaper, tiling | Removing insulation |
| Replacing existing doors | Additions |
| Replacing broken window glass only | Footings, beams or floor joists (foundation repair, with an engineering letter) |
| New siding over existing siding |
Separate trade permits ride along with most remodels: sinks, toilets and faucets need a plumbing permit, receptacles, light fixtures and fans an electrical permit, and kitchen hoods and dryer ducts a mechanical permit, all from State licensed contractors. In a Historic, Neighborhood Conservation or Corridor district, the City says there may be design and material restrictions even on no-permit work.
Who can pull it
The City's Residential Permits page splits remodel permits by who holds them:
| Applicant | What they can get |
|---|---|
| Homeowner | General repairs, minor repairs (windows, doors, walls, siding, floors) and foundation repairs over the counter |
| Home improvement contractor (non-structural, City-registered) | General repairs, accessory structures under 400 sq ft, re-roofs without a pitch change, fences, pools |
| Residential building contractor (structural, City-registered) | All residential building permits, including foundation repairs and second-story additions |
| Licensed trade contractor (City-registered) | The electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits |
The FAQ adds that property owners can get their own permits "as long as they can certify they will live or lease the house"; otherwise they have to register as contractors. Room additions over 1,000 sq ft and any second-story addition go to full plan review under the City's IB 101 packet, which the City says typically takes about three business days.
What it costs
The FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule (revised October 2026) charges existing homes flat fees, not a share of job value:
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential repair, general | $172.50 |
| Residential repair, full remodel | $241.50 |
| Residential repair, foundation | $184.00 |
| Existing home work, 0–500 sq ft / 501–1,000 sq ft | $172.50 / $488.80 |
| Re-inspection, all trades | $57.50 |
Add the 4% Technological Improvement and 4% Development Services surcharges, and the trade permits at $57.50 base each plus per-fixture charges.
How to apply
- Pick the form: the City's General Repairs application (rooms, decks, carports, patio covers, fences), Minor Repairs (windows, doors, walls, siding, floors) or IB 172 for foundations, all linked from the Residential Permits page.
- Apply through BuildSA or at the One Stop, 1901 S. Alamo St. (Monday to Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). The FAQ says over-the-counter permits are typically issued the same day.
- The FAQ says a permit is valid for 6 months and can be extended another 6 if construction keeps progressing.
What 15,019 San Antonio remodel and repair permits show
| Measure | San Antonio remodels and repairs |
|---|---|
| Issued October 2024 to September 2026 | 15,019 (12% of all City permits) |
| October 2025 to September 2026 / the 12 months before | 8,189 / 6,830 (+20%) |
| Residential repair / foundation repair permits | 8,858 / 6,161 |
| Busiest / quietest calendar month (index) | April (127) / December (84) |
| ZIPs with the most | 78247 (758), 78210 (728), 78201 (705) |
Foundation repairs are 41% of the category, so a good share of these permits are structural repairs rather than remodels. Spring is the busy season; a December or January start meets the quietest counter. Monthly counts are on San Antonio remodel permits, all kinds of work on San Antonio permit statistics, and the rows on browse San Antonio permits.
Before work starts
Check the permit in BuildSA (San Antonio building permit search) and the trade contractors' licenses (how to check a contractor's license in Texas). Rules elsewhere are in do I need a permit for a home remodel, a kitchen remodel and a bathroom remodel; costs in home remodel cost.
What this does not tell you
The City's file names a primary contact rather than the contractor and has no status, final date or usable value, so we cannot show which repairs passed or what they cost. The remodel count is building permits only; the trade permits on the same job are counted under plumbing, electrical and HVAC.
How we know this
Rules and applicant types are from the City of San Antonio's Residential Permits page, No Permit Required list, Home Remodeling FAQs and IB 101; fees from the FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule (revised October 2026), all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the City's open data Building Permits files, read 18 October 2026: residential repair and foundation repair permits issued October 2024 to September 2026.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to remodel a kitchen in San Antonio?
For cabinets, countertops, flooring, painting and tile, no: they are on the City's No Permit Required list. Moving walls, windows or doors needs a building permit, and new sinks, wiring or a kitchen hood need plumbing, electrical or mechanical permits from licensed contractors.
- Can a homeowner pull a remodel permit in San Antonio?
Yes, for general and minor repairs on a house you will live in or lease; the City lists general repairs, minor repairs and foundation repairs as over-the-counter homeowner permits. The electrical, plumbing and HVAC parts still go to licensed trade contractors.
- How much is a remodel permit in San Antonio?
The FY 2027 fee schedule lists flat residential repair fees: $172.50 for a general repair, $241.50 for a full remodel and $184.00 for a foundation repair, before the 4% technology and 4% Development Services surcharges.
- Do I need a permit for foundation repair in San Antonio?
Yes. The City's FAQ says a permit is required whenever you install, repair or alter footings, beams or floor joists, with a third-party engineering letter. 6,161 foundation repair permits were issued from October 2024 to September 2026.
- How many remodel permits does San Antonio issue?
15,019 remodel and repair permits from October 2024 to September 2026. The second year, 8,189, was 20% above the first, 6,830; foundation repairs were 6,161 of the total.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Do I need a solar permit in Albuquerque? Building and electrical permits, the engineer triggers and the fee
- Residential Permits — City of San Antonio Development Services (2026-10-24)
- No Permit Required — City of San Antonio Development Services (2026-10-24)
- Home Remodeling FAQs (PDF) — City of San Antonio Development Services (2026-10-24)
- FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule (PDF) — City of San Antonio (2026-10-24)
- IB 101 Residential Packet (PDF) — City of San Antonio (2026-10-24)
- Building Permits — City of San Antonio Open Data (2026-10-18)