Do I need a permit for a deck in Texas?

The common rule: 200 sq ft and 30 inches.

Houston, Dallas, Austin, Allen, Prosper, Corpus Christi and Cedar Park all exempt a deck only when every one of these is true: 200 sq ft or less, no more than 30 inches above grade at any point, not attached to the house and not serving the required exit door. Miss one and it needs a permit.

Some cities add a condition. Dallas wants the deck clear of overhead service wires, Austin keeps it out of flood hazard areas, and Cedar Park counts any multi-level deck. Sugar Land used this rule under its 2021 amendments, and we couldn't confirm it carried over to its 2024 code.

Cities that draw the line somewhere else.

• San Antonio: a permit over 300 sq ft, over 30 inches, attached or serving the exit door. Over 1,000 sq ft or more than one story needs a full residential permit.
• Fort Worth: a permit for any deck, platform or walk more than 6 inches above grade.
• College Station: a permit for any deck over 30 inches. A lower deck is exempt only if it isn't attached to the house.
• Plano: a permit for decks more than 30 inches above grade, per the city's 2016 handout.

Cities with no published exemption.

Round Rock, Georgetown, Lubbock, New Braunfels and Arlington publish no size or height below which a deck is exempt, and Manor asks for a permit for any deck that changes the original survey. Frisco lists deck permits in its fee schedule without a trigger. In these cities, ask before you skip the permit.

What the city wants to see.

• A site plan showing where the deck sits. Cedar Park's checklist, for one, asks for the deck's location, property lines, setbacks and utility easements
• Construction details: Corpus Christi asks for anchoring, beams, footings, decking, stairs and guards, and College Station for how the deck is built and anchored, with guards at least 36 inches tall
• Structural drawings in Austin for attached decks and decks over 200 sq ft or 30 inches
• An engineer's or architect's letter in San Antonio for decks 48 inches or more above grade, and possibly engineer-stamped plans in Georgetown for decks more than 6 ft up

Where DrawPermit fits.

DrawPermit draws the site plan part: your county's lot lines, the house, the deck and the distance from the deck to every line, on a dimensioned 11x17 sheet for $49. Framing and footing details still come from you or your builder.

City by city.

• Houston: Houston has no zoning, but a shed over 120 sq ft, a raised or attached deck, or a fence over 8 ft still needs a permit and a to-scale site plan showing property lines, easements and building lines.
• Dallas: Dallas lets a detached shed or small freestanding deck of 200 sq ft or less go without a permit. An attached deck always needs one.
• San Antonio: San Antonio lets a shed of 300 sq ft or less go without a permit, but every new fence needs one, and so does a deck or patio cover over 300 sq ft or attached to the house.
• Fort Worth: Fort Worth asks for a permit for every shed, whatever its size, and for any deck more than 6 inches above grade.
• Austin: Austin accepts drawings made by the owner, as long as they are legible, drawn to scale and show what the city asks for.
• Corpus Christi: Corpus Christi wants a permit and a site plan for a shed or detached patio cover over 200 sq ft, anything attached to the house, a large or raised deck and a fence over 7 ft, and new accessory buildings also need windstorm paperwork from an engineer.
• College Station: College Station wants a permit for decks over 30 inches, every patio cover and carport, pools over 24 inches deep and most sheds over 120 sq ft, each with a dimensioned site plan or survey.
• Cedar Park: Cedar Park asks for a deck permit once a deck is 30 inches up, over 200 sq ft, attached or serving an exit door, and a shed permit over 80 sq ft. Fences need no permit.
• Allen: Allen follows the standard code exemption: small, low, freestanding decks don't need a permit.
• Prosper: Prosper follows the standard code exemption for decks, and asks for a permit for every accessory building.
• Plano: Plano asks for a permit to build or replace a deck more than 30 inches above grade.
• Sugar Land: Sugar Land takes permits online only, needs one for every new shed, new fence and pool, and asks for a plot plan or survey showing property lines, building lines and utility easements.
• Georgetown: Georgetown permits decks on its residential miscellaneous application, and may ask for an engineer's stamp on decks over 6 ft high.
• Round Rock: Round Rock asks for a permit for every wood deck or covered patio, and publishes its deck fees.
• Lubbock: Lubbock wants a permit for a shed over 200 sq ft, every carport, most pools and a fence over 7 ft, and a carport site plan must show the property lines and the distance to each one.
• New Braunfels: New Braunfels wants a permit for every fence and wall, and its checklists ask for a scaled site plan showing the footprint, property lines, easements, setbacks, existing structures and new flatwork.
• Arlington: Arlington wants a permit for a shed over 100 sq ft, every new fence and any fence replacement of half a side or more, and it allows no structure inside a setback, so check your survey first.

Questions.

Does a ground-level deck need a permit?

Usually not, if it's 200 sq ft or less, freestanding and not serving the exit door. Fort Worth is the big exception: anything over 6 inches above grade needs a permit. Cities with no published exemption, like Round Rock and Arlington, may still want one.

Does attaching the deck to my house change anything?

Yes. In every city that uses the common rule, an attached deck needs a permit at any size or height. College Station exempts a low deck only when it's freestanding.

Do I need an engineer for a deck?

Not for a typical deck in the cities we've checked. San Antonio wants an engineer's or architect's letter at 48 inches or more above grade, and Georgetown may ask for stamped plans above 6 ft.