DrawPermit

El Paso County · Texas

El Paso site plans and permits.

In El Paso, one small rear-yard shed under 200 sq ft is exempt, but anything bigger needs a permit and a dimensioned, to-scale site plan showing property lines, setback lines, utility easements and every structure and fence.

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Building code
2021 International Residential Code with El Paso amendments (City Code Chapter 18.10). The city's posted chapter gives no effective date.
Sheds
One one-story shed or canopy per lot is exempt if it's in the back yard, under 200 sq ft and at least 5 ft from other structures. Bigger ones need a permit with two plan sets. Accessory buildings can be one story or 15 ft tall at most.
Fences
Masonry walls up to 42 inches and chain-link or wrought-iron fences up to 7 ft are exempt if they sit inside your lot. Fences can be 8 ft behind the front of the house and 42 inches in front of it. Masonry walls over 6 ft need an engineer's design.
Patio covers
El Paso adopts the IRC's patio cover appendix in full, and counts covered patios in an addition's square footage. The city publishes no size below which a patio cover is exempt.
Carports
An attached carport is a permit type on the city's application and counts toward an addition's square footage. We found no front-yard carport rules.
Pools
Pools need a permit unless they hold under 24 inches of water and under 5,000 gallons. El Paso adds one local rule to the pool code: a 3 ft slip-resistant deck around home pools and spas.
Owner-drawn plans
The city doesn't require a design professional for one- and two-family homes. A homeowner can pull a permit for their own primary residence and act as their own contractor. Plans must be drawn to scale.
Engineer
Retaining walls over 4 ft, masonry walls over 6 ft and roof truss designs need a Texas engineer's seal.
Setbacks
Detached accessory buildings go in the back yard (or a side yard that keeps side setbacks), at least 60 ft from the front lot line and 5 ft from the house. No rear setback is required. Together they can cover at most the smaller of half the house's floor area or 40% of the back yard, though one building up to 400 sq ft is always allowed.
Fees
A $200 submittal deposit is due with your plans and credited to the permit. In the FY 2024 fee list, fences are $110 and home pools or spas $115, each plus a technology fee. Homeowners pay the same fees as contractors.
Where to apply
Citizen Access Portal (City of El Paso Planning & Inspections), or the One-Stop Shop

What El Paso asks the site plan to show.

  • Dimensioned and drawn to scale
  • All property lines
  • All setback lines
  • All utility easements
  • Every existing and new structure
  • Every existing and new fence
  • Legal description and address
  • For additions: the flood zone and drainage inlets

Your DrawPermit site plan draws the lot lines, north arrow, scale, structures, setbacks, distances to each line and impervious cover. Add utility lines, meters and trees by hand if your city asks for them.

Worth knowing.

  • No permit is issued on unplatted land, with a few exceptions.
  • A wall on a shared lot line needs your neighbor's written approval.
  • The residential code exempts sheds under 200 sq ft, but the building code says 120 sq ft. If yours is in between, ask the city.
  • The city warns of scammers asking for a fake 'City Compensation Fee'.

Guides that cover El Paso.

More Texas cities.

Checked against the city's own pages on November 4, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with El Paso before you submit.