DrawPermit

Comal County · Texas

New Braunfels site plans and permits.

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.

Start a site planSee a sample set
Building code
2021 International Residential Code with New Braunfels amendments, in effect since October 23, 2023. The 2021 pool and spa code was adopted at the same time.
Decks
Deck/Patio is its own permit type in the city's portal. A homestead owner may build a deck themselves but still needs the permit. The city's pages publish no size or height below which a deck is exempt.
Sheds
Accessory Building is its own permit type in the city's portal. The city's pages publish no size below which a shed is exempt, so ask before you skip the permit.
Fences
Every fence and wall needs a permit. The limit is 8 ft. In a required front yard it's 36 inches, or 4.5 ft if the fence is at least 50% open. No fences in drainage easements.
Patio covers
Patio work goes under the Deck/Patio permit type. The city publishes no size cutoff or separate rules for patio covers or pergolas.
Carports
Garage/Carport is its own permit type in the portal. The city publishes no carport size, height or setback rules on the pages we read.
Pools
Pools need a permit with a site plan, a barrier detail and a signed barrier statement. The barrier must be at least 48 inches tall, with outward-opening, self-closing, self-latching gates. Doors and low windows into the pool area need alarms. In-ground pools must be built by a registered contractor.
Owner-drawn plans
The city doesn't say who must draw residential plans. A homestead owner can act as their own contractor after filing a notarized Homeowner Exemption Agreement. Site plans must be drawn to scale.
Engineer
A new building or addition over 500 sq ft needs a sealed foundation plan and wall bracing plans from a Texas engineer. Fences need an engineered foundation when necessary. An in-ground pool dug within 10 ft of a foundation needs an engineer's certification.
Setbacks
The site plan must show setbacks, but we couldn't read the city's zoning distances for sheds and other accessory buildings. Front yard fences are capped at 36 inches (4.5 ft if half open). A fence in a public easement needs a gate or removable panel and the easement holder's approval.
Fees
Plan review is 25% of the permit cost, up to $2,500. Fences and pools are priced by value: $20 plus $5 per $1,000 up to $50,000. Inspections are $35. A 3% technology fee applies. The fee document the city links is labeled 2018.
Where to apply
New Braunfels Online Permit Portal

What New Braunfels asks the site plan to show.

  • A scaled drawing
  • The new building footprint
  • Property lines
  • Easements
  • Setbacks
  • Every existing structure
  • New flatwork, such as driveways and sidewalks
  • For pools: the barrier and gate, the equipment with distances to fences and lot lines, and the distance to the house foundation

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.

  • A lot in the floodplain needs a floodplain application, and new structures there need an elevation certificate.
  • A small-lot erosion control plan must be filled out and in place before work starts.
  • The fee document is labeled 2018 and the current fee appendix wasn't readable, so amounts may have changed.
  • A new Land Development Ordinance is in draft, so zoning rules may change.

Guides that cover New Braunfels.

More Texas cities.

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