DrawPermit

Bexar County · Texas

San Antonio site plans and permits.

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.

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Building code
2024 International Residential Code, adopted by Ordinance 2025-01-30-0075, in effect since May 1, 2025.
Decks
A covered or uncovered deck needs a permit if it is over 300 sq ft, more than 30 inches above grade at any point, attached to the house or serving the required exit door. Decks over 1,000 sq ft or more than one story need a full residential building permit.
Sheds
A one-story detached shed or playhouse of 300 sq ft or less needs no permit. A larger one needs a Residential Improvements permit.
Fences
Every new fence needs a permit, and so does repairing or replacing more than 25% of one. In front, the limit is 3 ft solid or 5 ft mostly open. Side and rear fences can be 6 ft, and up to 8 ft in listed cases such as a yard with a pool.
Patio covers
A patio or porch cover needs a permit if it is over 300 sq ft or attached to the house. Every carport needs one. The city's pages don't mention pergolas.
Owner-drawn plans
A homeowner may apply for a deck, patio cover, shed or fence after attesting that they'll own and live in or rent the home for 12 months after the work. A deck may be designed by a Texas engineer or architect, or built to IRC Section R507 and the AWC DCA 6 guide.
Engineer
For sheds, patio covers, decks and carports on a Residential Improvements permit, a foundation engineer's inspection letter must be on file when the work is done. Decks 48 inches or more above grade need an engineer's or architect's letter to pass inspection.
Setbacks
The city's Residential Improvements application lists these, subject to your lot's zoning: sheds 5 ft from the side and rear lines; decks and patio covers 10 ft front, 5 ft side, and 20 ft rear if attached or 5 ft if detached. Confirm against your zoning district.
Fees
From the fiscal 2027 fee schedule: fence $28.75, decks and carport covers $184.00. Every fee adds a 4% technology surcharge and a 4% Development Services surcharge. A fence built before its permit pays double.
Where to apply
BuildSA, the Development Services online portal

What San Antonio asks the site plan to show.

  • Every improvement drawn to scale
  • The whole lot and its size
  • Property lines and the distance from the work to each one
  • Front, rear and side setbacks
  • Existing structures
  • The new construction
  • Easements, with a signed statement that nothing is built over them
  • The street, sidewalk and curb
  • For a fence: each section's location, height and material

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.

  • Historic districts, landmarks and the River Improvement Overlay need Office of Historic Preservation approval before the permit.
  • On a corner lot, a fence must meet the city's clear vision rules, checked before the permit is issued.
  • If you're selling within 12 months, a licensed contractor has to apply instead of you.

Checked against the city's own pages on November 2, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with San Antonio before you submit.