Building Permits in Travis County
Getting the straight story on building permits in Travis County is not easy. When we do a project, we want to everything by the book, but where is the book? There is no central place to get a complete list of what permits you need. The checklist on Travis County’s website is a good place to start.
When you build a new home in the City of Austin, of course permits are required. Some folks think that you don’t need building permits if you are outside the city. But, not true. When you build a new home in Travis County, outside any city limits, a permit is still required through Travis county.
And not just Travis County. Other jurisdictions in the neighborhood may need permits. We had to figure this out. Each jurisdiction had to be called more than once and questions had to be asked. Sometimes the people answering the phone did not seem to know what was needed. We made calls,and bothered people, and dug out the information. Hope it’s right.
List of Permits in the Austin Lake Estates Neighborhood:
Travis County
Permit – Yes
Inspections: None, if you are the owner/builder (However, if you are a third party builder, see their website.)
Water District 18
Inspections: (1) Plumbing Rough In (2) Plumbing Top Out; (3) Plumbing Set Out
Driveway in Right of Way
Travis County Permit – Yes
Driveway Inspections: (1) Pre Pour; (2) Final
Austin ETJ
Inspections: (1) Electric Service – inspect ground wire before pour; (2) Final – to release to Austin Energy
Septic Permit
Permit – Yes
Inspection: (1) Pre-permit layout; (2) Tank installed; (3) Final after field lines are in
In addition to permits, we got these things done early:
Silt Fence. Required by Travis County. (Shaun Tenber – 817-235-1713 –He put up the silt fence for us.)
PortaCan. (We used Blue Chem – a new husband/wife porta-potty company. As a new customer, we got the first month free.)
Permit posted. (A handy real estate flyer box worked for this.)
Stand Pipe Faucet. (This gives water to the site during construction.)
Temporary electric pole. (Provides power.)
We are just diy remodelers, and only occasionally do a project. But, we enjoy sharing ideas with our clients on their house remodels. And, if you need somebody, and not just anybody, to help you find a home or get your home sold, we’d love to hear from you! We’re full time Realtors with over 30 years experience in Austin real estate.
