Tarrant County permit authority

Tarrant County Engineering Services Department and Tarrant County Fire Marshal is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.

Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Engineering Services and OSSF: 817-884-1250; OSSF Wastewater Specialist: 817-212-7082; Floodplain: 817-884-1250; Fire Marshal: 817-838-4660.

The Fire Code Official must issue or deny a complete construction-permit application within 30 days; if no action occurs in that period, it is approved for Fire Code purposes. A Fire Code permit becomes void unless construction starts within 180 days. The 2026 residential OSSF application is valid for one year from fee receipt; the county sends a payment request within two business days after receiving an application, but publishes no complete OSSF or floodplain review target.

For Fire Code projects, request inspections and the final Certificate of Compliance from the Fire Marshal at 817-838-4660; after a proper written request, the Fire Code Official must begin the inspection within five business days. Homes built for resale require three third-party inspections at different construction phases plus submission of the county's notice and inspection-compliance forms to TSPermitting@tarrantcountytx.gov. For floodplain inspections or permit coordination call Engineering Services at 817-884-1250. For OSSF work, submit the application, site/soil evaluation, plans, and fee, obtain authorization to construct, and coordinate the installation inspection through 817-212-7082 before covering or operating the system.

In unincorporated Tarrant County, the Fire Code requires construction permits for new construction or substantial improvement of commercial buildings, public-access buildings, multifamily dwellings with four or more units, and fire-protection systems. The FY2026 code incorporates the 2015 International Building Code, International Fire Code provisions with county amendments keyed to the 2021 IFC, the current NFPA 101 Life Safety Code for existing structures, and the State-adopted NFPA 70 electrical code. New residential structures and qualifying additions must follow the IRC published as of May 1, 2008 or the IRC version applicable in Fort Worth, but the county does not issue single-family residential building permits or certificates of occupancy. All FEMA-floodplain work requires a free floodplain permit, and new homes in the floodplain must be at least two feet above base flood elevation. OSSF work follows the county's TCEQ-authorized program and 30 TAC Chapter 285. Municipalities and city ETJs can impose additional requirements. Single-family residential work in unincorporated Tarrant County does not require a county building permit. The notice and three private-inspection reporting requirements apply to builders constructing homes for resale, not owners constructing a residence for their own occupancy. The Fire Code excludes an industrial facility with an OSHA-compliant fire brigade. Ordinary work outside a FEMA floodplain does not need a floodplain permit, but every kind of work within a mapped floodplain, including fill, does. OSSF exemptions are limited by the county program and state law; applicants should not assume the state 10-acre exception applies without county confirmation.