Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
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.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call Engineering Services and OSSF: 817-884-1250; OSSF Wastewater Specialist: 817-212-7082; Floodplain: 817-884-1250; Fire Marshal: 817-838-4660 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
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.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.