# Texas Permit Site Plans: What Your City Actually Requires
Texas doesn't run permitting from Austin. Every city and county writes its own rules, which means the site plan your neighbor in Fort Worth got approved might get rejected two towns over. If you're pulling a permit for a fence, shed, deck, pool, or small addition, here's what actually matters — and how to get a site plan done without waiting on a drafter.
Check My Address Create My Site Plan
Do You Need a Site Plan for a Small Permit in Texas?
In most Texas cities, yes. Even routine residential work — a fence, a shed over a certain footprint, a deck, a pool — usually requires a drawing showing your property lines, existing structures, and where the new work will sit.
Some cities require a site plan for any structural permit, full stop. Others only ask for one past a size threshold — a deck over 200 square feet or 30 inches above grade, a shed at 300 square feet, that kind of line. There's no way to guess right; it depends on where the property sits.
What you can count on: if a plan reviewer can't tell where your property lines are or how far your project sits from them, your application stalls. That's true whether you're in Houston or a small county seat two hours away.
Who Runs Into This
- Homeowners adding a fence, shed, deck, patio, or pool
- Fence, deck, and pool contractors pulling permits across multiple job sites
- Small GCs and remodelers handling additions or accessory structures
- Owner-builders managing their own permit applications
- ADU contractors navigating city-specific accessory dwelling rules
- Small builders working single-family lots
If you've ever had a permit sit in review because the sketch you submitted didn't show setbacks clearly, this is written for you.
What Typically Needs a Site Plan
Fence — Most cities want property lines, easements, and the fence location shown. Some also ask for elevation details.
Shed or accessory structure — Required in most jurisdictions. Lockhart, for example, requires a survey or site plan with setbacks shown, and sheds at 300 square feet or larger often need an engineer's stamp.
Deck — Many cities trigger a permit (and a site plan) once a deck passes 200 square feet or sits more than 30 inches above grade.
Patio or patio cover — Some cities permit any patio cover or pergola regardless of size.
Garage — Almost always needs a site plan showing footprint, setbacks, and driveway location.
Driveway — Usually only needs a site plan if the work touches the public right-of-way.
Pool or spa — Needs setbacks to property lines and structures shown, and sometimes a utility stamp for electrical service.
ADU — Needs the full lot shown — existing house, accessory structure, setbacks, all of it.
Home addition — Existing footprint plus the addition, dimensioned to the property lines.
Why This Trips People Up
The paperwork itself isn't hard. What kills momentum is not knowing three things going in:
Where your property lines actually are. Without a recent survey, you're estimating — and a plan reviewer can tell.
What your city's setbacks are. A 5-foot side setback in one town is a 10-foot setback in the next. There's no statewide default.
Where your easements sit. Utility, drainage, and access easements aren't always obvious from a lot survey or an aerial photo, and building inside one can get a structure ordered removed after the fact — permit or not.
Add in impervious cover limits, drainage in flood-prone parts of the state, and a reviewer who won't accept a hand-drawn sketch, and a simple fence permit turns into a three-week holdup waiting on a drafter who has six other jobs ahead of yours.
Why It's Different City to City
Texas has never adopted a single statewide site plan standard for residential permits. Cities and counties each decide what they'll accept, and the differences are real:
- Grand Prairie requires a site plan for all residential fences, decks, patios, and pools.
- Carrollton only requires a deck permit once you're over 200 square feet or 30 inches above grade.
- Lockhart requires a site plan for sheds, and an engineer's stamp kicks in at 300 square feet.
- Tarrant County requires a free floodplain permit for any work inside a designated floodplain, regardless of project size.
Most cities build their codes on the International Residential Code with local amendments — the 2021 IRC is common, though adoption dates vary — so even the base code isn't identical from one jurisdiction to the next.
See requirements for your county
How SitePlans.ai Handles This
Instead of starting from a blank page or a drafting queue, you start from your address:
- Enter your property address. We pull available property context so you're not guessing at your lot.
- Review your property lines and site context, where data is available for your area.
- Add your project — fence, shed, deck, patio, pool, garage, driveway, or ADU — and place it on the lot.
- Add setbacks, easements, and labels so the drawing reads the way a reviewer expects.
- Export a clean, title-block-style PDF ready to attach to your permit application.
This isn't a general-purpose drawing tool with lines and boxes. It's built around site-plan logic — property lines, setbacks, title blocks — so the output looks like what a building department is used to seeing, not a sketch that needs to be redone.
Coverage varies by area. Some Texas counties have cleaner parcel data than others, and coverage is expanding. If your property lines look off, cross-check your county appraisal district records — or use the done-for-you option below.
What This Doesn't Replace
Worth being direct about this, because it matters.
SitePlans.ai produces a preliminary, conceptual site plan for permit prep. It is not:
- A legal boundary survey
- A sealed survey drawing
- A PE, PLS, or architect stamp
- A FEMA Elevation Certificate
- A drainage study or floodplain development permit
- A guarantee that your permit gets approved
If your jurisdiction requires a licensed survey, a sealed engineering drawing, a drainage study, or a floodplain-specific review, that requirement doesn't go away — you'll still need to satisfy it separately. Final acceptance always comes down to your city or county building department, your zoning office, and in some cases your HOA.
A Few Texas-Specific Things to Know
Permits expire after 180 days if the work isn't actively moving forward — don't let a fence permit sit untouched for six months.
Floodplain development permits are required for any work inside a FEMA-designated floodplain, including fill placement. Finished floor elevation typically needs to sit at least 2 feet above base flood elevation in many counties.
Foundation plans usually need a Texas-licensed engineer's seal, and on-site surveys during inspection are common for new construction.
Call Texas 811 before you dig — fence posts, deck piers, pool excavation, shed footings, all of it. Most permit applications ask for the confirmation number from that call.
Comparing Your Options
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Hand sketch | Personal planning only | Rarely accepted by a building department |
| Generic drawing app | Rough layout ideas | No property lines, setbacks, or title block |
| Full CAD software | Professionals producing many plans | Expensive and overkill for one fence |
| Local drafting service | Projects needing a human touch | Slow, often booked out weeks |
| Licensed survey | Boundary disputes, legal descriptions | $500–$2,000+, more than most permits need |
| SitePlans.ai | Fast, permit-style site plans from your address | Preliminary — not a sealed survey |
| SitePlans.us | Complex, rejected, or urgent projects | Human-reviewed, built for you |
Which Plan Fits
Free works for a homeowner doing one project — a fence or a shed — with limited lookups and exports.
Contractor Pro fits GCs, fence contractors, deck contractors, and pool contractors running multiple jobs who need more address lookups, more exports, and branded title blocks.
Builder is built for higher-volume production — more monthly plans, more sheet options.
Done-for-you, through SitePlans.us, is the right call when a project is complex, already rejected once, or moving on a tight deadline and you want a professional to take it from here.
How It Works, Step by Step
- Enter your Texas property address.
- Review the property lines and site context shown, and check against your county appraisal district if anything looks off.
- Add your project — fence, shed, deck, pool, garage, addition — and position it on the lot.
- Add setbacks, easements, and right-of-way lines, and label what needs labeling.
- Check the title block — name, address, project description, date.
- Export the PDF.
- If the project is complex or already hit a rejection, hand it to SitePlans.us for a human-reviewed version.
Support While You Work
A guided walkthrough runs inside the tool. If you get stuck, support is available at support@siteplans.ai, and `/support/` has answers to the questions that come up most.
External Resources Worth Bookmarking
- Texas 811 — call before digging; most permits ask for the confirmation number
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation — accessibility standards and contractor licensing
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center — check floodplain status before you plan
- Texas building code overview — how codes get adopted locally
- Your city building department and county appraisal district — search directly; every jurisdiction differs
FAQ
Do I need a site plan for a fence permit in Texas?
In most cities, yes. It needs to show property lines, easements, and the fence's location. Some cities also want fence elevation details. Check with your specific city before applying.
Do I need a site plan for a shed permit?
Usually. Lockhart requires a survey or site plan with setbacks, and sheds at 300 square feet or more often need an engineer's stamp. Smaller sheds may skip the permit in some cities, but zoning rules still apply.
What about a deck permit?
Most cities require a permit — and a site plan — once a deck passes 200 square feet or rises more than 30 inches above grade. The plan needs to show dimensions and distance to property lines.
Do I need a full survey, or is a site plan enough?
For most small residential permits, a site plan is enough. A full boundary survey is typically only required for new construction, boundary disputes, or if your specific city asks for one.
What's the actual difference between a site plan and a survey?
A site plan shows property lines, structures, and proposed work with dimensions — built for permit review. A survey is a legal document from a licensed surveyor establishing official boundaries. One gets your permit moving; the other settles legal questions.
Do pools need a site plan?
Yes — showing pool location and setbacks to both property lines and existing structures. Some cities also require a stamp from the electrical utility, and floodplain properties may need extra documentation.
What about an ADU?
Most Texas cities require a full-lot site plan for ADU permits, showing everything existing and proposed. Size limits vary — Austin, for instance, allows up to 1,100 square feet or 0.15 FAR.
What actually needs to be on the drawing?
Lot dimensions, building footprint, distances to property lines, platted building lines, driveways, easements, address, and legal description — typically at a stated scale, often 1" = 20'.
Do setbacks really vary that much between cities?
Yes, significantly. Setbacks come from local zoning ordinances, not state code. Always confirm with the specific city or county before placing anything.
Why do easements matter so much?
Building inside a utility, drainage, or access easement can lead to a removal order later, even if the permit was issued. Your site plan needs to show what's already there.
Is a floodplain permit a separate thing?
Yes. If your property sits in a FEMA-designated floodplain, you'll need a floodplain development permit for any work, including fill. Finished floor elevation typically needs to clear base flood elevation by about 2 feet, though this varies by county.
Will SitePlans.ai guarantee my permit gets approved?
No — and be skeptical of anyone who tells you otherwise. SitePlans.ai helps you prepare the drawing; approval depends entirely on your local building department, zoning office, and project scope.
When should I use SitePlans.us instead?
When the project is complicated, already got rejected once, is on a tight deadline, or you'd rather have a professional take it from here.
Can contractors use this for client work?
Yes — Contractor Pro and Builder plans are built for exactly that: multiple jobs, multiple addresses, branded output.
What if my property lines look wrong in the tool?
Parcel data quality varies by county. Cross-check against your county appraisal district records, or use the done-for-you service for a human-reviewed plan.
Do I need an engineer's stamp?
Not usually, for fences, smaller sheds, and standard decks. You likely will for foundations, structural work, sheds over 300 square feet, or anything in a floodplain.
How long does plan review actually take?
5–15 business days in major metros like Austin, Dallas, and Houston is typical. Smaller cities can move faster. A complete, legible site plan is the single biggest thing you control to avoid a rejection cycle.
Start With Your Address
Stop guessing at setbacks and stop waiting on a drafter's calendar. Build a permit-style site plan for your Texas project today.
Working on something more complicated, already rejected, or up against a deadline?