YardPermit

TX · coverage index

Texas

Many Texas cities are comparatively straightforward on fences and sheds, with HOAs doing as much gating as the building department. Always separate city code from deed restrictions.

Editorial coverage: 2 of 3 listed cities currently have dated official sources. A city without them has no page yet.

Cities on the survey

  • AustinSources checked 2026-09-30

    Austin publishes separate residential-review, exempt-work and fencing guidance. Use the project type and site constraints together: permit-exempt work can still be limited by zoning, floodplain, easements or other rules.

  • HoustonSources checked 2026-09-30

    Houston has no zoning, but its building code is stricter than the model code on small buildings: a shed over 120 square feet needs a permit. Platted building lines, recorded deed restrictions and the floodplain rules do much of the work zoning does elsewhere.

  • DallasResearch queue

What needs no permit in Texas’s checked cities

One row per project: the line under which no building permit is needed in the model code and in Austin’s and Houston’s own text. Each city page cites the code section behind its figures; zoning, easements and HOA rules still apply to exempt work.

ProjectModel codeAustinHouston
FenceUp to 7 ftUp to 7 ft; 6 ft along a public right-of-way; none in a floodplainUp to 8 ft, if not masonry, concrete or electrified
Deck200 sq ft, 30 in above grade, freestanding, not at the required exit doorThe same four limits, and not in a flood hazard area200 sq ft, 30 in above grade, detached, not the required exit
Shed200 sq ft, one story, detached; 120 sq ft for tool and storage sheds200 sq ft, one story, 15 ft high, no plumbing120 sq ft, one story, detached; not a storm shelter
PatioNames sidewalks and driveways, not patiosConcrete flatwork outside the right-of-wayFlatwork outside the Infrastructure Design Manual
DrivewaySidewalks and driveways exemptExempt outside the right-of-way; approach reviewed by the cityFlatwork outside the Infrastructure Design Manual; the approach needs a permit
PergolaFreestanding: up to 200 sq ft; attached: not on the listNo pergola line; its accessory line is 200 sq ft and 15 ftNo line; the nearest is the 120 sq ft accessory structure
Retaining WallUp to 4 ft from the bottom of the footing, no surchargeUp to 4 ft, no surcharge, not in a flood hazard areaUp to 4 ft from the bottom of the footing, no surcharge
PoolPrefabricated and under 24 in deepPrefabricated under 24 in, or any storable poolNo exemption; ask about a storable pool
GazeboUp to 200 sq ft of floor area, one story, detachedNo gazebo line; accessory structures to 200 sq ft and 15 ftNo line; the nearest is the 120 sq ft accessory structure
GarageUp to 200 sq ft of floor area, one story, detached200 sq ft and 15 ft, as for any accessory structureOnly inside the 120 sq ft accessory line
ADUNone: a new dwelling unit takes a permitNone; new construction on SF-1 to SF-3 lots of 5,750 sq ft or moreAlways needs a permit

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