Pearland, TX Building Permit Fees (2026)
Actual residential building permit fees from the City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule effective October 1, 2026. Pearland is a fast-growing suburb straddling Brazoria, Harris, and Fort Bend counties on Houston's south side. Verified directly against the city's posted fee schedule. The City's Permit and Development Fees page still links the older October 1, 2021 schedule, so confirm current amounts with Pearland Community Development before budgeting.
This page covers: The residential building permit fees in Pearland. New one- and two-family dwellings, townhomes, and additions are priced per square foot at $0.45 per square foot, and a plan review is added equal to one-half of the building permit fee. A residential alteration or remodel is $130.00 without reconfiguration of space or $190.00 with reconfiguration. A swimming pool is a flat $370.00, a residential accessory structure is $65.00 (minor, one inspection) or $130.00 (major, two or more inspections), and a residential reroof, demolition, fence, or foundation repair permit is $65.00. Each figure is exact from the City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026).
Schedule conflict, disclosed: The City's "Permit and Development Fees" page still links the October 1, 2021 fee schedule as of October 22, 2026. PermitPrice uses the City's separately posted Development Fee Schedule dated "Effective October 1, 2026," which supersedes the 2021 schedule on its face. The adopting ordinance number is not printed in the posted excerpt. Confirm current amounts with Pearland Community Development (281-652-1600) before budgeting or filing. The amounts in the October 1, 2021 schedule (for example $0.41 per square foot and a $350.00 pool) are superseded and are not used on this page.
Trade permits are priced separately: For new construction and additions, the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are priced separately by their own square-foot schedules and are NOT bundled into the $0.45 per square foot building permit. So a full new home is the building permit plus its plan review (half the building fee) PLUS separate MEP permits. This page reports the building permit and plan review together and lists the trade permits separately - it does not sum a single all-in new-home total.
Texas has no statewide levy: Texas adds no statewide percentage building-permit levy, and Pearland adds no residential percentage surcharge on top of the per-square-foot building permit.
This page does NOT cover: Water and wastewater impact fees (due before the building permit at new buildings, per the city's impact-fee study), parkland dedication and tree-mitigation fees, and planning/platting fees (a separate planning section of the fee schedule) - all excluded from every figure on this page. Commercial permits use a valuation-based model outside the scope of the residential figures here.
In Pearland, TX a new one- or two-family dwelling, townhome, or addition is $0.45 per square foot, plus a plan review equal to one-half of the building permit fee - so the building-side cost for a 2,000 sq ft home is $1,350.00 ($900 building permit + $450 plan review). The electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are priced separately, so a full new home costs more than that. A residential alteration is $130.00 without reconfiguration or $190.00 with it, and a swimming pool is a flat $370. Texas has no statewide levy. These figures are from the schedule effective October 1, 2026; the City's fee page still links the 2021 schedule, so verify current amounts.
- New one- and two-family dwellings, townhomes, and additions in Pearland are $0.45 per square foot. A 2,000 sq ft home is a $900.00 building permit (2,000 × $0.45 = $900).
- A plan review equal to one-half of the building permit fee is added, so the building-side total for a 2,000 sq ft home is $1,350.00 ($900 + $450). This plan-review-equals-half rule is a defining feature of the Pearland schedule.
- The electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits are priced separately for new construction and additions: electrical is $210.00 for the first 2,500 sq ft (then $7.00 per 100 sq ft over), mechanical is $170.00 for the first 2,500 sq ft (then $3.50 per 100 sq ft), and plumbing is $210.00 for the first 2,500 sq ft (then $7.00 per 100 sq ft). A full new home adds these on top of the building permit.
- A residential alteration or remodel is $130.00 without reconfiguration of space or $190.00 with reconfiguration. A swimming pool is a flat $370.00, a residential accessory structure is $65.00 (minor) or $130.00 (major), and a residential reroof, demolition, fence, or foundation repair permit is $65.00.
- The fees come from the City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026), which replaces the October 1, 2021 schedule. The City's fee page still links the 2021 version and the adopting ordinance number is not printed, so confirm current amounts with Community Development (281-652-1600). Water/wastewater impact fees, parkland dedication, and platting fees are separate and NOT included. Texas has no statewide levy.
Pearland Building Permit Fee Structure
Pearland prices new residential construction per square foot with a plan review equal to one-half of the building permit fee, and prices the trade permits separately by their own square-foot schedules. There is no residential percentage surcharge and no statewide Texas levy. The tables below show the verified figures exactly as published in the City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026).
New construction & alterations (building permit)
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| New 1-2 family dwellings, townhomes & additions - building permit | $0.45 / sq ft |
| Plan review | One-half of the building permit fee |
| Alteration / remodel - without reconfiguration of space | $130.00 |
| Alteration / remodel - with reconfiguration of space | $190.00 |
| Manufactured home placement | $190.00 |
| Residential reroof, demolition, fence, and foundation repair permit | $65.00 |
The building permit above is priced separately from the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits (see the next table). A full new home is the $0.45 per square foot building permit plus its plan review (half the building fee) PLUS the separate MEP permits, so no single all-in new-home figure is stated here.
Trade permits (priced separately)
| Trade permit (new / addition) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical | $210.00 first 2,500 sq ft + $7.00 per 100 sq ft over |
| Mechanical | $170.00 first 2,500 sq ft + $3.50 per 100 sq ft over |
| Plumbing | $210.00 first 2,500 sq ft + $7.00 per 100 sq ft over |
| Trade remodel / alteration (and pool electrical/plumbing), each | $130.00 |
| Other residential trade work, each | $65.00 |
These trade permits are additive to the building permit - they are not bundled into it. For a new home of 2,000 sq ft (under the 2,500 sq ft first tier), the three trade base fees are $210.00 + $170.00 + $210.00 = $590.00.
Flat & other fees
| Permit / fee | Fee |
|---|---|
| Swimming pool | $370.00 |
| Residential accessory structure - minor (one inspection) | $65.00 |
| Residential accessory structure - major (two+ inspections) | $130.00 |
| Residential demolition (reroof/demolition/fence/foundation repair permit) | $65.00 |
| Grading | $125.00 |
| Moving (placement) | $190.00 |
| Re-inspection | $80.00 |
| Processing fee | $30.00 |
| Special inspection (same day / after hours) | $130.00 |
| Temporary certificate of occupancy | $30.00 per review + $65.00 per division inspection |
A swimming pool is a flat $370.00 building permit; its own electrical and plumbing work is a separate $130.00 trade permit each. A residential fence uses the flat $65.00 reroof, demolition, fence, and foundation repair permit. Fire alarm and sprinkler permit fees are not in the posted October 1, 2026 excerpt and are not covered on this page.
Pearland Permit Fee Components
A Pearland residential project is built from a per-square-foot (or flat) building permit, a plan review equal to half the building permit fee, and any separate trade permits. There is no residential percentage surcharge and no statewide Texas levy.
| Component | Amount | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit (new 1-2 family / addition) | $0.45 / sq ft | Per square foot of the dwelling |
| Plan review | 1/2 of building permit fee | Added to the building permit |
| Electrical / mechanical / plumbing permits | Separate SF schedules | Additive to the building permit - not bundled |
| Residential percentage surcharge / state levy | $0.00 | None - Texas has no statewide levy; Pearland adds no residential surcharge |
| Impact / parkland / platting fees | Separate schedules | Excluded - water/wastewater impact fees are due before the building permit |
For a flat-fee project - a pool ($370.00) or an alteration ($130.00/$190.00) - the printed fee is the building-permit cost (a pool's own trade work is a separate $130.00 permit each). For new construction, add the plan review (half the building fee) and the applicable trade permits to the per-square-foot building permit, and confirm current amounts with Community Development before treating any total as final.
Worked Examples
Every figure below is direct from the City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026). Per-square-foot fees produce exact building-permit and plan-review totals; the new-construction example deliberately does not sum a single all-in figure because the trade permits are billed separately. Impact fees and parkland dedication are separate and not included.
Example 1: New 2,000 SF Home (building permit + plan review)
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Building permit | 2,000 SF × $0.45 | $900.00 |
| Plan review | 1/2 × $900.00 | $450.00 |
| Building-side total (exact) | building permit + half-fee plan review | $1,350.00 |
| Electrical + mechanical + plumbing permits | $210 + $170 + $210 | $590.00 additive |
Assumptions: The building permit is $0.45 per square foot; a 2,000 sq ft home is $900.00 (2,000 × $0.45). The plan review is one-half of the building permit fee, adding $450.00, for a $1,350.00 building-side total. The electrical ($210), mechanical ($170), and plumbing ($210) permits for a home under 2,500 sq ft add $590.00 more and are billed separately - this page does not sum a single all-in number. Source: City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026).
Example 2: Remodel with Reconfiguration
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alteration building permit (with reconfiguration) | flat | $190.00 |
| Plan review | 1/2 × $190.00 | $95.00 |
| Building-side total (exact) | alteration + half-fee plan review | $285.00 |
Assumptions: A residential alteration with reconfiguration of space is a flat $190.00 building permit (a remodel without reconfiguration is $130.00). Adding the plan review at one-half of that fee ($95.00) gives a $285.00 building-side total. Any trade work draws a separate $130.00 trade permit each. Source: City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026).
Example 3: Swimming Pool
| Fee Component | Rule Applied | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Swimming pool building permit | flat | $370.00 |
| Pool building permit (exact) | flat fee | $370.00 |
Assumptions: A swimming pool is a flat $370.00 building permit. The pool's own electrical and plumbing work is a separate $130.00 trade permit each, so a pool with both trades is $370.00 + $130.00 + $130.00 = $630.00 before any plan-review charge. The schedule sets plan review at one-half of the building permit fee but does not say whether it applies to a flat pool permit; if it does, it adds $185.00 (half of $370.00), for $815.00. Confirm with Community Development. Source: City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026).
Example 4: Accessory Structure & Demolition
| Project | Rule Applied | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Accessory structure - minor (one inspection) | flat | $65.00 |
| Residential demolition (reroof/demolition/fence/foundation repair permit) | flat | $65.00 |
Assumptions: A minor residential accessory structure (one inspection) is a flat $65.00; a major one (two or more inspections) is $130.00. A residential demolition is $65.00 (the same line covers reroof, fence, and foundation repair). These are flat fees with no residential surcharge, so the figures are exact. Source: City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026).
Read before you budget from these examples
- Schedule conflict: these examples use the schedule effective October 1, 2026, but the City's Permit and Development Fees page still links the October 1, 2021 schedule as of October 22, 2026, and the adopting ordinance number is not printed. Confirm current amounts with Community Development before relying on any figure.
- Plan review is half the building fee: a defining feature of the Pearland schedule - the building-side total is always the building permit plus half of it.
- Trades are separate: the $1,350 new-home figure is the building permit plus plan review only. Electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits ($590 for a home under 2,500 sq ft) are additive.
- Flat fees are the whole building permit: for a pool ($370) or an alteration ($130/$190), the printed fee is the building-permit charge; a pool's own trade work is a separate $130 permit each.
- Excluded fees can dwarf the permit: water/wastewater impact fees (due before the building permit), parkland dedication, and platting fees are separate and not in any figure above.
Practitioner Insight
Pearland's schedule has two features to keep straight. First, the plan review is always one-half of the building permit fee, so the building-side cost is the $0.45 per square foot permit plus 50% - a 2,000 sq ft home is $900 plus $450, or $1,350. Second, the trade permits are richly priced and separate: electrical and plumbing are each $210 for the first 2,500 sq ft and mechanical is $170, so the three trades add $590 to a new home under 2,500 sq ft. Compare a Houston-area neighbor like Pasadena or Baytown for how differently south-metro cities stack these components.
Two cautions. First, the City raised these fees in a schedule effective October 1, 2026, but its Permit and Development Fees page still links the 2021 schedule, so confirm the amounts with Community Development (281-652-1600) before you file. Second, Pearland is a fast-growing suburb where water and wastewater impact fees are due before the building permit at new buildings - those site charges are separate from everything on this page and can be substantial on a new home, so budget them alongside the permit rather than treating the $0.45 per square foot figure as the whole cost.
Permit Requirements - Common Residential Projects in Pearland
| Project Type | Permit Required? | Fee Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| New single-family home / townhome | Yes | $0.45/SF + 1/2 plan review | Building side; MEP trade permits separate |
| Addition | Yes | $0.45/SF + 1/2 plan review | Same as new construction rate |
| Remodel / alteration | Yes | $130 / $190 | $130 without reconfiguration, $190 with |
| Swimming pool | Yes | $370 flat | Pool electrical/plumbing $130 each separate |
| Accessory structure | Yes | $65 / $130 | Minor (one inspection) / major (two+) |
| Demolition (residential) | Yes | $65 flat | Grading $125 separate |
| Electrical / mechanical / plumbing (new) | Yes | $210 / $170 / $210 | First 2,500 sq ft; more per 100 sq ft over |
| Fence (residential) | Yes | $65 flat | Same reroof/demolition/fence/foundation repair permit |
Permit trigger thresholds and project-classification determinations (which square footage counts, whether an alteration involves reconfiguration of space) are set by the City of Pearland Community Development. When uncertain whether a permit is required, contact Community Development before starting work.
City of Pearland Community Development
Community Development (Permits & Inspections)
City of Pearland, Brazoria/Harris/Fort Bend Counties, Texas · 281-652-1600
pearlandtx.gov - Permit and Development Fees
As of October 22, 2026 this page still links the October 1, 2021 schedule - confirm which schedule applies with Community Development
Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026)
Construction Permit Fee Schedule section; adopting ordinance number not printed - confirm current amounts before filing
When This Estimate May Not Apply
The City's fee page still links the 2021 schedule
The City's "Permit and Development Fees" page still links the October 1, 2021 fee schedule as of October 22, 2026. PermitPrice uses the City's separately posted Development Fee Schedule dated "Effective October 1, 2026," which supersedes the 2021 schedule on its face. The adopting ordinance number is not printed in the posted excerpt. Confirm current amounts with Pearland Community Development (281-652-1600) before budgeting or filing.
You are building a new home
The $0.45/sq ft building permit and its half-fee plan review are exact, but the electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits ($590 for a home under 2,500 sq ft) are billed separately and are additive. Add each trade permit rather than treating the building-side figure as the all-in total.
Your home is larger than 2,500 square feet
The trade base fees cover the first 2,500 sq ft. Above that, electrical and plumbing add $7.00 per 100 sq ft and mechanical adds $3.50 per 100 sq ft (or fraction) - for example, a 3,000 sq ft home's electrical permit is $210.00 + 5 × $7.00 = $245.00, higher than the worked example here.
Your project is commercial, not residential
Commercial building permits are valuation-based ($17.50 for the first $1,000 of valuation plus $6.00 per additional $1,000, applied to assigned per-square-foot minimum valuations) - a different model from the residential figures on this page.
Site fees apply to a new build
Water and wastewater impact fees (due before the building permit at new buildings), parkland dedication, and tree-mitigation fees are separate site charges NOT in any figure on this page and can far exceed the building permit on a new home.
Source note: All figures come from the City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2026) - the Construction Permit Fee Schedule section, including the residential building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing schedules - re-read from the posted pearlandtx.gov PDF on October 22, 2026. It sets the residential building permit at $0.45 per square foot for new one- and two-family dwellings, townhomes, and additions, replacing $0.41 in the October 1, 2021 schedule. The City's Permit and Development Fees page still links the 2021 schedule and the adopting ordinance number is not printed, so confirm with Community Development. Water/wastewater impact fees, parkland dedication, platting fees, and commercial permits are not used in any residential worked-example total here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources
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City of Pearland Development Fee Schedule, Effective October 1, 2026 (Construction Permit Fee Schedule, PDF) Pearland, TX - official fee schedule PDF. Primary source for the $0.45/SF residential rate, the half-fee plan review, the separate trade schedules, and every flat fee on this page. Re-verified October 22, 2026; adopting ordinance number not printed in the posted excerpt effective Oct 1, 2026 - city fee page still links 2021 version
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City of Pearland - Permit and Development Fees page City page that, as of October 22, 2026, still links the superseded October 1, 2021 Development Fee Schedule. Listed to disclose the conflict; PermitPrice uses the dated October 1, 2026 schedule above. Community Development: 281-652-1600.
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Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 214 (statutes.capitol.texas.gov) Texas .gov statutory context: Texas municipalities regulate building construction and adopt their own permit fee schedules by ordinance, and Texas imposes no statewide building-permit levy - which is why the Pearland schedule is the whole permit cost. Verified July 2026.
See how Pearland's per-square-foot fees compare to other Houston-area Texas cities, or estimate fees in covered jurisdictions.
Permit Fees Are One Part of Your Project Budget
Once you know your Pearland permit cost, two related numbers round out your total budget picture:
Property tax impact after your project closes
A permitted addition or pool increases your assessed value in Brazoria County. A permitted project may change the property's taxable value. The county appraisal district determines that value and local taxing units adopt the rates, both separately from this permit fee.
Impact and utility fees for larger projects
Water and wastewater impact fees in Pearland are due before the building permit and are separate from it. These items are governed by fee schedules separate from the building permit and are not included in the figures above.
These charges are administered separately from the building permit fee, though the responsible office and billing process vary by jurisdiction. See which tool covers each charge →