Building Inspection Division

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Building Inspection Division

The Building Inspection Services Division of the City of Round Rock is dedicated to maintaining professional standards and ensuring customer satisfaction. This is accomplished by protecting the community’s health and safety through enforcement of the City’s Building Code, Code of Ordinances, and other relevant codes.

Contact Us:

512-218-5550
Office Hours: Monday through Friday, – 7:00 am to 4:00 pm
301 W Bagdad Ave, Suite 100, Round Rock, TX 78664
Email Building Inspections
2026 Holiday Schedule

James Shine
Chief Building Official
512-218-5550
Email

When is a Building Permit Required?

If you are planning to work on any building or structure within the City of Round Rock or in the Chandler Creek and Vista Oaks Municipal Utility Districts, you will need to obtain a building permit. This applies to construction, installation, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, replacement of any electrical, gas, mechanical, or plumbing systems, and changing the occupancy of a building. To determine whether your project requires a permit, contact our Development Technicians at 512-218-5550.

It’s important to note that Round Rock strictly follows a one-permit system. To avoid delays in your project, all relevant contractors must be included in the permit application before it can be issued. Under the one-permit system, the permit becomes invalid if the authorized work or construction is not commenced within six months.

All contractors and subcontractors applying for a building permit must be registered. No registration fee or annual fee is required.

Information Regarding Carports and / or other Accessory Structures

Accessory structures—such as carports, storage sheds, pergolas, pools, or similar—are permitted only on side or rear yards. These structures are not allowed in front yards or over driveways in front of a home.

Additionally, they must not encroach upon building setbacks or any type of easement, including but not limited to Public Utility Easements (PUE), drainage easements, and easements for water, sewer, or stormwater systems.

Note: A small percentage of properties within the city limits exceed the dimensions of standard lot sizes and may be able to accommodate an attached carport in front of the home. If you believe your lot is unique in size or have questions regarding the appropriate placement of an accessory structure, please email us a copy of your survey to buildingpermits@roundrocktexas.gov and mark the proposed location. A Building Inspection team member will respond to your request.

If allowed and before constructing or placing the carport, the property owner—or their authorized representative—must submit an Accessory Structure building application to the City of Round Rock Building Inspections Office and obtain the required permit. The City of Round Rock operates under a combined (one-permit) system, which means that any associated electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work must be included in the same permit.

The maximum permitted height for any accessory structure is 15 feet 0 inches, measured from the existing ground level to the highest point of the roof.

Permitting and inspection requirements for new commercial and multifamily structures under the commercial building code. Usually concurrent with Site Development Permit.

Permitting and inspection requirements for additions or structural modifications to commercial and multifamily buildings under the commercial building code (e.g. tenant finish-outs).

Permitting and inspection requirements for new structures under the residential building code.

Permitting and inspection requirements for additions or structural modifications to existing structures under the residential building code.

Homeowners may serve as contractors and perform work on their own primary residence even if unlicensed. Standard building codes, fees, permitting and inspection requirements apply.

Standalone permits authorize licensed contractors to perform plumbing, electrical or mechanical work that is not part of a larger construction or remodeling project.

Permitting and inspection requirements for specific commercial and residential construction projects not affecting occupied structures (e.g., solar PV systems, decks, sheds, pools, etc.).

FAQs and Other Relevant Information

FAQ's:

How do I pay a permit fee? Click HERE
How do I obtain information on a review, an inspection, and or comments? Click HERE
How do I upload revisions? Click HERE
How do I add (include) a GC and/or subcontractors to my application? Click HERE
How can I check whether the GC and/or subcontractors have accepted their assignments? Click HERE
How do I confirm an assignment that I’ve been included on as a GC or subcontractor? Click HERE
How do I request an inspection? Click HERE
How do I verify if my inspection request went through? Click HERE and skip to page 3, #7
How can I cancel an inspection? Click HERE and skip to page 4, #8
How do I print an inspection report? Click HERE
How do I print out my issued permit and approved plans? Click HERE
How can I obtain the information for my assigned inspector? Click HERE
How do I register as a contractor? Click HERE
Do I need to pull a permit if my shed is under 200 SF and 15 feet or less in height? Yes, per the City of Round Rock Code of Ordinances, a permit is required as it is considered an Accessory Structure.
Who do I contact if my address is outside city limits, ETJ, or Williamson County, and I want to build a structure or make changes to my home? First, please call the Building Inspection Division at 512-218-5550 to verify that your address is located outside the city limits, within an ETJ, or in Williamson County. We will guide you from there.
Can I park on my grass? Please contact Code Enforcement at 512-341-3329.
Do I need a permit to build or repair my fence? Please contact Code Enforcement at 512-341-3329.

Currently Adopted Codes:

Codes are available through the International Code Council (http://www.iccsafe.org/).

Note on Food Service Projects:

The Williamson County and Cities Health District (WCCHD) also must review plans for any projects involving food service (including restaurants, bars, food trucks, convenience stores, day care facilities, etc.). The food establishment permit application and food establishment plan review application forms are available on the WCCHD website, along with application instructions.

Note on Historic Properties:

Certificates of Appropriateness are required before the Issuance of a Building Permit.

Properties that require a historic review are identified through Historic Overlay Zoning. Alterations to all structures or sites with Historic Overlay Zoning require a Certificate of Appropriateness before the issuance of a building permit. Historic review applies to all structures on a site, including fences and accessory structures.

Preservation staff are available to discuss projects on all historic-age properties (even those without historic overlay zoning) and can provide technical references to help avoid damage. Contact the Planning and Development Services desk at 512-218-5428 to discuss alterations to a historic property and/or the Certificate of Appropriateness process.

Utility Provider Contacts:

Gas (ATMOS): 1-888-460-3030

Electricity (ONCOR): 1-866-797-4839

Water Utility Billing (CORR): 512-218-5460