County Building Permits
El Paso County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated El Paso County, Texas. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Unincorporated areas of El Paso County. El Paso County administers a limited residential inspection program under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 233, Subchapter F for certain residential construction, and separately requires county permits for right-of-way work such as driveways, sidewalks, and road cuts.
- Department
- El Paso County Planning and Development, Inspections and Enforcement Division
- Address
- Office of Public Works, 800 E Overland, Suite 200, El Paso, Texas 79901
- Phone
- (915) 273-3330
- planning@epcounty.com
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Smartsheet and Mixed Submission Methods • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Confirm the project site is in unincorporated El Paso County rather than inside a municipality, because municipal permit rules control inside incorporated city limits.
- Determine whether the project falls into one of the county-administered categories: HB 2833 residential inspection program work, driveway or sidewalk work in county right-of-way, or road-cut work.
- For covered residential construction in the unincorporated area, file the county Commencement of Residential Construction notice before work starts and file the Completion of Residential Construction notice when work finishes.
- For driveway, sidewalk, or road-cut work in county right-of-way, obtain the applicable county permit before starting work. Submit road-cut applications through the county's online Smartsheet form.
- For residential inspection program work, ensure the project meets the county's adopted residential inspection standards and coordinate required inspections.
Typical processing time: No general turnaround published on county page; confirm directly with Planning and Development.
Source: El Paso County Planning and Development, Inspections and Enforcement Division
General Requirements
County permits are required in advance for driveway installation and modification, sidewalks, and other work in the public right-of-way. Road-cut work requires a permit before work begins. For residential construction in the unincorporated area, the county runs a residential inspection program for certain projects under Chapter 233, Subchapter F rather than a general county building-permit system.
Required Documents
- For residential program: Commencement and completion forms
- For right-of-way work: Online permit application
- Compliance materials as required by county inspector
- Permit validity
- Not clearly stated on county page; confirm directly with Planning and Development.
- Building code
- HB 2833 allows the county to require building-code standards and inspections for certain residential construction. The county uses an adopted residential building inspection code order; the county does not present itself as a full-service building department for all unincorporated construction.
- Owner-builder
- Not separately stated on county page.
- Contractor requirements
- No general county contractor-licensing rule identified on county page.
Fees
- Payment note
- Not clearly stated on county page.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the El Paso County Planning and Development, Inspections and Enforcement Division to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Call El Paso County inspector after permit issuance (phone)
- Inspection hours
- Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Typical inspection sequence: For residential inspection-program work, inspections are tied to the county's adopted residential inspection program. For right-of-way permits, a county inspector approves construction.
Additional Resources
- Building code: HB 2833 allows the county to require building-code standards and inspections for certain residential construction. The county uses an adopted residential building inspection code order; the county does not present itself as a full-service building department for all unincorporated construction.
- County Right-of-Way Cut and Entry Policy
- Driveway Permit Order
- License lookup guide: Texas Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Texas Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Texas hub: Texas Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the El Paso County Planning and Development, Inspections and Enforcement Division before applying.
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