Arlington building department

Arlington Planning and Development Services (P&DS) handles building permits, plan review, inspections, zoning, platting, health permits, and certificates of occupancy for property inside Arlington city limits. Its walk-in counter is the One Start Center on the second floor of City Hall, and nearly every application, payment, and inspection request goes through ArlingtonPermits.com. Unincorporated Tarrant County and neighboring cities have their own permit offices, so check which jurisdiction your parcel is in before you apply.

What needs a permit in Arlington

The City’s permitting guide lists these permit categories: certificate of occupancy, certified pool operator, commercial building, concrete/foundation, electrical, fence, fire, health, home-based business, irrigation, plumbing, residential building, roofing and solar panels, signs, special events, storage buildings, swimming pools, and windows/doors.

The City’s DIY permit guide and the Code Compliance single-family reference guide add these thresholds:

Project	Arlington rule
Storage shed	A permit is required for sheds over 100 sq. ft.
Fence repair	A permit is required when 50% or more of one length of fence along a property line is repaired or replaced. Smaller repairs must keep the same location, dimensions, and material.
Door replacement	Replacing a single opaque door up to 24 sq. ft. needs no permit. Other window and door replacements need a permit and the City’s replacement worksheet.
Cosmetic work	Flooring, wallpaper, and paint need no permit.
Remodels	Kitchen and bath remodels, wall removals, garage conversions, and structural changes need a permit.
Drive approaches and carports	Both need a permit. Carport placement, size, and materials depend on zoning and the year the home was built.

Setbacks are in Section 2.2 of the Unified Development Code (UDC), and the City’s online zoning map shows each lot’s district. Home-based businesses must also register through ArlingtonPermits.com. For general guidance, see do I need a permit for a shed.

Applying through ArlingtonPermits

You need an ArlingtonPermits account to apply, upload documents, pay fees, check status, and request or cancel inspections. Paper applications are still accepted at the One Start Center, but the City asks that all trade validations be filed online. Plans examiners, planners, and engineers meet with applicants at the One Start Center to talk through projects before submittal.

The Permit Applications & Forms page has separate Commercial and Residential Permit Plan Submittal Requirements checklists, plus a residential door and window replacement schedule. Send plan-revision questions to [email protected]. Commercial projects may need site-plan or public-improvement review before a building permit can be issued. Staff do not quote permit fees over the phone.

Fees (schedule effective October 1, 2025)

Arlington adopted its first comprehensive fee update since 2008 in two phases: July 15, 2025 (trade, zoning, platting, signs, and health) and October 1, 2025 (building permits, plan review, and certificates of occupancy). Under Resolution No. 25-258:

• Commercial and multifamily permits are priced by declared valuation using Table 1, starting at $325.00 for work up to $2,000. The fee is $1,119.50 for the first $100,000 plus $6.50 for each additional $1,000, up to $500,000.
• One- and two-family new construction, additions, alterations, and remodels are priced by square footage using Table 2. Up to 500 sq. ft., the fee is $1.00 per sq. ft. or $300.00, whichever is greater. From 501 to 1,000 sq. ft., it is $500.00 plus $0.75 per sq. ft. From 1,001 to 2,000 sq. ft., it is $875.00 plus $0.50 per sq. ft. Larger tiers are on the schedule.
• Detached garages, boat docks, retaining walls, and permanent accessory buildings over 320 sq. ft. are valued at $75.00 per sq. ft. and then priced using Table 1.
• Plan review is a non-refundable fee equal to 35% of the building permit fee, due at submittal. An application is not considered received until this fee is paid.

Adopted codes

Ordinances adopted November 1, 2022 brought the following codes into effect on January 1, 2023, each with local amendments:

• 2021 editions of the International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Energy Conservation, Swimming Pool and Spa, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, and Fire Codes
• the 2020 National Electrical Code

The amendments are in the Construction, Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical, and Fire Prevention chapters of the City Code. Rick Ripley is the Chief Building Official, (817) 459-6521.

Inspections

Request inspections on ArlingtonPermits.com or through the 24-hour inspection hotline at (817) 261-8817. Requests made after 7:00 a.m. are scheduled for the next business day. You can ask for an AM or PM slot. Once the inspector routes the day’s stops, a three-hour arrival window appears online, and contractors can opt in to text notifications. When a permit is validated under a general contractor, only the GC should call in inspections.

Certificates of occupancy

A building or tenant space cannot be occupied until P&DS issues a certificate of occupancy. The City’s January 2024 technical bulletin says CO application review takes about 2–3 business days. Building and fire inspectors need full access to the space, and a change of use triggers a separate review that can cover egress, occupant load, fire protection, plumbing, and parking.

Related offices

• Fire Prevention (Fire Marshal’s Office): 405 W. Main St., (817) 459-5539. It reviews fire alarm, sprinkler, and fire-access plans under its construction guides.
• Health permits: Food establishments get their health permits from P&DS Health Services, which shares the main line, (817) 459-6502.