Do You Need a Permit in El Paso? The City's Own Rules by Project
In the City of El Paso, Texas, a building permit from the City's One Stop Shop is required to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a structure, and El Paso's amended code exempts a short list of small jobs. El Paso County issues no building permits. Inside the City, Sage Intelligence pulls the permit for its own scope.
The permit list most websites repeat is the model code's. El Paso amended it.
The City of El Paso adopted the 2021 International Residential Code and then rewrote its list of work exempt from permit: a masonry wall is exempt only to 42 inches, retaining walls are not on the list at all, and replacing less than a quarter of a roof covering is. This page puts the City's own rules in one place, each with its Municipal Code section, so you can see which City rules your project touches before anyone prices it.
The City decides what your specific job needs. What follows are the triggers it uses, read from the El Paso Municipal Code and the City's own handouts on September 27 and 28, 2026.
Which office issues my building permit: the City, another town, or the County?
It depends on where the lot sits: inside the City limits, the City of El Paso issues it; Horizon City and Socorro issue their own; and El Paso County issues no building permits at all.
Inside the City, permits come from Planning and Inspections at the One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Ave., El Paso, TX 79901, 915-212-0104, OSSHelp@elpasotexas.gov. The call center is open Monday - Thursday 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 8:00 - 11:30 a.m., and the lobby Monday - Thursday 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. and Friday 8:00 - 11:30 a.m. (hours effective October 30, 2023). Applications, plans and permit status run through the City's Citizen Access Portal.
El Paso County states that Texas law does not let it issue building permits and that it has no zoning authority. The County does issue road cut, driveway, on-site sewage facility, grading and drainage, floodplain development and plat compliance permits, and it points residents of unincorporated areas to Emergency Services District No. 1 or No. 2 for building permit guidance.
A mailing address that reads El Paso does not always mean the lot is inside the City limits. If you are unsure which side of the line your lot is on, the One Stop Shop can tell you for the address, and for any other town in the county, its town hall is the place to ask.
Every other rule on this page is the City of El Paso's unless it names a state or federal law. Sage's registration, LCCR26-00183, is with the City of El Paso, and everything this page says about Sage pulling permits applies to addresses inside the City.
Does El Paso use the standard IRC permit exemptions?
No: El Paso adopted the 2021 International Residential Code but replaced the model code's list of work exempt from permit, section R105.2, with its own list (EPMC 18.10.040).
The differences land on the most common El Paso yard projects. A rock or block wall is the usual backyard fence here, and the City's exemption for it stops at 42 inches, not 7 feet. Retaining walls and small freestanding decks, both exempt in the model code up to a size, are not on El Paso's list at all. El Paso's walk and driveway exemption covers concrete only, where the model code's names sidewalks and driveways with no material. El Paso also adds an exemption the model code does not have: replacing less than 25 percent of a home's roof covering.
The first sentence of the City's list matters as much as the list: an exemption from the permit is not permission to build outside the code or any other City rule (EPMC 18.10.040). A shed that needs no permit still has to meet zoning, and a wall under 42 inches still has to sit fully on your lot.
| Item | 2021 model code (IRC R105.2) | City of El Paso (EPMC 18.10.040) |
|---|---|---|
| Detached accessory structure | One story, floor area up to 200 sq ft | One story, under 200 sq ft, rear yard only, 5 ft from other structures eave to eave, one per site |
| Fences and walls | Fences up to 7 ft | Masonry walls and fences up to 42 in; chain link or wrought iron fences up to 6 ft |
| Retaining walls | Up to 4 ft, bottom of footing to top of wall, unless supporting a surcharge | Not on the list |
| Walks and driveways | Sidewalks and driveways, no material named | Concrete walks, slabs on grade and driveways only, up to 30 in above grade, not over a basement, not carrying future construction, not in the public right of way |
| Pools | Prefabricated pools under 24 in deep | Pools, wading pools and ponds under 24 in deep and under 5,000 gal |
| Decks | Freestanding, up to 200 sq ft and 30 in above grade | Not on the list |
| Window awnings | Wall-supported, projecting up to 54 in | Not on the list; the City's sheet lists awnings as permitted work |
| Roof covering | Not on the list | Replacing less than 25 percent of a home's roof covering |
| Swings and playground equipment | Exempt | Exempt |
Which projects need a City of El Paso permit?
Any project that builds, enlarges, alters, repairs, moves or demolishes a structure needs a City permit before work starts unless it is on the exemption list (EPMC 18.02.105.1; 18.10.040). The table gives the City's rule for each common project with its code section, and each row links to the page that covers that project in depth. The City decides what your specific job needs; these are the triggers it uses.
| Project | No permit needed when | Permit needed when | City source | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pergolas, ramadas, gazebos and patio covers | One one-story detached canopy or structure in the rear yard, under 200 sq ft, at least 5 ft from any other structure eave to eave, one per site, and not over a utility easement. | An attached patio cover, a second accessory structure on the site, or anything larger, taller or outside the rear yard. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 1); EPMC 18.10.350 (IRC Appendix AH, Patio Covers, adopted in full); City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?" | Pergolas and patio covers → |
| Carports | None listed. | Every carport, porch and awning. On a dwelling or apartment site an open carport up to 150 sq ft may extend up to 10 ft into the required front yard (EPMC 20.12.040(B)(4)); a carport over a driveway that is larger or reaches farther needs a Zoning Board of Adjustment special exception (EPMC 2.16.050(J)). | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?"; EPMC 20.12.040(B)(4); EPMC 2.16.050(J) | Carports → |
| Sheds and storage buildings | One one-story storage building in the rear yard, under 200 sq ft, at least 5 ft from any other structure eave to eave, one per site, and not over a utility easement. | A second accessory building on the site, or one of 200 sq ft or more. Zoning limits on height, placement and total floor area apply either way. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 1); EPMC 20.10.030(A); City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?" | On this page → |
| Rock walls, block walls and masonry fences | Up to 42 in high, measured from the high side, fully on the lot and meeting zoning. | Over 42 in. Zoning sets separate height limits by location on the lot. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 2); EPMC 20.16.030 | Rock and block walls → |
| Wrought iron and chain link fences | Up to 6 ft high, fully on the lot and meeting zoning. | Over 6 ft. Zoning sets separate height limits by location on the lot. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 2a); EPMC 20.16.030 | Wrought iron fences and gates → |
| Retaining walls | Not on the City's exemption list. | Confirmed with the City for the specific wall before block is ordered. The grading chapter also sets design rules for retaining walls. | EPMC 18.10.040 (not listed); EPMC 18.44.200(A)(10) | Retaining walls → |
| Concrete patios, walks, slabs and driveways | Concrete walks, slabs on grade (a poured patio slab included) and driveways up to 30 in above grade that are not over a basement, will not carry future construction and are not in the public right of way. | A slab poured to carry a future structure, anything higher, and any work on a City sidewalk or curb, including a curb cut for a new driveway. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 3); EPMC 13.12.020; City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?" | Concrete driveways and patios → |
| Planting, decorative rock, sod and artificial turf | Not stated: the City's exemption list does not mention them. | Not stated until the City confirms. Installing an irrigation system needs its own City permit (EPMC 18.47.040), pulled by the licensed irrigator who installs it, or by an owner doing the work at their own home. | EPMC 18.10.040 (not listed); EPMC 18.47.040 | Xeriscape and desert landscaping → |
| Outdoor kitchens | Not stated as a category on the City's list. | Gas and electrical work, each under its own permit pulled by the licensed plumber or electrician. A roof or cover over it follows the patio cover row. | EPMC 18.02.105.4 | Outdoor kitchens → |
| Pools, wading pools and ponds | In-ground or above ground, under 24 in deep and holding under 5,000 gal. | Deeper or larger. A residential swimming pool permit expires six months from issue, with no extension. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 6); EPMC 18.02.105.23 | On this page → |
| Swings and playground equipment | Exempt. | No building permit required. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 8) | On this page → |
| Re-roofing and roof repair | Replacing less than 25 percent of a home's existing roof covering. | Replacing 25 percent or more. A residential roofing permit expires one month from issue, with no extension. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 7); EPMC 18.02.105.23 | Roofing → |
| Exterior window and door replacement | None listed. | Replacing exterior windows or doors. A residential window replacement permit expires one month from issue, with no extension. | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?"; EPMC 18.02.105.23 | Windows and doors → |
| Painting, papering, siding and similar finish work | Ordinary minor nonstructural finish work. | When the work becomes structural: the City's sheet lists interior and exterior remodeling that requires a structural change. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 4); City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?" | House painting → |
| Walls, partitions, cabinets and counters | Movable cases, cabinets, counters and partitions up to 5 ft 9 in that do not form a corridor. | Partitions and walls over 5 ft 9 in. | EPMC 18.10.040 (Building item 5); City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?" | Drywall → |
| Kitchen remodels | Finish work, and movable cabinets and counters, with no structural, plumbing, electrical, gas or mechanical change. | A structural change. Plumbing, electrical, gas or mechanical changes carry separate permits, each pulled by the licensed trade. | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?"; EPMC 18.02.105.4 | Kitchen remodels → |
| Bathroom remodels | Finish work, and movable cabinets and counters, with no structural, plumbing, electrical or mechanical change. | A structural change. Plumbing, electrical or mechanical changes carry separate permits, each pulled by the licensed trade. | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?"; EPMC 18.02.105.4 | Bathroom remodels → |
| Garage conversions | None listed. | Every garage conversion. | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?" | Garage conversions → |
| Room additions and patio enclosures | None listed. | Every addition, including enclosing a patio into a room, because it alters and enlarges the building. | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?"; EPMC 18.02.105.1 | Room additions → |
| Casitas and ADUs, attached or detached | None listed. | Every casita or accessory dwelling unit, attached or detached. Zoning decides what fits the lot. | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?"; EPMC 20.10.035 | Casitas and ADUs → |
| Demolition and partial demolition | None listed. | Demolishing or partly demolishing a house or commercial building, including removing any load-supporting member. The permit runs 90 days, and a complete or interior demolition application includes a hazardous material report. | EPMC 18.02.108.1 | Demolition → |
| Dumpsters and PODs | On your property for 7 days or less. | On your property longer than 7 days, or on a City street for any length of time. | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?" | On this page → |
| Work on a landmark or in a historic district | Historic review can apply even to work that needs no building permit; the City's Historic Preservation Office decides which work it reviews. | Construction, alteration, removal or demolition is reviewed first, and no building permit issues until a certificate of appropriateness or administrative approval is granted. | City sheet "When Do I Need a Permit?"; EPMC 20.20.020(A)(3); EPMC 20.20.080(A) - (B) | Historic districts → |
Which small repairs need a permit in El Paso?
Painting, papering, siding and similar finish work, and replacing a switch, receptacle or light fixture without altering the system, need no permit in El Paso, while a structural change, a quarter or more of the roof covering, a partition over 5 ft 9 in, exterior windows and doors, and new circuits, piping, gas or mechanical work generally do (EPMC 18.10.040; City sheet).
- Painting, papering, siding and similar finish work: no permit (EPMC 18.10.040, Building item 4). House painting →
- Cabinets, counters and partitions: none if movable, not over 5 ft 9 in and not forming a corridor; walls and partitions over 5 ft 9 in need one (EPMC 18.10.040, Building item 5; City sheet). Drywall →
- Kitchen and bath remodels: a permit when the remodel changes structure, and separate trade permits for any plumbing, electrical, gas or mechanical change (City sheet; EPMC 18.02.105.4). Kitchen remodels → · Bathroom remodels →
- Roof patching: none under 25 percent of the roof covering; a permit at 25 percent or more (EPMC 18.10.040, Building item 7). Roofing →
- Exterior windows and doors: a permit to replace them (City sheet). Windows and doors →
- Switches, fixtures, fans and small plumbing repairs: several need no permit, and who may do them is set out in the trade permit block (City sheet; EPMC 18.10.040, Electrical and Plumbing items). How the City handles trade permits →
- Swings and other playground equipment: no permit (EPMC 18.10.040, Building item 8).
- A list of small repairs handled in one visit; inside the City of El Paso, Sage pulls the permit its own scope requires, and any item that needs a licensed trade is permitted by that trade. Home repairs and small jobs →
In a home built before 1978, a federal rule covers paid work that disturbs painted surfaces, whether or not the City requires a permit; the painting page explains it. Tell us the year your home was built when you send photos.
Do I need a permit for a shed in El Paso?
Not for one shed that is one story, under 200 square feet, in the rear yard and at least 5 feet from any other structure eave to eave; a second accessory building on the lot, or a bigger one, needs a permit (EPMC 18.10.040, Building item 1).
The City's sheet adds that a permit-exempt accessory structure may not sit over a utility easement, and the exemption covers only one accessory building per site (EPMC 18.10.040).
Exempt from the permit is not exempt from zoning. A residential accessory building is limited to one story or 15 feet, sits in the rear yard or in a side yard that keeps the required setbacks, and stands at least 60 feet from the front lot line and 5 feet from the house; one closer than 5 feet to the house is treated as part of the house. All detached accessory buildings together may not exceed the smaller of 50 percent of the house's floor area or 40 percent of the rear yard, though one building up to 400 square feet is allowed even above that cap (EPMC 20.10.030(A)).
The model code's shed exemption has none of the rear-yard, spacing or one-per-site conditions; El Paso's has all three.
Do I need a permit for a pool in El Paso?
Not for a pool, wading pool or pond, in-ground or above ground, that is under 24 inches deep and holds less than 5,000 gallons; anything deeper or larger needs a City permit (EPMC 18.10.040, Building item 6; City sheet).
El Paso's exemption differs from the model code's both ways: it covers ponds and in-ground pools, not only prefabricated pools, and it adds the 5,000 gallon limit.
A residential swimming pool permit expires six months from issue, with no extension and no completion permit (EPMC 18.02.105.23). The City has adopted the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (City adopted codes list).
Each licensed trade pulls its own permit; see How the City handles trade permits.
Can I keep a dumpster in my driveway during a remodel in El Paso?
Yes, for up to 7 days without a permit: a dumpster or POD kept on your property longer than 7 days needs a City permit, and one placed on a City street needs a permit from the first day (City sheet).
The same City sheet lists any work on City sidewalks or streets, and any rental of sidewalk or street space, as permitted work, and the fee chapter sets the rental charges (EPMC 18.02.106.23). Construction site waste has to be managed and disposed of under the City's solid waste chapter and the state's rules (EPMC 18.02.112.1). An HOA's rules on containers are separate from the City's.
A demolition or partial demolition, including removing any load-supporting member, needs its own City permit, and a complete or interior demolition application includes a hazardous material report (EPMC 18.02.108.1). The demolition page covers the rest of that rule.
Do I need City approval to work on a historic property even without a building permit?
It can: on a designated landmark or a property in a historic district, the City's sheet says construction, alteration, removal or demolition is reviewed by City staff for historic appropriateness even when no building permit is required, and no building permit is issued until a certificate of appropriateness or an administrative approval is granted (City sheet; EPMC 20.20.080(A) - (B)).
The ordinance leaves ordinary repair and maintenance out of what counts as an alteration (EPMC 20.20.020(A)(3)), and the City's Historic Preservation Office decides which work it reviews for an address.
The certificate adds to the building permit and never replaces it (EPMC 20.20.080(B)). Review follows the design guidelines City Council adopted for the district; where a district has none, the guidelines of the most similar district apply, and after that the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation (EPMC 20.20.080(C)).
Which districts are covered, what the review looks at and how long it takes are on the whole-home remodel page.
Who pulls the permit in El Paso, me or my contractor?
Either one can: the City issues building permits to contractors registered with it and to owners on proof of ownership, and whoever holds the permit is the one the City deals with on inspections and corrections (City sheet; EPMC 18.02.107.1).
A permit belongs to the person who pulled it. It cannot be assigned or transferred to another person, builder, owner or contractor, and a registered contractor may not pull a permit on behalf of an unregistered one (EPMC 18.02.105.21).
When an owner acts as the contractor, the City's owner information sheet spells out what comes with the role: the owner schedules and completes the inspections, and is responsible if a worker is hurt on the property, if materials are wrong, stolen or vandalized, or if a subcontractor leaves, does not finish, works outside the permit or does work that fails the code. The same sheet notes that the City cannot act against a subcontractor when the permit was issued to the owner (City owner declaration and information sheet, March 2015).
Plenty of owners pull permits for work they do themselves. The City's sheet exists so the choice is made knowing where the responsibility sits.
Each licensed trade pulls its own permit; see How the City handles trade permits.
Can a homeowner pull their own building permit in El Paso?
Yes: the City issues a building permit to a homeowner on proof of ownership, and its owner declaration is written for a home the owner owns and lives in (City sheet; City owner declaration).
The owner declaration requires any subcontractor the owner hires to be registered with the City and to carry the required bond, insurance and permits (City owner declaration). Each licensed trade pulls its own permit; see How the City handles trade permits.
New construction under a homeowner permit carries the same liability insurance requirement as a contractor's permit (EPMC 18.02.104.9; 18.02.104.10). The owner declaration is signed before a notary, and the City also publishes a Homeowner and Authorization Affidavit for Building Permit online.
Does my contractor have to be registered with the City of El Paso, and how do I check?
Yes, to pull permits: a contractor files a registration with the City every year to be eligible to apply for and obtain El Paso permits (EPMC 18.02.104.2), and you can check one in the City's Citizen Access Portal or by calling the One Stop Shop at 915-212-0104.
In the portal, the search for registered contractors looks a company up by business name, and the registration type for a general contractor is listed as Contractor General (City Citizen Access Portal, checked September 27, 2026).
Registration comes with conditions. A registered contractor keeps a bond on file with the City and shows proof of liability insurance before it can apply for a permit (EPMC 18.02.104.7; 18.02.104.9), and its registration names the people authorized to pull permits for the company (EPMC 18.02.104.3).
A City registration is not a trade license. Each licensed trade pulls its own permit; see How the City handles trade permits. That block also shows where each trade can be checked.
Sage Intelligence's City of El Paso registration number is LCCR26-00183.
Why does one project carry several permits?
Because the City issues a separate permit for each kind of work: building, gas, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, irrigation and fire protection work each carry their own (EPMC 18.02.105.4). The building permit goes to the City-registered contractor or the owner, and each trade permit to the licensed trade doing that work (City sheet; EPMC 18.02.104.6).
A City registration is not a trade license. The City's code bars anyone but the licensed trades from installing, maintaining or repairing electrical, plumbing, gas, mechanical or irrigation systems where a permit is required, or from contracting to do so, apart from the irrigation exception below, and a fire protection contractor needs a registration from the State Fire Marshal's Office (EPMC 18.02.104.6). Electricians and air conditioning contractors can be checked with TDLR, plumbers with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, and landscape irrigators with TCEQ.
Some small trade repairs need no permit at all. Replacing a switch, receptacle, fuse, fan or light fixture without altering the electrical, mechanical or plumbing system needs none (City sheet; EPMC 18.10.040, Electrical item 3). Adding a ceiling fan, light fixture or receptacle to an existing circuit with capacity in a one- or two-family home is exempt only when the homeowner does it at their primary residence or a licensed electrician does it (EPMC 18.10.040, Electrical item 4). Clearing a stoppage, stopping or repairing a leak, and pulling and resetting a toilet need no plumbing permit as long as no valve, pipe or fixture is replaced or rearranged, while replacing a defective concealed pipe is new work with a permit and an inspection (EPMC 18.10.040, Plumbing items 1 - 2).
Where a leak has already damaged the home, one more rule applies. Your claim stays between you and your carrier. Texas law bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster on a property it may work on, and from waiving or covering an insurance deductible (Tex. Ins. Code 4102.163; Tex. Bus. & Com. Code 27.02).
Irrigation is the one exception on the City's sheet: it does not limit irrigation permits to City-registered contractors. Texas exempts a property owner doing irrigation work at their own home from the irrigator license, though installing an irrigation system inside the City still takes a City permit (Tex. Occ. Code 1903.002(c)(1); EPMC 18.47.030 - 18.47.040).
When someone else does the work for you, a TCEQ licensed irrigator (irrigator license numbers begin with LI) designs and installs the system and pulls the City permit, under a contract you hold with them directly. The irrigator license covers selling, designing, installing, repairing and even advice on a system, and a licensed plumber is also exempt from it (Tex. Occ. Code 1903.002(b)(1), 1903.251; 30 TAC 344.70(b); EPMC 18.02.104.6).
The same split holds for a pool and for unpermitted work. A pool's electrical bonding, pump wiring, plumbing and any gas heater are licensed trade work, each under its own permit, and wiring, plumbing, gas or mechanical work found in an unpermitted room is corrected and permitted by the licensed trade for that system (EPMC 18.02.104.6; 18.02.105.4).
When Sage builds a project at an address inside the City of El Paso, Sage pulls the permit for its own scope under its City registration, LCCR26-00183, and each licensed trade performs its own work under its own license and permit, on a schedule Sage coordinates, while Sage stays your one point of contact.
How long is an El Paso building permit good for?
An El Paso building permit stays valid while the work keeps moving: it expires if work does not start within 6 months of issue, stops for 6 months, or goes 6 months without an inspection (EPMC 18.02.105.23).
Some residential permits run on a much shorter clock. Residential roofing, window replacement, water heater replacement and air conditioning conversion permits expire one month from issue, and residential fence and swimming pool permits six months from issue, with no extension and no completion permit for any of them (EPMC 18.02.105.23).
The roofing and windows pages explain how a job is planned around that one-month clock.
A demolition permit runs on its own 90-day clock (EPMC 18.02.108.1), covered on the demolition page.
My permit expired before the job was finished. What now?
Before it expires, the permit holder can ask in writing, with justifiable cause, for up to two extensions of up to 180 days each, with no fee to extend an unexpired permit; after it expires, a completion permit can be issued within one year, as long as the plans have not changed, need no new review and still meet current code (EPMC 18.02.105.23).
An expired trade permit is renewed only together with the expired master building permit, and the one-month and six-month residential permit types (roofing, windows, water heaters, air conditioning conversions, fences and pools) get no extension and no completion permit (EPMC 18.02.105.23).
If the person who pulled the permit is no longer on the job, the permit does not pass to whoever finishes it, because permits cannot be transferred (EPMC 18.02.105.21). Past the one-year window, or with changed plans, the completion route in the code no longer applies, and the path for the remaining work is the City's call for that address.
If you want Sage to finish a job someone else started, the paid on-site Feasibility Audit looks at the work in place and puts the findings and the permit path for a City of El Paso address in writing. Tell us the year the home was built when you send photos.
What hours can contractors work in El Paso?
Permitted work in El Paso may run Monday through Saturday, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and work on Sundays, legal holidays or outside those hours needs an after-hours construction permit (EPMC 18.02.105.20.1).
The after-hours permit is not automatic. The application is filed seven days before the work with a written reason, and it is granted on urgent necessity, the public interest, or a showing that the neighborhood's peace will not be reasonably disturbed. The permit holder notifies the occupants within 300 feet, posts a notice with a contact name and phone number at the site, and can lose the permit if reasonable accommodations are not made (EPMC 18.02.105.20.2).
Grading follows the same hours (EPMC 18.44.150). Separately, the City's noise chapter lists equipment used in commercial construction, repair, alteration or demolition work operated between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. among the noises that can be a nuisance, unless a permit covers it (EPMC 9.40.020(B)(3)).
What happens if work starts without a permit in El Paso?
The permit still has to be pulled, at 300 percent of the fee when a contractor started work on a home or anyone started work on a commercial building, and 200 percent when a homeowner started work on their own home, and paying it does not stop the City from prosecuting the violation (EPMC 18.02.106.28 - 18.02.106.30).
The City's FY 2027 fee schedule carries the same triple and double rates (Schedule C, lines 458 - 460). A building code violation is a misdemeanor, and each day or part of a day it continues is a separate offense (EPMC 18.02.115). Work that fails an inspection, or is not ready when the inspector arrives, adds a re-inspection fee (EPMC 18.02.106.27).
A permitted job is easy to recognize: the permit holder posts the permit in a conspicuous place at the address until the final inspection, with a sign showing the street address that can be read from the site entrance (EPMC 18.02.105.22).
If a City notice is what raised the question, the code violation repairs page explains how a notice is worked.
I bought a house with unpermitted work. What are the options?
Broadly three: permit the work as it stands, change it until it can be permitted, or take it out, and which one is open depends on what the City needs to see at that address.
Before it issues a permit to alter or repair a building, the City's building official may examine the existing building and its systems (EPMC 18.02.107.2). Inspections are made as work is built (EPMC 18.02.107.1), so work that is already closed in can mean opening part of a wall or ceiling for the inspector. A special investigation inspection carries its own fee (EPMC 18.02.106.26).
Each licensed trade pulls its own permit; see How the City handles trade permits.
Sorting out which path fits is what the paid on-site Feasibility Audit is for: it looks at the work in place and puts the findings and the permit path for a City of El Paso address in writing. Tell us the year the home was built when you send photos.
What building code does El Paso use?
New work on one- and two-family homes in the City of El Paso follows the 2021 International Residential Code, adopted with local amendments by Ordinance 019528 on August 1, 2023 (EPMC 18.10.020).
The City's adopted codes list adds the 2021 International Building, Energy Conservation, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Existing Building, Fire, Swimming Pool and Spa, and Property Maintenance codes, the 2020 National Electrical Code, and the Texas Accessibility Standards (City of El Paso, Currently Adopted Codes and Amendments).
The local amendments hold El Paso's own rules: the exemption list on this page and the City's own climate and design table for homes both live in the Residential Code chapter (EPMC 18.10.040; 18.10.050).
Bring the rules to a real project.
For a project, send photos through the consultation form. Sage calls within one business day, and within 48 hours you get a preliminary project assessment, which is not a price and not a final answer, plus a render if the project is a fit. That assessment can tell you which City rules your project touches. Tell us the year your home was built when you send photos.
For anything structural, or anything already built without a permit, the paid on-site Feasibility Audit (its fee is given by phone) puts the findings and the permit path for a City of El Paso address in writing. At the build, for an address inside the City of El Paso, Sage pulls the permit for its own scope under its City registration, LCCR26-00183, and each licensed trade pulls its own.
For a small repair, call 915-505-1323, in English or Spanish, and a repair visit is priced on the phone.
Sources
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.02.104 (104.2 registration, 104.3 application, 104.6 trade licenses required, including 104.6(5) irrigation, 104.7 bonds, 104.9 - 104.10 insurance). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.02.105, Permits (105.1 permit required, 105.4 separate subcontractor permits, 105.20.1 - 105.20.2 construction hours and after-hours permits, 105.21 nontransferable, 105.22 placement of permit, 105.23 duration and extensions). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.02.106, Permit fees (106.23 street and sidewalk rental, 106.26 investigation inspections, 106.27 re-inspections, 106.28 - 106.30 starting work without a permit). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.02.107, Inspections (107.1 and 107.2). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.02.108.1, Demolition of building or structure. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.02.112.1, Construction site waste. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.02.115, Violations and penalties. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.10.020, Residential Code adoption (2021 IRC, Ord. 019528, August 1, 2023). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.10.040, Section R105.2 Work exempt from permit, as amended (Building items 1 - 8, Electrical items 3 - 4, Plumbing items 1 - 2). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.10.050, Section R301.2 Climatic and geographic design criteria, amended. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 18.10.350, IRC Appendix AH Patio Covers adopted. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code chapter 18.44, Grading (18.44.150 work hours; 18.44.200(A)(10) retaining walls). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code chapter 18.47, Irrigation systems (18.47.030 irrigator license and the property owner exemption, 18.47.040 permit required to install a system). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 9.40.020(B)(3), Noise: construction work (commercial construction equipment, 10:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m.). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 13.12.020, Driveway permit required. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 2.16.050(J), Special exception for a carport over a driveway. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 20.12.040(B)(4), Yards: unenclosed porch, carport or entranceway patio in a required front yard. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 20.10.030, Accessory buildings and structures. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code chapter 20.10 (20.10.035, Accessory dwelling units). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code chapter 20.16 (20.16.030, Permitted walls). Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 20.20.020(A)(3), Definitions: alteration excludes ordinary repair and maintenance. Checked .
- El Paso Municipal Code 20.20.080, Alterations and changes to landmarks and H-overlay properties. Checked .
- City of El Paso Planning and Inspections, "When Do I Need a Permit?" (one-page handout). Checked .
- City of El Paso Planning and Inspections: One Stop Shop address, phone and hours. Checked .
- City of El Paso Citizen Access Portal (contractor search by business name; Contractor General type). Checked .
- City of El Paso, Currently Adopted Codes and Amendments. Checked .
- City of El Paso, Declaración del propietario and owner information sheet (March 2015). Checked .
- City of El Paso, Homeowner and Authorization Affidavit for Building Permit. Checked .
- City of El Paso FY 2027 Schedule C, lines 458 - 460 (work started without a permit; multipliers only). Checked .
- El Paso County, Permits. Checked .
- City of Horizon City, Building Services Department (construction permits for Horizon City). Checked .
- City of Socorro, Texas, Permits and Applications (Building Division). Checked .
- International Code Council, 2021 International Residential Code, Section R105.2 Work exempt from permit (model code). Checked .
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, verification search. Checked .
- Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. Checked .
- TCEQ, irrigator license lookup. Checked .
- Texas Occupations Code 1903.002 and 1903.251 (who needs the irrigator license, and the property owner and plumber exemptions). Checked .
- 30 Texas Administrative Code 344.70(b), irrigation advertising and the LI number format. Checked .
- Texas Insurance Code 4102.163, contractor may not act as a public adjuster. Checked .
- Texas Business and Commerce Code 27.02, insurance deductible. Checked .
- U.S. EPA, Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Contractors (40 CFR 745.82 - 745.83; page updated March 31, 2026). Checked .