Building Permit Fees in San Marcos, TX (2026)

What common projects cost

Kitchen or bath remodel

$25,000 value, remodel 300 sq ft

$150.00

$135.00 building permit + $15.00 technology

Room addition

$75,000 value, addition 400 sq ft

$279.00

$264.00 building permit + $15.00 technology

New single-family home

$350,000 value, new single-family 2,400 sq ft

$1,599.00

$1,584.00 building permit + $15.00 technology

How San Marcos calculates your permit fee

The city charges a building permit fee using $0.66 per square foot. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work gets its own permits.

The fee table

Single family residential new; residential additions

$0.66 per square foot.

Interior remodel (residential)

$0.45 per square foot.

All other categories incl. shell buildings; non-residential additions

$0.82 per square foot.

Interior remodel commercial (incl. tenant finish-outs)

$0.82 per square foot.

Surcharges

Technology Fee: $15.00

What counts as project value

Floor area (square feet). Building permit fees are charged per square foot of construction by category; valuation is not used. The schedule does not define which floor area (e.g. whether garages/porches count) is measured.

Worked example: a $350,000 new home

Building permit fee: 2,400 sq ft × $0.66 = $1,584.00
Technology Fee: fixed = $15.00
Total before trade permits: $1,599.00.

Fees people miss

Fee	Amount
Certificate of Occupancy (per building & floor)When: when a certificate of occupancy is issued	$108.00 each
Multi-Family FeeWhen: multi-family projects	$11.00 per bedroom
Resubmittal FeeWhen: third and later resubmittals	$324.00 each resubmittal after the second
Reinspection FeeWhen: reinspection	$271.00 each
Work begun without a permitWhen: work begun without a permit	double the normal fee
After Hours Inspection FeeWhen: after-hours inspection	$271.00 per hour, 2 hr minimum
Trade child permits under a GC (electrical, mechanical, plumbing)When: each trade permit pulled under the general contractor's permit	$60.00 each trade

Trade permits are separate. Electrical: Residential stand-alone $65; commercial stand-alone $103; child permit under a GC $60; multi-family child $43/unit; mobile home child $27. Mechanical: Residential stand-alone $65; commercial stand-alone $103; child permit under a GC $60; multi-family child $43/unit; mobile home child $27. Plumbing: Residential stand-alone $65; commercial stand-alone $103; child permit under a GC $60; multi-family child $43/unit; mobile home child $27.

How to apply

Gather your plans and your project's total value and floor area.
Submit to Planning & Development Services, Permit Center.
Pay the permit and plan review fees when invoiced.
Questions: 512-805-2630 · 630 E Hopkins St, San Marcos, TX

Source record

Effective: 2026-10-01
Verified: 2026-11-05
Issuer: Planning & Development Services, Permit Center
Valuation: Floor area (square feet)
Confidence: high

What this page does not cover (5)

The schedule does not say which floor area the per-square-foot rates measure (e.g. whether garages and porches count).
Trade child permits ($60 each under a GC) and the $108 certificate of occupancy likely apply to a new house but are not in the calculator total; the schedule does not state they are mandatory for every permit.
No minimum building permit fee stated.
Impact, utility and engineering fees not extracted.
Each page footnote says 'All multipliers should be rounded to the nearest whole number'; it is unclear whether this rounds the square footage, the fee, or something else, so no rounding is modelled.

Separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire, impact, utility and school fees are usually not included unless they are listed. BuildingPermitCost is not a government permit office, and this is not legal advice.

Report an error · How we verify fees

How San Marcos compares

A $25,000 remodel costs $150.00 in San Marcos: 61% below the national median of $380.00, and the 5th lowest of 19 places we cover in Texas (state median $201.75).

A $75,000 addition costs $279.00 in San Marcos: 66% below the national median of $820.58, and the 8th highest of 17 places we cover in Texas (state median $264.82).

A $350,000 new home costs $1,599.00 in San Marcos: 45% below the national median of $2,918.63, and the 8th highest of 20 places we cover in Texas (state median $1,448.00).

Same standard projects everywhere, including plan review and required surcharges. All Texas places · Compare side by side

San Marcos permit fee FAQ

How much is a building permit in San Marcos, TX?

A $25,000 remodel: $150.00. A $75,000 addition: $279.00. A $350,000 new single-family: $1,599.00. These include every fee the schedule applies to that project; trade permits are separate.

Is plan review included in the San Marcos permit fee?

San Marcos lists no separate plan review fee for these projects.

How does San Marcos determine project value?

Floor area (square feet). Building permit fees are charged per square foot of construction by category; valuation is not used. The schedule does not define which floor area (e.g. whether garages/porches count) is measured.

Are electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits included?

No. They are separate permits. Electrical: Residential stand-alone $65; commercial stand-alone $103; child permit under a GC $60; multi-family child $43/unit; mobile home child $27. Mechanical: Residential stand-alone $65; commercial stand-alone $103; child permit under a GC $60; multi-family child $43/unit; mobile home child $27. Plumbing: Residential stand-alone $65; commercial stand-alone $103; child permit under a GC $60; multi-family child $43/unit; mobile home child $27.

When did these San Marcos fees take effect?

The schedule is effective Oct 1, 2026 (“Development Fees, Effective October 1, 2026 (Resolution 2026-168R)”). We last checked it against the official source on Nov 5, 2026.