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Cameron County

Cameron County Department of Transportation, Building & Inspections

In short

Cameron County Department of Transportation, Building & Inspections issues 4 permits we publish for Cameron County, last verified 2026-10-19. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Non-Residential and Multifamily Building Permit (Unincorporated Cameron County)only if it applies to youCameron County Department of Transportation, Building & InspectionsNon-residential and multifamily, by square footage: under 500 sq ft $75.00; 500 to 1,000 sq ft $0.225 x sf; 1,000 to 5,000 sq ft $75.00 + $0.15 x sf; 5,000 to 10,000 sq ft $450.00 + $0.075 x sf; 10,000 sq ft or more $825.00 + $0.0375 x sf. Temporary structure Type I: $30.00; $0.09 x sf; $30.00 + $0.06 x sf; $180.00 + $0.03 x sf; $330.00 + $0.015 x sf. Type II: $100.00; $0.30 x sf; $100.00 + $0.20 x sf; $600.00 + $0.10 x sf; $1,100.00 + $0.05 x sf. Plus application $25.00; plan review $75.00 per plan set; single trade permit and inspection $75.00; utility connection $75.00; failed-inspection reinspection $100.00; temporary permit renewal $100 flat (commercial). Site development fee for developments exempt from platting: under 1 acre $50.00 + $0.075 per sq ft disturbed; 1 acre or more $3,000.00 + $0.005 per sq ft disturbed.one permit per project; temporary Type I structures 4 weeks, renewable to 6 months, and Type II 6 months2026-10-19
Certificate of Occupancy, Existing Structure (Unincorporated Cameron County)only if it applies to youCameron County Department of Transportation, Building & Inspections$100 per certificate, non-residential and multifamily existing structure, per Section J.3 item 9 and Appendix B of Order No. 2022-006030one-time per occupancy of an existing structure2026-10-19
Sign Permit (Unincorporated Cameron County)only if it applies to youCameron County Department of Transportation, Building & Inspections$75 per sign, per Article 4 Section I.5 and Section J.3 item 5 of Order No. 2022-006030one-time per sign2026-10-19
County Registration of Licensed Trade Professionalsonly if it applies to youCameron County Department of Transportation, Building & InspectionsNo registration fee is published in Section J or Appendix B of Order No. 2022-006030; contact the Department of Transportation, Planning and Inspections Division, at (956) 247-3500 for any amount that applies.registration must be in place before the building permit is issued; Order No. 2022-006030 states no renewal term2026-10-19

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Non-Residential and Multifamily Building Permit (Unincorporated Cameron County)

Article 3 of the Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, adopted by Commissioners Court on July 5, 2022 as Order No. 2022-006030 and linked from the county Department of Transportation page, states: "These regulations apply to all unincorporated areas of Cameron County." A building permit is required for development in that area. Section J and Appendix B, revised by amendment 4 dated 04/08/2025 in the order's amendment table, set the non-residential and multifamily fee by square footage, from $75.00 under 500 sq ft to $825.00 plus $0.0375 per sq ft at 10,000 sq ft or more, with separate tiers for temporary structures and added fees for the application ($25.00), plan review ($75.00), utility connection ($75.00) and failed reinspection ($100.00). A refund is approved only within six months and only if no development has begun. Apply to DOT Building & Inspections, 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito, (956) 247-3500. Inside a city, that city's building department governs.

Certificate of Occupancy, Existing Structure (Unincorporated Cameron County)

Section J.3 item 9 of the Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, Order No. 2022-006030, sets the fee for a certificate of occupancy for an existing non-residential or multifamily structure at $100.00, and Appendix B repeats it; the regulations apply to all unincorporated areas of the county. Under Section F.2 the Building Official may suspend or revoke a county-issued certificate of occupancy. Cameron County Public Health's Establishment Application lists the certificate among the documents a food business must submit, stating that it "shall be obtained from Cameron County Building Permit Department (956) 247-3500" and that a business located within a municipality should contact the local building department. Apply to DOT Building & Inspections, 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito.

Sign Permit (Unincorporated Cameron County)

Article 4 Section I.5 of the Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, Order No. 2022-006030, requires a sign permit before anyone erects, installs, replaces or services a sign for which a permit is required, and states: "The original permit fee shall be $75.00 per sign." Section J.3 item 5 and Appendix B list the same $75.00 per sign. Section I.6 lists signs that are exempt when they are not electrified, such as small nameplates fastened to the building. The regulations apply to all unincorporated areas of Cameron County, so a business outside city limits that puts up a sign applies to DOT Building & Inspections, 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito, (956) 247-3500. Inside a city, that city's sign rules govern.

County Registration of Licensed Trade Professionals

Article 4 Section D.2 of the Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations, Order No. 2022-006030, states that all licensed trade professionals whose work will be performed under a building permit "must be registered with the Cameron County Department of Transportation, Planning and Inspections Division prior to the issuance of said permit." Section D.1 requires plumbing, electrical and mechanical contractors to hold a valid Texas state license, such as from the State Board of Plumbing Examiners or TDLR. Section D.3 requires the building permit application to list every trade contractor on the project, each licensed by the state and registered with the county, and states: "Failure to meet these requirements will result in denial of the building permit application". The requirement applies to permitted work in unincorporated Cameron County. Contact DOT at 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito, (956) 247-3500.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Cameron County
Phone
(956) 247-3500

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Cameron County Flood Damage Prevention and Building Regulations (Order No. 2022-006030, adopted July 5, 2022, as amended)Cameron County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  2. Department of TransportationCameron County Department of Transportation · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  3. Establishment Application (documents required to process the establishment application)Cameron County Public Health, Environmental Health Program · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19

Other offices serving Cameron County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

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