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Fort Bend County

Fort Bend County Engineering Department

In short

Fort Bend County Engineering Department issues 5 permits we publish for Fort Bend County, last verified 2026-09-29. 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
Development Permit (standard, floodplain, unplatted)only if it applies to youFort Bend County Engineering Department$100 standard Development Permit; $150 in a floodplain; $250 for an unplatted site, which includes interior build-outs.per project2026-09-29
Interior Lease Build-Out Permitonly if it applies to youFort Bend County Engineering Department$100 per interior lease build-out permit, unincorporated Fort Bend Countyvalid for one year once issued2026-09-29
Commercial Driveway Permitonly if it applies to youFort Bend County Engineering Department$550 per commercial driveway onto a county-maintained road; a $5,000 performance bond is required per drivewayper project2026-09-29
Commercial Site Work Plan Reviewonly if it applies to youFort Bend County Engineering Department$275 for the first review of a commercial site work submittal; each additional review $275per submittal2026-09-29
County Toll Road Sign Permitonly if it applies to youFort Bend County Engineering Department$100 construction, reconstruction or operating permit; $20 site inspection; $20 re-inspection; $5 per day for an impounded sign.per sign2026-09-29

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

Development Permit (standard, floodplain, unplatted)

Building, paving or remodel work in unincorporated Fort Bend County starts with a Development Permit from the county Engineering Department, applied for online at mgoconnect.org. The figures ($100 standard, $150 in a floodplain, $250 unplatted including interior build-outs) come from the Engineering Department's own current fee page, which states an updated fee schedule effective October 1, 2022; no Commissioners Court order for these figures is published online. Engineering also serves the interlocal cities Kendleton, Thompsons, Fairchilds and Pleak. The county's Engineering letter dated January 1, 2026 states that Fort Bend County has not adopted zoning ordinances, does not issue certificates of occupancy and has not adopted building codes for single-family residential development, and that the Fire Marshal issues certificates of compliance for certain multi-family and non-residential developments; that statement is the Engineering Department's own and is not a statutory claim. Applicants inside a city must also check that city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Interior Lease Build-Out Permit

A tenant finishing out leased commercial space in unincorporated Fort Bend County applies to the Engineering Department at mgoconnect.org for an Interior Lease Build-Out permit at $100, valid for one year once issued. The county's requirements sheet sends architectural drawings to the Fire Marshal and tells food and beverage projects to contact Environmental Health. The $100 figure is stated on the Engineering Department's own current pages and requirements sheet; no Commissioners Court order for it is published online. A build-out on an unplatted site is priced under the $250 unplatted Development Permit tier instead, so confirm the tier with Engineering at 281-633-7500 before applying. Build-outs inside a city fall under that city's permitting.

Commercial Driveway Permit

A commercial site that connects a new driveway to a county-maintained road in unincorporated Fort Bend County needs a driveway permit from the Engineering Department: $550 per commercial driveway on the department's right-of-way page. The county's commercial permitting process (version dated February 4, 2026) also requires a $5,000 performance bond per driveway onto a public road, and says the county engineer approves civil plans before the permit is applied for online. The page is the source for the $550 figure; no Commissioners Court order for it is published online. Driveways onto state highways or city streets are permitted by TxDOT or the city, not by the county.

Commercial Site Work Plan Review

Commercial site work in unincorporated Fort Bend County, such as a shell building, parking lot, gas station or recreation site, goes through Engineering development plan review at $275 for the first review and $275 for each additional review. Unlike the Development Permit and driveway figures, the plan review fee sheet states that Commissioners Court approved the fee schedule increase on September 27, 2022, effective October 1, 2022. The county's commercial permitting process says the county engineer approves civil plans before the permit application is submitted online, and processing is 7 to 10 business days. Projects inside a city are reviewed by the city.

County Toll Road Sign Permit

No person may erect or maintain a sign visible from the main-traveled way of a Fort Bend County toll road, which the regulations name as the Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road, the Westpark Tollway and the Grand Parkway, without a written permit from the County Engineer. Any business putting up a pole, monument or building sign that is visible from those roads is affected. The regulations set a $100 permit fee, a $20 site inspection fee, a $20 re-inspection fee and a $5 per day impound charge. The printed date of the order is not legible in the county's copy; the county's regulations list gives August 27, 2013. Signs governed by a city sign code inside city limits may also need a city sign permit.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Fort Bend County
Phone
281-633-7500

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. Commercial Permitting Process (February 4, 2026 version)Fort Bend County Engineering Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  2. Development Permits (application fees, effective October 1, 2022)Fort Bend County Engineering Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  3. Development Review Fee Schedule (January 2025)Fort Bend County Engineering Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  4. Engineering Department verification letter dated January 1, 2026 (no zoning, no certificates of occupancy)Fort Bend County Engineering Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  5. Interior Lease Build-Out Requirements (August 2025)Fort Bend County Engineering Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  6. Regulations for the Placement of Signs Visible from the Main-Traveled Way of a Toll RoadFort Bend County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  7. Right-of-Way and Driveway Permits (driveway fees)Fort Bend County Engineering Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29

Other offices serving Fort Bend County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

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Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.