Hidalgo County Planning Department, Permitting Division

County Development Permit, Commercial and Industrial (Unincorporated Areas)

A business building, converting, adding to or moving a structure in unincorporated Hidalgo County applies to the county Planning Department, Permitting Division, 2818 S. Business Hwy 281, Edinburg, 956-318-2840. The commercial review package is reviewed jointly by the Fire Marshal, the Health Department and Planning. The fee schedule linked from the county Planning page is labelled 'effective January 1, 2025': commercial $150 up to 1,000 sq ft, $375 up to 2,500, $750 up to 5,000, $1,500 up to 10,000 and $0.15 per sq ft above that; industrial fees start at $50 and scale by valuation; a flood zone area fee is $200 and each re-inspection is $35. The $100 penalty fee applies to construction or added square footage built without a permit but in compliance; it is a flat fee and does not double the permit fee. This permit does not apply inside an incorporated city, where that city's own building department governs.