12 published records
Business licenses and permits in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo prices commercial construction as a fraction of project value rather than from a band table: 0.0015 of valuation for plan review and 0.0038 for the building permit itself, so a $2m fit-out costs $3,000 to review and $7,600 to permit. Two features are worth planning around. The building permit fee includes the electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits for the same project, which makes Amarillo cheaper than it looks against cities that bill those separately. And every fee in the chapter rises automatically each year by 3 per cent or CPI, whichever is greater — Amarillo is the only jurisdiction covered here with a codified escalator, so a figure quoted from the code is a floor, not a price. Building fees are codified in Chapter 4-1 and amended each September.
What are you opening in Amarillo?
- RestaurantsFull-service restaurants carry the densest permit load of any small business: food, fire, occupancy, waste, and usually alcohol.See the full permit list
- Coffee shopsCafés are permitted as food service establishments even where no cooking happens, and the plan review step catches most operators by surprise.See the full permit list
- Retail storesRetail is the lightest common permit load, but the sales tax permit and the certificate of occupancy are non-negotiable in every jurisdiction.See the full permit list
- Salons and barbersPersonal care is licensed at state board level as well as locally, so the shop license and the practitioner licenses are separate obligations.See the full permit list
- Fitness studiosPrepaid memberships trigger state registration and often a surety bond, which catches operators who budgeted only for the fit-out.See the full permit list
- Childcare centresThe heaviest permit load of any small business: state agency licensing, per-person background checks, and a stricter fire standard than ordinary commercial use.See the full permit list
- Contractors and tradesLicensed at state board level rather than locally, and the only common category with no premises permits at all — the bond is usually the long pole.See the full permit list
- Auto repair shopsOrdinary commercial permitting plus an environmental layer: waste oil, solvents and stormwater are each registered separately.See the full permit list
- Veterinary clinicsA state facility permit, controlled substances registration at both state and federal level, and a medical waste manifest — none of which a general business license covers.See the full permit list
Permits that apply to every type of business in Amarillo
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Plan Review | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | project valuation × 0.0015, minimum $83 | plan review expires 180 days after the last correction notice | 2026-08-25 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | $114 per permit | not stated in the codified schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | project valuation × 0.0038, minimum $139 plus $70 for each of the electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits required | not stated in the codified schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| Re-inspection Feeonly if it applies to you | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | $70 per re-inspection | per inspection | 2026-08-25 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department | $151 per review and inspection | not stated in the codified schedule | 2026-08-25 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
What do these permits involve in Amarillo?
Commercial Plan Review
Valuation × 0.0015 with an $83 minimum, payable on submittal and non-refundable. Three things cost extra and are avoidable: a revision fee of 0.00057 of value, minimum $224 and capped at $6,145, when a change in scope needs more than an hour of further review; a fresh plan review fee if a third notice of corrections is required, and again for every iteration after that; and expedited review at $623. The deadline that catches people is section 4-1-20(b)(3) — if no permit issues within 180 days of the last correction notice, the plan review expires and the next submission is treated as a first application at full price. A commercial pool, spa or interactive water feature has its own flat plan review fee of $81. Section 4-1-3(h) escalates every fee in this chapter annually by 3 per cent or CPI, whichever is greater, rounded up to a whole dollar, so treat this figure as a floor rather than a fixed price.
Sign Permit
$114 flat, whatever the sign. A flat sign fee is friendlier to a large fascia than the area-based schedules several Texas cities use, and it is the same $114 Amarillo charges for a wrecking or moving permit. Section 4-1-3(h) escalates every fee in this chapter annually by 3 per cent or CPI, whichever is greater, rounded up to a whole dollar, so treat this figure as a floor rather than a fixed price.
Commercial Building Permit
Nonresidential permits are valuation × 0.0038, rounded to whole dollars. The minimum is $139 plus $70 times the number of other permits required for electrical, plumbing and HVAC work, and that applies to remodels and additions as well as new construction. The important line is that the building permit fee already includes the electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits for that project — so the $70 multiplier sets a floor for small jobs rather than adding a charge to large ones. If the Building Official considers your stated valuation significantly understated, they may substitute International Code Council valuation data as modified by the City, so a low declared value is not a saving. A late fee of $298 applies if work starts before the permit issues, rising to $593 plus triple the permit fee for a second occasion within twenty-four months. Section 4-1-3(h) escalates every fee in this chapter annually by 3 per cent or CPI, whichever is greater, rounded up to a whole dollar, so treat this figure as a floor rather than a fixed price.
Re-inspection Fee
$70 — among the cheapest re-inspection fees in this dataset, against $200 in Arlington and Garland and $50 in San Antonio. The more expensive line is the one next to it: an inspection not otherwise listed, or any inspection requested after hours, is $111 an hour with a two-hour minimum, so calling an inspector out of hours starts at $222. A $13 technology fee is added to permits. Section 4-1-3(h) escalates every fee in this chapter annually by 3 per cent or CPI, whichever is greater, rounded up to a whole dollar, so treat this figure as a floor rather than a fixed price.
Certificate of Occupancy
$151 for review and inspection where the certificate is not associated with a building permit — which is the usual case for a tenant moving into existing premises with no construction work. Where a building permit is being issued anyway, the certificate comes with it. Recreating a copy of an existing certificate is $52, worth knowing when a landlord or lender asks for one you have mislaid. Section 4-1-3(h) escalates every fee in this chapter annually by 3 per cent or CPI, whichever is greater, rounded up to a whole dollar, so treat this figure as a floor rather than a fixed price.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Amarillo Municipal Code Chapter 4-1, Fees, Permits and Contractor Registrations, as amended by Ordinance No. 8218, 16 September 2025City of Amarillo · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-25
Who issues business permits in Amarillo?
Permitting in Amarillo is split across 2 agencies we hold records for, with tax registration handled at state level. No single office issues everything, which is why an opening usually means filing in several places rather than one.
Amarillo issuing agencies
- City of Amarillo Building Safety DepartmentCommercial building permits and plan review · Certificates of occupancy · Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits · Sign permits · Wrecking and moving permits · Contractor registration8 permits
- Amarillo Area Public Health District, Environmental Health DepartmentFood establishment permits · Certified food manager and food handler registration · Fats, oils and grease permits · Child care facility environmental inspections · On-site sewage facility permits4 permits
Other Texas jurisdictions we cover
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.