21 published records
Business licenses and permits in Austin, Texas
Travis County. Fees differ between the City of Austin and unincorporated Travis County.
What are you opening in Austin?
- 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
- Food trucksMobile food is the one category with no certificate of occupancy — but it gains a commissary agreement, and the unit itself is inspected rather than the premises.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 Austin
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Remodel, Repair and Alterations Permit | Austin Development Services Department | Building $220.22 + Electrical $240.43 + Mechanical $177.98 + Plumbing $209.21 + Energy $62.45 at base rate, rising with floor area | one-time | 2026-08-21 |
| Fire Alarm System Inspectiononly if it applies to you | Austin Fire Department | $296–$518 by device count | one-time | 2026-08-21 |
| Fire Sprinkler System Inspectiononly if it applies to you | Austin Fire Department | $296–$518 by sprinkler head count | one-time | 2026-08-21 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | Austin Development Services Department | $370 Fire Final (Certificate of Occupancy) inspection | no expiry, tied to the approved use | 2026-08-21 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | Austin Development Services Department | $197.14–$394.29 review fee, per sign, by sign type | one-time | 2026-08-21 |
| Fire Protection System Permitonly if it applies to you | Austin Fire Department | $30 per system, per year | annual | 2026-08-21 |
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 Austin?
Commercial Remodel, Repair and Alterations Permit
Fitting out a tenant space is not one permit but five, each priced separately and each rising with floor area. At base rate the building permit is $220.22, electrical $240.43, mechanical $177.98, plumbing $209.21 and energy $62.45, which is $910.29 in total before any plan review. Between 1,001 and 5,000 square feet those become $282.67, $271.65, $209.21, $271.65 and $62.45, or $1,097.63 together. Each additional floor adds $6.24 per discipline. Plan review is charged on top and is payable at submittal and non-refundable: the commercial application processing fee is $176.76 and Austin Fire adds $250.00 for building permit review. Resubmitting costs $432.57 for one discipline or $895.04 for two or more. Revising an approved plan costs $1,014.24 or $1,621.76 on the same split. A re-inspection is $83.50 each time work is incomplete, corrections were not made, or the site cannot be accessed. Refunds are 75 per cent of the original permit less the minimum fee, and nothing is refundable once any inspection has been performed, scheduled or even requested.
Fire Alarm System Inspection
Priced by how many devices the system has: $296 for 1 to 10, $370 for 11 to 25, $444 for 26 to 100, and $518 for 101 to 200, with $0.50 per device beyond 200. Plan review is charged separately and is much cheaper — $63, $125, $188 and $250 across the same bands. Continuations, partial and failed inspections are $148 an hour after the first trip, and a resubmittal is $63 for up to 25 devices or $188 from 26 to 200.
Fire Sprinkler System Inspection
Priced by head count on exactly the same ladder as the alarm system: $296 for 1 to 10 heads, $370 for 11 to 25, $444 for 26 to 100, $518 for 101 to 200, plus $0.50 per head above 200. Plan review is $63 to $250 across the same bands. A fire pump test, where the building has one, is a further $655 with $296 for each additional pump, and a hydrant flow test and report is $560.
Certificate of Occupancy
Austin does not charge a single flat certificate of occupancy fee, which is why this previously showed as not published. The certificate is issued at the end of the building permit process and the line item on the schedule is the Fire Final (Certificate of Occupancy) Inspection at $370.00, with $148 per hour charged beyond the first hour on site. A failed or repeat visit is charged again as a Subsequent Inspection Fee of $148, and cancelling a fire inspection already booked costs $296. A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, which expires after 90 days, is $96.98; renewal is $89.48 for building or $65.75 for mechanical, electrical or plumbing. A copy of an existing certificate is $20.72 and a records search is $41.43. Austin Public Health charges a separate $111.52 health admin fee on commercial projects. A widely-cited competitor lists a flat $140 certificate of occupancy fee for Austin, which does not appear anywhere in this schedule.
Sign Permit
Wall signs and awnings $197.14. Free-standing, roof and projecting signs $394.29. Signs inside a historic district $197.14. Billboard relocation $371.70. If the sign is illuminated a separate Electric Sign Permit is $49.81, and a City Outdoor Advertising (Sign) License is $99.48 new or on annual renewal. Our earlier figure of $127.60 predated the schedule that took effect on 1 October 2025, so a business budgeting from it would be short by $70 on a wall sign and by $267 on a free-standing one.
Fire Protection System Permit
An annual $30 per system permit confirming every fixed fire protection system has been inspected by a third party. Cheap, easy to forget, and late reports are surcharged on a sliding scale through the TCE database: $15 after 30 days, $25 after 60 days and $35 after 90 days.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Commercial Building Plan Review and Inspection Permit Fees — Austin Development Services, effective 1 October 2025City of Austin Development Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-21
- FY26 Approved Fee Schedule — Austin Fire Department, effective 1 October 2025City of Austin Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22
- Other Permits and Fees — Austin Development Services, effective 1 October 2025City of Austin Development Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-21
Who issues business permits in Austin?
Permitting in Austin is split across 5 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.
Austin issuing agencies
- Austin Fire DepartmentFire inspections · Fire system permits · Special event permits8 permits
- Austin Development Services DepartmentCertificate of occupancy · Building permits · Sign permits6 permits
- Austin Public Health — Environmental Health ServicesFood enterprise permits · Plan review · Pool and spa permits · Temporary food events4 permits
- Austin Water — Utility Compliance ServicesWastewater discharge permits · Pretreatment and grease programs · Backflow prevention2 permits
- Austin Transportation and Public Works — Right-of-Way ManagementSidewalk cafes and street patios · Parking space permits · Vending and valet permits1 permit
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.