13 published records
Business licenses and permits in Converse, Texas
Converse charges a single $250 fee for a food establishment whatever its size, risk or turnover — no bands at all, which makes it one of the two or three simplest schedules covered here and unusually predictable. Renewal is the same $250, inspected on or near the anniversary of the first inspection. The detail worth knowing is that an inspection carried out "for the convenience of the city", where the regulatory authority has reason to believe conditions need immediate investigation, carries no charge — though it may lead to a follow-up inspection at $100 that does.
What are you opening in Converse?
- 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 Converse
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Converse Building Operations | $100 base fee at $1,000 of valuation or less. Above that the adopted code reads as a percentage of valuation plus the base fee — 75% to $50,000, then 70%, 65% and 60% through bands ending at $100,000, $500,000 and above — which taken literally would put a $50,000 fit-out at $37,600. Confirm the worked figure with Building Operations before budgeting; the percentage is quoted here exactly as the adopted code states it | 365 days for a commercial permit | 2026-08-26 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Converse Building Operations | $250 per certificate, non-refundable | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-08-26 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Converse Building Operations | $50–$200 per sign | per permit | 2026-08-26 |
| Commercial Trade Permit | City of Converse Building Operations | $150–$400 per permit, by trade and scope | per permit | 2026-08-26 |
| Fire Protection System Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Converse Fire Marshal | $100–$200 per system, by type | per permit | 2026-08-26 |
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 Converse?
Commercial Building Permit
The base fee of $100 up to $1,000 of valuation is unambiguous. Above that the adopted code sets the fee as a percentage of valuation — 75 per cent to $50,000, then 70, 65 and 60 per cent — plus the base fee, exactly as codified. Taken literally a $50,000 fit-out would cost $37,600 to permit, which is not a rate any Texas city charges and not what the descending percentages across rising bands suggest was meant. This has been re-read against the current code, amended by Ordinance No. 620-08-2026 on 3 February 2026 and stamped by Municode as in force on 19 August 2026: the wording is unchanged, so the anomaly sits in the adopted text itself, not in an out-of-date copy of it. This record states the percentage exactly as the code prints it and directs a reader to Building Operations for the worked figure, rather than substituting a multiplier the ordinance does not state. What is firm and worth planning around: plan review is 50 per cent of the building permit fee on top, a third or later review submittal adds a further 25 per cent of the plan review fee, an expedited review is 150 per cent, an administrative surcharge of $25 or 5 per cent whichever is greater applies to every fee in the chapter, starting work without a permit costs $250 plus double the calculated fee, occupying without a certificate of occupancy is $500 for every day, and a commercial permit expires 365 days after issue.
Certificate of Occupancy
$250 and expressly non-refundable, with the certificate of occupancy inspection charged separately at $100. The penalty is the number to note: failing to obtain a certificate costs $500 for every day the unit is occupied, which is the steepest daily occupancy penalty in this dataset and turns a few weeks of trading without one into five figures. Reinspection runs $100 for the first failure, $150 for the second and $500 for each one after.
Sign Permit
$200 per sign, and $50 for a portable or temporary one. At $200 a sign this is the dearest per-sign rate recorded here — twice Allen's illuminated rate and eighteen times Wichita Falls' small on-premises sign — and it is charged per sign rather than per frontage, so a unit with a wall sign and a monument sign pays $400. A sign contractor must hold the city's contractor registration as well.
Commercial Trade Permit
Commercial repair, replacement or system expansion is $150 per building for plumbing, electrical and mechanical alike. New commercial work is priced per building type: $400 for a shell, $300 for a tenant space, and $200 plus $100 per unit for a hotel or motel. New commercial or multifamily mechanical is $200 per HVAC unit, so a restaurant with three roof units pays $600 on that line alone. The first inspection is included in the permit fee; after-hours inspection is $200 per trade, and failing to schedule an inspection costs $200 per trade for every day it is outstanding.
Fire Protection System Permit
Flat rates rather than counts: $200 for a new fire sprinkler system, $200 for a new fire alarm system, $200 for an alternative fire protection system, and $150 to modify an existing sprinkler or alarm system. A vent hood suppression system — the one a commercial kitchen needs — is $150. A private fire hydrant is $100 each, and a temporary membrane structure or tent $100 per event. Fire system reinspection is $100 and after-hours inspection $30 an hour.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Converse Code of Ordinances Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulations, section 8-103 fee schedule (re-enacted by Ord. No. 620-08-2025, adopted 6 May 2025; amended by Ord. No. 620-08-2026, adopted 3 February 2026; Municode version in force 19 August 2026)City of Converse · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-26
Who issues business permits in Converse?
Permitting in Converse is split across 3 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.
Converse issuing agencies
- City of Converse Building OperationsCommercial building permits and plan review · Certificates of occupancy · Contractor registration · Plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits · Sign permits · Building inspections and reinspections8 permits
- City of Converse Health InspectorFood establishment permits and inspections · Follow-up and reinstatement inspections · Mobile food establishment and food truck park permits · Food establishment plan review4 permits
- City of Converse Fire MarshalFire sprinkler and fire alarm system permits · Vent hood suppression system permits · Private fire hydrant acceptance · Fire system inspections and reinspections1 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.