15 published records
Business licenses and permits in Irving, Texas
Irving is changing how it prices food permits on 1 November 2026. Until 31 October, section 18-2 of the City Code charges $350 for a food establishment with up to ten employees and $500 above that, with a separate permit for each floor or department of a multi-department store. From 1 November 2026, Ordinance 2026-11312 moves food fees into the City's Consolidated Fee Schedule, and Resolution RES-2026-242 prices the annual permit by risk level instead: $258, $515 or $773. Building, trade, fire-system and certificate of occupancy fees are no longer in the Land Development Code; since Ordinance 2026-11253 (March 2026) they are set by council resolution, and the City publishes them in its Schedule of Fees. A commercial building permit is $0.45 per square foot with a $1,200 minimum, and the certificate of occupancy is priced by use — $190 for a restaurant, $140 for an auto-related use or day care, $105 for anything else.
What are you opening in Irving?
- 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 Irving
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior Finish, Repair and Remodel Permit | City of Irving Inspections Department | 80% of the commercial building permit fee for the area of work; a shell building is 50% | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
| Fire Alarm, Sprinkler and Standpipe Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Irving Inspections Department | $104 plus $2.60 for each additional similar device, charged per address, suite or unit | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Irving Inspections Department | $0.45 per square foot of the area of work, minimum $1,200. Plan review is additional at 25% of the permit fee + $3 per unit | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
| Certificate of Occupancy | City of Irving Inspections Department | $31–$190 per certificate, by use | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-10-09 |
| Single Trade Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Irving Inspections Department | $65 per permit | per permit | 2026-10-09 |
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 Irving?
Interior Finish, Repair and Remodel Permit
80% of the commercial building rate ($0.45 a square foot, $1,200 minimum), with the certificate of occupancy included where one is required — so a 5,000 square foot fit-out is $1,800, plus plan review at 25% of the permit fee. A shell building, including parking garages and modular buildings, is 50%. Plan revisions, changes and additions after the initial review are charged at $55 an hour with a one-hour minimum. A foundation-only permit adds 10% of the regular permit fee.
Fire Alarm, Sprinkler and Standpipe Permit
$104 plus $2.60 per additional similar device, covering fire alarm, fire sprinkler, standpipes and the fire control panel — and charged per address, suite or unit, so a landlord fitting out four suites in one building pays four times. A fire hydrant is $65 each to install or repair, and on-site utilities including the fire main are $75 plus $0.10 a linear foot per utility. Chapter 8B lists these among the permits that sit outside the combination permit and must be pulled separately.
Commercial Building Permit
$0.45 a square foot of the area of work with a $1,200 minimum, as published in the City's Schedule of Fees (February 2026 amendments, carried unchanged into the FY2026-27 schedule); a 5,000 square foot building is $2,250. Plan review is charged on top at 25% of the permit fee plus $3 per unit. The letter of compliance or certificate of occupancy is included. Chapter 8B of the Land Development Code requires the general contractor to obtain a combination permit for any construction inspected by more than one trade inspector; registered subcontractors working under it do not need separate permits. Separate permits are still required for drive approaches, fences, signs, fire sprinklers, fire alarms, fire mains and hydrants, on-site utilities, irrigation systems, retaining walls, construction trailers, pools, fuel tanks, electric door locks, electric gate controllers and solar energy systems. Starting work without a permit adds an investigation fee of 100% of the regular fee.
Certificate of Occupancy
Priced by what the business is rather than by floor area: a restaurant is $190, an auto-related use $140, a day care $140, and every other occupancy type $105. A change of name or a duplicate certificate is $31, which matters when a business rebrands without moving or altering anything. The certificate is included in the price of a commercial building permit and of an interior finish permit, so it is charged separately only when there is no construction. A temporary certificate of occupancy for limited occupancy while construction continues is $250 for the first 30 days and $250 for each 30-day extension.
Single Trade Permit
$65 flat for a single electrical, plumbing, mechanical or building trade permit — temporary service poles, utility releases, clean-and-shows, service changes, water, sewer and gas service line replacements, water heaters, heating and air conditioning installation or replacement, tents over 400 square feet, canopies over 1,600 square feet, temporary sales and construction office trailers, demolitions, telecommunication antennae and flatwork all sit at the same price. Re-roofing is $150 for a commercial building. Foundation repair is $125 per building. A reinspection is $75 and an after-hours inspection $65 an hour on a two-hour, $130 minimum.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Irving Schedule of Fees, FY26-27 Amendments (Exhibit A) — Inspections section; Health Inspections fees adopted by RES-2026-242, effective 1 November 2026City of Irving · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Irving Schedule of Fees, February 2026 Amendments — Inspections section effective 13 February 2026City of Irving · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Irving, Rates + Fees (Consolidated Fee Schedule web page)City of Irving · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Irving Land Development Code chapter 8B, Building Codes (eCode360; as replaced by Ordinance 2026-11253, adopted 26 March 2026)City of Irving (published by eCode360) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Irving Ordinance No. 2026-11253, repealing and replacing Land Development Code sections 8B-1 to 8B-20 and 8B-23 to 8B-29 (adopted 26 March 2026)City of Irving · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
Who issues business permits in Irving?
Permitting in Irving 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.
Irving issuing agencies
- City of Irving Inspections DepartmentCommercial building and combination permits · Certificates of occupancy · Contractor registration · Single-trade electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits · Fire alarm, sprinkler and fuel tank permits · Building inspections and reinspections9 permits
- City of Irving Health InspectionsFood establishment permits · Temporary food establishment permits · Food establishment plan review · Food establishment inspections and reinspections · Childcare establishment permits6 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.