14 published records
Business licenses and permits in New Braunfels, Texas
New Braunfels prices its food permit on employee count in three bands that land exactly on the state figures — $258, $515 and $773 — because its adopting ordinance follows Senate Bill 1008, which caps a local permit at what Texas DSHS would charge. Several categories sit outside the employee bands entirely: a tavern is $100, a grocery $250 and a meat processor $100. Non-profits and state-licensed adult or childcare facilities pay nothing at all. Plan review is charged as half the annual permit fee rather than as a flat sum, so it scales with the band you fall into. The frozen dessert manufacturer permits are unusual — few Texas cities license that separately.
What are you opening in New Braunfels?
- 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 New Braunfels
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Occupant Permit | City of New Braunfels Building Division | $150 per permit | not stated in the published schedule | 2026-08-25 |
| Commercial Building Permit | City of New Braunfels Building Division | $100 commercial application fee, then by valuation: $50 plus $6 per $1,000 to $50,000; $350 plus $5 per $1,000 to $500,000; $2,600 plus $4 per $1,000 above. New construction and additions are charged on square footage instead, from ICC Building Valuation Data by occupancy group and construction type | per permit | 2026-08-25 |
| Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Building Division | $100 commercial permit application fee | per permit | 2026-08-25 |
| Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit | City of New Braunfels Fire Department, Fire Marshal | $120–$2,000 per system, by device or head count | per permit | 2026-08-25 |
| Sign Permitonly if it applies to you | City of New Braunfels Planning and Development Services | $2.50 per square foot of sign face, minimum $50 | per permit | 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 New Braunfels?
New Occupant Permit
$150, and the schedule notes it was previously called an existing certificate of occupancy — worth knowing, because the older name is still what most landlords and brokers will say. This is the permit for taking on premises that already exist rather than certificating a new build. A temporary certificate of occupancy and its extension are priced in Schedule B rather than here. Commercial inspections are $50 each, reinspections start at $35 and double for each subsequent one, so a third reinspection is $140.
Commercial Building Permit
Two methods, and which applies turns on whether there is new floor area. Alterations, fit-outs, fences, pools and infrastructure run off Schedule A's valuation table. New construction and additions run off Schedule B, calculated on square footage by IBC occupancy group and construction type from ICC Building Valuation Data — so a restaurant (A-2) and a repair garage (S-1) on the same footprint pay different amounts. A shell building is charged at 80 per cent. Commercial plan review is 25 per cent of the permit cost capped at $15,000, payable before the second round of comprehensive review. Working without a permit doubles the fee up to a $10,000 ceiling.
Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Permit
The $100 commercial permit application fee applies to all new construction, additions and substantial alterations, with the trade permits themselves priced in Schedule B of the appendix. Two administrative lines are worth budgeting for on any job that slips: a stop-work order costs $100 to issue and another $100 to lift, and a commercial alternate method request under the building codes is $150.
Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit
A sprinkler system is $300 up to 200 heads and $300 plus $0.75 for each head beyond, capped at $2,000. An alarm system is $240 up to 200 signalling devices, then $300 plus $0.75 per device capped at $1,000. Modifications are cheaper — $120 for sprinkler work up to 200 heads, $225 for an existing alarm up to 10 devices. A standpipe or fire line is $300 and a private fire hydrant acceptance $100 for up to three plus $25 each after. Preliminary fire systems plan review is charged by time at $60 an hour, and a fire watch at $100 per hour per person, which is the line that makes a failed system expensive to sit out.
Sign Permit
Priced by area rather than by type: $2.50 a square foot with a $50 floor, so a 40 square foot monument sign is $100 and a 200 square foot pylon $500. That makes New Braunfels cheap for small signage and expensive for large, the opposite of the flat rates most cities here use. A temporary on-premises banner is $50. The number to avoid is $750, which buys an alternative sign plan or a sign variance — worth more than most sign permits, so design within the ordinance if you can.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of New Braunfels Code of Ordinances Appendix D, Fee ScheduleCity of New Braunfels · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-25
Who issues business permits in New Braunfels?
Permitting in New Braunfels is split across 4 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.
New Braunfels issuing agencies
- City of New Braunfels Health DivisionFood establishment permits · Temporary and multiple-event food permits · Frozen dessert manufacturer permits · Food handler cards · Adoption and foster inspections8 permits
- City of New Braunfels Building DivisionCommercial building permits and plan review · New occupant permits · Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas permits · Building inspections and reinspections3 permits
- City of New Braunfels Planning and Development ServicesSign permits and sign variances · Special use permits and zoning changes · Zoning verification letters · Home occupation certification2 permits
- City of New Braunfels Fire Department, Fire MarshalFire sprinkler and fire alarm system permits · Standpipe and fire line permits · Fire systems plan review · Private fire hydrant acceptance1 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.