Residential New Construction

Every new home in Fredville, whatever its size, needs a permit approved by the Building Inspections Division.

New homes must be built to the 2021 International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation and Residential Codes and to the 2023 National Electrical Code. Each code is adopted with the local amendments recommended by the regional council of governments.

Step 1: Gather your submittal

Before the permit can be issued, you will need:

  • The project address and its legal description
  • Contact details for the owner, contractor and architect, as they apply
  • Total square footage and the area of each part of the work
  • Architectural drawings
  • Electrical, mechanical and plumbing drawings
  • An energy compliance report prepared with the federal REScheck energy-code compliance tool
  • Foundation drawings and a foundation letter from an engineer, both signed and sealed
  • An erosion control plan based on the city's standard erosion control details (PDF)
  • Where the brick ledge will go
  • Door and window schedules with sizes, locations, U-values and solar heat gain coefficients (SHGC)
  • Elevation drawings that show the exterior wall finish, along with brick calculations
  • The brick you selected, with manufacturer and color
  • The color or shade of the roof shingles
  • A section drawing of the interior partition walls
  • A slab location letter, using the slab verification form from Building Inspections (PDF)
  • A shear wall design signed and sealed by an engineer, or wall bracing that meets Chapter 6 of the IRC
  • A landscape plan showing where proposed trees, shrubs and ground cover will go, with quantities, species and sizes
  • A site plan or survey, drawn to scale, that shows:
    • Property lines, with the width and depth of the lot
    • Every utility, maintenance and drainage easement
    • Front, side and rear building lines
    • The footprint dimensions of the house
    • Any planned street curb work
    • The 100-year floodplain, when it affects the lot, and the minimum finished floor elevation
    • Existing and planned sidewalks, driveway and drive approach, with sizes
    • Every street and alley that borders the lot, with its surface type
    • Where sidewalks and storm inlets are located

Step 2: Apply online

Apply in the city's online permitting portal. New users need a working email address to set up an account, which only takes about five minutes.

After you apply

Most applications are processed in 5 to 10 business days. Reviews take longer when staff need corrections or more information from the applicant.

Help by phone or in person

If you get stuck on the online application, staff can help over the phone or at the counter.

  • Office: Building Inspections Division, City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive, Fredville, TX 75999
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Phone: (555) 010-2235
  • Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fees

  • Both the application and payment go through the permitting portal.
  • Use the fee estimator for new residential construction permits to get an idea of what you will owe.

Inspections for new single-family homes

  • Every inspection follows the 2021 International Residential Code.
  • It is up to the permit holder or their agent to request each inspection in the permitting portal once the work is ready, and to give inspectors access to the site.
  • To keep things moving, inspections are grouped by stage of construction. Request them as laid out in the inspection requirements (PDF).

Energy code inspections

Fredville requires an outside inspector to confirm that the home meets the energy provisions of the 2021 IRC and IECC (see IRC Section R109.2).

  • The third-party inspection agency must be approved by the city and show proof of its qualifications or certifications.
  • Results must be documented with an accepted method, such as REScheck, a HERS rating or Energy Star.
  • Fill out and submit the forms listed in the inspection requirements (PDF) for each of these inspections:
    • Third-party energy framing
    • Energy compliance insulation
    • Third-party energy final

Water meter installation

Meters must be installed to the standards Water Utilities spells out in its meter installation requirements (PDF). When the site is ready for a meter inspection, send in the meter set inspection request form to have your new meter set.

Culvert installation

Owners and their contractors must follow the city's culvert installation requirements (PDF). The Engineering Division can answer questions at (555) 010-1365.

Required documents

DocumentWhen it is due
Form board surveyBefore the foundation is poured
Energy compliance formsWith the inspection requirements (PDF)
Final grade survey (sample available, PDF)Before the building final
Finished floor elevation certificate (PDF), for lots within 200 feet of a floodplainBefore the building final
Termite treatment verification form (PDF)With your inspection documents

Special inspection documents

On top of the standard inspections, some work calls for an engineer's conformance letter or approved lab reports. Examples include pier installation, concrete, fabricated components, structural steel and other special cases. Upload these under the "Miscellaneous Other Docs" inspection type and note which document you are sending.

Closing out the permit

A new single-family permit can only be closed once every final document and inspection has been approved and any related permits are finished. Each related permit follows its own requirements. They can include, among others:

  • Fences
  • Irrigation systems
  • Retaining walls

When all documents are in, every final inspection has passed and the related permits are complete, you may ask for a Certificate of Completion.

Please note: Fredville does not issue a Certificate of Occupancy for single-family homes, as provided in the city's Unified Development Code. The references on this page are for general information only and do not cover every local, state or federal requirement that may apply to your project.

At a glance

Fee
$0.50 per square foot of living area, $500 minimum
Who needs it
The property owner, or the licensed contractor the owner hires, before work starts
How to apply
Apply and pay in the online permit portal.
Application
Sample application for this permit
Turnaround
5 to 10 business days
Questions
(555) 010-2235, [email protected]

Fredville is a demonstration city built by Talk to Fred. Names, numbers and details on this page are sample content.