What a permit costs in Bellaire, and when you need one

The short version

• The city's FY2026 Development Services fee schedule lists a $44 processing fee on permits, a $101 fence permit, a $66 non-structural re-roof and a $213 driveway or flatwork permit.
• Garage sales cost $17 and estate sales cost $74, and neither pays the $44 processing fee.
• Start work without a permit and the schedule says you pay twice the required fee.

Where these numbers come from

Every year the city of Bellaire adopts a list of what its departments charge. For home projects, the page that matters is the Development Services section of the FY2026 Master Fee Schedule. Development Services is the city office that handles permits, building rules and code enforcement. FY2026 means the city's 2026 budget year.

These are the city's own numbers.

The fees, one by one

Here is what the schedule lists:

• All permits processing fee: $44 each. This is a flat charge for handling the paperwork. The schedule says it does not apply to garage sale permits, estate sale permits or parking permits.
• Fence, new or repair: $101, flat.
• Residential re-roof, non-structural: $66, flat. Non-structural means you are replacing the roofing material, not changing the frame underneath.
• Driveway or flatwork: $213, flat. Flatwork means concrete slabs like a walkway or patio.
• Garage sales: $17, flat.
• Estate sales: $74, flat.

The schedule does not list a fee for a shed, so if you plan one, ask Development Services what it will cost. It also does not say how the $44 and the flat fee are combined on one permit, so ask the city to confirm your total before you apply.

The list is public

The city posts the list, so you can look up the fee before you hire anyone. You can also compare a contractor's quote to the posted fee. If the permit line is different from the posted fee, ask what it covers.

When you need a permit

Fees only matter if you need a permit. Two common questions are about fences and sheds.

Fences. Bellaire's building code says a fence not over 8 feet high does not need a building permit. The code does not exempt swimming pool barriers, so plan on a permit for a pool fence. The zoning rules still apply, even when you do not need a permit. On certain streets named in the code, a fence in the front yard can be only 48 inches tall unless it sits farther back. We covered the height rules in our guide to fences.

Sheds. This one is a bit confusing. The city's residential code says a one-story detached accessory structure does not need a permit if the floor area is not over 200 square feet. The city's building code says a tool or storage shed does not need a permit if it is not over 120 square feet. The two numbers do not match, and it is not clear which one the city applies to a particular house. The safe plan is to treat 120 square feet as your limit, or ask the city.

An exemption from a permit is not a free pass. The code says exemptions do not allow work that breaks other rules. A shed still has to sit the right distance from your property lines and cannot be taller than your house. If your lot is in a flood area, ask the city first.

Roofs, driveways and the rest. The fee schedule gives a price for a re-roof and a driveway, but the sources here do not give a permit rule for either. Ask Development Services whether your job needs a permit.

What it costs if you skip the permit

The fee schedule has a line for this: work begun without a permit costs twice the required fee. For a fence, whose listed fee is $101, twice that is $202.

That is only the fee. The city code also treats building without a required permit as a misdemeanor, with a fine of not less than $50 and not more than $250 for each day the violation continues. Zoning violations can carry a fine of up to $2,000, and each day counts as a new offense.

If you are not sure whether your job needs a permit, ask Development Services before you start.

Read the fine print

• The schedule gives the fee for each job. The permit rules sit in the city code.
• The 120 and 200 square foot shed numbers come from two different parts of the code.
• Your deed restrictions or neighborhood association may be stricter than the city.
• Fees can change when the city adopts a new schedule each year.

Before you go

• Check your project against the list above before you hire a contractor.
• Ask the contractor who pulls the permit and whether the quote includes the city's fee.
• If your project is near a property line, a street named in the fence rules or a flood area, call Development Services first.

Sources

• City of Bellaire, FY 2026 Master Fee Schedule, Development Services (https://www.bellairetx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/34482/FY-2026---Master-Fee-Schedule-DS)
• City of Bellaire Code of Ordinances, Sec. 9-17 and Sec. 9-321 (building and residential code amendments) and Sec. 24-512 (fence regulations) (https://library.municode.com/tx/bellaire)
• HERE Bellaire, How tall can my fence be in Bellaire? (/living/rules/fences/)
• HERE Bellaire, Do I need a permit for a shed, garage apartment, carport or patio cover in Bellaire? (/living/rules/sheds-and-accessory-buildings/)

En español

Bellaire publica lo que cuestan los permisos de obra. La lista de tarifas del año fiscal 2026 del Departamento de Servicios de Desarrollo cobra una tarifa de trámite de $44 por permiso, $101 por una cerca nueva o reparada, $66 por cambiar el techo sin tocar la estructura y $213 por una entrada de coches o losa de concreto. Una venta de garaje cuesta $17 y una venta de bienes de una herencia cuesta $74; estas dos no pagan la tarifa de $44. Si usted empieza la obra sin permiso, la lista dice que paga el doble de la tarifa requerida. El código también prevé multas de $50 a $250 por cada día de infracción. Una cerca de hasta 8 pies no necesita permiso de construcción, pero las barreras de piscina sí lo necesitan. Para cobertizos, el código da dos límites distintos, 200 y 120 pies cuadrados; lo más seguro es tratar 120 como el límite o preguntar a la ciudad. La lista no da tarifa para cobertizos. Si no está seguro de que su obra necesite permiso, pregunte a Servicios de Desarrollo antes de empezar.

The HERE Bellaire team