City of Austin – Permits Gone too FAR!!!!

As of 8/13/2010 – this was corrected. A HUGE thanks to Dan McNabb straightening this out!!!! The new interpretation of the code will be posted soon. Again, the information below is no longer valid!

Click here for the new guidelines

Effective Immediately!

The City of Austin Building Inspection Department now requires that a Building Permit be pulled WHENEVER a wall is accessed. There currently are no parameters regarding the access. The ordinance specifies that ANY cut into a wall (interior or exterior, commercial or residential) requires a Building Permit.

Problematic to our industry, any plumbing that must be accessed within a wall requires a Plumbing Permit. Said Plumbing Permits will not be issued if there is NOT a Building Permit.

Building Permits may be obtained from the hours of 8:00 am until 11:00 am, Monday – Friday and cost approximately $130.00. The application consists of 8 pages and upon completion must be reviewed by a planning examiner. Upon applying for the permit (which took 3 hours), it took an additional day before the permit was issued thus allowing for a plumbing permit.

This process will require us to charge another $200.00 or more for any repair made inside a wall.

I can understand having certain requirements based upon how much drywall need be removed; however, even the smallest of openings require such a permit.

I do not see this as progress. This is taking it way too far. Aside from the financial burdens this causes, the time necessary to deal with the added inspections is sure to be frustrating for the consumer.

If you are in agreement that this is not feasible, please contact the following to voice your concern :

Mary Jones – Executive Director PHCC – 512 523-8099
Stephen Cox – PHCC Director, Austin Chapter – 512 422-4494
Dan McNabb – Austin Plumbing Code Supervisor – 512 974-2752
Monty Lowell – Austin Plumbing Supervisor – 512 974-2882
Marie Sandoval – City Manager’s Office (Austin) – 512 974-2200