50 Questions About Texas Site Plans, Answered Straight.
From what a site plan actually is, to why Houston's Chapter 42 has nothing to do with zoning, to what happens if your building department kicks a plan back — here's every question we get, answered without the runaround.
Site Plan Basics
A site plan is a scaled, top-down drawing of your property showing your boundaries, existing structures, the proposed project, and the setback distances between them. It's the document your building department reviews first to confirm your project complies with local rules before issuing a permit.
In nearly every Texas city and county, yes — for any project that changes your property's footprint, including fences, sheds, pools, decks, additions, ADUs, and new construction. Requirements are set locally, not statewide.
A survey is a legal, field-measured document prepared by a licensed surveyor, typically required for property transactions or boundary disputes. A site plan is a drafted drawing used for permit review — most residential permits accept a non-certified site plan drafted from public records rather than requiring a full survey.
The terms are often used interchangeably. Some jurisdictions specifically use "plot plan" for simpler residential submissions and "site plan" for more detailed commercial or multi-family review — we'll use whichever term your specific building department expects.
At minimum, your property address and a description of your project. Specific measurements, an existing survey (if you have one), and project dimensions help us draft more precisely but aren't always required to get started.
No. We can draft from public parcel records and aerial imagery for most standard residential lots. An existing survey is useful on irregular or contested lots, but it's not a requirement to place an order.
For simple residential projects, some jurisdictions accept a homeowner-drawn site plan, as long as it includes all required elements — property lines, dimensions, setbacks, and a north arrow. Commercial, multi-family, and complex projects generally require a professionally drafted or PE-sealed plan.
This varies by jurisdiction. Some cities exempt very minor work — like a small storage shed under a certain square footage, or interior-only remodels with no footprint change — from site plan requirements. Always confirm with your specific city or county before assuming an exemption applies.
Texas Jurisdiction & Authority
Texas has no statewide residential building code. Each city and county adopts and enforces its own rules, which means a site plan built for one Texas jurisdiction can be rejected in the next one over.
No. Houston is the largest U.S. city without a traditional zoning ordinance. Development is governed by Chapter 42 of the City Code, deed restrictions recorded with Harris County, and — in some neighborhoods — Special Minimum Lot Size overlays.
Austin requires a site plan for nearly every building permit application under Land Development Code Title 25, with added review for impervious cover limits, heritage tree preservation (trees 24"+ DBH need a variance to remove), and Edwards Aquifer watershed protection.
Unincorporated Travis County commercial site plans must be sealed by a Texas-licensed engineer and include site grading, a drainage report, an erosion and sedimentation control plan, and — for projects generating over 1,000 daily vehicle trips — a full Traffic Impact Analysis.
Fort Worth reviews site plans for fire lane access, the nearest fire hydrant location, and a full utility/civil site plan showing water and sanitary sewer connections — not just property line setbacks.
In unincorporated Bexar County, a Building Permit Authorization from Public Works is required before the Fire Marshal's Office will issue a permit. It's a step that catches many out-of-state or template-based drafters off guard.
An ETJ is an area outside a city's official limits where that city still has some authority over development — often platting and subdivision rules. Properties in a city's ETJ may need to follow that city's requirements even though they're technically unincorporated.
We confirm this for you as part of every order, since it determines which authority actually reviews your site plan. You can also check with your county's GIS/jurisdiction map or your city's planning department directly.
Often, yes, though requirements are typically lighter than inside city limits. Floodplain, easement, septic, and driveway access rules commonly still apply even where zoning-style review doesn't.
Each city in the Dallas-Fort Worth area runs its own independent permitting department. There's no single DFW-wide authority, so a site plan built for the City of Dallas won't automatically meet Plano's or Frisco's specific requirements.
No. Properties within San Antonio city limits go through the City's Development Services Department, while unincorporated Bexar County properties go through Bexar County Public Works and require the BPA step described above.
Floodplain and coastal storm risk, TWIA-designated areas along the coast, impervious cover limits tied to aquifer recharge zones (notably around Austin and the Hill Country), and rapid-growth areas with Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) or special districts.
Services & Pricing
Two tiers: site-plan-only drafting (from $79) for straightforward residential permits, and full architectural, structural, and MEP drawing sets (quoted per project) for ADUs, new construction, additions, and commercial builds.
Fence, shed, and driveway site plans start at $79. Pool, deck, and home addition site plans run $149. ADU and new construction site plans run $249. Commercial site plans (with PE stamp included) start at $249+.
Because scope varies too widely across project types — a full drawing set for a small ADU and one for a 3,000-square-foot commercial tenant improvement require very different levels of work. We quote based on project type, building size, and the specific deliverables required.
Yes, as a rush upgrade for +$75 on most services, added to your standard order.
$79, with standard 12-hour delivery.
$149, with 12–24 hour delivery, including required barrier compliance detail.
Yes — a permit cost calculator, a setback checker, a permit rejection risk analyzer, and (unique to our Houston coverage) a deed restriction checker, all available before you commit to an order.
Contact us directly for volume pricing if you're ordering repeatedly across multiple Texas job sites — we work with contractors on this basis regularly.
Full Drawing Sets
Site plan, floor plans, foundation plan, framing plans, roof plan, building sections, exterior elevations, a 3D exterior render, window and door schedules, construction details, electrical/plumbing/HVAC plans and schedules, an electrical load calculation, a landscaping plan, and a fire safety plan.
When your project is a full new home, a significant addition, an ADU, or a commercial build/tenant improvement — anything beyond what a standalone site plan can cover.
Typically 4–7+ business days depending on project scope and complexity, quoted at the time of order.
For commercial projects, yes — a Texas-licensed PE seal is included. For residential full sets, a PE stamp can be added where your jurisdiction requires one.
Yes — contact us with your specific scope and we'll quote what you actually need rather than the full package.
Yes, a 3D exterior render is included as one of the standard deliverables in the full architectural/structural/MEP package.
PE Stamp & Engineering
Usually not for straightforward residential work. Every Texas commercial permit requires a PE seal statewide, with no small-project exemption.
Yes — our PE stamp service reviews and seals existing drawings, starting at $299 for residential and $499 for commercial, typically within 2–5 business days.
So a single engineer's schedule never becomes the bottleneck on a commercial or multi-family order. Every engineer in our network is Texas-licensed and reviews work independently before sealing it.
Yes — Texas building departments require a seal from an engineer licensed specifically in Texas. A PE license from another state isn't valid for Texas permit submissions unless that engineer also holds Texas licensure.
Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) is the state's accessibility code for commercial construction, which extends beyond federal ADA requirements in several categories. Commercial site plans and drawing sets are reviewed for TAS compliance alongside the required PE seal.
2–5 business days for existing drawings submitted for review and seal, depending on project complexity and current engineer availability in our network.
Process & Turnaround
Send your address and project type through WhatsApp, email, or our contact form. We confirm your jurisdiction and quote your project before any payment is required.
12 hours for most fence/shed/driveway site plans, 12–24 hours for pool/deck/addition plans, 24–48 hours for ADU and commercial site plans, and 4–7+ business days for full drawing sets.
No — we draft from public parcel records, aerial imagery, and the project details and measurements you provide.
A permit-ready PDF formatted for your specific jurisdiction's submittal requirements, typically sized and scaled for direct upload to your city or county's online portal.
Yes — if you catch something that needs adjusting before submission, let us know and we'll revise it as part of standard service.
We draft the site plan and format it for your jurisdiction's submittal process; you (or your contractor) submit it through the relevant portal. Contact us if you need help identifying the correct submission method for your specific city or county.
Corrections, Refunds & Guarantee
We correct it for free, with a standard 12-hour turnaround, as long as the correction relates to our drafting rather than a change in project scope.
If work hasn't started yet on your order, yes. Once a site plan has been completed and delivered matching the project details you provided, it's generally not refundable — see our full refund policy for specifics.
No — once a Texas-licensed engineer has begun review or sealed a drawing, that portion of the order reflects independent professional work and is final, the same as it would be with any engineering firm.
That falls outside what a site plan correction or refund can address, since it's a jurisdictional or deed-restriction decision rather than a drafting issue. We're glad to help you understand what a denial letter is asking for, but the underlying dispute needs to be resolved with your building department, HOA, or a variance request. See our refund policy and money-back guarantee for full details.
Send Us Your Address and Project — We'll Give You a Specific Answer.
Fifty questions covers most of it, but Texas has 254 counties, and your project might have a wrinkle none of these anticipated — a deed restriction, an ETJ boundary, a floodplain designation.