Alamo Metal Buildings

The seven-county San Antonio metal building permit directory

Around San Antonio, the counties do not answer the metal building permit question alike, and this sheet lines them all up in one table. Bexar, Atascosa and Guadalupe issue a county building permit for a non-residential building past the city limits.

More on this

Wilson answers from two desks: the office that posts its unincorporated-area permits lists development, septic and driveway permits and no building permit, while the county Fire Marshal prices a commercial building permit under the fire code the county adopted on October 27, 2025. Medina, Karnes and Frio post none. Every row below was checked at that county's or city's own site on 2026-09-13 and links back to its source.

Sheet
Directory
Jurisdiction
Seven San Antonio-area counties, TX
Checked
2026-09-13
Sources
50 primary documents

Lot picked out? Each request goes to one independent contractor, whose call it is which jobs to accept.

(830) 251-6374 Request a building price
Two lane rural road curving past a metal building in the brush country south of San Antonio, Texas

Which office issues a San Antonio-area metal building permit?

The one with your address. Within a city limit, the city handles the permit and the inspections, and 18 cities here post a permit page of their own that says so. Past the last city limit the county answers, and three of the seven post no county building permit at all, while a fourth answers from two offices. That is what their own sites list; it does not mean a building there is unregulated.

Between the two lies the extraterritorial jurisdiction, the unincorporated ring around a city. Local Government Code 212.049 says the development plat subchapter does not let a city require its building permits, or enforce its building code, out there. Section 212.046 is the lever a city keeps: on a covered tract, a building permit, or any other development permit, may not be issued by any city, county or other government official until the city has the development plat filed and approved.

So settle the address before the building. The reason the counties differ at all is Local Government Code Chapter 233, which leaves a county without power to adopt a general commercial building code; it is worked through on the permit sheet. The whole job in order: the start-to-finish San Antonio guide.

Checked at Texas Legislature Online, Local Government Code Chapter 212, municipal regulation of subdivisions and property development, 2026-09-13.

Whole chapter checked; it gives counties no such power. Checked at Texas Legislature Online, Local Government Code Chapter 233, county regulation of housing and other structures, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Wilson County, Wilson County Fire Marshal, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Wilson County Fire Marshal Office, Appendix A Fee Schedule, 2026-09-13.

County by county, one row each

Each cell is that county's own answer, checked at that county's own site on the date in the row.

Bexar County, TX

Courthouse town
San Antonio
County building permit, outside the cities
On the county site
Yes. The Fire Marshal Office determines when a building permit is required for a structure that is not for single-family dwelling use, and the permit covers site clearing as well as construction.
Office and number
Bexar County Fire Marshal Office, 210-335-0300.
Floodplain office
Bexar County Public Works Department, 210-335-6700.
Septic authorized agent
Bexar County Environmental Services, under Public Works, 210-335-6700.
Driveway permit
Bexar County Public Works Department, Development Services Section, 210-335-6700.
Edwards Aquifer program
Named in the TCEQ program

Medina County, TX

Courthouse town
Hondo
County building permit, outside the cities
No county building permit on the county site
The county's own permit list carries five items, 911 addressing, water well, floodplain, septic, and driveway and utility, and a building permit for a commercial or accessory structure is not one of them.
Office and number
Medina County, 1100 16th Street, Hondo, 830-741-6000.
Floodplain office
Medina County Environmental Health Department, 830-741-6195.
Septic authorized agent
Medina County Environmental Health Department, 830-741-6195.
Driveway permit
Issued by the Precinct Commissioner for the property rather than a central permit office. Precinct 1, 830-741-6016. Precinct 2, 830-931-4000. Precinct 3, 830-741-6006. Precinct 4, 830-665-8015.
Edwards Aquifer program
Named in the TCEQ program
Where and when checked
Checked at Medina County, What Type of Permits Are Required In Medina County?, 2026-09-13.

Wilson County, TX

Courthouse town
Floresville
County building permit, outside the cities
Permitting and Development lists none, Fire Marshal permit applies
For the unincorporated area the county posts three permits: development, septic and driveway. It has also adopted a fire code, which brings a separate Fire Marshal permit, 830-259-5612.
Office and number
Wilson County Permitting and Development, 830-393-8357.
Floodplain office
Wilson County Permitting and Development, 830-393-8357.
Septic authorized agent
Wilson County Permitting and Development, 830-393-8357.
Driveway permit
Wilson County Permitting and Development, 830-393-8357.
Edwards Aquifer program
Not named

Atascosa County, TX

Courthouse town
Jourdanton
County building permit, outside the cities
On the county site
Yes: ahead of a new commercial or public building, a remodel that puts a new kind of business in an existing building, or a multifamily dwelling with four units or more. Single family dwellings need none.
Office and number
Atascosa County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Office, 830-769-2029.
Floodplain office
The county Emergency Management Coordinator is the Floodplain Administrator. The county publishes no direct number for the role, so the question routes through the county permit offices, 830-769-2748.
Septic authorized agent
Atascosa County Environmental Health, 830-769-2748.
Driveway permit
Atascosa County, 830-769-3093.
Edwards Aquifer program
Not named

Guadalupe County, TX

Courthouse town
Seguin
County building permit, outside the cities
On the county site
Yes, ahead of building or substantially improving a commercial establishment, public building or multi-family dwelling, under the county fire code order adopted January 27, 2026, in force from February 1, 2026.
Office and number
Guadalupe County Fire Marshal Office, 830-303-8856.
Floodplain office
Guadalupe County Environmental Health Department, 830-303-8858.
Septic authorized agent
Guadalupe County Environmental Health Department, 830-303-8858.
Driveway permit
Guadalupe County Road and Bridge Department, 830-379-9721.
Edwards Aquifer program
Not named

Karnes County, TX

Courthouse town
Karnes City
County building permit, outside the cities
No county building permit on the county site
The county permitting page lists two permit groups, special projects and septic permits, and road and bridge permits, and names no building permit, building official, building code or adopted code edition.
Office and number
Karnes County Special Projects and Permits, 830-780-3511.
Floodplain office
Not on the county site
None named. The county publishes no standalone floodplain permit page, no floodplain fee and no named floodplain administrator on any page checked, so the floodplain question goes to the permits office, 830-780-3511.
Septic authorized agent
Karnes County designated representative, 210 W Calvert Ave., Suite 155, Karnes City, 830-780-3511.
Driveway permit
The 2013 subdivision rules require a county driveway permit and name the Karnes County Health and Public Safety Office, which does not appear in the current county department list, so the live office is Special Projects and Permits, 830-780-3511.
Edwards Aquifer program
Not named

Frio County, TX

Courthouse town
Pearsall
County building permit, outside the cities
No county building permit on the county site
The construction permits the county publishes are septic, floodplain, utility right of way and pipeline. No building permit, building department, building official, fire marshal or adopted code edition appears on any page checked.
Office and number
Frio County Road and Bridge Department, 830-505-7402.
Floodplain office
Frio County Emergency Management Coordinator, 830-326-3281.
Septic authorized agent
Frio County designated representative, 2207 BI 35E, Pearsall, 830-505-7402.
Driveway permit
Not on the county site
No driveway permit and no culvert permit appears on the county site. Confirm with Road and Bridge, 830-505-7402, before cutting an access onto a county road.
Edwards Aquifer program
Not named

A county with no building permit listed is a county whose own site was checked and posts none. That is not permission. Acre-based stormwater coverage, the $50,000 state registration (private residences aside) and, in Bexar and Medina, the Edwards Aquifer plan all apply whatever a county posts, as does every rule that county's own rows above do carry, each on the terms its row gives. Inside a city limit the city takes over.

Checked at Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Architectural Barriers frequently asked questions, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, elimination of architectural barriers at a glance, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, construction stormwater general permit TXR150000, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, 2026-09-13.

The 18 cities with a permit page checked

Inside these city limits the city is the permitting office, not the county. Each row gives what that city's own page says about permitting a commercial or accessory building. A city whose page was not checked gets no row.

San Antonio, TX

Bexar County

A commercial project inside the city goes through a plan review at Development Services, on a path of zoning, plan intake, plan review, permit, inspections, utility release and certificate of occupancy. The completeness review of the submittal package typically takes up to three business days. A permit application and a permit expire within 180 days if no proof of work or progress has been shown.

City of San Antonio Development Services

Checked at the San Antonio permit page, 2026-09-13.

Hondo, TX

Medina County

A permit is required for any building or accessory structure erected or constructed, and for a structural alteration or an addition to an existing building or accessory building. The non-residential checklist asks for a sealed engineered foundation plan with a geotechnical survey or soil test, and TDLR registration for a project over $50,000.00. The city lists the 2015 International Building Code.

Development Services, 830-426-3378

Checked at the Hondo permit page, 2026-09-13.

Castroville, TX

Medina County

A permit is required for any accessory structure over 200 square feet, and the city names carports, garages, sheds and storage buildings. The exemption under 200 square feet applies only where there is no electric, plumbing or mechanical work, and the city states its exclusions pertain only to residential permits, so commercial work is covered by no exemption.

Community Development Department, 830-931-4090

Checked at the Castroville permit page, 2026-09-13.

Devine, TX

Medina County

Plans and documents must be approved by the Building Department and all fees paid before a construction permit is issued, residential or commercial. The city adopted the 2021 International codes effective March 1, 2024. Starting work that needs a permit without one doubles the total permitting fees.

Code Compliance Department, 830-663-2804

Checked at the Devine permit page, 2026-09-13.

Lytle, TX

Medina County and Atascosa County

Permits are required for building construction and for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, pool and sign work, filed through the city online system. Every commercial application requires a Fire Marshal plan review and inspection before a certificate of occupancy, and must include the project cost. The city adopted the 2021 International Building Code.

Building Department, 830-709-3692

Checked at the Lytle permit page, 2026-09-13.

Floresville, TX

Wilson County

A building permit is required, and the fee is triggered by building new, adding on, remodeling or altering, residential or commercial, on the declared valuation. The city states it has adopted the International Building Code and the International Residential Code and gives no edition year.

Buildings and Permits, 830-393-3105

Checked at the Floresville permit page, 2026-09-13.

La Vernia, TX

Wilson County

The city publishes a Commercial Building Packet and a separate Residential Accessory Building packet, and defines an accessory building as a detached building on the same lot subordinate to the main building. It states it is using the 2018 International Building Code, and one outside company does both plan review and field inspections.

City of La Vernia, 830-779-4541

Checked at the La Vernia permit page, 2026-09-13.

Pleasanton, TX

Atascosa County

A registered general contractor or an engineer applies for a new commercial building permit through the city online portal with a set of engineered plans. A permit is required to build or place any accessory structure greater than 200 square feet, and for a carport; that threshold sits in the residential section of the page, and the page states no square footage threshold for a commercial accessory building.

Community Development Services, 830-569-3867

Checked at the Pleasanton permit page, 2026-10-05.

Jourdanton, TX

Atascosa County

The residential and commercial permit applications cover new construction, a remodel or addition, and an accessory structure. The city states it is currently using the 2006 International Building Code, with an outside inspection company.

City of Jourdanton, 1604 SH 97 E, 830-769-3589

Checked at the Jourdanton permit page, 2026-09-13.

Poteet, TX

Atascosa County

A permit is required before erecting, constructing, enlarging, altering or occupying a structure, and the regulation applies to all structures or improvements, residential, commercial or industrial, temporary or permanent. A commercial submittal is one set of sealed and stamped architectural plans, and commercial plan review normally takes two to four weeks where no civil engineer review is needed.

City Hall, 491 Avenue H, 830-742-3574

Checked at the Poteet permit page, 2026-09-13.

Seguin, TX

Guadalupe County

Building, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing, roofing or re-roofing a building or structure, or changing its occupancy, takes an application to the Building Official, and the contractor turns in the application and the plans. The city has adopted the 2021 International Building Code. Permit fees are square footage based and the amounts are not published on the page.

Planning and Codes, Permits Department, 830-401-2435

Checked at the Seguin permit page, 2026-09-13.

Schertz, TX

Guadalupe County

Permits are required before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing or changing the occupancy of a building, and the Inspections Division reviews plans inside the city and in its extraterritorial jurisdiction. New commercial plan review is 30 days for the initial review and 14 days for each review after it. An accessory building of 120 square feet or larger requires a permit.

Inspections Division, 210-619-1750

Checked at the Schertz permit page, 2026-09-13.

Cibolo, TX

Guadalupe County

A commercial building permit is required for new commercial construction, tenant improvements, additions and changes of occupancy. New commercial development needs a pre-application conference first, site plan review runs a minimum of 45 business days, and a project over $50,000.00 needs a TDLR Architectural Barriers project registration number.

Building Permits and Inspections, 210-658-4175

Checked at the Cibolo permit page, 2026-09-13.

Marion, TX

Guadalupe County

A building permit is required for most new construction, remodeling or additions, and the city posts separate residential, commercial, accessory building, fence, foundation, re-roof and sub-trade applications. Inspections are performed by a third-party inspector, and the page states no adopted code edition.

Marion City Hall, 830-914-2391

Checked at the Marion permit page, 2026-09-13.

Karnes City, TX

Karnes County

Building permits run through a Building Officials office at City Hall, and the city states that a permit for any type of commercial project should first be accompanied by engineered building plans for review before any permits are issued. Permits are good for 180 days. The city publishes no fee schedule and states it has no zoning ordinance in place.

Building Officials, 830-780-3422

Checked at the Karnes City permit page, 2026-09-13.

Kenedy, TX

Karnes County

The city posts a Commercial Building Permit Application as a separate form from the residential one, plus a contractor registration form. The department page states no adopted code edition and publishes no permit fees.

Building and Community Development, 830-583-2230

Checked at the Kenedy permit page, 2026-09-13.

Pearsall, TX

Frio County

A permit is required before any construction, alteration, move or change of occupancy of a building or structure. Permit and contractor registration applications and inspection scheduling run through an online portal. The city publishes the 2018 International Building Code.

Permits Division, 830-334-4160

Checked at the Pearsall permit page, 2026-09-13.

Dilley, TX

Frio County

The city posts a Commercial Permit Application and a separate Residential Permit Application, so it permits commercial construction. Everything runs through City Hall, and the city publishes no separate building department, no permit fees and no adopted code edition on any page checked.

Dilley City Hall, 830-965-1624

Checked at the Dilley permit page, 2026-09-13.

Eleven more incorporated cities in these seven counties have no row above, because none of their own permit pages was checked for this record: Helotes, Converse, Live Oak, Universal City, Selma, Leon Valley, Natalia, Stockdale, Poth, Runge and Falls City. An address inside one of them runs on that city, not the county row, so confirm at that city hall before leaning on a county answer.

What holds on every row, whatever the county posts?

Four things, none of them the county's to waive.

  • TDLR registration at $50,000. Any building job with $50,000 or more in total estimated construction cost must be registered with TDLR, short for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; the full construction set then goes to a registered accessibility specialist under Administrative Rule 68.50. TDLR says the law and the Texas Accessibility Standards stay out of private residences, and the 2012 standards draw the edge of that: when a commercial facility or public accommodation sits inside a private residence, the part used only as a home is outside and the part used to run the business is inside. Government Code 469.102 keeps a local permitting official from taking a permit application without first confirming the building is registered, and Atascosa County builds that into its own process: the Fire Marshal's office may turn the application away until the project is registered.

  • Stormwater coverage by the acre. Work disturbing an acre or more of soil, with runoff to surface water in the state, needs coverage under the TCEQ construction general permit, with a pollution prevention plan in place before work starts. Five acres and up files a Notice of Intent through STEERS first; one acre to under five posts a signed site notice instead; under one acre, off any wider common plan for development or sale, is outside the permit.

  • No state builder license to look up. Neither a home builder nor a general contractor holds a state license in Texas. The Texas Residential Construction Commission is gone, its act having expired September 1, 2009, and TDLR's list of regulated trades has no builder, general contractor, remodeler, roofer or metal building program. Electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors and plumbers each hold a license under a program of their own.

  • The Edwards Aquifer program in Bexar and Medina. On the recharge, transition or contributing zone, construction cannot start until TCEQ approves an Edwards Aquifer protection plan, and for this region its program pages list Bexar, Medina, Comal, Uvalde and Kinney counties. Only parts are regulated, and TCEQ's own map viewer settles a given site. On the recharge zone nothing regulated happens without an approved water pollution abatement plan; the contributing zone has its own plan, needed only when the work disturbs five acres or more or the lot belongs to a wider plan for development or sale.

Checked at Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Architectural Barriers frequently asked questions, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Legislature Online, Government Code Chapter 469, elimination of architectural barriers, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, elimination of architectural barriers at a glance, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, 2012 Texas Accessibility Standards, scoping requirements, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, construction stormwater general permit TXR150000, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Residential Construction Commission; TDLR regulated industries list, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, what plans you might need, 2026-09-13.

Checked at Atascosa County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Office, Permit and Inspection Process Overview, 2026-09-13.

Checking a row before you lean on it

Call the office in your row, and write down who answered and the date. Permit pages change without notice, and the checked date is the last day this site saw the page. Have the address, the county, and whether it sits inside a city limit ready before you dial. Ask the floodplain, septic and driveway offices one at a time: in most of these counties they are three separate desks, and a yes from one is not a yes from the others.

Then give all of it to whoever prices the building, before the drawings are done. The permit path, the floodplain answer and the septic answer each reshape the slab, the pad and the site work. Bexar County is the fullest sheet in the set, the one county here where a county permit, a city plan review, an extraterritorial jurisdiction stamp, a floodplain review and an aquifer plan can all land on one lot. The $50,000 line is on the TDLR sheet, and the aquifer plan on the Edwards Aquifer sheet for Bexar and Medina. The building itself gets priced against that path by one independent metal building contractor.

Inside the City of San Antonio, the city's own permit data shows where accessory buildings and carports get permitted: the count by year and ZIP code, with a free CSV.

What owners ask

County or city: where does a San Antonio metal building permit come from?

From the office that has the address. Within a city limit, the city handles the permit, the code and the inspections. Past the last city limit the county answers, and the seven counties around San Antonio do not answer alike. Bexar, Atascosa and Guadalupe issue a county building permit for a non-residential building outside the cities. Wilson answers from two offices: its Permitting and Development office lists no building permit, and its Fire Marshal prices a commercial building permit under the county fire code adopted October 27, 2025. Medina, Karnes and Frio post none on any county page checked on 2026-09-13. A county that posts none is not a county without rules: every rule its own site does post still applies on that page's terms, and so do TDLR registration once total estimated construction cost reaches $50,000, private residences aside, and TCEQ stormwater coverage from one disturbed acre.

Which counties post no county building permit, and which answers from two offices?

Medina, Karnes and Frio post none, on their own sites checked 2026-09-13. Medina County posts a one-page list of five required permits (911 addressing, water well, floodplain, septic, and driveway and utility), and no building permit is on it. Karnes County lists special projects and septic permits and road and bridge permits, and names no building official or code edition. Frio County posts septic, floodplain, utility right of way and pipeline permits only. Wilson County is the one with two offices: its Permitting and Development office posts three permits for the unincorporated area (development, septic and driveway), and under a fire code the county adopted October 27, 2025, the Fire Marshal prices a commercial building permit as three fees: plan review, inspection, and final inspection or certificate of compliance. Confirm with the county before leaning on any of it.

Who handles floodplain permits in each of the seven counties?

Bexar County Public Works, 210-335-6700. Medina County Environmental Health, 830-741-6195. Wilson County Permitting and Development, 830-393-8357. In Atascosa County the Emergency Management Coordinator serves as Floodplain Administrator, with no direct number posted for the role, so calls go through the county permit offices, 830-769-2748. Guadalupe County Environmental Health, 830-303-8858. Frio County Emergency Management Coordinator, 830-326-3281. Karnes County names no floodplain administrator on any page checked and posts no standalone floodplain permit page and no floodplain fee, so the question goes to Special Projects and Permits, 830-780-3511. All checked at the county sites on 2026-09-13.

Does the state of Texas license metal building contractors?

No. Home builders and general contractors hold no state license in Texas. The Texas Residential Construction Commission is gone, its act having expired September 1, 2009, and no builder, general contractor, remodeler, roofer or metal building program appears among the trades the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation lists. Electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors and plumbers each hold a license under their own program, and a registered accessibility specialist reviews the construction documents on a project registered at TDLR at $50,000 or more. With no state registry to check a metal building contractor against, the office in your row, and what it requires, is what to confirm.

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Request a building price (830) 251-6374

Checked against the sources 2026-09-13.

(830) 251-6374 Request a building price