Alamo Metal Buildings

The seven-county San Antonio metal building permit directory

The seven counties around San Antonio answer the metal building permit question in different ways, and this page puts every answer in one table. Bexar, Atascosa and Guadalupe issue a county building permit for a non-residential building outside the city limits.

Read the rest

Wilson answers in two places: the office that publishes its unincorporated-area permits lists a development permit, a septic permit and a driveway permit 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 publish none. Every row below was read at that county's or that city's own site on 2026-09-13 and links back to the page it came from.

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

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Two lane rural road curving past a metal building in the brush country south of San Antonio, Texas

Who issues a San Antonio metal building permit?

Whichever office has your address. Inside a city limit the city runs the permit and the inspections, and 18 cities here publish their own permit page saying so. Outside every city limit the county answers, and three of the seven publish no county building permit at all, while a fourth answers in two offices at once. That is what their own sites list, not a finding that a building there is unregulated.

Between the two sits the extraterritorial jurisdiction, the unincorporated belt outside a city. Local Government Code 212.049 states that the development plat subchapter does not authorize a municipality to require municipal building permits or enforce its building code there. Section 212.046 gives a city a different lever: no municipality, county or official of another governmental entity may issue a building permit or any other development permit on a covered tract until a development plat is filed with and approved by the municipality.

So the first thing to settle is the address, not the building. Why the counties differ at all is Local Government Code Chapter 233, which gives a county no authority to adopt a general commercial building code and is worked through on the permit guide. The whole job in order is on the San Antonio metal building guide.

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

Statute read in full, no such county authority granted. Source: Texas Legislature Online, Local Government Code Chapter 233, county regulation of housing and other structures, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Wilson County, Wilson County Fire Marshal, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Wilson County Fire Marshal Office, Appendix A Fee Schedule, read 2026-09-13.

The seven counties, one row each

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

Bexar County, TX

County seat
San Antonio
Building permit outside city limits
Read at the county source
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.
Department and phone
Bexar County Fire Marshal Office, 210-335-0300.
Floodplain permit 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

County seat
Hondo
Building permit outside city limits
County site read, no county building permit listed
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.
Department and phone
Medina County, 1100 16th Street, Hondo, 830-741-6000.
Floodplain permit 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

Wilson County, TX

County seat
Floresville
Building permit outside city limits
Permitting and Development lists none, Fire Marshal permit applies
The permits published for the unincorporated area are a development permit, a septic permit and a driveway permit. The county does adopt a fire code, which is a separate permit through the Fire Marshal, 830-259-5612.
Department and phone
Wilson County Permitting and Development, 830-393-8357.
Floodplain permit 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

County seat
Jourdanton
Building permit outside city limits
Read at the county source
Yes, before building a new commercial or public building, remodeling an existing building for a new type of business, or building a multifamily dwelling of four or more units. Single family dwellings are not required to have one.
Department and phone
Atascosa County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Office, 830-769-2029.
Floodplain permit 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

County seat
Seguin
Building permit outside city limits
Read at the county source
Yes, before constructing or substantially improving a commercial establishment, public building or multi-family dwelling, under the county fire code order adopted January 27, 2026 and effective February 1, 2026.
Department and phone
Guadalupe County Fire Marshal Office, 830-303-8856.
Floodplain permit 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

County seat
Karnes City
Building permit outside city limits
County site read, no county building permit listed
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.
Department and phone
Karnes County Special Projects and Permits, 830-780-3511.
Floodplain permit office
County site read, not listed
None named. The county publishes no standalone floodplain permit page, no floodplain fee and no named floodplain administrator on any page read, 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

County seat
Pearsall
Building permit outside city limits
County site read, no county building permit listed
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 read.
Department and phone
Frio County Road and Bridge Department, 830-505-7402.
Floodplain permit 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
County site read, not listed
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 that lists no building permit is a county whose own site was read and lists none. That is not permission. Stormwater coverage by acreage, the $50,000 state registration on a building that is not a private residence and, in Bexar and Medina, the Edwards Aquifer plan apply whatever a county publishes, and so does every rule that county's own rows above do carry, each on the terms its row states. Inside a city limit the city applies instead.

Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Architectural Barriers frequently asked questions, read 2026-09-13.

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

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, construction stormwater general permit TXR150000, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, read 2026-09-13.

The 18 cities whose own permit page was read

Inside these city limits the city is the office, not the county. Each row is what that city's own page says about a permit for a commercial or an accessory building. A city whose own page was not read is not a row here at all.

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

Source: San Antonio permit page, read 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

Source: Hondo permit page, read 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

Source: Castroville permit page, read 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

Source: Devine permit page, read 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

Source: Lytle permit page, read 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

Source: Floresville permit page, read 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

Source: La Vernia permit page, read 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

Source: Pleasanton permit page, read 2026-09-13.

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

Source: Jourdanton permit page, read 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

Source: Poteet permit page, read 2026-09-13.

Seguin, TX

Guadalupe County

An application to the Building Official is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, roof, re-roof or change the occupancy of a building or structure, and the contractor submits 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

Source: Seguin permit page, read 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

Source: Schertz permit page, read 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

Source: Cibolo permit page, read 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

Source: Marion permit page, read 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

Source: Karnes City permit page, read 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

Source: Kenedy permit page, read 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

Source: Pearsall permit page, read 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 read.

Dilley City Hall, 830-965-1624

Source: Dilley permit page, read 2026-09-13.

Eleven more incorporated cities in these seven counties are not rows above, because no permit page of their own was read 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 rather than on the county row, so confirm it at that city hall before relying on a county answer.

What applies in every row, whatever your county publishes?

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

  • Registration with TDLR at $50,000. A building project with a total estimated construction cost of $50,000 or more must be registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and a full set of construction documents goes to a registered accessibility specialist under Administrative Rule 68.50. TDLR states that the law and the Texas Accessibility Standards do not apply to private residences, and the 2012 standards set the limit on that exception: where a commercial facility or a public accommodation sits inside a private residence, the portion used exclusively as a residence is not covered and the portions used in operating the business are. Government Code 469.102 bars a local permitting official from accepting a permit application unless the official verifies the building is registered. Atascosa County writes that into its own process: the Fire Marshal's office may refuse the application until the project is registered.

  • Stormwater coverage by acreage. Construction that discharges stormwater to surface water in the state and disturbs one acre or more of soil needs coverage under the TCEQ construction general permit, with a pollution prevention plan in place before work starts. Five acres or more files a Notice of Intent through the STEERS system first; one to under five acres posts a signed site notice instead; under one acre, and not part of a larger common plan of development or sale, is not regulated by the permit.

  • No state builder license to check. Texas licenses no home builder and no general contractor. The Texas Residential Construction Commission was abolished and its act expired on September 1, 2009, and the TDLR list of regulated industries names no builder, general contractor, remodeler, roofer or metal building program. Electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors and plumbers are licensed under their own separate programs.

  • The Edwards Aquifer program in Bexar and Medina. TCEQ requires an approved Edwards Aquifer protection plan before construction begins on the recharge, transition or contributing zones, and the program pages name Bexar, Medina, Comal, Uvalde and Kinney counties in this region. Only portions are regulated, and TCEQ points to its own map viewer to settle a site. A regulated activity on the recharge zone needs an approved water pollution abatement plan; on the contributing zone a plan is needed only where the activity disturbs at least five acres or is part of a larger plan of development or sale.

Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Architectural Barriers frequently asked questions, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Texas Legislature Online, Government Code Chapter 469, elimination of architectural barriers, read 2026-09-13.

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

Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, 2012 Texas Accessibility Standards, scoping requirements, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, construction stormwater general permit TXR150000, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Residential Construction Commission; TDLR regulated industries list, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, read 2026-09-13.

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

Source: Atascosa County Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Office, Permit and Inspection Process Overview, read 2026-09-13.

How do you confirm a row before you rely on it?

Call the office in your row, and write down the name of the person who answered and the date. A permit page changes without telling anybody, and the read date is the last day this site saw it. Have the address, the county, and whether it sits inside a city limit before you dial. Ask the floodplain, the septic and the driveway offices separately: in most of these counties they are three different offices, and a yes from one is not a yes from another.

Then hand all of it to whoever prices the building, before the drawings are finished. The permit path, the floodplain answer and the septic answer each change 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 land on one lot. The $50,000 line is worked through on the TDLR guide and the aquifer plan on the Edwards Aquifer plan in Bexar and Medina. An independent local metal building contractor who works your county prices the building against that path.

Questions people ask

Does a San Antonio metal building permit come from the county or the city?

From whichever office has the address. Inside a city limit the city runs the permit, the code and the inspections. Outside every 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 in 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 publish none on any county page read on 2026-09-13. A county that publishes none is not a county with no rules: every rule that county's own site does publish still applies on the terms its own page states, and so do TDLR registration at a total estimated construction cost of $50,000 or more on a building that is not a private residence, and TCEQ stormwater coverage from one acre of disturbed soil.

Which counties publish no county building permit, and which one answers in two offices?

Medina, Karnes and Frio publish none, on their own sites read 2026-09-13. Medina County publishes a one-page list of five required permits, 911 addressing, water well, floodplain, septic, and driveway and utility, and a building permit is not among them. Karnes County lists special projects and septic permits and road and bridge permits, and names no building official or code edition. Frio County publishes septic, floodplain, utility right of way and pipeline permits only. Wilson County is the one that answers in two offices: its Permitting and Development office publishes a development permit, a septic permit and a driveway permit for the unincorporated area, and the county adopted a fire code on October 27, 2025 under which 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 relying on any of it.

Which office handles the floodplain permit in each of these 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 is the Floodplain Administrator and the county publishes no direct number for the role, so it routes 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 read and publishes no standalone floodplain page or fee, so the question goes to Special Projects and Permits, 830-780-3511. All read at the county sites on 2026-09-13.

Is a metal building contractor licensed by the state of Texas?

No. Texas has no state license for a home builder or a general contractor. The Texas Residential Construction Commission was abolished and its act expired on September 1, 2009, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation list of regulated industries names no builder, general contractor, remodeler, roofer or metal building program. Electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors and plumbers are licensed under their own separate programs, and a registered accessibility specialist reviews the construction documents on a project registered with TDLR at $50,000 or more. There is no state registry to check a metal building contractor against, which is why the office in your row, and what that office requires, is the thing worth confirming.

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Last reviewed 2026-09-13.

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