Permits
Building it the right way in Frisco
Almost every project you can see from the yard needs a City of Frisco permit, and skipping one can follow the house to the closing table.
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A permit is part of what you are selling
Before real estate, I spent more than ten years in construction and remodeling, and the projects that caused the most grief were never the hard ones. They were the patio cover built on a weekend with no permit, or the fence that crept a foot past the property line. Those things come back years later, usually right when someone wants to sell.
The City of Frisco's position is simple: its permit page says a permit is required for any residential, fence or other miscellaneous structure, and its Building Inspections FAQ says permits are needed before you build, repair, replace or demolish structures, including pools. The good news is that Frisco publishes exactly what it wants to see for each project type, and most homeowner projects cost a modest, fixed fee.
This guide walks through the projects people ask about most, using the city's own submittal forms (revised February and July 2026) and its fee schedule effective October 1, 2026. Your HOA is a separate approval. Many Frisco subdivisions require architectural approval for the same projects, and the city's own form reminds you to check.
What Frisco requires for common projects
A permit is required for a new fence. Repairs or replacements limited to two sections or 16 feet are exempt. Rear and side yard fences can be up to 8 feet tall, fences in front of the house up to 4 feet, and no part of the fence may extend past your property line. You apply under the Fence type with a plot plan or survey marking where it goes. Fee: $75.
These fall under Other Home Improvements. The city wants framing drawings with front and side elevations, a materials list, post and beam sizes, footing details and, if it attaches to the house, the attachment detail. Aluminum, steel or vinyl structures must be engineered. Fee for a conventionally framed patio cover, arbor or deck: $75 plus $0.59 per gross square foot, capped at $550.
The city FAQ says all accessory structures need a building permit before they are placed or built, and they must meet the lot's setback and zoning rules. Submit a plot plan with distances to every property line plus drawings or a brochure showing length, width and height. A modular shed is $50; a framed one follows the patio cover fee.
Outdoor kitchens need a plot plan, elevation, materials, footing details and an appliance list, and sinks must drain to the sanitary sewer. A fire pit must sit at least 15 feet from the house and 10 feet from anything combustible. Fee: $75 plus $25 per additional element, capped at $150.
Pools are permitted through Frisco Health and Food Safety. The water's edge must be at least 3 feet from any property line, no part of the pool beam may sit on an easement, and lot-to-lot drainage is prohibited. Temporary safety fencing must be up before the first inspection, and permanent fencing and gates must pass before plaster. Fees: $200 for an in-ground pool, $275 for pool and spa.
These are not a simple online form. Frisco's residential alteration requirements say to contact the city by email (bicsr@friscotexas.gov) before applying for additions, guest houses and similar work, because zoning, setbacks and structural review all apply. Addition fees are tiered by size; for 1 to 1,999 square feet it is $150 for the first 300 square feet plus $0.50 per additional square foot.
Foundation repair needs a permit with a stamped engineer letter and pier drawings, and the engineer must provide a completion report ($75). A reroof permit is $150. Concrete driveways and pads are $75 with a plot plan and concrete specifications. Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roof, window and door permits are self-service.
From idea to final inspection
Get architectural approval in writing if your covenants require it. The city permit does not replace it, and an HOA can require changes the city would not.
Most Frisco submittals start with a plot plan. Your closing survey shows property lines and easements, which decide where a fence, shed or pool can legally sit.
Frisco requires contractors to hold a current city contractor registration before a permit is issued. You can verify a contractor's status in the city's eTRAKiT portal.
Applications go through the city's online Plans and Permits portal. Questions go to Building Inspections at 972-292-5301, and pool questions to Health and Food Safety at 972-292-5304.
Each permit carries required inspections. For pools there are five, from belly steel to final, and the city warns that skipping one can bring a stop work order or citation. Keep the final approval with your house records.
What about a casita or ADU?
You may have read that Texas passed a law forcing cities to allow accessory dwelling units. It did not. Senate Bill 673 in the 89th Legislature would have required cities to allow ADUs on single-family lots. It passed the Senate 31 to 0 on April 10, 2025, but its last action in the House was placement on the General State Calendar on May 26, 2025, and it died there without a floor vote.
So in Frisco, a guest house or casita is still governed by the city's zoning ordinance and your deed restrictions. Because Frisco's own submittal form routes guest houses and additions to a direct conversation with the city, that is the first call to make. If you are buying a home specifically to add a casita, pool or big outdoor living space, check feasibility (lot size, easements, setbacks, HOA rules) before you write the offer, not after closing.
How unpermitted work shows up when you sell
The TREC Seller's Disclosure Notice (form 55-1, based on Texas Property Code 5.008) asks whether you are aware of room additions, structural modifications or other alterations or repairs made without necessary permits or not in compliance with building codes. If you know, you answer yes and explain.
Frisco's permit records are searchable online through eTRAKiT. A buyer's agent, inspector or appraiser who sees a pool, addition or patio cover can check whether a permit exists and whether it passed final.
In a resale, the buyer usually has an option period to terminate for any reason. An unpermitted structure found during that window often turns into a price reduction, a repair request or a lost buyer.
For many projects the practical fix is to apply for the permit after the fact, which can mean opening finishes so an inspector can see framing or footings. Starting that early, before photos and showings, keeps it off the negotiating table.
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Common questions
Do I need a permit for a fence in Frisco?
Do I need a permit for a patio cover or pergola in Frisco?
How close to the property line can a pool be in Frisco?
Can I build a guest house or ADU in Frisco?
How do I check if a Frisco house has permits?
What happens if I sell a house with unpermitted work in Texas?
Keep exploring Frisco
- City of Frisco, Residential Alteration Submittal Requirements, Form 4038 (rev. Feb 2026)
- City of Frisco, Building Inspections FAQs (fences, accessory structures, contractor registration)
- City of Frisco, Permit Applications, Plan Review and Forms
- City of Frisco, Permit Fee Schedule (effective Oct 1, 2026)
- City of Frisco, Residential Swimming Pools and Spas Submittal and Inspection Requirements, Form 107 (July 2026)
- City of Frisco, eTRAKiT permit search and inspections
- LegiScan, Texas SB 673 (89th Legislature), bill history
- TREC Seller's Disclosure Notice, form 55-1
- Texas Property Code 5.008, Seller's Disclosure of Property Condition
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