Building Inspection

Inspection Hotline

Call the Inspection Hotline for Countywide Inspection Services at (940) 521-0470 to request an inspection. Inspections must be requested 24 hours in advance.

Division Goals

  • Inspect and ensure that the standards of all new structures in the city meet all city and state requirements for the safety of the general public
  • Promote, educate, and streamline operating procedures

Doing Home Improvement Work on Your Own Home

Contractor Work Without Licensing

In the State of Texas, if a person owns and lives on a property and claims it as their homestead, that person is allowed to do their own construction, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work on that home without being licensed by the state. The Development Services Department must still issue a permit before beginning the project, and the work must meet all applicable state and local building codes. The work is still inspected by the Building Inspector at regular intervals and must pass inspections just like any licensed contractor.

How to Show that a Property is Your Homestead

There are two ways to show proof of homestead. The first is by providing the city with a copy of your property tax statement from Wise County Appraisal District showing the homestead exemption. The second way is by completing and filing a Homestead Designation Affidavit with the County Clerk and providing the city with a filed marked copy. You can obtain a physical copy of an affidavit at the Development Services Office.

Things to be Aware Of

One word of warning: doing your own electrical, mechanical, or plumbing work is not for everybody. Some things to keep in mind are:

  • If the work does not meet building code standards, the work will have to be redone.
  • Water and sewer taps into the city systems must be done by city staff.
  • When replacing HVAC units, the recovery of refrigerants, like Freon, must still be done by a licensed contractor with a professional recovery system.

For more information, call the Development Services Department at (940) 683-3410.