The Commercial Permits section objective is to review and permit commercial developments for compliance with all Harris County Regulations. The purpose of these regulations is to establish the minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, general welfare, human life and the property from fire and other hazards attributed to the developed environment. It also provides safety to fire fighters and emergency responders during emergency operations.
Harris County Fire Code was adopted by Harris County Commissioners Court and became effective on January 1, 2005. The current Harris County Fire Code consists of a local administrative chapter (see Regulations) and adopts the International Fire Code 2018, with amendments, as well as chapters 2 through 10 of the International Building Code 2018. This code applies to unincorporated Harris County only. Harris County has not adopted a full Building Code (see Fire Code Review for commercial building requirements).
Commercial Permitting has nine primary functions:
- Fire/Building Code Review
- Fire Detection & Suppression
- Electronic Locking Systems
- Online Plan Review & Permitting
Commercial Contractor's and Builder's Information:
- Harris County does not require a General Contractor’s License to perform construction within the Unincorporated areas.
- If your construction project is located within the Incorporated areas (e.g. City of Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, etc…) please contact the City’s Permits Office.
- For State required licenses, please use the following link to access Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation - https://www.tdlr.texas.gov
- Harris County does not enforce an Energy Conservation Code.
- Parking Requirements: There are no parking requirements in Harris County, Harris County does not have a Building Code to reflect any handicap nor other parking requirements. Please refer to the Texas Department of Licensing & Regulations - Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) for handicap parking accessibility.
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