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Service areas · Local approval pathways
A Houston business address does not by itself establish City of Houston permitting jurisdiction. Start with the actual parcel and proposed operation, then identify the building, site and specialty reviews that apply. True North is Houston-based and can coordinate the agreed plans, applications, review responses and project records.
For owners, tenants, operators, developers and contractors planning work within City of Houston jurisdiction. For an unincorporated property, begin with the separate Harris County guidance.
Request a project reviewNeighborhood names help locate the work, but they do not replace a parcel-level jurisdiction check. Greater Houston and the Houston metro area extend beyond a single reviewing authority.
Our Houston coverage includes Houston Heights, Montrose, Midtown, Downtown, Uptown, Galleria, River Oaks, Memorial, Energy Corridor, Spring Branch, Westchase, Alief, Sharpstown, Copperfield and Clear Lake areas. Confirm the specific property and applicable authority rather than assuming every place using these area names follows the same City process.
North Houston, the South Houston area, East Houston, West Houston, Northwest Houston and Southeast Houston are useful starting descriptions for a conversation. Provide the actual address, parcel or route limits so the team can distinguish City, county and other relevant reviews. Nearby municipalities and counties are also listed on the Texas page.
A tenant remodel and commercial site work use different scope information even when they belong to the same project.
The City's Commercial Remodel Permit guidance identifies the application, declaration and electronic-review preparation materials. Provide the suite, existing and proposed use, scope of demolition and new work, equipment and available approval history. Identify the architectural, structural and building-system disciplines affected so one application's description matches the coordinated drawings.
Commercial site-work guidance includes the Commercial Prerequisite Checklist and electronic plan-review instructions. Identify access, utilities, drainage, site layout and other applicable reviews before treating the building floor plan as the complete project. The relevant departments depend on the actual work; not every project requires the same combination.
Gather the parcel and suite identification, survey or site plan, current floor plan, operating description, equipment information, owner authorization and prior permits or comments. Mark uncertain field conditions and distinguish landlord work from tenant work. Share confidential records through an agreed project channel rather than the public inquiry form.
Confirm the current City instructions before preparing an upload or arranging an in-person visit.
The City's commercial guidance separates the application, plan-review fee and invitation to upload documents. Prepare the package using the current Commercial Electronic Plan Review instructions, keep the project number and identify the applicant who can act on the account. Account access, an uploaded file and a completed review are separate milestones.
The City's One Stop pathway is limited to qualifying minor work. Its published guidance distinguishes walk-in paper review from electronic applications and excludes projects that exceed the program's limits. Confirm eligibility with the current City checklist before relying on this route; a modest floor area or a nearby project's experience is not enough to establish eligibility.
Keep the assigned reviews and their statuses in one register. For each correction, identify the responsible discipline, changed sheet or supporting document and whether another part of the package is affected. Resubmit coordinated current revisions and preserve prior decisions. Review queues and correction cycles do not establish a guaranteed permit date.
An issued building permit can still leave construction and operating milestones ahead.
Provide the issued permit and controlling approved plans, identify required trade permits and inspections, and assign responsibility for changes made in the field. City commercial guidance requires the permit and approved plans to be available at the job site; the responsible contractors handle their assigned trade and inspection duties.
Identify any separate health, fire, accessibility, equipment or operating acceptance that applies to the actual use. For example, Houston Health's commercial-pool guidance includes health review and an inspection before opening. Do not generalize one specialty's sequence to every business.
The agreement can cover drawings, application coordination, responses, permit collection or a broader construction-support and closeout assignment. Responsible professionals retain design and signature duties, authorities make approval decisions and construction partners retain their contracted physical work. Define fees and timing around these actual responsibilities and dependencies.
Before you begin
No. Verify the parcel's actual jurisdiction and any separate authorities. A property using a Houston postal address can have a different approval path; the Harris County page explains important county distinctions.
Only if the current City eligibility requirements cover the actual work. The published pathway is limited and distinguishes in-person paper review from electronic applications. Confirm the scope with the City before preparing for that route.
Yes. Bring the project number, complete comment set, submitted plans, current status and responsible-team information. The scope can focus on coordinating revisions and resubmission, while preserving professional responsibility for technical changes.
Source check ·
Use the linked authority’s current instructions for your actual property, use and work. Agency procedures can change; a source check is not a project approval.
Application, electronic review and construction-stage information for the commercial remodel pathway.
Prerequisite checklist, application materials and scope-dependent disciplines.
Eligibility and the distinction between walk-in paper and electronic applications.
A specialty example showing why construction approval and opening requirements must be tracked separately.
Your next step
Start with what you know. We’ll help define the path ahead.