Responsibilities

The building inspection division's primary responsibilities are the administration of building, zoning, and property maintenance ordinances of the city. The application of building code and zoning regulations, building location, use, sign regulations, fencing, yards and open space is achieved by coordinating development activities such as site plan review, permits, inspections and by providing assistance with the development process to citizens.

To view more information about common violation types, visit our code enforcement page.

For additional information or assistance, please call or email the Building Inspection Division directly.

Hours of Operation  Monday - Thursday  8 am to 6 pm     Friday  8 am to 5 pm

To schedule, contact the Inspection Desk at 972-919-2549, or online using the Customer Self Service portal.  You must sign up for an account to use the portal to obtain permits and schedule inspections.
Click here to browse PDF versions of our Building Permits.

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2021, INSPECTION REQUESTS MUST BE SCHEDULED THE PREVIOUS BUSINESS DAY BY 5:00 PM.

Code Requirements

Effective January 1, 2020, the City adopted the 2018 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy, Fire, Fuel-Gas, Swimming Pool and Spa Codes with local amendments.

CURRENT BUILDING CODES
• 2018 IBC • 2018 IRC • 2018 IFC • 2018 IECC • 2017 NEC  (Effective March 20, 2018)	• 2018 IPC  • 2018 IMC • 2018 IFGC • 2018 ISPSC

Please view our local amendments for more information about ordinances and amendments to the above-listed codes.

Plan Submittal Requirements
The City requires an electronic copy of all plan submittals in PDF format.  Permit applications can be submitted at City Hall (13000 William Dodson Parkway) during our normal hours of operation.  Click to view the current fee schedule.  

Permits can be applied for online using the Customer Self Service portal.  You must sign up for an account to use the portal to obtain permits and schedule inspections.
Click here to browse PDF versions of our Building Permits.

Plan Review Consultations

Scheduling an appointment offers you a convenient way to save time and make the most of your meeting with us.  Scheduling an appointment allows you to:

• Speak to the Plans Examiner at a time that works for you – without waiting in line.
• Allows you to tell us in advance what you’d like to talk about so that we can prepare.
• Ensures that the Plans Examiner is in and you don’t have a wasted trip.

To make an appointment, email Danielle Summers, Planning & Development Manager:  danielle.summers@farmersbranchtx.gov

We will try to accommodate walk-ins if the schedule allows, but please be aware there may be a wait or a need to set a scheduled appointment.

Vacant Building Information

The city has studied the impact of vacant buildings and found that they can discourage economic development, become an attractive nuisance for children, a harbor for rodents and other vermin, be an invitation to vagrants and criminals, become more vulnerable to arson, and have an adverse effect on the property values of businesses and residences in the surrounding area. 

To minimize the impact of vacant structures the city enacted 

Ordinance 3170

 that requires vacant buildings be registered with the city and annual inspections be conducted.