Harris County
What it takes to put a carport, garage, barn or RV cover on your property in Harris County, Texas. Permit authority, wind speed, and who to call.
outline + city dots
slot, not yet drawn
Harris County states plainly that a permit is needed for all development in the unincorporated county, and its own Residential Construction permit page names the structures it covers: on-site sewage systems, swimming pools, driveways, new homes, garages, carports, fill material and accessory structures. A delivered carport or garage is on that list by name. The application is described as covering any residential development on an existing lot or residential property, so it is the placement itself that is permitted, not just the foundation work.
The county lists no exemption for a small or a pre-built accessory building, and none of the pages read state a size threshold below which a permit is not needed. Harris County did not publish an adoption of Chapter 233, so the statutory basis here is the county's own permit rules rather than a Chapter 233 order. Nothing here applies inside Houston or any other city limit.
A permit is needed for all development within Harris County.
on-site sewerage systems, swimming pools, driveway, new homes, garages, carports, fill material and accessory structures
This application is for any residential development on existing lots or residential property.
1111 Fannin St. 1st Floor Lobby, Houston, TX 77002
Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Regional band for houston metro. Wind speed follows your address, not the county line, so this is context and not a site figure.
ASCE 7, Risk Category II. Look up your exact address →
Cities and communities in Harris County
Inside city limits the city's rules apply on top of the county's, and cities do zone. We have not yet read each city's ordinance, so every row below is marked unverified.
Harris County Permits Office, Office of the County Engineer
1111 Fannin St, 1st Floor Lobby, Houston, TX 77002 Call (713) 274-3900 County permit page ↗Opens ATC Hazards by Location, the source we use for wind, snow and seismic values.