Bathroom remodel permits · Fort Worth
Do you need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Fort Worth?
Yes, when the work changes the plumbing, a shower pan, the wiring, the exhaust fan or a wall. New tile, a new vanity, or a new toilet or faucet in the same spot doesn’t need one. Here are nine common bathroom jobs against the City of Fort Worth’s own rules, and what happens once yours needs a permit.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803
From the City of Fort Worth’s own permit and inspection pages, read November 2026.
Job by job
Bathroom remodel permits in Fort Worth, job by job
It depends on what moves. A bathroom that keeps its pipes, wiring and walls where they are may need no permit at all.
| The bathroom job | The permit | The City’s rule |
|---|---|---|
| No permit | ||
| New floor or wall tile, a new vanity or counter | The permit: No permit | The City calls these cosmetic remodels and doesn’t require a permit for them. |
| Retiling a shower, with the pan and the walls behind it left in place | The permit: No permit | The City calls these cosmetic remodels and doesn’t require a permit for them. |
| A new toilet, sink or faucet in the same spot | The permit: No permit | Swapping out a fixture doesn’t need a permit. |
| Needs a permit | ||
| Moving a toilet or a drain, or a new shower pan | The permit: Plumbing permit | Changing, installing, moving or repairing pipes, water heaters and shower pans. |
| Swapping a tub for a shower | The permit: Plumbing permit | A shower needs a new shower pan, and the City puts installing one under the plumbing permit. |
| New circuits, or moving lights and outlets | The permit: Electrical permit | Changing, moving or repairing electrical equipment, the electrical service included, needs an electrical permit. |
| An exhaust fan or its duct | The permit: Mechanical permit | Changing, moving or repairing a central heating and air system, ductwork or exhaust fans needs a mechanical permit. |
| Taking out a wall, like a closet into the bath | The permit: Building permit | Demolishing interior walls needs a permit. |
| Replacing drywall, 16 square feet or more in a wall or ceiling | The permit: Building permit | Moving, changing or repairing walls, floors or ceilings needs a building permit. That includes replacing drywall when it adds up to 16 square feet or more in any wall or ceiling. |
Most bathroom remodels mix both kinds. New tile and a new vanity need no permit on their own. Move the shower drain in the same job, and that work needs a plumbing permit.
Not sure which rows are yours?
“Permits are not required for ‘cosmetic’ remodels (floor or wall covering, cabinets, counter tops, shelving, etc.) or plumbing fixture replacement.”
Once yours needs one
What happens after a bathroom remodel needs a permit
A yes isn’t one permit. Each trade the work touches is its own permit with its own inspections, and it all happens before the walls close.
“Aside from your building permit, you still must obtain all trade permits that are needed separately and schedule inspections as required for each permit type.”
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Who applies
The City takes building permit applications from a registered building contractor, or from an owner working on the house they own and live in, with its homestead exemption.
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The plans and the application
The work is drawn, and the application goes in online. Every residential permit can be applied for online.
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The City’s review
The City’s standard is 7 business days to first review comments on a complete application. If the comments ask for changes, the plans are revised and reviewed again.
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Inspections before the walls close
Each trade’s rough-in is inspected while it’s still open. The City requires permitted work to stay exposed until it’s inspected and approved, and it isn’t liable for the cost of opening up anything that was covered first.
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The finals
The finals come last: electrical (200), mechanical (300) and plumbing (400) finals, then the building final (100), once every related permit is final.
Rather hand the permits and the inspections to a builder?
Permits and your budget
What permits add to a bathroom remodel
$1,200 to $4,000
Permit fees on a primary bath, on top of our range
On our remodels, the permits are ours to handle.
When your bathroom needs one, we draw the plans and take them to the City.
A cosmetic bathroom with no permit has no permit fees to budget.
What a bathroom remodel costs in Fort Worth
How we remodel bathrooms in Fort Worth
Remodeling the kitchen too? Which kitchen jobs need a permit
Questions
Bathroom permit questions in Fort Worth
Planning a bathroom? Bring these questions to us.
Do I need a permit to retile a shower in Fort Worth?
Not for the tile itself. The City counts floor and wall covering as cosmetic work. If the job replaces the shower pan, that takes a plumbing permit, and replacing drywall that adds up to 16 square feet or more in a wall or ceiling takes a building permit.
Do I need a permit to replace a tub with a shower in Fort Worth?
Yes. A shower needs a new shower pan, and the City requires a plumbing permit for changing, installing, moving or repairing plumbing, shower pans included.
Does a bathroom exhaust fan need a permit in Fort Worth?
When the fan or its duct is changed, moved or repaired. The City puts exhaust fans and duct work under the mechanical permit.
Do I need a permit to add an outlet in a bathroom?
Yes. In Fort Worth, changing, moving or repairing electrical equipment needs an electrical permit, and a new outlet or a moved light is electrical work.
Can I remodel a bathroom without a permit in Fort Worth?
Only when the work is cosmetic or a fixture swap: new tile, a new vanity or counter, or a new toilet, sink or faucet in the same spot. Work that changes the plumbing, the wiring, the exhaust fan or a wall needs a permit, and the City requires that work to stay exposed until it’s inspected and approved.
How much is a permit to remodel a bathroom?
On a primary bath, permit fees run $1,200 to $4,000, on top of our remodel range. For your own project, the City’s online permit assistant shows what permits are needed and an estimated cost.
Every City of Fort Worth line on this page is quoted or paraphrased from its Residential Permitting page, read November 11, 2026, and its Inspections and Review Timeframes pages and What Inspections Do I Need? guide, read November 5, 2026. The City’s online permit assistant shows what permits your project needs.
Your bathroom
Know what your bathroom needs before work starts
Walk your bathroom with a designer and a builder, find out which permits your plan needs, and start with an honest estimate. No charge, no obligation.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803