A single-family home, used as a home
- 200 Electrical final
- 300 Mechanical final
- 400 Plumbing final
- 100 Building final
The building final signs off the permit. The City doesn’t issue a certificate for it.
The last inspection · Fort Worth
Fort Worth certificate of occupancy
The City of Fort Worth says a single-family house used only as a home isn’t required to get a certificate of occupancy. A house permit ends at the building final, after each trade final the work calls for.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803
From the City of Fort Worth’s Certificate of Occupancy page, its Inspections page and final-inspection guidance, and its 2019 guide to certificate of occupancy inspections after annexation, read November 7, 2026.
Your house
Do you need a certificate of occupancy for a house in Fort Worth?
The City’s rule for a certificate of occupancy (CO) goes by the kind of building. Its certificate of occupancy page says:
“Any building used or occupied in Fort Worth must have a Certificate of Occupancy.” … “In Fort Worth, one and two-family dwellings and townhouses are regulated by the International Residential Code and community homes, as defined by the zoning ordinance, are exempted from this requirement and do not receive certificates of occupancy.”
And its 2019 guide to certificate of occupancy inspections after annexation is plainer: “Single-family residences, used solely as a residence, are not required to obtain a CO in the City of Fort Worth.”
A business or other building
Every final inspection the permit calls for
A certificate of occupancy, emailed to the permit’s contact the business day after the final approval.
Not sure which your building is? The City’s Development Customer Service line is 817-392-2222.
Planning a new house or an addition? Get it priced before the first permit is pulled.
The finals
What the final inspection checks in Fort Worth
Each trade permit gets its own final, and the building final comes last. These are the checks the City publishes for each, the ones that apply to a house.
100 the building final, after every related permit is signed off
Electrical final
Every switch and outlet is in, with its cover. Every light fixture is installed. The panels are in and labeled. The service is grounded and bonded.
On a pool, the electrical final also checks ground-fault protection on outlets within 20 feet of the pool’s inside edge: Fort Worth pool permits
Mechanical final
The outside unit sits on a level pad at least 3 inches above grade. The registers and grilles are in. The attic access is big enough to take out the largest piece of equipment. Carbon monoxide detectors are in where the code asks.
Plumbing final
Every fixture and appliance, water heaters included, is installed and working. Gas appliances are connected, tested and vented. The shutoff valves are in.
Building final
The approved plans and the permit card are on site. Every required final is signed off on the permit card. The address is posted.
The City turns down a building final when a related permit, such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing, backflow, fire or parkway, isn’t signed off. A re-inspection is made on request, and if the same items still aren’t fixed, a re-inspection fee may be charged.
From the City of Fort Worth’s Inspection Guidance Documents for finals 100, 200, 300 and 400, read November 7, 2026. The City says each one doesn’t list every requirement for every project.
The plans the inspector checks against Every inspection, in order
Building a house? Walk it with a designer and a builder first.
The certificate
When Fort Worth issues a certificate of occupancy
For a business or other building, the certificate of occupancy comes after the finals. The City issues one in three cases.
- A new building
- A newly built building with a known tenant gets one when every inspection for the building permit is finalized and any infrastructure work for the development has been accepted.
- A change of use
- When a business of a different type moves into a space, it needs a new certificate. The City’s change of use permit can be applied for with or without a remodel.
- A new owner, same use
- When the owner or tenant changes and the use stays the same, a new certificate can be issued by applying online or in person at City Hall.
Once the final approval is in, the City emails the certificate to the permit’s contact the next business day.
Building a house or an addition? Bring us the plans and we’ll price it.
Before you move in
How a Fort Worth house permit gets to its final
The last weeks are a run of inspections. Here’s the order they come in.
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Every trade permit. The City says that aside from your building permit, you still need every trade permit the work calls for, each with its own inspections.
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Each trade final. Each trade final the work calls for passes, and signs off on its permit.
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The building final, last. With the approved plans and the permit card on site and every related final signed off, the building final closes the permit.
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Want to move in or close before the building final? Ask the City’s Development Customer Service at 817-392-2222 first.
On a new house we build, our drafting team draws it, and we price it, permit it and build it.
Starting a house or an addition? Start with the walkthrough.
Questions
Fort Worth certificate of occupancy questions
Planning a house or an addition? Bring us the address.
Do I need a certificate of occupancy for my house in Fort Worth?
A certificate of occupancy (CO) is the City’s sign-off that a building can be used. The City says “Single-family residences, used solely as a residence, are not required to obtain a CO in the City of Fort Worth.” A house permit ends at the building final instead. If you’re not sure how your building is classed, call Development Customer Service at 817-392-2222.
Do I need a certificate of occupancy for an addition in Fort Worth?
Ask the City’s Development Customer Service at 817-392-2222 how your building is classed. The City’s rule goes by the building, not the project: its 2019 guide says single-family residences used solely as a residence aren’t required to obtain a certificate of occupancy, and a house permit ends at the building final, after each trade final.
What does the final inspection check in Fort Worth?
One for each trade permit the work calls for, then the building final. The electrical final (200) checks outlets, switches, fixtures, panels and grounding. The mechanical final (300) checks the outside unit’s pad, the registers, attic access and carbon monoxide detectors. The plumbing final (400) checks fixtures, water heaters, gas appliances and shutoff valves. The building final (100) comes last and checks that the approved plans and permit card are on site and every required final is signed off.
Can a new house close before the final inspection in Fort Worth?
The City doesn’t publish a closing rule for houses; the contract does. On the Texas Real Estate Commission’s (TREC) new-home contract, the house counts as finished once it passes final inspection and approval by the government authorities and any lender (TREC No. 23-20 ¶7E). Read your own contract’s dates, and ask the City at 817-392-2222 before you move in on an open permit.
When does Fort Worth issue a certificate of occupancy?
For a new building with a known tenant, once every inspection for the building permit is finalized and any infrastructure work has been accepted. For a change of use, once the permit’s inspections are finalized. For a new owner or tenant with the same use, by applying online or in person at City Hall. The City emails the certificate the business day after the final approval.
What happens if a Fort Worth final inspection fails?
The City turns the inspection down and makes a re-inspection when you ask for one. A building final is turned down when a related permit, such as mechanical, electrical, plumbing, backflow, fire or parkway, isn’t signed off. If the same items still aren’t fixed on later inspections, a re-inspection fee may be charged.
Every rule on this page is quoted or paraphrased from the City of Fort Worth’s Certificate of Occupancy page, its Inspections page, its Inspection Guidance Documents for finals 100, 200, 300 and 400, and its guide to certificate of occupancy inspections after annexation, revised June 27, 2019, read November 7, 2026. The contract line is the Texas Real Estate Commission’s new-home contract, TREC No. 23-20 ¶7E.
Your house
Build it through the last inspection
Walk the house or the lot with a designer and a builder first, and start with an honest estimate. No charge, no obligation.
Start your project
Or call or text (817) 631-9803