Homeowner permits · Fort Worth
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Fort Worth?
Yes, on the house you own and live in, once the appraisal district has granted it a homestead exemption. The City of Fort Worth issues a homestead permit to an owner living there who signs an affidavit to do the work personally. Two lines stay with licensed trades: the electrical service belongs to a Master Electrician, and a homeowner’s mechanical permit covers duct work only.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803
From the City of Fort Worth’s Residential Permitting page and its homestead affidavits, and the Texas Occupations Code, read November 8, 2026.
The homestead permit
Who can get a homestead permit in Fort Worth
You can, if the house is yours, you live in it, and it has its homestead exemption. The City’s permit page says an applicant is either a registered building contractor or an owner who meets the requirements for a homestead permit.
- You own the house.
- You live in it as your primary residence.
- The appraisal district has granted it a homestead exemption.
A rental, or any other house you don’t live in, doesn’t fit the City’s wording. Ask the City before you apply if you’re not sure yours does.
Permit applicants must be a registered building contractor or must meet the requirements for a homestead permit, which include working on a building owned and occupied by them solely as their primary residence as demonstrated by either a homestead exemption granted by the appraisal district.
Rather hand the permits to a builder?
Trade by trade
What a Fort Worth homeowner can permit, trade by trade
The City has four homestead affidavits, one for each kind of permit: building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical. Each one has you certify that you own and live in the house and will do the work yourself. Two of them draw a line.
| Trade | What a homeowner may do | The line on the City’s form | Texas law beside it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building | What a homeowner may do Pull the building permit and do the work yourself | The line on the City’s form None beyond doing the work yourself | Texas law beside it None cited on this page. The City’s other route is a registered building contractor (Residential Permitting). |
| Plumbing | What a homeowner may do Pull the plumbing permit and do the work yourself | The line on the City’s form None beyond doing the work yourself | Texas law beside it Texas Occupations Code §1301.051 “A property owner is not required to be licensed under this chapter to perform plumbing in the property owner’s homestead.” |
| Electrical | What a homeowner may do Pull the electrical permit and do the work yourself, except the service | The line on the City’s form “Homeowner’s may not work on the service—work must be permitted and performed by a Master Electrician.” | Texas law beside it Texas Occupations Code §1305.003(a)(6) The electrician licensing law doesn’t apply to “work not specifically regulated by a municipal ordinance that is performed in or on a dwelling by a person who owns and resides in the dwelling.” |
| Mechanical | What a homeowner may do Duct work only | The line on the City’s form “Homeowner’s may not install systems; DUCT WORK ONLY—work must be permitted and performed by a Licensed and Registered Mechanical Contractor.” | Texas law beside it Texas Occupations Code §1302.053 The air conditioning licensing law “does not apply to a person who engages in air conditioning and refrigeration contracting in a building owned solely by the person as the person’s home.” |
The state sections say when a license isn’t required. The City’s forms say what its homestead permits cover.
Doing part of it yourself and hiring out the rest? Walk the whole project with a designer and a builder first.
The affidavit
What a homeowner signs for a Fort Worth homestead permit
Each affidavit is one short form tied to one permit number, and you sign it as the homestead owner.
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You own it and live there. “I certify that I own and live at” the address on the form.
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You do the work. You “will personally perform all work covered by permit number” on the form.
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To code. The work is done “In compliance with the State of Texas Licensing Law” and the City’s code for that trade.
A homestead permit still gets its inspections. The City says that aside from your building permit, you still need every trade permit the work calls for, and inspections for each one.
How the permit and inspections run, step by step
Want a builder to carry the permits and the inspections instead?
Before you apply
How to pull your own permit in Fort Worth
Doing the work yourself is your call. Check three things before you apply.
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Check the house. Own it, live in it, and have the homestead exemption in place.
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Match each trade to its affidavit. Building and plumbing work you do yourself go on their own affidavits. Electrical stops at the service, and mechanical stops at duct work. The service goes to a Master Electrician, and any system install to a licensed and registered mechanical contractor, each on their own permit.
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Apply and plan the inspections. Every permit has its own inspections, and each inspection has to pass before the work it checks is covered up. What the permit will cost
On a project we build, the permits are ours to carry: we pull and manage city permits and inspections.
Questions
Fort Worth homeowner permit questions
Weighing what to do yourself? Bring these questions to us.
What is a homestead permit in Fort Worth?
It’s the permit the City of Fort Worth issues to an owner working on the house they own and live in as their primary residence, shown by a homestead exemption from the appraisal district. The owner signs an affidavit for each permit, certifying they will do the work personally.
Can I do my own electrical work in Fort Worth?
On your homestead, the City has a homestead electrical affidavit for work you do yourself, with one exception written on the form: homeowners may not work on the service, which must be permitted and performed by a Master Electrician. Texas’s electrician licensing law doesn’t apply to work not specifically regulated by a city ordinance done in a house by the person who owns and lives in it.
Can a homeowner do their own plumbing in Fort Worth?
On your homestead, the City has a homestead plumbing affidavit for work you do yourself, and the form adds no trade limit beyond that. Texas law says a property owner doesn’t need a plumbing license to do plumbing in their own homestead. The work still takes a plumbing permit and its inspections.
Can I replace my own AC unit in Fort Worth?
The City’s mechanical affidavit says homeowners may not install systems and limits them to duct work; installing a system must be permitted and performed by a licensed and registered mechanical contractor. Texas’s air conditioning licensing law exempts work in a home owned solely by the person doing it. The City’s homestead permit covers what its form says.
Can I pull a homestead permit for a rental property?
The City’s wording doesn’t fit one. It describes a building owned and occupied by the applicant solely as their primary residence, shown by a homestead exemption. Otherwise the applicant has to be a registered building contractor.
Does work on a homestead permit still get inspected?
Yes. The City says that aside from your building permit, you still need every trade permit the work calls for and the inspections for each one. The affidavit also says the work is done in compliance with the City’s code for that trade.
Every rule on this page is quoted or paraphrased from the City of Fort Worth’s Residential Permitting page and homestead affidavits, read November 8, 2026, its Inspections page and its What Inspections Do I Need? guide, read November 5, 2026, and Texas Occupations Code sections 1301.051, 1302.053 and 1305.003, read November 8, 2026.
Your house
Know what’s yours to do before the work starts
Some of the work can be yours on a homestead permit, and some of it belongs to a licensed trade. Walk your house with a designer and a builder first, and start with an honest estimate. No charge, no obligation.
Or call or text (817) 631-9803