What's Required in Dallas
- Toilets, sinks, tubs and faucets replaced in the same location with no rough-in change need no permit.
- A water heater replacement always needs a plumbing permit.
- Moving or adding a fixture changes the rough-in and needs a plumbing permit.
- Bathroom exhaust fans in single-family homes need no mechanical permit.
- Same-size window replacements without frame changes need no permit.
- Electrical additions beyond six 120-volt outlets or one 240-volt outlet need an electrical permit.
- Remodel plans must show existing walls, walls to be removed and new walls, with rooms labeled.
- Homestead owners doing their own plumbing must have the homestead exemption recorded with the appraisal district.
Do you need a permit to remodel a bathroom in Dallas?
Not for a refresh. Chapter 52 Section 301.2 of the Dallas City Code lists the bathroom work that needs no permit: painting, tile and floor coverings, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work; interior remodeling of non-load-bearing parts of a single-family or duplex home that adds no floor area; replacing a toilet, sink, tub or faucet in kind where the number of fixtures and the rough-in location stay the same; plumbing repairs or repiping up to $1,000 on a single-family home, excluding gas; replacing existing lights, switches and receptacles up to $1,000; installing a bathroom exhaust fan; and replacing a window with one of the same size and type without changing the frame.
Two catches sit inside those exemptions. A permit is still required to replace a water heater, and a fixture swap needs a permit if it requires a utility release. Moving a toilet, shower drain or sink, adding a fixture, turning a tub into a walk-in shower with a new drain location, or altering a load-bearing wall all need permits.
How much does a bathroom remodel permit cost in Dallas?
Texas law bars value-based residential fees, so a budget refresh and a luxury remodel pay the same base. Chapter 52 Table B-II charges $181 per dwelling unit for alterations of single-family homes, and the fee schedule effective July 1, 2025 adds a $125 inspection fee per trade, a $15 technology fee, and a residential plan review fee of $0.046 per square foot or $577, whichever is greater, when plans are reviewed.
- Plumbing-only permit to move a drain: $181 + $125 + $15 = $321.
- Full remodel with plans and three trades (building, plumbing, electrical): $181 + $577 + $375 + $15 = $1,148.
Table B-II also lists $100 for each additional trade, which the department’s fee worksheet example does not add, so DallasNow’s invoice is the final word. A planned development, specific-use-permit or deed-restricted area adds a 10 percent surcharge on the permit fee.
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| New tile, vanity top, paint, mirror | No permit | Finish work, Chapter 52 Sec. 301.2.1, item 1 |
| Swapping a toilet or sink in the same spot | No permit | In-kind replacement, no rough-in change |
| Replacing the bath exhaust fan | No permit | Mechanical exemption, item 5 |
| Replacing the water heater | Residential Plumbing Permit | Always required for water heaters |
| Moving the toilet or shower drain | Residential Plumbing Permit | Change in rough-in location |
| Adding circuits beyond the small-job limit | Residential Electrical Permit | Registered Master Electrician or exam-qualified owner |
| Removing a load-bearing wall or adding space | Residential Alteration Addition Permit | Plans reviewed; $577 plan review minimum |
Who can pull bathroom remodel permits?
Remodel permits go to registered contractors with the proper licenses. Plumbing permits go only to registered Master Plumbers, unless you are doing the plumbing yourself in your own homestead, which both Texas law and the city’s no-license plumbing checklist allow; the homestead exemption must be recorded with the appraisal district. Electrical work on a homestead is open to the owner only after passing the city’s homeowner exam.
How to Get a Bathroom Remodel Permit in Dallas
Sort the scope
Separate in-kind swaps and finish work from relocated fixtures, new circuits, water heaters and structural changes.
Prepare plans if walls move
Draw a floor plan showing existing, removed and new walls and the new fixture locations.
Apply in DallasNow
File stand-alone plumbing or electrical permits, or a Residential Alteration Addition Permit with trades, and pay the $15 technology fee.
Pay invoiced fees
Pay the $181 base, per-trade inspection fees and any plan review fee; the permit issues after payment.
Book inspections together
Schedule rough and final inspections in DallasNow; plumbing and mechanical inspections must be booked on the same day.