What changes a remodel in San Antonio.
San Antonio issues about 3,000 foundation repair permits a year.
City records show 2,927 foundation repair permits issued in 2024, 3,042 in 2025 and 2,344 more through mid September 2026. Much of the reason is the ground. The Blackland Prairie clays of Central Texas swell when wet and shrink when dry. The federal soil description for Houston Black clay, the best known of them, records dry season cracks up to 4 inches wide that reach a foot or more down. A slab sitting on that moves with it. In San Antonio every foundation repair has to be designed or guided by a Texas licensed professional engineer, who also signs off on the finished work.
Source: City of San Antonio, Building Permits (Open Data SA)
San Antonio has 32 locally designated historic districts.
They range from Leon Springs, with 3 parcels, to the Mission Historic District. If your house sits in one, or is an individual landmark, exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, the City's written approval, before it begins. The Office of Historic Preservation staff approve most requests themselves. New construction, additions or alterations that do not follow the City's Historic Design Guidelines go to the Historic and Design Review Commission at a public hearing, which adds time to the schedule.
Source: City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation, Historic Districts
Less than 3 percent of the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone lies inside city limits, and it carries the strictest rules in the region.
The recharge zone is the strip of land where rain soaks straight down into the Edwards Aquifer, San Antonio's main water source. It crosses six counties, and Bexar County holds only 8 percent of it. On that ground, the City's aquifer protection ordinance, No. 81491 from 1995, sets buffers, density limits and green space rules, and the San Antonio Water System reviews building permits and releases them when the project fits. Larger properties classed as Category 2 or 3 need an Aquifer Protection Plan before any development.
Source: San Antonio Water System, Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone
The April 2016 hailstorm was the costliest in Texas history at the time.
On April 12, 2016, the National Weather Service verified hail 4.5 inches across in the San Antonio area. Insurers put losses at $1.36 billion, about $800 million of it to homes and businesses. Roof work has stayed busy since: the City issued 5,031 re-roof permits in 2024 and 7,117 in 2025. If a storm hits, photograph the roof before anyone climbs on it, and remember that every re-roof in the city needs a permit.
Source: Insurance Journal, San Antonio Storm Costliest Hail Event in Texas History (April 2016)
What a remodel costs in San Antonio in 2026.
8,313
Most cities publish a figure for what each permit job is worth. San Antonio cannot. Since 2019, Texas law has barred cities from asking the value or cost of work on a home as a condition of a building permit. None of the City's residential permit records carry a dollar amount. What they show is volume: 8,313 foundation repair permits and 15,422 re-roof permits issued since January 2024.
For money, the closest survey figures are statewide. San Antonio was not one of the metros in the Census Bureau's 2023 American Housing Survey, but Texas was. Texas homeowners who re-roofed in the two years before the survey reported a median of $9,000, and those who remodeled a bathroom reported a median of $3,500. Those medians count small jobs and do-it-yourself work along with full remodels, so a gut renovation sits well above them.
Labor is the other anchor. In the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro, the median plumber earned $27.97 an hour in May 2025 and the median electrician $27.41. A contractor's bid covers far more than wages: insurance, overhead, materials and profit. When two bids differ widely, compare the line items first, then the totals.
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Roofing, Texas median | $9,000 | Median spent on roofing projects by Texas homeowners in the 2023 survey (margin of error $979). The average was $11,860. The national median was $10,000. (U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, Table 16 (Texas)) |
| Bathroom remodel, Texas median | $3,500 | Median spent on bathroom remodeling in Texas in the 2023 survey, small updates and do-it-yourself work included. Wide margin of error ($1,655). The average was $9,271. (U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, Table 16 (Texas)) |
| Kitchen remodel, Texas average | $12,770 | Average spent on kitchen remodeling in Texas in the 2023 survey (margin of error $2,511). No Texas median is published. The national median was $8,000. (U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, Table 16 (Texas)) |
| Foundation repair permits since 2024 | 8,313 | Foundation repair permits the City of San Antonio issued from January 2024 through September 18, 2026. Texas law keeps job values off residential permits, so this is a count, not a price. (City of San Antonio, Building Permits (Open Data SA)) |
| Plumber and electrician wages | $27.97 and $27.41 an hour | Median hourly wages for plumbers and electricians in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro, May 2025. These are wages, not what a contractor bills. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, San Antonio-New Braunfels) |
| Carpenter and roofer wages | $23.51 and $21.02 an hour | Median hourly wages for carpenters and roofers in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro, May 2025. The metro counted 2,240 carpenters and 350 roofers. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, San Antonio-New Braunfels) |
Who issues permits in San Antonio.
Inside city limits, the Development Services Department issues building permits, and some addresses need a second approval from historic preservation staff or the water system. If you live in a separate city within Bexar County, check with that city instead.
- City of San Antonio Development Services Department
Building, re-roof, foundation repair, residential repair and trade permits, applied for through the BuildSA portal.
- City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation
Certificates of Appropriateness for exterior work in the 32 local historic districts and on individual landmarks.
- San Antonio Water System, Aquifer Protection and Evaluation
Review of building permits and development over the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone in Bexar County.
- Every re-roof needs a permit. If the roof slope changes or you switch to heavier tile, the City asks for an engineer's assessment report to clear the framing inspection. The building code allows no more than 2 layers of roofing.
- Foundation repair needs a permit plus a letter from a Texas licensed engineer accepting the role of Engineer of Record, the engineer responsible for the repair. Inspections clear only when that engineer sends an inspection letter, and starting work before the permit brings a double fee.
- A residential repair permit covers jobs like replacing windows, moving or removing interior walls, replacing drywall and structural floor repairs. If two or more exterior walls are repaired, changed or replaced, the project needs full plan review instead.
- No permit is needed for cabinets, countertops, carpet, wood or laminate flooring, painting, tiling, drywall patching or swapping an existing door.
- Plumbing, electrical and mechanical work always needs its own separate permit, apart from the building permit.
- A homeowner can pull a permit only by promising to own the house and live in it or rent it out for 12 months after the work ends. Permits are valid for 6 months from the day they are issued.
What San Antonio homeowners plan most.
Foundation repair
Shrinking and swelling clay moves slabs, and the City issues about 3,000 foundation repair permits a year, each one tied to a Texas licensed engineer.
Bathroom remodel
Tile, fixtures and vanities need no building permit, but new plumbing does, and a wall that moves brings a residential repair permit.
Roof replacement
Hail is a standing risk here. The City issued 7,117 re-roof permits in 2025, and a switch to tile needs an engineer's report.
Flooring
Carpet, wood and laminate need no permit, which makes flooring one of the few upgrades with no City paperwork unless the subfloor structure is repaired.
Deck building
Decks go through their own City permit, and in a historic district the design also needs preservation approval before building starts.
Kitchen remodel
Cabinets and countertops need no permit, but new circuits, gas or plumbing each bring a separate trade permit.
Before you start.
How much does a remodel cost in San Antonio?
There is no city figure, because Texas law keeps job values off residential permits. The best survey numbers are statewide. In the Census Bureau's 2023 housing survey, Texas homeowners reported a median of $9,000 for roofing and $3,500 for a bathroom remodel, with small and do-it-yourself jobs included. Kitchen remodels averaged $12,770. Local plumbers earned a median $27.97 an hour in May 2025.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in San Antonio?
Yes. Every re-roof inside city limits needs a permit from Development Services. If you change the roof slope or switch to tile, the City also wants an engineer's assessment report before it clears the framing inspection. The building code allows no more than 2 layers of roofing, and vents or pipes that get extended through the new roof need their own trade permits.
Does foundation repair in San Antonio need an engineer?
Yes. The City requires every foundation repair to be designed or guided by a professional engineer licensed in Texas. That engineer signs a letter accepting the job when you apply for the permit and signs an inspection letter when the work is done, which is how the inspection clears. Starting repairs before the permit is issued means paying a double fee.
What home projects need no permit in San Antonio?
The City's list includes cabinets, countertops, carpet, wood or laminate flooring, painting, plastering, drywall repair, wallpaper, tiling, window glass replacement, replacing an existing door and new siding over old siding. A shed up to 300 square feet is also exempt. In a historic or conservation district, design and material rules can still apply to that work.
Do I need approval to remodel a house in a San Antonio historic district?
For exterior work, yes. San Antonio has 32 local historic districts, and work on a house in one needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before it starts. Office of Historic Preservation staff approve most requests. Additions, new construction or changes that do not follow the Historic Design Guidelines go to the Historic and Design Review Commission for a public hearing.
Is Renology working in San Antonio?
Not yet. Renology has no contractors in San Antonio today. If you are planning a project, join the waitlist and we will tell you when that changes. Until then, this page and the City's own permit pages are a good place to start your planning.
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Sources
- City of San Antonio, Building Permits (Open Data SA)
- City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation, Historic Districts
- San Antonio Water System, Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone
- Insurance Journal, San Antonio Storm Costliest Hail Event in Texas History (April 2016)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, Table 16 (Texas)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, San Antonio-New Braunfels
- Texas Local Government Code Section 214.907
- City of San Antonio DSD, Information Bulletin 172: Foundation Repair Permits
- City of San Antonio DSD, Re-Roof Permit Application
- City of San Antonio DSD, Residential Repair Permit Application
- City of San Antonio DSD, No Permit Required List
- City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation, About Design Review
- San Antonio Water System, Aquifer Protection and Evaluation
- USDA NRCS, Official Series Description: Houston Black