Fort Worth’s Development Services Department brings several parts of the development process under one department, including planning, development coordination, engineering, building permits, and inspections. Many building, trade, planning, zoning, and development applications can be submitted through Accela Citizen Access, the city’s online permitting system. Fort Worth also offers Permit Assist to help property owners identify likely permits and zoning considerations before filing an application.
Some projects require reviews beyond the basic building permit. Zoning changes, plats, signs, structure moving, and certain land-development applications have their own processes. Urban forestry is another important consideration: Fort Worth regulates tree preservation and removal on private property, and development involving protected trees or significant land disturbance can trigger Urban Forestry review.
Tree jurisdiction also depends on location. The Development Services Urban Forestry section oversees trees on private property, while planting, pruning, or removing trees within the city right-of-way requires authorization from the Park & Recreation Department Forestry Section. This distinction can matter for projects involving parkways or street-adjacent trees.
Historic properties have a separate approval layer as well. Exterior changes to designated historic properties generally require a Certificate of Appropriateness before related permits or construction can proceed. Applicants can start with the City’s Development Services resources to determine whether building, zoning, urban forestry, historic-preservation, or other reviews apply to a proposed project.