Electrical Permit in Fort Worth, TX
Permit Summary
Who Can Do the Electrical Work?
Homeowner Eligibility Rules
Under Building Administrative Code §105.10, an owner may obtain the permit and perform electrical work in a building that the owner both owns and occupies solely as a primary residence, shown by an appraisal-district homestead exemption or by proof of ownership plus government-issued identification bearing the same name and address. The exception extends only to electrical equipment downstream of, but excluding, the first main breaker behind the electric meter; it does not authorize homeowner work on that breaker or upstream service components.
Contractor Rules
Electrical trade permits are generally restricted to persons or companies holding the appropriate Texas state electrical license; Fort Worth contractor registration is also part of the permitting process. A qualifying primary-residence owner-occupant may use the limited self-work exception in §105.10, and §105.10.1 provides a narrowly scoped maintenance-employee permit pathway for repairs associated with the employer's premises. Neither exception generally authorizes unlicensed electrical contracting for others or new installations by a maintenance employee.
Permit & Plan Review
Electrical Work Covered
Permitted electrical work generally includes installing, altering, relocating, replacing or repairing wiring, branch circuits, outlets, service equipment, panels, permanent fixtures, motors, generators, transformers and other electrical systems in residences and commercial buildings. The city's electrical permit form also lists heating and air-conditioning electrical connections, temporary construction poles, pool/spa work and sign connections. Work qualifying for a specific exemption under Building Administrative Code §105.2 does not require this permit.
Plan Review Rules
Under §107, construction and electrical documents must be provided when needed for code review; the Building Official may waive documents for work whose nature does not require plan review. For projects requiring them, electrical drawings may need locations of electrical equipment and panels, system layout, feeder and service sizes, electrical loads/calculations, and short-circuit or other technical data. A Texas-registered design professional may be required when mandated by state law or the Building Official.
Service, Panel & Utility Requirements
Service / Panel Rules
Electrical service and panel installation, changes, moves and repairs generally require an electrical permit and applicable inspections. Fort Worth's fee schedule lists services and subpanels by amperage: $19.75 for 60–100 A, $29.17 for over 100–150 A, and $39.53 for over 150 A. A homeowner using the primary-residence exemption cannot work on the first main breaker behind the meter or upstream equipment; that work requires the appropriately licensed trade pathway.
Service Reconnect Rules
Service work requiring electrical approval must be inspected before the applicable city electrical/utility release. For an existing business seeking a Certificate of Occupancy with new electrical service, Fort Worth instructs applicants to select an electrical ordinance inspection within the 'Occupancy Existing Ordinance' Accela process. The current fee ordinance also requires a building-code ordinance inspection before approving power to certain existing mobile homes when the utility account holder changes. Temporary power requires a separate letter and permit.
Low-Voltage Rules
Fort Worth Building Administrative Code §105.2 exempts electrical wiring, devices or equipment other than signs operating at less than 25 volts and incapable of supplying more than 50 watts. Class II and III low-energy power, control and signal circuits as defined by the code are also exempt from the electrical permit. Other low-voltage or communications/signaling installations are not automatically exempt; applicable fire, alarm, sign and other code requirements can still apply.
Utility Coordination Rules
Coordination with the electric utility and the city's inspection/release process may be needed when a project connects, relocates, disconnects or reenergizes electric service. The city provides an electrical utility-release inspection path and separate temporary-power letter/permit procedures. For an existing commercial occupancy seeking new service, an electrical ordinance inspection may be required through the Certificate of Occupancy process.
Inspections & Permit Life
Electrical Inspection Stages
Building Administrative Code §110.3.5 requires underground inspection after trenches and conduit/piping installation but before backfill; rough-in inspection after relevant framing and concealed components are installed but before wall/ceiling covering; and final inspection after systems are complete, connected and ready for occupancy. Additional inspections, including service or utility-release inspections, may be required according to project scope. The permit holder or authorized agent must request inspections and provide access.
Permit Expiration / Inspection Interval
Under §105.5, an issued permit becomes invalid if no required project inspection is approved within 180 days, or if more than 180 days pass after the last approved required inspection. The Building Official may grant one written extension before expiration of up to 180 days. An expired permit may be reactivated once, within one year of expiration and with no change in plans, for half the new-permit fee. Electrical ordinance inspections expire after 30 days. An application for which no permit is issued within 180 days also expires under §105.3.2, subject to its specified extension process.
What You Need Before Applying
Requirements
Obtain the electrical trade permit before nonexempt installation, alteration, replacement or repair. Apply through Fort Worth's online permitting system using an appropriately Texas-licensed electrical contractor, unless an applicable owner-occupant or maintenance-employee exception applies. Work must comply with the Fort Worth Electrical Code, including the 2026 National Electrical Code adopted effective September 1, 2026, and applicable city amendments. Arrange required inspections before covering work or using completed installations.
Exemptions
The Building Administrative Code §105.2 exempts specified work, including plug-in portable equipment, reinstallation of existing attachment-plug receptacles without altering outlets, same-location replacement/repair of correctly rated overcurrent devices, wiring removal, and certain routine electrical maintenance such as replacement of cords, switches, outlets, ballasts and light fixtures where energy-code provisions are met. It also exempts qualifying low-voltage work and Class II/III low-energy circuits. These exemptions do not authorize work that violates other applicable codes. Emergency repairs remain subject to the code's next-business-day permit requirement.
Required Documents
The electrical permit application asks for the job address, residential or commercial designation, description/type of work, applicant and site contact details, electrical contractor and Fort Worth registration information where applicable, and counts/ratings of fixtures, receptacles, service equipment, motors, generators and other devices. Supply site, electrical or construction plans, load calculations, equipment and panel data, and professional design documents where required by the work's scope and the Building Official. Owner-occupants seeking the exception provide homestead evidence or ownership documentation and matching government identification.