El Paso, TX Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- New building occupancy bar
- No occupancy before CO issued
- TCO initial term
- 30 days
- TCO extension
- One additional 30 days
- Conditional CO cap
- One year
- Commercial TCO finals required
- 6 (incl. engineering final)
- Citation
- El Paso City Code § 18.02.111.1
Summary
A new building in El Paso cannot be occupied, and no occupancy change made, until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy under City Code § 18.02.111.1, which requires passing every required inspection first. A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy is available for incomplete buildings for 30 days, extendable once, once life-safety systems pass final inspection.
18.02.111.1 - New building certificate of occupancy. A new building shall not be occupied or a change made in the occupancy, nature or use of a building or part of a building until the building official has issued a certificate of occupancy. The certificate shall not be issued until the building has passed all required inspections, is in compliance with the technical codes and other applicable laws and ordinances and is released by the building official and the applicant has paid the established fee.
Full Breakdown
2: an owner applies, supplies the data needed to show compliance for the intended occupancy, and the building official may require detailed drawings or a general inspection before issuing the certificate and collecting the fee. 5 authorizes a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy once the building passes its life-safety and service-system finals - for a commercial TCO that means "[e]ngineering final, electrical final, fire final, mechanical final, plumbing final, building final"; a residential TCO drops the engineering final. 7 authorizes a certificate of completion for non-occupiable systems work like fire protection or mechanical installations that pass final inspection with no violations found. These sections were adopted by Ord. No. 019528 on August 1, 2023.
Violations & Fines
Occupying or changing the use of a building before the building official issues the certificate of occupancy violates § 18.02.111.1 outright; a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy that lapses after its 30-day term (or single 30-day extension) without a final certificate leaves the space occupied without authorization until the required finals are passed and the fee is paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I move into a new building before it's inspected?
How long does a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy last in El Paso?
What inspections does a commercial TCO require?
Can an existing building get a certificate of occupancy for a new use?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso
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