Austin, TX Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)

Before any construction authorized by a City of Austin development permit begins, the permittee must post an inspection record card in a readily accessible location on the site (Sec. 25-1-287(A)-(B)); the field inspector notes every inspection directly on that card, and the card must stay posted until the accountable official confirms the permittee has met all City requirements (Sec. 25-1-287(C)-(D)). Getting an inspector to the site starts with the City's central dispatcher, which coordinates contact between the permittee and the inspector (Sec. 25-1-286(A)-(B)); the accountable official may require that inspection requests be submitted at least 48 hours before the desired inspection date and may set the manner of the request (Sec.

25-1-286(C)). For erosion, sedimentation control, and tree protection measures specifically, Sec. 25-1-288 requires the owner to request an inspection after the controls are installed, and if the accountable official in the Watershed Protection and Development Review Department fails to inspect within five days of the request, the owner may proceed with construction without waiting further (Sec. 25-1-288(G)). If the inspector shows up and the permittee hasn't finished the work, hasn't completed prior corrections, hasn't posted the record card, hasn't made approved plans available, or won't provide site access, the director may bill a reinspection fee (Sec.

25-1-289(A)); work rejected at a first inspection purely for a technical-code violation gets one free reinspection (Sec. 25-1-289(B)). Once a reinspection fee is owed, the City will not perform additional inspections on the permit until it's paid (Sec. 25-1-289(C)).