Fort Worth, TX Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential stages
- 6 inspections: underground through final
- Commercial stages
- 8 inspections including elevation certification
- Who calls for inspection
- Permit holder must notify Building Official
- Covered work penalty
- Treated as unsafe structure if uninspected
- Third-party option
- Approved third-party agencies may inspect
- Max fine
- $2,000 for safety violations (§ 1-6)
Summary
Fort Worth's Building Administrative Code sets the minimum inspection stages a project must pass, footing, slab, framing, energy efficiency, parkway and final, before the Building Official signs off. Work covered up before its required inspection is treated as an unsafe structure, and covering it before approval is a code violation in its own right.
Any work covered or concealed without inspection shall be considered to constitute an unsafe structure and subject to the corrective provisions of Section 116. Such consideration as an unsafe structure shall exist every day until the work is inspected and approved as being in compliance with the Technical Codes. Inspections will not be performed until a valid active permit is obtained in accordance with this Code.
Full Breakdown
Fort Worth's Building Administrative Code (City Code § 7-1, Section 110) spells out exactly which inspections a permitted project has to pass and in what order. 2 lists required stages: underground (electrical, mechanical, plumbing and gas lines before backfill), footing/pier/foundation, concrete slab or under-floor, rough plumbing/mechanical/gas/electrical, frame and masonry, an energy-efficiency inspection covering insulation and duct R-values, and a final inspection. 1, adding a lowest-floor elevation certification in flood hazard areas and a check on fire- and smoke-resistant assemblies before they're taped or concealed. Both tracks add a parkway inspection that must clear before any concrete pour and again before the final. 4). 1, a status that persists every day until it's actually inspected and approved. 2). 6).
Violations & Fines
Skipping a required inspection or concealing work before it's approved turns that work into an unsafe structure under § 110.5.1 and is a Code violation under § 114.1. The Building Official can issue a stop-work order (§ 115) and the city applies its general penalty schedule, up to $2,000 for safety-related violations, up to $500 for others, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense (§ 1-6).
Frequently Asked Questions
What inspections does a new Fort Worth house need?
Who is responsible for scheduling inspections?
What happens if I cover work before it's inspected?
Can a private inspector replace the city's inspector?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
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