Frisco, TX Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Entry hour
- any reasonable hour
- Unoccupied unit access
- requires reasonable notice
- Occupied unit access without consent
- requires reliable info of serious threat
- No consent for common areas/units
- administrator must get a warrant
- Consent refused entirely
- inspection proceeds from public right-of-way
Summary
Under Frisco Code of Ordinances Section 18-426, the city's administrator can inspect any multi-family dwelling complex at any reasonable hour to enforce Chapter 18, Article VI: unoccupied units and common areas on notice, occupied units on reliable evidence of a serious threat, and otherwise from the public right-of-way plus a warrant if the owner or tenant withholds consent.
(a) Inspection authority. The administrator is authorized to conduct such inspections as the administrator deems necessary to ensure compliance with all provisions of this article. The administrator shall have the right of entry at any reasonable hour upon the premises. The administrator shall have the authority to inspect all unoccupied dwelling units upon giving reasonable notice to the owner, landlord, resident or property manager. The administrator shall have the authority to inspect any occupied dwelling unit when, upon reliable information, the administrator has reason to believe that violations of this article or of state law exist that involve serious threats to life, safety, health or property. ... (d) Consent. If the owner or tenant does not allow for reasonable accommodations for a scheduled inspection of the interior and/or exterior of the multi-family dwelling complex, the administrator may conduct the inspection from the public right-of-way. If the owner or tenant does not provide consent for the inspection of the interior of common areas and dwelling units, the administrator shall be required to obtain a warrant prior to entry onto the property and/or dwelling unit.
Full Breakdown
Section 18-426(a) gives the administrator a right of entry at any reasonable hour to check compliance with the multi-family dwelling article. Unoccupied units can be inspected on reasonable notice to the owner, landlord, resident or property manager. An occupied unit can only be entered without separate process when the administrator has reliable information giving reason to believe a violation exists that poses a serious threat to life, safety, health or property. Section 18-426(c) lets the administrator open an inspection based on a complaint or other credible information suggesting a violation, independent of the routine inspection schedule.
Section 18-426(d) governs what happens when consent is refused: if the owner or tenant will not make reasonable accommodation for a scheduled interior or exterior inspection, the administrator can still inspect from the public right-of-way; but to get inside common areas or a dwelling unit without consent, the administrator must first obtain a warrant. This warrant requirement applies on top of the complex's separately defined annual inspection schedule that this same section also sets for routine building-exterior and common-area checks.
Violations & Fines
Refusing a lawful inspection does not block enforcement, it only forces the administrator to obtain a warrant before entering common areas or a unit; the inspection from the public right-of-way can proceed regardless of consent. Obstructing or failing to accommodate reasonable inspection requests feeds into Section 18-430, supporting probationary status, denial, suspension or revocation of the complex's multi-family dwelling license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Frisco code officers inspect my occupied apartment without permission?
What happens if an apartment owner won't let inspectors onto the property?
Can a complaint trigger a Frisco apartment inspection outside the normal schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Frisco
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Frisco to another location·View the Texas building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Building Inspections in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Collin County handle building inspections.