Austin homeowners have a lot going on in the back yard: decks under live oaks, sheds for tools, privacy fences, and retaining walls on sloped lots.
The city publishes a clear list of work exempt from building permits, and it has one of the country's best-known tree ordinances. This guide covers the Austin building permit rules for sheds, fences, decks, retaining walls, and siding.
The exemptions below come from Austin Development Services. Exempt work must still meet zoning, setbacks, and code requirements. Confirm current rules for your address. See our disclaimer.
Austin shed, fence, deck, and wall exemptions in one table
| Project | Austin exemption |
|---|---|
| Shed or accessory structure | One-story, detached, no more than 200 sq ft and no more than 15 ft tall |
| Fence | Not over 7 ft high |
| Deck | No more than 200 sq ft and no more than 30 inches above grade |
| Retaining wall | Not over 4 ft, measured from bottom of footing to top of wall |
| Siding | Not over 128 sq ft and not part of a fire-resistance-rated assembly |
Source: Austin Development Services: Work exempt from building permits.
Austin sheds: 200 square feet and 15 feet tall
Austin exempts "a one-story detached accessory structure that is no more than 200 square feet ... of floor area, no more than 15 feet ... in height." That is a common threshold across Texas, and larger than Houston's 120 square feet (see our Houston guide). Setbacks and impervious cover limits still apply, and wiring needs an electrical permit. See our shed permit guide.
Austin fences up to 7 feet
A fence "not over 7 feet" high is exempt from a building permit. Zoning, corner-lot visibility, and the city's fencing regulations still apply, and HOAs often set lower limits. See our fence permit guide.
Austin decks: 200 square feet and 30 inches
A deck "no more than 200 square feet ... in area" and "no more than 30 inches ... above grade" is exempt. Bigger or higher decks, decks with roofs, and decks attached in ways that affect the house need a permit. Other conditions in the full code language may apply, so read the city page before you build. See our deck permit guide and pergola and patio cover permits.
Austin retaining walls up to 4 feet
Retaining walls "not over 4 feet ... in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall" are exempt, unless they support a surcharge such as a driveway or a building. Austin's hills make this common. See retaining wall permits.
Trees: Austin's big extra step
Austin regulates trees on residential property that measure at least 19 inches in diameter at 4.5 feet above ground. A Tree Ordinance Review Application is required for removal, for pruning 25% or more of the canopy, or for work that may affect the tree's critical root zone. Deck footings, sheds, and trenches near a big oak can trigger this even when the structure itself is exempt (Austin: Trees on residential property). See protected tree removal permits.
Siding and other exterior work
Siding up to 128 square feet that is not part of a fire-rated assembly is exempt; larger re-siding needs a permit. See siding replacement permits.
The fine print on Austin's exemptions
The short version in the table above leaves out conditions that trip people up. Austin's full exemption list adds these (Austin: Work exempt from building permits):
- Sheds: the 200-square-foot, 15-foot-tall shed is only exempt if it "does not create a dwelling, contains no plumbing, and is not located within a flood hazard area." Put a sink in it and you're no longer exempt.
- Decks: the small-deck exemption requires the deck to be no more than 30 inches above grade "at any point," not attached to the house, not providing egress from the house, and outside a flood hazard area. A low deck bolted to your back wall is not exempt, even if it's tiny.
- Fences and retaining walls: both lose their exemption in a flood hazard area.
- Roofs: asphalt shingles replacing asphalt shingles are exempt, unless the house is in the Wildland-Urban Interface area and 50% or more of the roofing is being replaced.
- Flatwork: sidewalks, driveways and concrete flatwork are exempt only when they're not in the public right-of-way.
If you're not sure whether your lot is in a flood hazard area, the city points to its FloodPro map (Austin fencing regulations). Our flood zone remodel guide explains why floodplain lots get extra review.
When a fence needs a permit in Austin
The 7-foot exemption is the headline, but Austin's fencing page lists more triggers. A fence needs a permit if it is in a floodplain (at any height, in any material), more than 7 feet high at any point, or more than 6 feet high along a City of Austin public right-of-way other than an alley. That last case also needs a city letter of authorization, and the city says a Board of Adjustment variance is required to get it. There's one carve-out: the fence may go to 7 feet without a variance if there's a grade change of at least one foot along the property line (Austin fencing regulations).
Corner lots add another step. A solid fence on a corner lot needs approval from Austin Transportation and Public Works so it doesn't block drivers' views. On the other hand, a solid fence can go up to 8 feet on a line shared with commercially or industrially zoned property, though anything over 7 feet still needs the permit (same page). If you're heading for a variance, our zoning variance guide explains what boards usually want to see.
Which Austin application fits your project
Austin's Residential Plan Review page splits projects into separate web forms, and choosing the right one up front saves a round trip (Austin Residential Plan Review):
| Project | Application |
|---|---|
| Fence that needs a permit | Fence (Small Project) |
| Uncovered wooden deck or pool | Pool/Uncovered Deck web form |
| Shed over the exemption, addition, or ADU | New Construction or Addition web form |
| Garage conversion or porch/carport enclosure | Garage Conversion or Carport/Porch Enclosure (Small Project) |
| Minor repairs (siding, roof decking, foundation repair, same-size windows) | Express Permit (Minor Repairs) |
Express permits are the fast lane. Austin says most are issued in one business day, though floodplain and historic-district properties can take longer. They cover things like siding over 128 square feet, foundation repairs over 128 square feet that don't add impervious cover, and roof work that replaces more than 128 square feet of decking (Austin Express Permits). If the job grows past those limits, you'll need a new application, and the city says the express fees already paid aren't reimbursed.
Mistakes that cost Austin homeowners a permit
- Attaching a "small" deck to the house. Attachment alone removes the exemption.
- Running water to a shed and assuming it's still exempt.
- Building a tall street-side fence without checking the right-of-way rule and letter of authorization.
- Skipping the floodplain check. In a flood hazard area, fences, sheds, decks and retaining walls all lose their exemptions.
- Digging near a big tree because the structure itself is exempt. The tree review is separate.
Austin Energy clearances: power lines and easements on your site plan
When a deck, a larger shed, or a pool goes through residential review in Austin, the electric utility reviews it too. Austin Energy’s residential review is part of Development Services’ Residential Plan Review and Expedited Residential Plan Review, and it runs at the same time as the other city reviews. Its job is to check life-safety clearances from distribution and transmission lines and from easements, under the Austin Energy Design Criteria.
The plot plan has to label any public utility or electric easement and every electric facility on the lot. That means pad-mount transformers and pads, pull boxes, underground wires (including the service line to the house), utility poles, overhead wires on your lot and the next one (including service wires and down guys), the electric meter, and streetlight poles and wires. Austin Energy says to call Texas 811 to have the underground facilities located. It also says that anything not listed on the Residential Plan Review application is not part of its review, so list the deck or shed on the application.
The clearance distances themselves are in section 1.10 of the Austin Energy Design Criteria Manual. An exempt shed skips plan review, so nobody checks this for you. Look at the plat for easements yourself before you set a slab under the service drop or beside a transformer.
Austin shed, fence, and deck questions
Do I need a permit for a shed in Austin?
Not for a one-story detached shed up to 200 square feet and 15 feet tall. Setbacks, impervious cover, and tree rules still apply.
How tall can a fence be in Austin without a permit?
Up to 7 feet for the building-permit exemption, subject to zoning and visibility rules.
Do I need a permit for a deck in Austin?
Not if it is 200 square feet or less and no more than 30 inches above grade. Larger or higher decks need a permit.
Can I build a 7-foot fence along the street in Austin?
Along a public right-of-way other than an alley, anything over 6 feet needs a permit and a letter of authorization, which requires a Board of Adjustment variance. A one-foot grade change along the property line can allow 7 feet without a variance (Austin fencing regulations).
Is a low deck attached to my house exempt?
No. Austin's deck exemption only covers decks that aren't attached to the dwelling and don't provide egress from it (Austin exemptions).
How fast is an express permit?
Austin says most express permits are issued in one business day; floodplain or historic-district properties may take longer (Austin Express Permits).
Before you build in Austin
Austin's exemptions cover small sheds (200 square feet), fences up to 7 feet, low small decks, and retaining walls up to 4 feet. The biggest extra hurdle is tree protection, so check for large trees before you dig.
Next steps for an Austin project: run the 10-minute AHJ permit checklist, and read shed permit requirements by size, do I need a permit for a deck, and retaining wall permits. Compare with our Phoenix and Houston guides.
Last checked: October 2026.
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