Do I Need a Permit for a Generator in Texas? City-by-City Guide

Yes. Almost always.

Here's the simple rule: if you wheel a portable generator out of your garage and plug things into it with extension cords, you don't need a permit. If you're having a standby generator permanently installed on a concrete pad, connected to your electrical panel and your gas line, you need a permit. Probably more than one.

This isn't bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy (though, sure, some of it is). The permit process ensures the electrical work is done safely, the gas connections don't leak, and the unit is placed far enough from your windows and your neighbor's windows. It protects you. If something goes wrong with an unpermitted installation, you're on the hook for everything — insurance, liability, all of it.

The good news: your installer handles most of this. You don't need to become a permitting expert. But you should understand what's involved so you know what you're paying for and can spot an installer who's cutting corners.

A standby generator installation typically requires two or three separate permits, depending on the city:

• Electrical permit. Covers the transfer switch installation, panel connections, grounding, and all wiring between the generator and your electrical system. This is the most important permit — a bad electrical connection is a fire risk. An inspector will verify wire gauge, breaker sizing, grounding, and proper transfer switch operation.
• Gas/plumbing permit. Covers the new natural gas or propane line running from your meter (or tank) to the generator. The inspector checks for leaks, proper pipe sizing, adequate pressure, and code-compliant fittings. Gas leaks are not something you want to discover on your own.
• Mechanical/building permit. Covers the concrete pad, the unit's physical placement, vibration isolation, and setback requirements. Setbacks are the minimum distances from property lines, windows, HVAC equipment, and combustible materials. Most cities require 5 feet from any window and 3-5 feet from property lines. Some cities also have noise ordinance requirements that dictate maximum decibel levels at the property line.

Some cities combine these into a single "generator permit." Others require them separately. Your installer will know the local process.

The DFW metroplex is a patchwork of cities, each with its own permitting department and its own timeline. Here's the landscape across the major cities:

Most DFW-area cities require both an electrical permit and a mechanical/building permit. Some also require a separate gas permit. Typical cost: $150-$500 total. Timeline: 1-3 weeks from application to approval.

• Dallas: Electrical and mechanical permits through the City of Dallas Building Inspection division. Online applications available. Inspections typically scheduled within 3-5 business days of request. One of the more streamlined processes in the metro.
• Fort Worth: Similar to Dallas. Permits through Development Services. Online portal works well. Inspection turnaround is fast.
• Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen: Standard electrical and building permits. These cities have seen a lot of generator installations in the last few years, so their building departments know the process. Straightforward.
• Southlake, Westlake, Highland Park: Here's where it gets interesting. These cities have architectural review requirements on top of standard permits. That means your generator placement, screening, and potentially the paint color of the unit need approval from a design review board or committee. This adds 2-4 weeks to the timeline and sometimes requires landscaping screens — shrubs or fencing — around the unit. Budget an extra $500-$1,500 for screening if required.
• Colleyville, Flower Mound, Trophy Club: Standard permits with some additional requirements around setbacks and screening in certain neighborhoods. Generally 2-3 week process.

If you're in an unincorporated area of Denton County, Collin County, or Tarrant County, requirements are generally simpler and faster — but you still need an electrical permit at minimum.

Houston is... Houston. The city that famously doesn't have zoning has plenty of building codes and permit requirements. It's just more chaotic to figure out which ones apply to you.

• City of Houston: Permits through the Houston Permitting Center (HPC). Electrical and mechanical permits required. The online portal works but isn't anyone's favorite piece of software. Plan for 1-3 weeks. Inspections are generally available within a week of request.
• Unincorporated Harris County: Different rules, generally fewer requirements than within city limits. Harris County doesn't require building permits for most residential work in unincorporated areas. However, electrical work still needs to comply with the National Electrical Code, and your installer should still pull an electrical permit through the appropriate authority. The "no permits needed" rumor is mostly true for Harris County — but mostly true can still bite you on insurance claims.
• Sugar Land, Katy, Missouri City (Fort Bend County): Each has its own municipal permitting process. Sugar Land's is particularly well-organized. Katy straddles multiple counties, so the process depends on exactly where your lot sits.
• The Woodlands: The Woodlands Township has community covenants that function like an HOA on steroids. Even if Montgomery County doesn't require a certain permit, The Woodlands might require design approval and specific screening. Check with the Development Standards Committee.
• Bellaire, West University Place, River Oaks: These independent cities within the Houston metro have their own permitting. Bellaire and West U are small but thorough — expect 2-3 weeks. River Oaks technically falls under City of Houston permits, but the neighborhood deed restrictions add their own layer.

Austin adds a twist that DFW and Houston don't: Austin Energy. The city-owned utility has specific interconnection rules, especially if you're adding battery backup or solar to the mix.

• City of Austin: Permits through Austin Development Services. Electrical permit required. If you're adding a generator alongside solar or battery, Austin Energy has interconnection requirements that can add 2-4 weeks to the process. Standalone generator permits are faster. Budget $200-$400 in permit fees.
• Travis County (unincorporated): Less bureaucracy than within Austin city limits. Still need electrical permits through a third-party inspection service like Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) approved inspectors.
• Williamson County: Round Rock, Cedar Park, Georgetown. Round Rock and Cedar Park have straightforward city permitting. Georgetown is interesting because it runs its own utility — Georgetown Utility Systems (GUS). If you're on GUS power, there's a separate interconnection process.
• Dripping Springs (Hays County): Growing fast, and the permitting office is growing with it. Standard permits apply. Timelines can be a bit longer because the department is handling a lot of new construction.
• Pedernales Electric Co-op areas (Lakeway, Bee Cave, Spicewood): PEC has its own interconnection requirements for systems that can feed power back to the grid (solar + battery). For a standalone generator, it's just the local city or county permit. Lakeway has its own city permits. Bee Cave requires building permits for permanent installations.

Your HOA is not technically a government entity, so they can't issue "permits." But they can deny your installation, fine you, or require you to remove a generator that violates community covenants. And in Texas, HOAs have real teeth.

Get HOA approval BEFORE you buy the generator. Not after. Before. This seems obvious, but we hear stories every month from homeowners who bought a unit, had it installed, and then got a violation letter.

Common HOA requirements for generators:

• Placement restrictions. Many HOAs require generators in the side or rear yard only — not visible from the street. Some require a minimum distance from the neighbor's property line that exceeds city code.
• Screening requirements. Landscaping screens (shrubs, hedges) or fencing around the unit. The screen needs to hide the generator from the neighbor's view while still allowing adequate airflow for cooling and exhaust. Typical cost: $500-$1,500 for professional landscaping.
• Noise levels. Some HOAs set maximum decibel levels at the property line, especially for nighttime operation. Most modern generators (Generac Guardian, Kohler) run at 66-70 dB at the unit and about 55-60 dB at 25 feet, which is usually compliant. But check.
• Color matching. Yes, really. Some HOAs require the generator housing to match the home's exterior color. Generac offers several color options, and units can be painted.

Battery systems are generally much easier to get HOA-approved. A Tesla Powerwall or similar battery mounts on a garage wall or behind the house. It's silent. It's flat. It's nearly invisible from the street. Most HOAs don't even have a rule about them because there's nothing to object to.

We get this question a lot. "My neighbor's cousin installed his generator without a permit and nothing happened." Cool story. Here's what can happen:

• Insurance won't cover damage. If your unpermitted generator causes a fire, gas leak, or electrical damage, your homeowner's insurance can deny the claim. They'll send an adjuster, the adjuster will check for permits, and when there aren't any, you're paying out of pocket. For everything. A house fire can total $200,000+ in damage. That's a bad time to discover your insurance doesn't cover unpermitted work.
• Manufacturer warranty voided. Generac, Kohler, and other manufacturers require installation by licensed technicians in compliance with local codes. No permits means no code compliance means no warranty. When that control board fails at year 3, that $1,200 replacement is on you.
• City can require removal. If a code enforcement officer or building inspector identifies unpermitted work — which happens more often than you'd think, especially during property sales — the city can require you to remove the generator and redo the installation with proper permits. At your expense. That means paying for the installation twice.
• Liability exposure. If an electrical fire or gas leak from your unpermitted generator damages your neighbor's property or injures someone, you're exposed to personal liability beyond what insurance would have covered. This is the worst-case scenario and it's the one that keeps attorneys busy.
• Problems when you sell. Home inspections for sales routinely flag unpermitted work. Buyers can demand you bring it up to code (at your expense), negotiate a price reduction, or walk away. In a tight market, you might get away with it. In a buyer's market, it's leverage against you.

The permit costs $150-$500. The risk of skipping it is $5,000-$200,000. Don't be your neighbor's cousin.

One more reason batteries are gaining ground in the Texas market: the permitting is simpler.

• Usually just an electrical permit. No gas line, so no gas/plumbing permit. No engine on a pad, so no mechanical permit in most cities. One permit instead of two or three.
• No concrete pad. Batteries mount on walls. No earthwork, no concrete pour, no inspection of the pad.
• No setback drama. Wall-mounted batteries don't have the same setback requirements as generators because they don't produce exhaust, noise, or vibration. They can go in your garage, on an interior wall, or on the side of your house without the clearance constraints.
• Faster approval timeline. One permit with simpler requirements means faster turnaround. Many cities approve battery installations in under a week.
• HOAs rarely object. No noise, no visual impact, no smell. There's nothing for the covenants committee to get worked up about.

If you're adding solar panels with the battery, the solar component adds its own permitting and interconnection requirements. But the battery portion itself is straightforward.

This is one of the real benefits of working with vetted, licensed installers — and one of the reasons we exist. The right installer handles all of this for you:

• Pulls the permits with the city or county
• Schedules the inspections
• Handles HOA paperwork and design review submissions
• Ensures setback compliance
• Coordinates with the gas utility if a meter upgrade is needed
• Manages the timeline from application to final inspection sign-off

You shouldn't have to become a permitting expert. You have a job. You have a life. You just want backup power that's installed correctly and legally.

The installers in our network are licensed, insured, and experienced with the specific permitting requirements in their service areas. They've done this hundreds of times in your specific city. When you request a quote through us, permitting is built into the scope of work and the price. No surprises.