What to know before you hire in Austin, TX

Austin counted 961,855 residents in the 2020 Census. Residential building permits go through Austin Development Services, and the application, fees and some inspections are handled in the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) Portal. Call 512-978-4000 with questions.

Austin also keeps its own contractor roll: anyone working on a building or trade permit, including a homeowner acting as contractor, registers with Building and Trade Contractor Services first. Mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors renew that registration yearly, so ask for it and the state license number.

In unincorporated Travis County, any development, from a driveway to a septic system, needs a county permit instead.

Austin Energy and Austin Water

Austin Energy, a community-owned, not-for-profit enterprise of the City of Austin, provides the electricity. Its rebate for a qualifying air conditioner or heat pump averages $800 and is paid only when a participating contractor does the install. Amounts change, so confirm the current figure before you buy. Austin Water supplies water and runs the wastewater system.

Austin watering days and stages

As of September 2, 2025, Austin is under Conservation Stage restrictions, and stages change, so check Austin Water's current stage before you plant. Automatic and manual irrigation systems may run one day a week (Thursday for even addresses, Wednesday for odd) and hose-end sprinklers two days, only between midnight and 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. and midnight. Violations cost up to $1,000.

Protected and heritage trees in Austin

Trunk diameter, measured 4.5 feet above the ground, decides what you can cut. A tree of 19 inches or more is Protected and needs a permit to remove. A Heritage tree, 24 inches or more and of a listed species such as any oak, pecan or cedar elm, needs a variance, and variances for Heritage trees of 30 inches or more go through a public process.

The Austin Floodplain Office (512-974-2843) prohibits new buildings and parking in the 25-year floodplain and restricts them in the 100-year floodplain, where foundation slabs must sit at least 2 feet above the flood elevation.

Austin Resource Recovery picks up bulk items and brush by appointment only, up to three times a year for each service, with items out by 5:30 a.m. Remodeling debris is excluded, so ask your contractor to haul it away.

Most Austin homes are appraised by the Travis Central Appraisal District, and protests are due by May 15 or 30 days after the notice is mailed, whichever is later. Parts of the city fall under the Williamson and Hays central appraisal districts. Sellers of a home 10 or more years old inside city limits also owe the buyer an ECAD energy audit.

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Austin home systems and repairs

• AC repair in Austin
• Austin plumbers
• Electricians in Austin
• Austin roofers
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• House cleaning in Austin

Austin yards, pools and exteriors

• Tree service in Austin
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Moving, fitness and professional help in Austin

• Movers in Austin
• Real estate agents in Austin
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• Dentists in Austin
• Gyms in Austin

Austin anchors our Austin and Hill Country corridor region. To the north, Round Rock and Pflugerville run their own permit offices.