Permits & inspections, city by city.
Yes, your AC change-out, panel upgrade, and standby generator all need permits here — and the office, the fee, and the inspection cutoff change at every city line. Here's the verified directory.
Before any city permit: the contractor must hold the state license.
HVAC work requires a TDLR Air Conditioning & Refrigeration (ACR) contractor license under Texas Occupations Code Ch. 1302 — Class A (any size system) or Class B (≤25 tons cooling). In practically every local jurisdiction, only a licensed ACR contractor can pull a mechanical permit for a change-out. Mackey holds TACLA 112769C.
Electrical work runs under Texas Occupations Code Ch. 1305: a licensed Master Electrician (or registered electrical contractor) must hold the permit and owns responsibility for the work — including generator transfer-switch tie-ins that the utility won't energize without a passed municipal inspection. Mackey holds TECL 558211.
Verify any contractor's license free at tdlr.texas.gov before signing — an unlicensed 'deal' usually surfaces at resale, at claim time, or at the inspection that never happened.
All of Galveston County sits in the Texas windstorm zone — outdoor equipment has insurance paperwork.
- · Galveston County is one of the 14 designated coastal 'catastrophe area' counties, so many homeowners carry wind coverage through TWIA — and TWIA insurability leans on TDI Certificates of Compliance (the WPI-8) for structures and their exterior additions.
- · The paperwork is sequential and unforgiving: a WPI-1 application must be filed BEFORE construction starts, a TDI-appointed qualified inspector (engineer) verifies during the work, and the engineer's final certification produces the WPI-8. Skip the WPI-1 and anchoring hardware gets concealed before anyone can verify it — a retroactive evaluation is the expensive fallback.
- · Wind-zone anchoring standards apply to HVAC condensers and standby generators: poured-in-place concrete pads or engineered platforms (not lightweight plastic pads), with hardware rated for uplift — Seaward-zone designs run to 150-mph three-second gusts, Inland zones 120–130 mph.
- · Flood elevation stacks on top: in mapped flood zones equipment typically must sit 18–24 inches above base flood elevation, and a support platform taller than 30 inches needs sealed engineered plans covering wind, dead, and flotation loads.
Verified 2026-07-04 · TDI windstorm inspection program (WPI-8) + ASCE 7 wind zones
The 15-day rule: Texas law now caps how long cities can sit on generator permits.
After Winter Storm Uri, Texas S.B. 1202 and S.B. 1252 rewrote the rules for 'home backup power installations' (generating facilities under 600 volts serving a one- or two-family home). Cities get a maximum of 15 days from submission to approve, conditionally approve, or reject the documents — and if a requested inspection doesn't happen within 15 days, the contractor may bring in a state-certified third-party inspector to keep the project moving. Local cities have digitized their portals largely to keep up with this clock.
Nine jurisdictions, one honest list.
Every entry was verified 2026-07-04 against the office's own pages. Fee schedules change — treat figures as "as verified" and confirm with the office (or let us fold it into your quote, which is what actually happens on a Mackey job).
Dickinson
City of Dickinson — Community Development Department
4403 Highway 3, Dickinson, TX 77539
(281) 337-6259
Verified 2026-07-04 · dickinsontexas.gov — Community Development / MyGov portal
HVAC change-out
Yes — an HVAC change-out takes a mechanical permit, filed through the city's MyGov online portal.
Electrical work
Yes — electrical permits go through the same MyGov portal, pulled by a licensed electrical contractor.
Standby generator
Yes — standby generators permit through MyGov; flood-zone lots along Dickinson Bayou add elevation review.
Who pulls it · inspections
The licensed contractor in practice; eligible owner-occupants can register in the portal for limited scopes.
Same-day inspections are available when requested through MyGov before 6:00 AM — one of the fastest turnarounds in the county.
Fees (as verified)
As verified: residential single-trade MEP permits run $150; generator permits add a valuation-scaled fee. Starting work without a permit doubles the fee — confirm current schedule with the office.
League City
City of League City — Planning & Development
500 W Walker St, League City, TX 77573
(281) 554-1429
Verified 2026-07-04 · leaguecitytx.gov — Online Permit Portal + generator standards
HVAC change-out
Yes — mechanical permit via the city's Online Permit Portal; residential base fee verified at $150.
Electrical work
Yes — electrical permits itemize (base ~$59 plus per-circuit and service items, as verified). For reconnects after panel or generator work, the electrician calls the office 30 minutes before completion so the inspector can release the meter back to the utility quickly.
Standby generator
Yes — a flat $300 residential standby-generator fee (as verified), with a site survey required. Placement rules: behind the front face of the house, 3 ft from property lines (or on the AC side with gates both sides), never in a utility easement, and in flood zones the pad elevates to base flood elevation + 24 inches.
Who pulls it · inspections
Registered, licensed professionals — League City does not lean on homeowner permits for MEP work.
Next-business-day model: requests in by 3:00 PM ride the next day's roster. The office closes at noon on Fridays and field inspections end at 11:00 AM.
Friendswood
City of Friendswood — Community Development
910 S. Friendswood Dr, Friendswood, TX 77546
(281) 996-3201
Verified 2026-07-04 · ci.friendswood.tx.us — Community Development permit applications
HVAC change-out
Yes — and Friendswood is explicit: the HVAC permit application must be signed by a licensed HVAC contractor, no exceptions. Trade permits typically clear review in 3–7 business days.
Electrical work
Yes — online trade permit with a $30 issuance fee plus itemized circuit/panel fees (as verified).
Standby generator
Yes — verified at a $150 flat generator fee. Clear Creek flood-zone lots add elevation considerations.
Who pulls it · inspections
The licensed contractor — the city's application language forecloses homeowner DIY on HVAC.
Strictly prior-day scheduling: requests in by 5:00 PM the day before. No same-day inspections short of a Building Official-approved emergency.
Fees (as verified)
As verified: $30 issuance + $35 (new system under 5 tons) or $25 (repair) for mechanical work.
Galveston
City of Galveston — Building Division
3015 Market St, Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 797-3620
Verified 2026-07-04 · galvestontx.gov — Building Division + coastal construction standards
HVAC change-out
Yes — mechanical permits file through the city ePortal, with valuation-based fees. Contractors must register with the city ($200 initial + $25/year as verified) and carry $300K liability insurance naming the city.
Electrical work
Yes — itemized electrical fees (verified: $20 base plus per-device items; a generator/transformer line item around $30). Electrical contractors also post a $25,000 surety bond.
Standby generator
The island's full stack: building permit for the pad/structure (verified $150 minimum), electrical permit for the ATS, plumbing permit (Master Plumber) for the gas line — plus flood elevation (equipment 18+ inches above BFE), engineered 150-mph-rated plans for platforms over 30 inches, and a TDI windstorm WPI-8 certificate on completion.
Who pulls it · inspections
The registered contractor in practice; the owner bears legal responsibility that permits exist.
Same-day dispatch if requested before 6:00 AM (ePortal or [email protected]). Rough-ins are combination inspections — all trades must be ready simultaneously.
Texas City
City of Texas City — Building Inspections Department
1801 9th Avenue North, Texas City, TX 77590
(409) 643-5946
Verified 2026-07-04 · texascitytx.gov — Building Inspections / MGO portal
HVAC change-out
Yes — through the city's MyGov (MGO) portal. Verified flat fee of $75 for a residential HVAC change-out (fee schedule updated October 2025 — confirm current figures).
Electrical work
Yes — verified around $75 standard, with a separate ~$45 meter-release item. Note the quirk: the building offices close the first Thursday of each month, 4–5 PM.
Standby generator
Yes — Texas City formally works the S.B. 1202 15-day clock for home backup power reviews; mechanical + electrical base fees apply.
Who pulls it · inspections
Either a registered contractor or an eligible registered homeowner, per the city's dual pathway.
Scheduled through the MGO portal; the city runs dual contractor/homeowner registration paths.
La Marque
City of La Marque — Development Services
1130 1st Street, La Marque, TX 77568
(409) 938-9219
Verified 2026-07-04 · cityoflamarque.gov — Development Services, 2025 code adoption
HVAC change-out
Yes — La Marque adopted the 2024 ICC codes + 2023 NEC effective February 2025 with a restructured fee schedule (fees scale to the 2025 ordinance — confirm with the office).
Electrical work
Yes — with a notable homestead exemption: an owner who proves homestead, lives at the address, and does ALL the work personally may pull their own electrical/plumbing permit. High bar, real liability — most residents use licensed contractors anyway.
Standby generator
Yes — routed through Development Services with reviews coordinated across departments; permits expire after six months without verifiable progress.
Who pulls it · inspections
Licensed contractors, or the homestead owner-occupant under the exemption's strict conditions.
Requests in by 4:00 PM for next-day; office hours end at 4:00 PM Monday–Thursday and 11:30 AM on Fridays.
Santa Fe
City of Santa Fe — Building Department
12002 Hwy 6, Santa Fe, TX 77510
[email protected] (email-first office)
Verified 2026-07-04 · santafetx.gov — Building Department / Citizen Portal
HVAC change-out
Yes — $150 single-trade MEP permit (as verified) through the Citizen Portal. Working without a permit doubles the fee.
Electrical work
Yes — same $150 single-trade structure; failed re-inspections escalate $50 → $100 → $200, so getting it right the first time is city policy as much as pride.
Standby generator
Yes — verified at a comprehensive $425 generator fee that bundles the required MEP sub-permits (the highest in our service area — budget for it).
Who pulls it · inspections
Registered contractors, with owner and contractor both documented in the portal.
Requests via the portal by 4:30 PM Monday–Thursday; inspections run in a 10:30 AM–4:30 PM window, and cover inspections (frame/electrical/mechanical/plumbing/gas) schedule as one combined event.
Webster
City of Webster — Building Division
101 Pennsylvania Avenue, Webster, TX 77598
(281) 332-1826
Verified 2026-07-04 · webstertx.gov — Building Division / Form Center
HVAC change-out
Yes — verified fee model: $20 base processing plus a valuation scale (about $2.40 per $100 of value above $1,000).
Electrical work
Yes — base processing plus the same valuation-scale methodology.
Standby generator
Yes — base + valuation scale. Note Webster's deliberate nudge: a permit pulled by the homeowner of an owner-occupied house carries a 50% fee surcharge — the city structurally prefers licensed professionals.
Who pulls it · inspections
Either, legally — but the 50% owner surcharge makes the contractor path the economic default.
Same-day inspections when requested before 7:00 AM through the city Form Center; Friday operations end at 11:30 AM.
Unincorporated Galveston County
Galveston County Engineering — Floodplain Permitting & Right-of-Way
722 Moody Ave (21st St), 1st Floor, Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 770-5552
Verified 2026-07-04 · galvestoncountytx.gov — Engineering / Floodplain Permitting (OpenGov)
HVAC change-out
Outside city limits (parts of Santa Fe's outskirts, Bacliff/San Leon, Bolivar), there's no municipal zoning — but the county's floodplain rules still govern. Routine like-for-like change-outs face less trade-fee bureaucracy than in cities.
Electrical work
County oversight focuses on floodplain and development compliance rather than atomized trade fees; utility interconnection rules still apply in full.
Standby generator
The big one: a generator pad or elevated platform in a mapped AE/VE zone triggers a Floodplain Development Permit and elevation documentation (Elevation Certificate) through the county's OpenGov portal — engineering review included.
Who pulls it · inspections
The contractor coordinates the floodplain permit with the county engineering division.
Scheduled through the county's OpenGov platform.
Permit FAQs
Do I need a permit to replace my AC or furnace in Galveston County?
Yes. Every city in our service area requires a mechanical permit for an HVAC change-out, and nearly all of them require the application to come from a TDLR-licensed ACR contractor — Friendswood's application says it in bold: licensed contractor must sign, no exceptions. Like-for-like swaps in unincorporated county areas face less trade-fee bureaucracy, but floodplain rules still apply.
Who pulls the permit — me or my contractor?
The contractor, in almost every practical case. Some cities allow owner-occupants limited scopes (La Marque has a strict homestead exemption; Texas City registers homeowners), while Webster actively discourages it with a 50% fee surcharge on owner-pulled permits. When Mackey does the work, Mackey pulls the permit — that's part of the job, not an add-on.
How much does a standby generator permit cost around here?
As verified in 2026: about $150 in Friendswood, $300 flat in League City, and $425 in Santa Fe (which bundles the MEP sub-permits); Galveston stacks a building permit (from $150) plus electrical and plumbing sub-permits. Fee schedules get re-adopted — Texas City's changed in October 2025 — so confirm with the office or let us price it into your quote.
What is a WPI-8 windstorm certificate and do I need one for a condenser or generator?
The WPI-8 is the Texas Department of Insurance Certificate of Compliance proving construction meets coastal windstorm standards — TWIA wind coverage leans on it. For exterior equipment in Galveston County, that means engineered anchoring (poured concrete pads or engineered platforms, uplift-rated hardware) with paperwork filed BEFORE installation. The City of Galveston explicitly requires windstorm certification on generator installs.
How long can the city take to approve my generator permit?
Fifteen days, by state law. After Winter Storm Uri, Texas S.B. 1202 capped municipal review of home backup power installations (under 600 volts) at 15 days — and if a requested inspection doesn't happen within 15 days, your contractor can legally bring in a state-certified third-party inspector to keep the project moving.
What happens if work gets done without a permit?
In Dickinson and Santa Fe the permit fee doubles automatically; everywhere it can surface as failed inspections, insurance-claim problems, and disclosure issues at resale. Unpermitted electrical or gas work on a generator is also the kind of shortcut that shows up as a safety incident. The honest path costs less.
More local resources
We pull the permits. You keep your Saturday.
Every Mackey install includes the permit, the inspection scheduling, and — on the coast — the windstorm paperwork, handled by the licensed contractor the city expects to see. Call (281) 317-0631 for a quote with the bureaucracy already priced in.
Mon–Fri: 7 AM – 8 PM · Sat: 8 AM – 5 PM · Licensed & insured · #TACLA 112769C · #TECL 558211