The City of Houston requires an annual inspection and fee for any boiler that is used to heat a building or for commercial processing. (Boilers that are exclusively used for producing domestic hot water are exempt from this requirement.) A City inspector will perform an annual general review of the boiler installation, and he or she will verify that appropriate operator licenses are posted. These licenses must be displayed, all fees must be current, and the boiler and its appurtenances must be kept in safe condition in order to receive an "approved" inspection result.
All licenses must be displayed and the boiler and its appurtenances kept in safe condition in order to receive an "approved" inspection result. The inspector will also check to ensure that all fees are current before the annual inspection is approved. Please note that boilers that are exclusively used for producing domestic (potable) hot water are exempt from these requirements. Plan review may be required depending on the scope of work.
Licensed contractors seeking a permit for Annual Boiler Inspection and Fee must register their license with the City of Houston and should be prepared to provide a completed copy of the iPermits Acknowledgement Form if they are a first-time user of the iPermits system.
Invoices are mailed 30-90 days prior to the renewal date. Payments can be made by check, cashier's check, money order, or credit card.
To apply for a mechanical permit online:
- Log in or register for an iPermits account,
- Complete a mechanical permit application in the iPermits portal,
- Pay any applicable fees associated with the application, and
- Print the permit.
NOTE: If the mechanical permit is associated with a dangerous building or habitability project, a Mechanical Permit Application must be completed and submitted via email at [email protected].
To renew your boiler permit by mail, please send a copy of the invoice and method of payment to:
Houston Permitting Center
PO Box 2688
Houston, TX 77252
Please note that only check, cashier's check, or money order are accepted for mailed invoices.
Only Available to Advance Pay Account holders
To apply for a mechanical permit by fax, please have your registered mechanical contractor send a completed copy of the CE-1017 Mechanical Building Permit Application to 832.395.9601.
NOTE: The submittal, review and approval of plans may be required for some types of projects. Please contact the Mechanical Section at 832.394.8850 or [email protected] for more information.
All plans must be submitted electronically. To submit your plans for review, follow these steps:
1. Log in or register for an iPermits account.
2. Complete a permit application in the iPermits portal.
3. Pay any applicable fees associated with the application.
4. After permit fees have been paid, you will receive an invitation to upload plans into ProjectDox.
5. Upload all required documents and drawings to ProjectDox.
6. Mark the assigned task "complete" to finalize your plan submission.
For a complete and detailed list of steps, please refer to the EPR User Guides at https://www.houstonpermittingcenter.org/our-services/eservices.
Please keep a copy of the permit and the approved copy of the plans (if applicable) on-site for inspection. If corrections are required, you will need to reschedule the inspection.
To schedule an inspection online:
1. Access our scheduling website through the link below.
2. Enter the appropriate project number into the field and click the Submit button.
3. Select the appropriate permit type from the drop-down box and click the Submit button.
4. Click on the "Request" link.
5. Select the type of inspection(s) that you wish to schedule by clicking on the text box besides it/them.
6. Enter your license number (digits only) and scheduling PIN number and click the Submit button.
To schedule an inspection using our Interactive Response System, please call 713.222.9922 and follow the prompts. To save time, please have you project number and scheduling PIN available.
In order to schedule an inspection, the mechanical contractor's license registration must be in good standing.
Prior to scheduling an inspection, please make sure that the permit is not inactive and that all holds (if any) have been approved.
Please note that inspections that repeatedly fail may be charged a re-inspection fee in addition to an admin fee.
A renewal invoice will be mailed out 30 days before the renewal quarter. Payments can be made by cash (in person only), check, cashier's check, money order, and credit card.
To renew your annual boiler permit by mail, please mail a copy of your invoice and a payment in the form of check, money order, or cashier's check to:
HPC Mechanical Section
PO Box 2688
Houston, Texas 77252
A renewal invoice will be mailed out 30 days before the renewal quarter. Payments can be made by cash (in person only), check, cashier's check, money order, and credit card.
To renew your annual boiler permit by mail, please mail a copy of your invoice and a payment in the form of check, money order, or cashier's check to:
HPC Mechanical Section
PO Box 2688
Houston, Texas 77252