Registered electrical contractors who wish to install or change out the ballast on a new light pole in a parking lot, ball park, stadium, or large facility parking lot must apply for an electrical permit. Some types of security lighting may also require an electrical permit.
The following are exempt from permitting:
- Bulb replacement in an existing light pole.
- The addition of a security camera to an existing pole if the camera does not require a new circuit to support the additional electrical load.
- Licensed electrical contractors seeking an electrical permit must register their master and contractor licenses with the City of Houston. Note: Electrical permits are only issued to registered master electricians.
- A completed copy of the iPermits Acknowledgement Form is required for first-time users of the iPermits system.
- A letter of intent for poles that do not have electrical service at the time of application is also required.
To apply for an electrical permit online, registered electrical contractors must follow the steps below:
- Log in or register for an iPermits account at https://www.pdinet.pd.houstontx.gov/ILMS_Online_Permits/default.asp,
- Complete an electrical permit application in the iPermits portal,
- Pay any applicable fees associated with the application, and
- Print the permit.
NOTE: If the electrical permit is associated with a dangerous building or habitability project, an Electrical Permit Application must be completed and submitted via email at [email protected].
Only Available to Advance Pay Account holders
To apply for an electrical permit by fax, please have your registered electrical contractor send a completed copy of the CE-1057 Electrical 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 Plan Review group at 832.394.8810 or [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.
All plans must be submitted electronically. To submit your plans for review, follow these steps:
- Log in or register for an iPermits account.
- Complete a permit application in the iPermits portal.
- Pay any applicable fees associated with the application.
- After permit fees have been paid, you will receive an invitation to upload plans into ProjectDox.
- Upload all required documents and drawings to ProjectDox.
- Mark the assigned task "complete" to finalize your plan submission.
For a complete and detail 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 inspections, contact the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System at 713-222-9922.
Please follow the prompts and have the project number and your scheduling PIN readily available.
In order to schedule an inspection, both the electrical master and contractor's licenses registrations must be in good standing.
Inspections that repeatedly fail may be charged a re-inspection fee in addition to an admin fee.
Prior to scheduling an inspection, please make sure that the permit is not inactive and that all holds (if any) have been approved.
Applicants may now sign up for email or text notifications via our Inspections Notification System.
To obtain information about the inspector assigned to your project, please call our section at 832.394.8860 between 7:15 am and 8 am on the date of the inspection.