Which code book applies to your site depends on which side of a city line it sits on. Texas sets the 2012 International Building Code as the floor for municipal commercial construction, and every city is free to adopt something newer. McAllen did, with the 2024 International Code Council codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code effective January 1, 2026. Hidalgo's published permit checklist, dated April 2020, still refers to 2015 International Codes and the 2014 NEC. A project that crosses a few miles can cross a few code editions.
That patchwork is the reason owners hire a general contractor who knows the permit counters, not just the plans. We manage the approvals that stand between a signed lease or a land closing and a shovel in the ground: site plan and zoning review, building permits, drainage and floodplain approvals, driveway permits, state accessibility registration and utility coordination. We do not control any of those agencies, and we do not pretend to. We do know the order in which to approach them and what each one wants to see.
The City of McAllen has modernized on two fronts in a short time. Texas Border Business reported that the city completed a comprehensive update of its Unified Development Code to encourage mixed-use projects, streamline permitting and add environmental standards, and began a citywide rezoning with fees waived under that effort. Separately, the Building Permits and Inspections Department began Saturday inspections in December 2025 for rough-in plumbing, foundation and insulation.
For a developer, those changes can shorten timelines, but only if the application matches the new code and uses the right channel. The city's permit page lists plan review, permitting and inspection divisions at 311 N. 15th Street, takes applications through an online portal and has separate forms for commercial, sign, solar, generator, pool and demolition work. Outside McAllen, we call the local building department first. For Mission and Palmview, the adopted edition could not be confirmed from public sources, so the answer comes from the office, not a website.
On a typical commercial project the sequence is zoning confirmation, site plan review, stormwater and drainage review, building plan review, then trade permits. State rules add a layer. Projects costing $50,000 or more must be registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for accessibility review under the Texas Accessibility Standards, and the registration has its own timeline. Sites in a mapped flood zone add a floodplain development review, and in unincorporated Hidalgo County that means a development permit under the county's floodplain order.
Wind is another factor. Under the Texas Department of Insurance windstorm program, certificates of compliance filed after April 1, 2026 must be certified to the 2024 International Residential Code or the 2024 International Building Code. Whether a project needs the certificate depends on its county and zone, and the designated areas did not change with the new codes. We check this at the start of every job that could be affected, since a missed certificate can block insurance and financing.
We begin with a code and zoning memo of one or two pages: what is allowed, what is not, which variances or rezonings might be needed, what the plan reviewers look at first and how long each step typically takes. If a property needs a rezoning or a special permit, you should know that before you close on the land, not after.
Then we build the submittal list with the design team, so drawings leave the architect's office with every required sheet, calculation and form. Incomplete packages are the most common cause of delay, and the cost of a resubmittal is almost always measured in weeks. During review we stay in touch with the plan reviewer, answer comments quickly and keep a log. This work often ties into preconstruction estimating, because every approval condition has a cost, and into stormwater approvals that frequently take the longest.
Permit time varies, and we do not promise a number we cannot control. What we can do is put each approval on the schedule with its dependencies and keep the long items moving in parallel. Zoning and drainage reviews often start before the building permit set is complete. Long-lead orders, covered in long-lead procurement, may begin on a release-for-procurement basis before permits are issued, with the owner's approval of the risk.
Inspections matter as much as permits. Rough-in and foundation inspections gate the next trades, and a department that offers Saturday slots can save days. We request inspections early, make sure the work is ready and keep inspectors informed of any changes. At the end of the job, a clean file of approvals makes certificate of occupancy easier, as described under commissioning and closeout.
Fees are the smallest part. The real cost is time and redesign. A missed floodplain issue can force a pad to be raised. An undersized detention pond can require a redesign after the site plan is approved. A late accessibility review can hold up opening day.
We include permit fees, special inspection and testing, and reasonable allowances for off-site improvements in our preconstruction budgets, and we flag the conditions that tend to grow. Developers who ask us to review a site before purchase usually find the review pays for itself. If you are weighing a redevelopment parcel, our team can also look at the existing buildings and utilities, which feeds directly into renovation and adaptive reuse decisions.
Send us the parcel and the use you have in mind. We will return a short memo on approvals, likely timing and the items that could change your budget.
It depends on the project size, the completeness of the submittal and the review queue. The city takes applications through an online portal and has separate commercial forms. Instead of promising a number, we build the review period into the schedule once we see the drawings and ask the department for its current turnaround.
For a McAllen project, the 2024 International Code Council codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code took effect January 1, 2026. For other cities we ask the building department directly, since the published information varies.
Projects costing $50,000 or more must be submitted to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for registration and review. Smaller projects must still comply. Your architect usually files, and we build the review into the timeline.
Inside a city, the floodplain administrator reviews the project. In unincorporated Hidalgo County, a development permit is required under the county's floodplain order. Either way, finished floor elevations may be affected, so we raise it early.
Only for limited early work that the jurisdiction allows, such as clearing under an approved erosion plan, and only with the owner's understanding of the risk. We do not start work that requires a permit before it is issued.
Tell us about the site, the building and the schedule. Call 956-804-8195 or email info@generalcontractorsofmcallen.com.
Service Area
McAllen, Mission, Hidalgo, Palmview, La Joya and western Hidalgo County, TX
Phone
956-804-8195