Foundation Repair Permits Around New Braunfels

A permit can feel like one more hassle on top of a stressful repair. Around New Braunfels, it's also one of the best protections you have. A permitted repair means the city sees the plan, someone inspects the work, and there's a record of it afterward.

The catch is that every city does it differently. Some publish detailed rules, some list only a fee, one names its own soil as the reason for its rules, and one has no city permit at all because it isn't a city. This guide puts them side by side: who needs a permit, who can pull it, what it costs, and what happens during a permitted repair.

The guidelines Texas engineers use say a repair plan should show the foundation, how each repair part is built, any checks needed during the work, and a floor survey afterward. A permit is how a city makes sure some of that happens. The plan goes in with the application, and inspectors come out. In some cities, an engineer signs off at the end.

It also leaves a record. If you sell the house, or if the same area moves again years later, a permitted repair is documented. If a contractor suggests skipping the permit to save time or money, that's a good reason to get another quote.

Here's what each city's own pages and documents said when we read them in October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm with your city before work starts.

New Braunfels. You need a permit to repair a building, and "Foundation" is its own permit type, applied for online. Cosmetic work is exempt. Only a registered contractor can pull a foundation permit; the homeowner's exemption doesn't cover it.

The application needs a foundation plan that meets chapter 4 of the 2021 International Residential Code. Every contractor on the job must be registered with the city. Homes in the floodplain also file a floodplain form. The fee isn't published.

Seguin. You need a permit to repair a building, but minor repairs to a home are exempt. The city's page doesn't name foundation repair, so check at 830-401-2435. A licensed, registered contractor can apply. So can an owner who lives in the house, has it listed as a homestead with the county appraisal district, and does the work themselves.

Kyle. "Is a permit required for foundation repair? Yes." The repair company must be registered with the city and apply. It must send in an engineer's design, which the city asks for "due to the expansive soils in Kyle". At inspection, it needs a sealed letter from the engineer.

San Marcos. The city issues foundation repair permits, and its permit reports list them. It doesn't publish what it needs, and its fee list doesn't say which line is the repair fee. Call the Permit Center at 512-805-2630.

Schertz. You need a permit for foundation repair, even for warranty work. The application needs an engineer's plan showing where the piers go. The city inspects the new piers and the finished work, and wants a sealed letter from a Texas licensed engineer at the end. The fee is $225.

Cibolo. You need a permit for structural changes. The city's page doesn't name foundation repair, so check with the building office at (210) 240-0897. Cibolo also has builders send in floor height readings for every new home.

Selma. Permits and inspections are required for work involving foundation. No fee or document list is published; the city asks people to call 210-651-7807 before starting.

Universal City. "Foundation" is a Class C permit at $240. The city doesn't list what to send with it, so call (210) 659-0333.

Live Oak. You need the permit before any work begins, and foundation repairs are on the list. A contractor registered with the city can apply, or a homeowner with a homestead exemption doing their own work. The 2022 fee list shows $250.

Garden Ridge. Its fee ordinance lists foundation repair at $500, with $150 for each reinspection. Documents aren't published; call city hall at 210-651-6632.

Converse. We couldn't find published rules for foundation repair, so we won't guess. Ask the city before work starts.

Canyon Lake. Canyon Lake is in unincorporated Comal County, so there's no city permit office. More on that below.

This is where the cities differ most, and it matters if you're thinking of doing any of the work yourself.

• Registered contractor only: New Braunfels says foundation repair can't be done under the homeowner's exemption. Kyle says the foundation company must be registered and apply.
• Contractor, or a homestead owner doing their own work: Seguin and Live Oak both allow an owner on a registered homestead to apply when they do the work themselves.
• Not stated: the other cities' pages don't say, so ask.

Most foundation repair isn't a do-it-yourself job, so for most people this matters less than it sounds. It's still worth knowing before you hire.

Three cities spell out what goes with the application:

• New Braunfels: a foundation plan that complies with chapter 4 of the 2021 International Residential Code. The checklist doesn't say who must draw it.
• Kyle: an engineered design, and a sealed engineer's letter at inspection.
• Schertz: an engineered pier plan up front, two foundation inspections, and a sealed engineer's letter or report after the work.

To decide whether to hire your own engineer, see our guide on whether to call an engineer or a repair company first can help.

Where a city lists a fee, it varies a lot:

• Schertz: $225
• Universal City: $240
• Live Oak: $250 (2022 fee schedule)
• Garden Ridge: $500, plus $150 per reinspection

New Braunfels, Kyle, Seguin, Cibolo and Selma don't publish one that we could find, and San Marcos' fee schedule doesn't say which line applies. The permit fee is usually a small part of the job. Our foundation repair cost guide covers the rest.

Canyon Lake isn't a city, so the rules come from Comal County. The county's list of permits for unincorporated areas has three: an on-site sewage facility (septic) permit, a floodplain permit, and a driveway or right-of-way permit. It lists no building permit.

That doesn't mean nothing applies. The county warns that owners associations, utility companies, and the state and federal governments may have their own rules. If the work is in the regulatory floodplain, the owner must comply with the Comal County Flood Damage Prevention Order. So check your floodplain status and your owners association's rules before any repair.

Other unincorporated areas follow their own county's rules, which can differ. If you live outside city limits, start with your county.

Floodplain rules show up in several places.

New Braunfels asks homes in the floodplain to file a floodplain form with a repair permit. Schertz lists a floodplain permit "if applicable". Seguin's codes include its city flood ordinance and FEMA guidelines. Comal County requires a floodplain permit in the regulatory floodplain. FEMA's flood map will show whether your address is in a mapped flood zone.

The order varies by city, but a permitted repair usually runs like this:

1. Assessment. Someone measures the floors and works out where the house has moved.
2. Plan. A repair plan is drawn. In Kyle and Schertz, it's an engineered design; in New Braunfels, a plan to chapter 4 of the 2021 code.
3. Permit. The contractor, or in some cities a homestead owner, applies. In Live Oak, the permit must come before any work begins.
4. Inspections. Schertz, for example, inspects the new piers and the finished work.
5. After the lift. The Texas engineers' guidelines call for leak tests on the water and sewer lines and a second floor survey.
6. Sign-off. In Kyle and Schertz, a sealed engineer's letter confirms the work.