Patio Covers and Pergolas in Plano

What goes in the Plano application

Plano's Building Inspection Department publishes one checklist for residential patio covers. It is short, and every line on it is a sheet someone has to draw.

• Two printed copies of the drawing set go in with the application. The site plan is drawn at 1 inch to 20 feet with the cover hatched in, and the drawings list the square footage of the lot, the house, the garage or carport, the cover and any shed. City of Plano Residential Patio Cover Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY005, rev. 02/03/2023
• The roof framing sheet has to show the bolts and connections where new roof meets old. The foundation sheet shows how every post or column is anchored, how deep each footing goes and any change to the slab. Ceiling fans, switches and outlets go on an electrical sheet. City of Plano Residential Patio Cover Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY005, rev. 02/03/2023
• Plano's fee ordinance has no line that names a patio cover or a pergola. A freestanding accessory structure under 400 square feet is $75. The residential addition line, which is how an attached cover is reviewed, charges by the square foot with a $40 floor, plus $45 for plan review. We confirm which line the counter applies before it goes in your scope. City of Plano Ordinance No. 2025-11-4, Building Inspections Department Fee Schedule (Exhibit A)
• A freestanding one-story structure of 120 square feet or less skips the building permit. It still has to meet every zoning setback and coverage rule. City of Plano Residential Patio Cover Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY005, rev. 02/03/2023, Standard engineering detail, accessory buildings
• The permit holder is the one who requests and passes every inspection on the checklist that comes with the permit. A contractor who leaves them open can have its city registration put on hold. City of Plano Residential Patio Cover Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY005, rev. 02/03/2023
• General contractors register with Plano every year, $100. Reinspections climb with each trip, starting at $75, and they have to be paid before a final inspection can be scheduled. City of Plano Ordinance No. 2025-11-4, Building Inspections Department Fee Schedule (Exhibit A)
• A permit that sees no activity for 180 days counts as abandoned. On request it can be renewed for another 180 days, once the renewal fee is paid. City of Plano Residential Patio Cover Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY005, rev. 02/03/2023

Read from the city’s own documents on the dates linked. Codes and fees change and city staff interpret them, so we confirm for your address before we pull the permit.

How much of the lot a cover can use

• On a standard lot the checklist's worksheet divides all accessory building area, the garage included, by the lot area. The result may not pass 45 percent, and the new cover may not push the lot over its maximum coverage. City of Plano Residential Patio Cover Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY005, rev. 02/03/2023, Lot coverage, note 6
• On a patio home or zero lot line home, the house and the cover are counted together, and that total may not pass 60 percent of the lot. City of Plano Residential Patio Cover Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY005, rev. 02/03/2023, Lot coverage
• The same checklist sends homeowners to their HOA for deed restrictions and covenants, as a step of its own beside the city permit. City of Plano Residential Patio Cover Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY005, rev. 02/03/2023

Read from the city’s own documents on the dates linked. Codes and fees change and city staff interpret them, so we confirm for your address before we pull the permit.