Patio and Porch Enclosures in Plano

Plano files it as an addition

• The city's permit sheet names additions to a building, remodeling that adds or replaces walls or windows, and installing or replacing an air conditioning system. Closing in a patio and cooling it touches all three. City of Plano, When Is a Permit Required?, FM624MP010, rev. 09/28/16
• Two full copies of the construction documents go in with the application. The site plan is drawn at 1 inch to 20 feet, with the addition shaded on the house and its distance marked to the property lines and to any shed or other structure. City of Plano Residential Addition / Alteration Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY024, rev. 12/06/19
• The floor plan gives the size of the new room and of every window and door being added or changed, with the rooms next to it labeled. Elevations show each side of the addition with its doors, windows and the outside materials of the old and new walls. City of Plano Residential Addition / Alteration Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY024, rev. 12/06/19
• A roof framing plan shows how the new roof ties into the house. Plano does not let it anchor to brick or any other veneer, so the tie-in has to reach the house's framing. City of Plano Residential Addition / Alteration Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY024, rev. 12/06/19
• On Plano's residential addition line the building permit has a $40 minimum, plan review is $45, and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical parts each carry a $45 minimum where they apply. These are city fees, not our price. City of Plano Ordinance No. 2025-11-4, Building Inspections Department Fee Schedule (Exhibit A), Residential (Addition, Alteration, Backyard Cottage), p. 5
• At least 65 percent of the building permit fee, plus the plan review fee, is paid up front when the plans go in. The balance has to be paid before the permit is issued. City of Plano Residential Addition / Alteration Permit Requirements & Checklist, FM624RY024, rev. 12/06/19, Fees, note 1

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.

Energy rules once the room is cooled

Plano publishes an energy information sheet just for additions and alterations. Three of its lines decide how a sunroom is built.

• Any space that was not heated or cooled and is altered to become heated or cooled has to be brought fully up to the energy code. A patio that gets a mini-split is that kind of space. City of Plano Residential Energy Code Information Sheet for Additions/Alterations, FM624RY030, rev. 11/14/19, R503.2 Change in space conditioning
• A sunroom that encloses cooled space has to meet the insulation rules. One kept apart from the house by a closed wall and door gets lighter minimums for its own walls and ceiling, but that dividing wall must then meet the full rules for an outside wall. City of Plano Residential Energy Code Information Sheet for Additions/Alterations, FM624RY030, rev. 11/14/19, 402.2.12 Sunrooms
• Recessed lights in an insulated ceiling must be rated to touch insulation, labeled as airtight, and sealed to the ceiling with a gasket or caulk. City of Plano Residential Energy Code Information Sheet for Additions/Alterations, FM624RY030, rev. 11/14/19, 402.4.5 Recessed lighting
• For inspection, the insulation, the window and door ratings and the cooling unit's efficiency all have to be clearly marked, and the manuals for the cooling equipment left on site. City of Plano Residential Energy Code Information Sheet for Additions/Alterations, FM624RY030, rev. 11/14/19, Provide information for inspection and maintenance

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.