Texas engineering services
PE Stamp and Permit-Ready Plans in Texas
Drawings sealed by a Texas-licensed Professional Engineer for foundations on expansive clay, coastal windstorm areas and city permits statewide.
- Stamped by a PE licensed in Texas
- Accepted by Texas building departments
- Residential, commercial and industrial
No single Texas code, so every city sets the rules
Texas does not have one statewide building code that applies everywhere. State law points cities toward the International Residential Code and International Building Code, but each city adopts its own edition and amendments, and many unincorporated county areas have little or no building code enforcement. Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth each publish their own local amendments. That patchwork is why a PE stamp in Texas has to start with one question: which jurisdiction, which code, and what does it require?
PE Engineer prepares permit-ready drawings for homeowners, builders, architects, developers and manufacturers across Texas. Every set is sealed by a Texas-licensed Professional Engineer through our network of state-licensed PEs and written to the code your city has adopted. Where no local code applies, we design to current IRC or IBC requirements so the building still meets a recognized standard for lenders, insurers and future buyers.
Two Texas issues come up again and again. The first is soil: highly expansive clays around Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston crack slabs and rack framing, so foundation design is often the heart of the job. The second is wind: along the Gulf Coast, homes and commercial buildings in designated counties may need windstorm certification through the Texas Department of Insurance.
How licensing works. Engineering drawings must be sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in Texas. PE Engineer works with a network of state-licensed PEs, so every set we deliver is reviewed and stamped by an engineer who holds an active license in Texas. Their name and license number appear on the seal, exactly as your building department requires.
Popular in Texas
- Slab-on-grade and post-tensioned foundations
- Coastal homes designed for TDI windstorm requirements
- Barndominiums, shops and metal buildings
- Additions, patio covers and outdoor kitchens
- Restaurant, retail and office build-outs
- Oil, gas and industrial equipment supports
Engineering services for Texas projects
Every discipline a Texas city, county or windstorm inspector may require, from one team.
Structural engineering in Texas
Slab and pier foundations for expansive clay, hurricane wind design for Gulf Coast windstorm areas, steel and wood framing, patio covers, metal buildings, beam calculations and foundation repair letters.
Architectural plans in Texas
Floor plans, elevations, sections and site plans for new homes, barndominiums, additions and commercial spaces, drawn to the IRC or IBC edition and local amendments your Texas city has adopted.
MEP engineering in Texas
HVAC, electrical and plumbing drawings, energy code compliance, solar PV plans, fire sprinkler and fire alarm layouts, and kitchen hood and grease exhaust systems for Texas restaurants.
Industrial and equipment stamps in Texas
Skid and tank foundations, compressor and pump anchorage, pipe supports, platforms and mezzanines, storage racks and OSHA stairs and guardrails for refineries, plants and warehouses in Texas.
Texas building codes we design to
Because Texas cities adopt codes individually, the edition and amendments differ from Houston to El Paso. Inside a municipality, the IRC governs one- and two-family homes and the IBC governs commercial work, both as locally amended. Counties have limited building authority, although some regulate development in the unincorporated areas around fast-growing cities. Coastal windstorm certification follows its own set of rules from the Texas Department of Insurance. We confirm what applies to your address before drawing.
- International Residential Code (IRC) as adopted and amended by your city
- International Building Code (IBC) as adopted and amended by your city
- Texas energy code requirements, based on the IECC
- National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) and local plumbing and mechanical codes
- TDI windstorm requirements for WPI-8 certification in designated coastal counties
- ASCE 7 for wind loads and ACI 318 for concrete foundations
Design loads and hazards in Texas
Foundations are the number one structural concern in much of Texas. The Blackland Prairie clays around Dallas and Fort Worth, the clays of the Houston area and the soils along the I-35 corridor shrink in drought and swell after rain. Slabs built without enough stiffness can heave, crack and pull doors and windows out of square. We design post-tensioned and conventionally reinforced slabs, drilled piers and grade beams using soils report data, and we prepare repair designs and evaluation letters for existing foundations.
Along the Gulf Coast, from Brownsville to Beaumont, hurricanes bring extreme wind and storm surge. Projects in the designated catastrophe area can require construction to TDI windstorm standards and inspection by a TDI-appointed engineer to obtain a WPI-8 certificate, which many owners need for windstorm insurance. North and West Texas face hail, tornadoes and high plains wind, while the Hill Country has shallow limestone and steep lots. Flash flooding affects much of the state, so finished floor elevations and drainage deserve attention on every site.
How the permit process works in Texas
Inside city limits, the city building department reviews plans and issues permits. Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth have online submittal portals and their own review requirements, and suburbs such as Frisco, Katy and Round Rock run busy departments of their own. Outside city limits, there may be no building permit at all, though county floodplain, septic and driveway permits often still apply.
- Confirm whether the property is inside a city, its extraterritorial area or an unincorporated county.
- Prepare sealed drawings to that city’s adopted code, plus windstorm documents for designated coastal counties.
- Submit and respond to review comments. We revise and reseal within the original scope at no extra charge.
- Obtain the permit and complete inspections, including any windstorm inspections required for WPI-8.
For unincorporated projects, we still recommend engineered drawings. They protect resale value, satisfy lenders and give your builder a clear standard to build to.
Cities and counties we serve in Texas
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Dallas
- Austin
- Fort Worth
- El Paso
- Arlington
- Corpus Christi
- Plano
- Lubbock
- Laredo
- Irving
- Frisco
- McKinney
- Galveston
- Harris County
- Travis County
- Bexar County
Plus every other city, town and county in Texas. If your project is in Texas, we can stamp it.
How it works
From first message to stamped drawings, you deal directly with the engineering team.
Step 1
Send your project
Fill out the quote form with the address, scope and any drawings, photos or plan-check comments you already have. Two minutes is enough.
Step 2
Get a fixed-fee quote
An engineer reviews the scope and replies with a clear fixed price and delivery date for your project in Texas. No hourly surprises.
Step 3
Engineering and drafting
We run the calculations, prepare the drawings to the codes your jurisdiction enforces, and check every sheet before sealing.
Step 4
Stamped set delivered
You receive the sealed PDF set ready to submit. If the plan reviewer has comments, we answer them and revise at no charge within scope.
PE stamp and permit plan FAQs for Texas
Can you provide a PE stamp for my project in Texas?
Yes. Your Texas drawings are sealed by a Professional Engineer licensed in Texas, drawn from our network of state-licensed PEs. The seal identifies the engineer and license number, and we provide calculations to any Texas city, lender or inspector that asks for them.
Is there a statewide building code in Texas?
Not in the way most states have one. Texas cities adopt the IRC and IBC with their own amendments, and enforcement outside city limits is limited. We design to the code your city has adopted, or to current IRC and IBC provisions where no local code applies.
Do you design foundations for expansive clay in Dallas, Houston or Austin?
Yes. We design post-tensioned slabs, reinforced slabs, drilled piers and grade beams using the soils report for your lot. When a report is not available, we explain the risk and what testing would help before finalizing the design. For an existing house with cracks or heave, a structural inspection letter is often the first step.
Can you help with windstorm certification for a coastal Texas project?
We prepare structural drawings designed to Texas Department of Insurance windstorm requirements for the designated coastal counties. WPI-8 certification also requires inspections by a TDI-appointed engineer, and we coordinate the drawings so that inspection process goes smoothly.
Do you stamp barndominium and metal building plans in Texas?
Yes. We engineer barndominiums, shops and metal buildings across Texas, including foundations, framing, wind design and stamps on supplier drawings. Most residential sets go out within a few business days once we have your survey, photos or existing drawings.