Permits and jurisdictions around San Antonio: six questions, answered

Which office permits your deck depends on an invisible line. Alamo Heights, Shavano Park, Terrell Hills and nine other nearby towns are separate cities with their own permit desks. The Dominion and Stone Oak are inside San Antonio. Cordillera Ranch is unincorporated Kendall County, with no city building permit. Klema Builders checks the line before writing the quote.

Every answer below names its source and the date we last checked it. Rules change, so confirm with the city or county for your lot before you build; we do that as part of every quote.

Is Alamo Heights part of the City of San Antonio?

No. Alamo Heights is its own incorporated city (since June 20, 1922), fully surrounded by San Antonio, Terrell Hills and Olmos Park, with its own permit office, Community Development Services, which permits fences, arbors, decks and patio covers through My Government Online. Terrell Hills and Olmos Park are separate cities too.

The detail: Alamo Heights is about 1.9 square miles along Broadway inside Loop 410. It incorporated after a 289 to 8 vote, which makes it the second-oldest municipality in Bexar County. Community Development Services permits fences, arbors, trellises, walls, retaining walls, wooden decks, porch and patio covers, awnings and carports. A San Antonio Development Services permit is the wrong permit for an Alamo Heights address. Terrell Hills (chartered March 31, 1939) and Olmos Park (incorporated May 1939) each run their own desk next door.

Sources: City of Alamo Heights, Community Development Services permit page and residential application checklist; City of Alamo Heights history page; City of Terrell Hills and City of Olmos Park permit pages, as cited on the Klema Builders Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills and Olmos Park pages. Checked 2026-09-29, re-verified 2026-10-01.

Do I need a permit to build a deck in San Antonio?

Usually, yes. Inside San Antonio city limits a deck is exempt only if it is uncovered, 300 square feet or less, no more than 30 inches above grade, not attached to the house and not serving a required exit door (City Code Chapter 10, Sec. 10-6(e)(1)(o); DSD Information Bulletin 151). The model IRC figure of 200 square feet does not apply in San Antonio.

Every one of those conditions has to be true. A deck attached by a ledger, or stepping down from a back door, is permitted work no matter how small.

The model International Residential Code sets that exemption at 200 square feet, and DSD's own "Getting Started" web page still showed 200 on October 1, 2026, but the adopted code (May 2025) and Information Bulletin 151 (May 2025) both say 300, and the code controls. IB 151 states the trigger as a deck or covered roof over 300 square feet or a deck more than 30 inches above grade; the "attached" and "exit door" tests come from Chapter 10.

Sources: City of San Antonio Code, Chapter 10 Building-Related Codes (effective May 1, 2025), Sec. 10-6(e)(1)(o), docsonline.sanantonio.gov/DSDUploads/2024Ch10Building-RelatedCodesFinal.pdf; DSD Information Bulletin 151, revised May 2025, docsonline.sanantonio.gov/FileUploads/DSD/IB151.pdf. Verified 2026-10-01.

Who issues building permits in Shavano Park, Hill Country Village or Terrell Hills?

Each city issues its own permits: Shavano Park Development Services, the Hill Country Village City Administrator's office, and Terrell Hills Permits & Inspections, all through MyGovernmentOnline. San Antonio Development Services permits none of them. Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Castle Hills, Hollywood Park, Fair Oaks Ranch, Garden Ridge, Helotes, Bulverde and Boerne also run their own desks.

All three are incorporated cities surrounded by San Antonio, so a permit comes from that city hall:

• Shavano Park (78231): Shavano Park Development Services, through the MyGovernmentOnline portal. Contractors register with the city annually and carry a certificate of insurance naming the city. The city's permit list includes fences, patios, outdoor kitchens, sheds, accessory buildings, cabanas, flatwork and demolition, and a landscaping and tree preservation plan is required whenever trees are removed or trimmed for the job. Shavano Park's deck rule is its own, not San Antonio's: the city code deletes the model code's small-deck exemption (Sec. 6-2) and requires a permit for a structure "attached or unattached" (Sec. 6-39), so plan on a permit for every deck.
• Hill Country Village (78232): the City Administrator or designated agent, through the Permits office at City Hall (permits@hcv.org) on MyGovernmentOnline. The city's web page says to allow 10 to 14 business days for plan review (its permit form says 5 to 7 working days), construction hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and work started without a permit doubles the fee. Decks, covers and fences are permitted work, and any property-line fence needs a drainage letter from a Texas-licensed engineer.
• Terrell Hills (78209): Permits & Inspections at City Hall, through My Government Online, with separate fee lines for walls and fences and for patio covers and decks. Construction is allowed 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays only, and a silt fence and stabilized entrance are required on site.

Rules, fees and review steps differ in each, which is why we confirm the desk for the address before drawing anything. See the last question for the full list.

Sources: City of Shavano Park Development Services page and permit brochure; City of Hill Country Village permits page and fence permit page; City of Terrell Hills permit page and fee table, as cited on the Klema Builders Shavano Park, Hill Country Village and Terrell Hills pages. Checked 2026-09-29, re-verified 2026-10-01.

Is Cordillera Ranch inside Boerne city limits?

No. Cordillera Ranch is unincorporated Kendall County, outside Boerne's city limits and outside its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Kendall County has no residential building code and issues no building permit for a deck, pergola, patio cover or fence; the County Engineer permits septic, floodplain and outdoor lighting work, and whether a backyard structure triggers a county development permit is confirmed for the lot. The Cordillera Ranch POA's Architectural Review Committee reviews every project.

The detail: the ranch is about nine miles east of downtown Boerne off State Highway 46, outside the city's one-mile ETJ. The county's definition of "development" covers structures, grading and paving, which is why the development permit question is asked per lot. The ARC meets weekly, keeps a Natural Vegetation Preserve on each lot and approves every fence; its design guidelines cite the International Residential Code, but the committee does not check building code, which stays on the builder. The same no-city-permit status applies to Tapatio Springs, west of Boerne. Esperanza, also in the county, is the exception: its 2008 development agreement with the City of Boerne makes the city its permit desk even though it sits in the ETJ.

Sources: City of Boerne and Kendall County GIS (city limits and ETJ); Kendall County Engineer verification letter of 2026-03-04 and Development Information page; Cordillera Ranch POA design guidelines (2019) and 2026 annual meeting materials; Esperanza Phase 2F Village of Bravada CCRs (2020), which cite the development agreement dated February 12, 2008, as cited on the Klema Builders Cordillera Ranch, Tapatio Springs and Esperanza pages. Checked 2026-09-30, re-verified 2026-10-01.

Is The Dominion inside San Antonio city limits?

Yes. The Dominion (78257) is inside San Antonio city limits in Council District 8, so City of San Antonio Development Services permits apply for decks, attached patio covers and pergolas, lighting and fences, after The Dominion Architectural Control Committee, which meets the second and fourth Tuesday, approves the package.

The detail: The Dominion sits on IH-10 West at Camp Bullis Road. Inside the gates a deck over 300 square feet or 30 inches needs a permit under Information Bulletin 151, an attached deck needs one under Chapter 10, Sec. 10-6(e)(1)(o), an attached patio cover or pergola is permitted work, lighting takes a separate electrical permit, and a new fence takes a fence permit under Information Bulletin 223.

The HOA comes first. The Dominion Home Owners Association's Architectural Control Committee meets the second and fourth Tuesday, and a deck or pergola package needs a surveyor-certified site plan, designer-certified quarter-scale details, material samples, signed owner and builder agreements, the review fee and a compliance deposit. The HOA's rules require city codes to be met, so the ACC package is filed first and the city application follows from the same drawings.

Sources: COSA GIS (city limits and council district); The Dominion Home Owners Association architectural control page, deck, pergola and fence checklists and 2019 construction rules; DSD IB 151 and IB 223, as cited on the Klema Builders Dominion page. Checked 2026-09-29, re-verified 2026-10-01.

Which San Antonio suburbs have their own permit offices?

Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills, Olmos Park, Castle Hills, Shavano Park, Hollywood Park, Hill Country Village, Helotes, Fair Oaks Ranch, Garden Ridge, Bulverde and Boerne each issue their own permits. The Dominion, Stone Oak, Sonterra, Rogers Ranch, Inwood, Elm Creek, The Vineyard, Monte Vista and King William are inside San Antonio. Cordillera Ranch, Tapatio Springs and Kinder Ranch are unincorporated with no city permit, though county permits still apply: septic and floodplain work in both counties (in Bexar County, any lot on or within 100 feet of a FEMA 1 percent floodplain) and outdoor lighting in Kendall County. Canyon Springs and Esperanza are in an ETJ but take city permits by agreement.

The twelve, with their desks:

Three kinds of places are not on that list and behave differently:

• Inside San Antonio: The Dominion, Stone Oak, Sonterra, Rogers Ranch, Inwood, Elm Creek, The Vineyard, Monte Vista and King William take City of San Antonio permits.
• Unincorporated county, no city permit: Cordillera Ranch and Tapatio Springs (Kendall County), Kinder Ranch (San Antonio's ETJ with no city agreement, so no city building, deck, patio or fence permit), and the Bexar County pockets Timberwood Park, Cross Mountain and Scenic Oaks. Bexar County does not require a building permit for a single-family home in the unincorporated area. It issues a residential permit only when the owner submits plans voluntarily, which the county describes for an HOA or a lender. The county still permits septic, and it requires a floodplain development permit when the lot is on, or within 100 feet of, a FEMA 1 percent floodplain. Kendall County permits septic, floodplain and outdoor lighting work and sometimes a development permit. The HOA or POA reviews the design on top.
• ETJ with a city permit by agreement: Canyon Springs, outside San Antonio's limits but inside the 2017 US 281 agreement (Ord. 2017-03-02-0131, through 2033) that applies the city's codes, so Development Services permits covered patios, decks and fences there; only new accessory structures under 500 square feet and existing structures are exempt, and whether a fence under 500 square feet needs a permit is confirmed with DSD for the lot. Esperanza, outside Boerne's limits but permitted by the City of Boerne under its 2008 development agreement.

Sources: each city's own permit page, checked 2026-10-01 (alamoheightstx.gov, terrell-hills.com, olmospark.org, cityofcastlehills.com, shavanoparktx.gov, hollywoodpark-tx.gov, hcv.org, helotes-tx.gov, fairoaksranch.gov, ci.garden-ridge.tx.us, bulverdetx.gov, ci.boerne.tx.us); the Klema Builders neighborhood pages for each place and their cited city, town and county sources; City of San Antonio ordinance 2017-03-02-0131 for Canyon Springs.

What does this mean for your project?

Klema Builders confirms the jurisdiction for the address at the free in-home consult, prepares the HOA or ACC packet where there is one, files the permit with the right desk, and prices all of it as a line item on a fixed-price quote delivered within 3 to 5 business days. Call (210) 974-1420 or email hello@klemabuilders.com.

Sources (all verified 2026-10-01)

1. 1.City of San Antonio, Chapter 10 Building-Related Codes, effective May 1, 2025, Sec. 10-6(e)(1)(o).docsonline.sanantonio.gov/DSDUploads/2024Ch10Building-RelatedCodesFinal.pdf
2. 2.DSD Information Bulletin 151, revised May 2025.docsonline.sanantonio.gov/FileUploads/DSD/IB151.pdf
3. 3.DSD Information Bulletin 223, revised April 7, 2025.docsonline.sanantonio.gov/FileUploads/DSD/IB223.pdf
4. 4.Klema Builders neighborhood pages for San Antonio.klemabuilders.com/locations/san-antonio
5. 5.Klema Builders neighborhood pages for the Hill Country.klemabuilders.com/locations/hill-country
6. 6.Bexar County, building permit FAQs for the unincorporated area, question 159.bexar.org/Faq.aspx?QID=159
7. 7.Bexar County, building permit FAQs for the unincorporated area, question 176.bexar.org/Faq.aspx?QID=176
8. 8.Bexar County Public Works, Permits Verification Guidance, updated October 10, 2025 (floodplain permit within 100 feet of a FEMA 1 percent floodplain).bexar.org/DocumentCenter/View/42642/BEXAR-COUNTY-PUBLIC-WORKS-PERMITS-VERIFICATION-GUIDANCE--Updated-10-10-2025

City of San Antonio Ordinance 2017-03-02-0131 (US 281 Residential Areas agreement), as cited on the Canyon Springs page.