Corpus Christi | Plats, Permits and Fees

Corpus Christi Plats, Permits and Fees: Plat Types, Deadlines and What the City Charges

A Corpus Christi project passes two City reviews before construction. The first is the plat, the recorded map that divides land into lots, under Article 3 of the Unified Development Code (UDC). The second is the building permit. Fees for both are set in Chapter 14 of the Code of Ordinances, and new lots also pay trust fund fees for water and sewer mains and a park fee. This page gives the steps, deadlines and FY 2026 amounts. The Corpus Christi overview gives the short version.

When a Plat Is Needed

Section 3.8.1 requires a plat before "the subdivision, re-subdivision or development of any land within the City or of the ETJ," the extraterritorial jurisdiction outside the city limits. A division counts whether it is made by deed, contract or "any other method." No building permit may be issued until the land "has received final plat approval" and "the plat has been recorded." The City's platting page says a plat is needed "when land is divided into two or more tracts for purpose of sale, transfer of ownership or in creating a new building site prior to issuance of a building permit or connecting to City utilities," within the city or five miles of it.

Section 3.8.2 lists the exceptions, among them divisions into parts greater than 5 acres with street access and no public improvement, additions to an existing building that need no new utilities, street access or drainage, and a change in ownership by inheritance or probate.

Plat Types and Who Decides

Source: Corpus Christi UDC, Section 3.8, Section 3.10 and Section 3.11.

Corpus Christi's minor plat is narrower than many cities' version. Section 3.10.1 defines it as "a replat for the combining or consolidating of any number of existing, platted lots, if the replat results in four or fewer lots fronting on an existing street, does not increase the number of lots." Splitting one lot into two adds a lot, so it does not qualify, and it goes to the Planning Commission as a replat or final plat. "Any plat that requires a waiver from subdivision design and improvement standards of this UDC shall not be processed as a minor plat."

The Technical Review Committee, a panel of City staff and utility providers, reviews every plat. Section 3.10.2 says it "may not deny a minor, amending or vacating plat"; one that fails the rules goes to the Planning Commission. Section 3.8.3.B adds that a committee member who does not comment during review may not ask for more material later.

Deadlines

Section 3.1.6.E starts the clock. Staff decide within five business days of submittal whether an application is complete. If it is not, they send a written list of missing items within ten business days and allow at least ten business days to resubmit; an application not resubmitted is rejected and needs a new fee. Ordinance No. 033317 of March 19, 2024 added the submittal checklist for each plat type; Local Government Code 212.0081 requires each city to adopt and publish such a list, and an application with every listed item "is considered complete."

• The Planning Commission acts on a preliminary plat within 30 days of completeness; "in the event the Planning Commission shall fail to act within 30 days, the preliminary plat shall be considered approved."
• It approves or denies a final plat or a replat without vacation within 30 days of completeness, with written reasons for a denial.
• Local Government Code 212.009 sets the same 30 days and extends it by periods of up to 30 days each when the applicant asks in writing and the City approves.
• For a building permit, Local Government Code 214.904 gives the City 45 days to grant or deny, explain in writing, or agree on a deadline; if it misses the deadline it may not collect the permit fees and must refund any it took.

The City's platting page says "Plat review cycles 30-Days and can be extended in 30-Day increments. We recommend 60-Days for Public-Notice Plats," and that "as a general rule, the time period involved from the date of a completed application to the filing of the plat for record is two months."

Replats in Older Neighborhoods

Under Section 3.11, a replat without vacation may redraw recorded lots if signed only by their owners and if it does not "amend or remove any covenants or restrictions previously incorporated in the recorded plat." Section 3.1.7.B requires notice "as mandated by Section 212.015 of the Texas Local Government Code."

Section 212.015 covers a replat of land that, in the past five years, was limited by zoning or deed restriction to no more than two homes per lot. When such a replat "requires a variance or exception," a public hearing is held, owners within 200 feet in the original subdivision get notice before the 15th day, and a protest by owners of 20 percent of that area requires a three-fourths vote. The City's platting page describes notice for every replat that meets the five-year test, without the variance condition. The statute sets the trigger for the hearing, and it controls where the two differ.

FY 2026 Plat and Permit Fees

Fees are set in Chapter 14, Article XIII of the Code of Ordinances: Section 14-1313 for building permits and Section 14-1341 for UDC fees. The City's FY 2026 Development Fee Schedule prints the same amounts and says they are "effective fees from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026."

Source: Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances, Sections 14-1313, 14-1341 and 14-1351, Supplement 44; City of Corpus Christi, FY 2026 Development Fee Schedule, Rev. October 1, 2025.

Each fee section ends: "After Fiscal Year 24-25, all fees in this section shall be indexed to the August Construction Index published in the Engineering News-Record and shall automatically increase on October 1 of each fiscal year." The schedule says "all fees will be reassessed in August 2026 for Fiscal Year 2027," and on October 8, 2026 the City's fee schedules page still listed FY 2026 as the newest schedule. Ask for the FY 2027 amounts before you budget.

Two small differences between the code and the schedule: the code's "Plat Revision Fee" row has no amount, while the schedule prints "15% of application fee after 2nd review"; and the schedule prints the Board of Adjustment fee as "$1,4902.72," where Section 14-1361 sets $1,490.72. The adopted code controls, so the Board fee is $1,490.72.

Water and Wastewater Trust Fund Fees

Corpus Christi pays for water and sewer mains through trust funds. Section 8.5 requires the developer to pay lot or acreage fees "before any unit of a subdivision or single lot is completed and the final plat recorded," and a surcharge applies when a service tap is requested. The money reimburses developers who build mains that follow the City's master plans. The FY 2026 amounts:

Source: Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances, Section 14-1341; FY 2026 Development Fee Schedule, page 9. Each fee carries the 4.5 percent surcharge.

The rules changed in 2026. Ordinance No. 033894, passed on second reading on March 24, 2026, struck "whichever is greater" from the lot or acreage fee rule and added: "Acreage fees shall be assessed on multifamily, commercial, and industrial properties. Lot fees shall be assessed on single-family and two-family residential properties." It also says the front-foot pro rata fee will not be collected when "the developer must install infrastructure (above and beyond a tap) to access the utility." The enCodePlus copy of the UDC still prints the older text, so the ordinance controls until the online code is updated.

Corpus Christi has no impact fee in its fee sections. An ordinance to adopt water, wastewater, stormwater and roadway impact fees and "sunset trust fund fees" is listed in the City Council records as a held item from June 2024, and a resolution to set a May 12, 2026 hearing on impact fees was withdrawn on March 17, 2026, its title noting that "no action is needed on this item if Council direction is to remain on Trust Funds."

Park Fee, Guarantees and Proportionality

Section 8.3 requires parkland of 1 acre per 100 single-family homes or per 200 multifamily units, or a park development fee in lieu of land. Section 8.3.6 sets the fee at "$462.50 per dwelling unit," adjusted "each January 1, with the first adjustment January 1, 2024," by the consumer price index, and payable "at or prior to the time of filing the final plat or prior to the issuance of a building permit where a plat is not required." The fee schedule does not list the adjusted amount, so ask the City for the 2026 figure. Plats of single-family lots of 5 acres or more, and replats that already met the rule, are exempt.

A plat may be recorded before its streets and utilities are done. Section 8.1.10 allows it when the developer posts a guarantee of "110% of the cost of the delayed public improvements," water and sewer service are available, and the work is finished within five years. Under Section 3.9, infrastructure costs must be "roughly proportionate to the proposed development"; on request the City retains a licensed engineer to decide, with appeals to the City Council and then to a county court at law or district court in Nueces County within 30 days.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the Corpus Christi overview, how Texas zoning works and Texas property tax.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)