Permits

Z O N I N G C E R T I F I C A T E

A zoning certificate authorizes the construction or alteration of a building or structure and/or use of a lot in accordance with the Planning and Zoning Code. A zoning certificate may be required before a work permit is issued. If a zoning certificate is required, an application may be obtained from the City of Bryan Engineering Department. A zoning certificate may be granted by the Building Inspector or may have to go in front of the Planning Commission and/or City Council (see Review Committees). A zoning certificate is needed for the following items and goes into further detail in the Description & Fees:

Conditional Use of a Lot

Lot Split

Rezoning of a Lot

Site / Development Plan Approval

Subdivision Plat Approval

Vacation of Right-of-Way

Variance

P E R M I T P R O C E S S

There are four types of permits: Work, Commercial & Industrial, Moving, and Sign. Fill out the application in its entirety. Return your paperwork to the Building Inspector when completed. Allow two weeks for the Building Inspector to process your paperwork. Make sure the contact portion of the paperwork is filled out in case the Building Inspector has any question or comments. Once the Building Inspector has approved your permit, he will call you and you may stop back into the Engineering Department with your payment and pickup your permit.

Work Permit

A work permit covers the following improvements, which are described in further detail in the Description & Fees section:

Accessory Building	Curb Cut
Demolition	Driveway
Deck	Fence
Garage	Patio
Porch	Residential Building
Sanitary Inspection & Tap	Storm Inspection & Tap
Sidewalk	Siding
Swimming Pool	Windows

Commercial & Industrial Permit

Commercial & Industrial permits require a set of state approved plans. Please turn in two sets of plans with your paperwork. The plans require the signatures of the eight department heads. There will be a meeting on the Wednesday after we receive your plans. You are encouraged to be at this meeting to answer any questions the department heads may have. If you are not at the meeting, a punch list will be made and sent to you to correct. If a department head has no questions about the plans, he will sign off on the plans. A partial permit can be obtained for Commercial & Industrial projects.

Moving Permit

A Moving permit is required for any building be moved over, along, or across any highway, street, or alley in the city. The permit requires a building description including dimensions and construction material, the route involved with the move, and the time and date of the move. A cost estimate from utility companies for removing and replacing lines/structures to accommodate the move is also required. The city also requires a surety bond or a liability insurance policy for $300,000.

Sign Permit

A Sign permit requires a drawing of the proposed sign with dimensions. This drawing should also show the proposed location of the sign on the site. If the proposed site is in the C-3 district, it must go before the C-3 Design Review Committee for approval.

D E S C R I P T I O N & F E E S

	*FEES*	*DESCRIPTION*
Accessory Building	$.04 per Sq. Ft./Min. $20.00	Accessory buildings cannot be located on an easement and shall not exceed 18' in height.
Commercial & Industrial Building	$2.00 per $1,000 of construction cost	Permits require state approved plans. The plans are looked at and signed by city department heads. City council must approve the permit.
Conditional Use of a Lot	$150.00	If the proposed use of a lot in a zoning district is permitted as a conditional use, a zoning certificate application and a construction drawing must be presented to the Planning Commission for approval.
Curb Cut	$20.00	A permit is required if you are cutting the existing street curb.
Demolition	$.02 per Sq. Ft./Min. $20.00	Any primary building or outbuilding to be dismantled or removed.
Driveway	$20.00	A new driveway, widening an existing driveway or changing the type of material of a driveway
Decks, Patios & Porches	$20.00	The structure may be opened or closed. Must adhere to yard setbacks.
Fence	$20.00	Construct, alter, replace or reconstruct a fence on your property. Fences may be put on the property line. If a fence is put over an easement, it is the owner's responsibility to move the fence if there is work to be done in the easement. Fences shall not exceed 2 1/2 feet in height in front of the house and 6 feet in the back and side yard in residential districts. Fences may be 3 feet tall for front or corner side yards and 8 feet tall for side and rear yards in commercial and industrial districts.
Garage	$.04 per Sq. Ft./Min. $20.00	Garages shall not exceed 18 feet in height and shall not exceed the ground floor area of the dwelling. They shall have a pedestrian exit to the outdoors other than the garage door for vehicles.
Lot Split	$50.00	A zoning certificate is required if you plan to divide one parcel of land into two or more. The proposed split must be conforming to the Planning and Zoning Code. If it is not conforming, you may apply for a variance.
Moving Building	$100.00	Moving a building from one location to another.
Partial Permit	$50.00	This applies only to Commercial and Industrial permits.
Residential Building	$.08 per Sq. Ft. Living Area/Min. $20.00	New construction or additions on existing residential buildings require a permit. A rough sketch of the improvements along with dimensions are required. New homes also require an elevation view.
Rezoning	$150.00	To change the zoning of a parcel requires a zoning certificate. A request must go before the Planning Commission and before City Council.
Sanitary Tap and Inspection	$70.00 (additional charges may apply)	A sanitary tap is needed in order to connect to an existing sewer. It is the property owner's responsibility to connect to the main. For future reference, an inspection of all sanitary connections shall be completed before the connection is covered.
Sidewalk	$20.00	Install new or replace existing sidewalks requires a permit. Sidewalks in the city right-of-way are the responsibility of the property owner.
Siding	$20.00	A permit is needed when more than 25% of an existing structure is going to be resided.
Sign	$20.00	To construct a sign requires a permit. The sign can be luminous or non-luminous. A drawing of the sign with dimensions and location on the site is required.
Site / Development Plan Approval	$150.00	Any proposed site development requires a zoning certificate and must go before the Planning Commission to ensure the health, safety, and general welfare of the surrounding community.
Storm Tap and Inspection	$70.00 (additional charges may apply)	A storm tap permit is needed in order to connect to an existing storm sewer. Storm taps are used for downspouts, sump pump discharge, and footer tile. It is the property owner's responsibility to connect into the main. For future reference, an inspection of all storm connections shall be completed before the connection is covered.
Subdivision Plat Approval	$150.00	Subdivisions require a zoning certificate and must go before the Planning Commission for review. A preliminary subdivision plat must be reviewed and approved prior to the submittal of construction drawings. A final plat must be presented prior to recording the subdivision.
Swimming Pool	$20.00	A permit is needed for in ground and above ground pools. They shall be completely enclosed by a fence. Aboveground pools that have a deck do not require a fence.
Vacate	$150.00	A street or alley may be vacated. A written letter explaining the reason for the vacation and a petition showing all of the abutting owners must be submitted to the City Engineering Department. Allow at least four weeks to process the paperwork and to be presented to City Council.
Variance	$150.00	A property owner may apply for a variance if their lot or improvement does not conform to city code. A variance is presented before the Planning Commission.
Windows	$20.00	A permit is needed when more than 25% of an existing structure is going to have windows replaced.

P R O P E R T Y S E T B A C K S

ZONING DISTRICT	FRONT	SIDE	REAR
R1	30'	10'¹	25'
R2	25'	8'¹	20'
MU	10'²	5'	20'
I1	70'	25'	70'
I2	50'	10'	100'
C1	40'	15'	40'
C2	40'	15'	40'
C3 IN THE CORE	0'	0'²	15'
C3 OUT OF CORE	10'	5'³	15'

1. In the event that a maintenance easement is required along a side lot line, the minimum side yard requirement shall be increased to 15' for such side yard.

2. Except that for lots abutting a state route the minimum front yard setback shall be 25'.

3. When two adjacent buildings do not share a common wall, they shall maintain separation of 20 feet.

F O R M S

For your convenience we have provided PDF versions of our forms for you to download, print out, complete and mail or drop off to our office. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to display and print out the forms. If you do not already have Acrobat installed on your system, select the link below to download Acrobat and follow the instructions provided.

Adobe Reader - Download

APPLICATION FORMS

Commercial and Industrial Application

Moving Building Application

Sign Application

Work Permit Application

Zoning Certificate Application

R E V I E W C O M M I T T E E S

C-3 Design Review Committee

The C-3 Design Review Committee reviews any proposed development in the C-3 district and makes recommendations to the Planning Commission. They also review sign applications in the C-3 district.

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission reviews rezoning requests, variances, and development plans and plats. The Planning Commission meets the first Tuesday of the month. In order to be on the agenda for the meeting, we must have your entire paperwork thirteen calendar days before the meeting. The Engineering Department must advertise and notify everybody within a 250-foot radius of the change. Rezoning is reviewed by the Planning Commission and if it is passed it is presented before the City Council. The Planning Commission has full authority over the approval or denial of variances.

City Council

City Council reviews rezoning requests, vacation requests, and Commercial & Industrial permits. The City Council meets the first and third Mondays of each month.