One of the first questions homeowners ask before ordering fill dirt is whether they need a permit. In Texas, the answer depends on your city, the volume of fill, the depth of grade change, and whether your property is in a floodplain or near a waterway. Here is a city-by-city breakdown for the DFW metro area, along with general rules that apply statewide.
General Rule for Texas
Most residential fill dirt projects that change the grade by less than 2 feet do not require a permit in Texas. If you are filling a low spot in your yard, adding topsoil for a new lawn, or backfilling a small trench, you are almost certainly fine without a permit. However, commercial projects almost always require grading permits regardless of depth, and any work in a floodplain requires permits and often engineering review. When in doubt, call your city's building inspection or development services department before ordering material.
Dallas
The City of Dallas requires a grading permit for residential projects involving more than 50 cubic yards of fill or any project that changes existing drainage patterns. If your project is under 50 yards and does not redirect water onto a neighbor's property, you generally do not need a permit. For commercial projects, a grading permit is required for any earthwork regardless of volume. Dallas also requires erosion control measures (silt fence, inlet protection) on projects over 1 acre. You can verify requirements and apply through the Dallas Building Inspection department.
Important note for Dallas: if your property is in a FEMA-designated floodplain (common near the Trinity River, White Rock Creek, and Five Mile Creek), you need a floodplain development permit for any fill placement, regardless of volume. Placing fill in a floodplain without a permit can result in fines of $500–$2,000 per day and a requirement to remove the fill at your expense.
Fort Worth
Fort Worth requires a development permit for grading that raises or lowers the existing grade by more than 1 foot in residential areas. Smaller projects (leveling a yard by 6–8 inches, adding topsoil, filling a small hole) typically do not need a permit. Commercial grading always requires a permit and usually a grading plan prepared by a licensed engineer. Fort Worth is particularly strict about stormwater management, so any project that could affect drainage needs to be reviewed. Check the Fort Worth Development Services page for current requirements and online permit applications.
Arlington
Arlington requires a fill permit when the grade change exceeds 18 inches anywhere on the property. For projects under 18 inches of grade change, residential properties generally do not need a permit as long as the fill does not alter drainage to adjacent properties. Arlington also requires a separate erosion control plan for disturbed areas over 5,000 square feet. The city's development services team can be reached at (817) 459-6500, and permit applications are available through the Arlington permits portal.
Plano
Plano requires a grading permit for fill placement exceeding 2 feet in depth on residential properties. Projects under 2 feet generally do not need a permit, but Plano has strict rules about maintaining existing drainage patterns. If your fill project would direct stormwater onto a neighboring property that did not previously receive it, the city can require you to remove the fill and restore the original grade, even if the depth was under the permit threshold. Plano's Engineering department handles grading permits and can advise on specific situations.
When You Always Need a Permit
Regardless of which city you are in, certain situations always require permits and often additional engineering review:
Floodplain properties: Any fill placement in a FEMA-designated floodplain requires a floodplain development permit. This applies to every city in Texas. Floodplain fill without a permit is a serious violation that can affect your property's flood insurance, your neighbors' flood insurance, and your liability for downstream flooding.
Near waterways: If your property borders a creek, river, lake, or drainage channel, additional setback and environmental review requirements apply. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may also have jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act if the waterway is classified as "waters of the United States."
Commercial property: Commercial grading projects require permits in every DFW city, regardless of volume or depth. You will also typically need an engineered grading plan, erosion control plan, and stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).
Grade changes over 2 feet: Any project that changes the grade by more than 2 feet is likely to require a permit in every Texas municipality, even for residential properties.
When You Do NOT Need a Permit
These common residential projects typically do not require permits in most DFW cities:
Garden beds and landscaping: Adding topsoil to flower beds, building raised garden beds, and general landscaping with less than 18 inches of grade change.
Small yard leveling: Filling low spots, smoothing out uneven areas, and general grading under 50 cubic yards with less than 12 inches of grade change.
Driveway base: Placing base material under a driveway extension where the grade change is under 18 inches, though you may need a separate driveway permit for the actual paving.
Pool backfill (residential): Most cities treat pool removal and backfill as a demolition project rather than a grading project. You will need a demolition permit for the pool removal, but the fill itself is typically covered under that same permit.
How We Help
We deliver fill dirt. We do not handle permits. But we have delivered thousands of loads across DFW and know which projects typically trigger permit requirements. If you text us at (469) 253-2403 with your project details, we can tell you whether similar projects in your city have needed permits in our experience. We always recommend verifying with your city's building department for your specific situation, but we can point you in the right direction and save you time.