Private Providers in Texas

Since September 1, 2023, if a Texas city or county is more than 15 days past a deadline set in the Local Government Code for acting on a development document or conducting an inspection, a qualified third party may perform that review or inspection.

Deadline-triggered right

At a Glance

Legal basis
Tex. Local Gov't Code ch. 247, added by House Bill 14 (88th Legislature, 2023)
Enacted
2023 (effective September 1, 2023)
Who qualifies
Texas-licensed engineers; the authority's own reviewers and inspectors; reviewers and inspectors employed by another political subdivision, if the authority approves them; and ICC-certified building inspectors (inspections only)
Services covered
Review of plats, development plans, permits, and related inspections
How the right works
Right triggers when the local regulatory authority has not acted by the 15th day after the deadline set in the Local Government Code

How the Texas approach works

House Bill 14 (2023) created a third-party review pathway for property development. If a city or county has not approved, conditionally approved, or disapproved a development document, or conducted a required inspection, by the 15th day after the deadline set in the Local Government Code, a qualified third party may perform that review or inspection. The third party must report the results to the authority within 15 days, and the authority may not charge an extra fee for the third-party review or inspection. Decisions can be appealed to the city council or commissioners court; if the governing body does not affirm the decision within 60 days, the document is considered approved or the inspection is waived.

Who can perform the work

Reviews may be performed by a Texas-licensed engineer, by the authority's own reviewers, or by reviewers employed by another political subdivision if the authority has approved them. Inspections may also be performed by ICC-certified building inspectors. The third party cannot be the applicant, the owner, or anyone whose work is being reviewed or inspected. The third party reviews for compliance with the same regulations the local authority would apply.

What to watch for

Texas's right is deadline-triggered rather than an at-will election like Florida's, so timing matters: track when the application was filed, when the statutory deadline passes, and when the additional 15 days run out. The right applies only where the Local Government Code itself sets a deadline. Procedures vary by city and county, and the rules differ between document review and inspections, so confirm the current process with the local development services department.

How does this compare to Florida?

Florida Statute 553.791, in effect since 2002, is one of the most detailed private provider laws, with a state-adopted notice form and fixed review deadlines for local jurisdictions. Our Florida guide library is a useful baseline for understanding how any private provider engagement is structured.

Explore the Florida Guides

Sources

This guide is a plain-language educational summary, not legal advice. Legislation and local procedures change; verify against the current statute text and your jurisdiction's requirements before relying on it.

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