Page 12 - Builder Brief September 2025

E X E C U T I V E V I C E P R E S I D E N T
GSABA MEETS WITH BOERNE
AND BEXAR COUNTY TO TACKLE
PERMITTING AND INSPECTION
CHALLENGES
As summer winds down, GSABA members have been meeting with
city and county officials to address a range of permitting, code and
inspection issues. We’re grateful for the strong working relationships with
key municipal and county departments across GSABA’s 22-county region;
those connections keep lines of communication open and productive.
Equally important is the continued engagement of our members—their
participation helps educate officials, clarify industry needs, and delivers
tangible benefits to the entire association.
Building on those partnerships, City of Boerne and Bexar County officials
recently met with GSABA builder members to review code changes,
permitting shifts, and recurring inspection problems that are affecting
project costs and schedules.
In Boerne, attention centered on the 2018 code requirement for
permanent wind-rating labels on garage doors. Builders warned most
standard doors aren’t wind-rated and said compliance could raise material
costs (industry estimates up to ~30%) and require stronger openers. The
City has not yet begun enforcement; industry representatives asked for
a clear start date and 6–12 months’ lead time if enforcement is adopted,
pointing to the City of San Antonio’s approach as a model.
The Boerne meeting also highlighted the top causes of failed inspections.
Pre-pour failures often involve missing electrical bonding/grounding,
plumbing sleeves and failed pressure tests; framing failures most commonly
stem from notching/boring violations, electrical box issues and incorrect
box fills; mechanical checks typically flag low vent terminations; and final
inspections frequently find missing addresses, unlabeled panels, wrong
breaker sizes and non–fire-rated attic pull-downs. Inspectors also noted
recurring noncompliance with NEC 2020 island receptacle rules.
Those inspection concerns coincide with a permit-system migration in
Boerne from SmartGov to MyGovernmentOnline (MGO). City staff say the
switch aims to simplify the user experience, standardize permit numbers
and speed turnarounds. Targets include 21 days for a first residential plan
review and 14 days for a second, with an eventual goal of much faster
(ideally 24-hour) actions and an interim 48-hour target for some items.
Builders asked for continued timeline communication during the transition.
Landscaping and lighting were also discussed. The City is working to
balance water conservation, pervious cover and neighborhood aesthetics
and is likely to allow a mix of xeriscaping and turf using native plants. On
outdoor lighting, both the City and Bexar County are pursuing Dark Sky
certification; builders requested aligned rules between jurisdictions to avoid
confusion. City staff expressed openness to annual training sessions with
inspectors to review code changes and inspection priorities.
Turning to Bexar County, officials outlined departmental realignments that
moved some Environmental Services functions—such as septic permitting—
12 SEPTEMBER 2025 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION
K R I S T I S U T T E R F I E L D
into different departments and placed more
permitting responsibility under Public Works to
streamline points of contact. That change arrives
amid heavy permit volumes (roughly 700–800
a month, with higher peaks) and a backlog the
County is addressing through weekend work,
new hires and filling a long-vacant reviewer role.
Technology improvements are underway:
Bexar County’s online permit portal is live and now
processes over half of right-of-way submissions,
which can speed third-party review assignments
versus paper. Builders asked for the portal link and
instructional materials so members can submit
correctly. At the same time, routing certain permits
(for example, commercial driveways) to third-party
reviewers has introduced coordination delays
because comments are returned through County
staff; the County says it is working to streamline
those handoffs.
Those process issues are affecting schedules:
right-of-way permits are taking roughly 40–60+
days to review, delaying some housing starts, and
stormwater quality (SWQ) permits have sparked
particular concern, with several projects pending
since April and reviews seen as overly detailed.
Builders requested clearer guidance on lead times
so they can better plan.
To keep this dialogue moving and help turn
concerns into solutions, we encourage all
GSABA members to stay involved. Please join
us for the Government Affairs update at 1pm
immediately following the Board of Directors
meeting on October 21st at the GSABA Offices.
Your participation amplifies our collective voice
and helps shape practical solutions that keep
projects moving.