Whether intended for temporary or permanent use, all structures not complying with the provisions set forth in Temporary Structures built within the City of Austin's jurisdiction require an approved building permit prior to being built. Depending on specific factors such as what you intend to build, your current zoning and where you propose to locate the structure, you may or may not be approved for a permit.
Temporary Structures
Any temporary structure not described below will require the approval of Austin Code and the Austin Fire Department. Contact Paul Tomasovic with Code Compliance at 512-974-2738 and the Austin Fire Department, Inspections Scheduling at 512-974-0160.
- Temporary decks or stages shall be no higher than 30 inches off grade.
- Murals or walls shall be no taller than 8 feet (measured from the base of the wall).
- Murals or walls are allowed to be two-sided (i.e. two murals/walls attached to deck). No three-sided or four-sided structures are allowed.
- Roofs/coverings of any type are not allowed.
- Multi-story decks are not allowed.
- Homemade pools are not allowed. Pools must be pre-fabricated (off-the-shelf) and hold less than 5,000 gallons.
- Engineering sign-offs may be required if the safety of any temporary structure is in question.
- Structures exceeding the limitations above shall require Planning and Development Review (PDRD) submittals, building permits and PDRD inspections.