We Have Our Permits. What A Huge Difference Between Texas And California!

What a great day as we received all our permits required to build our house in Bergheim, Texas. The shocker for us was how inexpensive these permits were and how simple and quick they were to get.

20 years ago we built our house in Carlsbad, California and I recall the permits were about six months to receive and around $40,000 in total.

In Bergheim, Texas, the total permit fee for all permits to build our house was $500. This included a development fee a septic system fee and a dark skies permit, which was free. It took approximately 10 days to receive the permit.

For fun I asked ChatGPT to do a comparison on a 1400 square-foot house in Bergheim, Texas and in Carlsbad, California. Here are the results.

Summary Comparison

•  Bergheim, TX: $1,200 – $3,000 total — (dramatically cheaper and simpler).

•  Carlsbad, CA (Coastal Zone): $25,000 – $45,000 total (5–15× higher due to school ~$7,200, water/sewer ~$10k–$25k combined, traffic, CDP, and regulations).

For the most accurate quote:

•  Bergheim/Kendall County: Contact the County Engineer’s Office (development permit) + Health Department (septic/well) — provide valuation and site details for a precise breakdown.

•  Carlsbad: Submit Form B-40 online for a free building/impact fee estimate + check with Planning for CDP confirmation. Use the current Master Fee Schedule (FY 2025-26, effective Sept 2025) as the baseline.