Short answer: yes. Virtually every Texas municipality requires permits for inground pool construction — typically a building permit plus electrical and plumbing permits, and often a separate fence/barrier inspection. There's no statewide pool-building license in Texas, but there absolutely are local codes, and the city will make you prove you've met them.
Who handles the permits
A reputable builder pulls every permit and schedules every inspection — it should be written into your contract. Treat any builder who asks you to pull permits in your own name as a red flag: it usually means they can't pass the city's contractor registration, and it shifts legal responsibility for code compliance onto you.
How long permitting takes
Expect roughly 2–6 weeks depending on the city and season. Spring is the slow season at permit offices — everyone wants to swim by summer. Fast-growing suburbs (Frisco, Katy, Leander) can run slower than their big-city neighbors simply due to volume. If your home has an HOA, add their architectural review on top — some approve in a week, some take a month, and the city won't care that your HOA is slow.
The barrier rules everyone underestimates
Texas municipalities enforce pool barrier codes: a fence of minimum height (commonly 48 inches) enclosing the pool, self-closing and self-latching gates, and limits on gaps a child could squeeze through. Many cities also require door alarms or self-closing devices on house doors that open directly to the pool area. This is the inspection that most commonly fails a final sign-off — confirm your bid includes any fence or gate work needed for compliance, because retrofitting after the fact is your cost, not the builder's.
What happens if you skip permits
Unpermitted pools surface at the worst time: when you sell the house. Buyers' lenders and inspectors ask for permit records; missing ones can force retroactive permitting, fines, or expensive modifications years later. There is no version of this shortcut that pays off.
Bottom line
Ask every builder you interview three questions: Who pulls the permits? Who schedules and attends inspections? Is barrier compliance included in this bid? Clear answers to all three are the mark of a builder who's done this a thousand times. Compare builders by city in the directory.