Question 1

How fast can I actually get a residential permit in Midland?

Accepted Answer

The city's own published target is 5 to 7 business days for residential plan review. That's faster than the big-metro Texas norm, and it's a real carry-math advantage on a spec build. Permit fees are paid 25% at submission and 75% after approval, and permits go only to owners or licensed, bonded contractors. Construction has to start within 180 days of permit issuance and can't halt for more than 180 days, or the permit expires, so the draw schedule we build with you is timed to that clock. Applications run through the PermitMidland portal at permitrequests@midlandtexas.gov, or call the building department at 432-685-7390 with questions.

Question 2

What's the permit process like on the Odessa side of the metro?

Accepted Answer

Odessa runs permits through the MGO Connect online portal, but the city hasn't posted a review-time target or fee schedule the way Midland has. The Development Department's Building Inspection Division issues permits and handles inspections; you can reach them at 432-335-3211 or at City Hall, 411 W. 8th Street. Because Odessa's own timeline isn't published, we don't guess at it. We size your construction term and draw schedule to what your contractor and the city confirm on your specific project, not to a posted number that doesn't exist yet.

Question 3

Do Midland or Odessa charge impact fees I need to budget for?

Accepted Answer

We don't have a published impact-fee schedule for either city, so we don't state one, and neither should your budget. Pull the current fee schedule from the Midland or Odessa building department before you finalize your cost basis, since a fee we can't confirm is a fee we can't underwrite around. What we can confirm is the Midland permit fee split (25% at submission, 75% after approval) and the general process on both sides of the metro. Bring us your contractor's cost breakdown and we'll size draws to the actual budget, fees included once you have the number in hand.

Question 4

Is West Odessa a viable spot to build, since it's unincorporated?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and the tradeoff is real: no city permit office, no city property tax line, and thinner services, in exchange for lower cost to hold and build. West Odessa is a large unincorporated community, roughly 33,340 people, that runs on Ector County rules rather than a city code. For a builder, that means one less layer of city review to clear, but also fewer city services once the house is standing. If your exit is a sale rather than a hold, price that tradeoff into your buyer pool the same way you'd price it into your build.

Question 5

Where is the growth actually happening if I'm looking for a spec lot?

Accepted Answer

Greenwood, a fast-growing unincorporated suburb in southeast Midland County with its own ISD, marks the growth corridor on the Midland side. It sits inside the Midland MSA and inside Midland County's tax jurisdiction, which carries an unusually low 0.121374 county rate, though the Greenwood ISD school-tax line (1.049000 in 2025) runs higher than Midland ISD's 0.841500. The metro's underlying demand driver is the Permian Basin itself: this market has a history of the labor force outrunning available housing when drilling activity picks up, which is the structural case for building here rather than just buying existing stock. That said, exit timing still tracks the rig count, so size your build term to a realistic sell window, not just the construction schedule.

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