Houston Building Code Requirements

The Houston Construction Code establishes minimum standards for the construc

tion, alteration, maintenance, repair, and demolition of buildings and other structures to protect the life safety of the public. The Houston Construction Code is adopted and amended by City Council. The 2012 Construction Code Package became effective on February 1, 2016.

According to Houston, Texas building code, securing a permit is necessary fo

r most construction projects inside the city limits. Here are a few examples of when you’ll need one. Keep in mind that other situations may require permitting on a case-by-case basis:

Code of Ordinances . Searchable text-based Code of Ordinances and City Chart

er files are outsourced and can be found by clicking on the link below. Searchable Code of Ordinances and City Charter; More Information. City Secretary's Office 900 Bagby, Public Level Houston, TX 77002

Located at the Houston Permit Center, 1002 Washington Avenue, the Planning a

nd Development Department Site Plan Review is one of the steps in the building permit process. Plan Analysts review plans for new structures, additions and remodels to ensure compliance with lot size requirements, building setbacks, parking, and landscaping.

In an attempt to take action following Hurricane Harvey, the City of Houston

has taken an aggressive, accelerated and largely emotional response by adopting onerous building and drainage regulation changes that went into effect on September 1.

New Houston Floodplain Home Construction Requirements (As of April 2018) Wit

h the passage of the new floodplain building restrictions in Houston as of April 2018, newly built homes must pass a 500-year storm test. Homes must be at least 2 feet above the highest flood levels for the Houston 500-year floodplain, also known as the 500-year BFE.

Building Code Enforcement manages Building Code Services and administers the

provisions in the City's Code of Ordinances and state/federal regulations relating to private building construction, and sign administration. Building Code Enforcement has over 400 employees and is divided into the following services: Permits and Customer Assistance Plan Review Inspections Code Development and ...

The setback requirements are primarily outlined within the City of Houston�

�s Code of Ordinances — specifically Chapter 42 (municode.com), which regulates subdivisions and platting. However, the City so regularly grants variances or imposes more restrictive guidelines on a case-by-case basis that it is difficult to assume that your property ...

According to the City of Houston building code, you will need a permit for t

he majority of your projects. The most common examples of construction that requires a permit includes: Remodeling Projects – Any remodeling tasks beyond superficial changes like painting walls or putting up wallpaper will require a permit.

Building Codes The Texas statutes , administrative rules , and local ordinan

ces occasionally adopt, incorporate, or refer to technical codes published by independent organizations. These codes describe scientific and safety standards for structures and discuss specifications for construction practices, electrical systems, plumbing fixtures ...

Design Standards (Chapter 9 & 13 of the Infrastructure Design Manual and the

Building Code) impact detention, sheet flow and fill. The City of Houston is considering recommendations from the City’s Redevelopment and Drainage Task Force to Design Standards that will reduce the risk of flood loss for future development and redevelopment.. Existing development will be better protected through ...

Texas currently requires a maximum 0.25 solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) f

or windows, glazed doors and skylights in all construction in climate zones 2 and 3, and a 0.40 SHGC in climate zone 4. This is true of both new construction and remodeling projects.

The Houston Amendments to the current adopted codes are listed below. The am

endments, along with the model codes, constitute the City of Houston Codes. The City of Houston does not have the model codes available; they must be purchased separately.

Harris County Fire Code was adopted by Harris County Commissioners Court and

became effective on January 1, 2005. The current Harris County Fire Code consists of a local administrative chapter (see Regulations) and adopts the International Fire Code 2018, with amendments, as well as chapters 2 through 10 of the International Building Code 2018.

Building Code Enforcement. Mark Savasta, Building Official. Office of Custom

er Engagement; Building Code Enforcement; Office of Utility Connection; Office of Sign Administration; Office of Sustainability Education; Office of Regulatory Affairs; Houston Permitting Center Code Enforcement Home Page ...

Existing buildings that have been annexed into the City of Houston are not e

xempt from life safety certificates. Every building must meet the requirements of the building code that was enforced at the time the building was constructed and/or it must meet the requirements for Life Safety guidelines.

A Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained before a commercial building or

an individual lease space within a commercial building may be occupied, or if changes to an existing occupancy classification are made. The certificate must be valid for the use of the building, space or portion thereof. The certificate is normally issued at the time of construction or when a remodel or change of use ...

MunicodeNEXT, the industry's leading search application with over 3,300 code

s and growing!

The Houston Permitting Center combines the majority of the City of Houston's

permitting and licensing into one convenient location. We opened in June 2011 with a mission to help customers achieve their goals while complying with the City’s regulations. Providing excellent service, streamlining business processes, implementing innovative technologies, and proactively engaging customers are ...

The City of Houston Energy code changed in December of 2016. We are starting

to see an increase in our clients asking for documents to prove compliance. This article should explain what the City of Houston requirements are. Energy Code Compliance in the City of Houston. The City of Houston adopted a new energy code last year.

Typically, within the City of Houston, building lines are included and enfor

ced during the platting process. Chapter 42, Section 42-150 of the City of Houston Code of Ordinances provides a detailed description of the building setback requirements for all new plats. In general, the size of the setback heavily depends on the proposed use (single ...

houston county: code of ordinances. code of ordinances houston county, georg

ia: supplement history table: part i. related laws: related laws comparative table—georgia laws: ... buildings and building regulations: chapter 18. businesses: chapter 19. other business operations: chapter 20. home occupations

The code official shall be provided with a copy of the installation instruct

ions for the make and model of the dryer at the concealment inspection. In the absence of fitting equivalent length calculations from the clothes dryer manufacturer, Table M1502.4.5.1 shall be used.

The 2006 International Building Code and the 2006 International Residential

Code contain the requirements adopted to determine a structure’s eligibility for hail and windstorm insurance from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. All new construction, additions and repairs since June 1, 2008, should comply with one of these codes.

ICC Digital Codes is the largest provider of model codes, custom codes and s

tandards used worldwide to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures.

Hazardous occupancies are classified in Groups H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4 and H-5 an

d shall be in accordance with this section, the requirements of Section 415 and the International Fire Code. Hazardous materials stored, or used on top of roofs or canopies, shall be classified as outdoor storage or use and shall comply with the International Fire Code.

The reason the Houston building code requires Bell Bottom Piers as the repai

r method is because it was the best method available at the time. (It still is the best method.) However, the code “opens the door” for other or future methods that may be developed. The code allows deviation from the “MINIMUM DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.” The exact ...

The discharge piping serving a pressure relief valve, temperature relief val

ve or combination thereof shall: . Not be directly connected to the drainage system.; Discharge through an air gap located in the same room as the water heater.; Not be smaller than the diameter of the outlet of the valve served and shall discharge full size to the air gap.; Serve a single relief device and shall not ...

Houston Airport System Building Standards and permitting is an “in-house�

� code review and inspection program created specifically to provide code plan review and inspection support for construction taking place on any Houston Airports premises. ... Permit Requirements for New Construction (0.045 MB PDF) Houston Airports Energy Code Review ...

Building Departments create building codes and standards for building constr

uction to ensure building safety. The Houston DOB is involved in all aspects of construction, including zoning laws, design requirements, building materials, trade and professional license regulation. You may contact the Building Department for questions about:

Residential Building Code Standards Applicable to Harris County. Fill Affida

vit. Support Documents - Outside a Special Flood Hazard Area. Regulations,. Standards and Details. Dwellings Terminology. Residential Permit Application. ... 1001 Preston, 7th Floor, Houston Texas, 77002 ...

The building has more than three stories above ground. All existing high ris

e buildings located within Houston city limits must be equipped with automatic sprinklers in accordance with NFPA 13 Section J104. As of December 31, 2014, a minimum of 50% of all floors of the building must have an operational sprinkler system.

For building codes go to ICC building codes and subscribe. Building Code. IR

C R101.3 Purpose - "The purpose of this code is to provide minimum requirements to safeguard life, limb, health and public welfare." IRC 102.4 Referenced codes and standards - " The codes and standards referenced in this code shall be considered part of the requirements ...

Texas cities, such as Houston and Galveston, have statutory authority to set

and enforce building codes, and for the last decade new coastal developments have been subject to reasonably strong codes.

(a) Each one-family or two-family dwelling constructed in this state must ha

ve working smoke detectors installed in the dwelling in accordance with the smoke detector requirements of the building code in effect in the political subdivision in which the dwelling is located, including performance, location, and power source requirements.

Last updated: Saturday, May 20, 2017 Notice: Please verify with your local c

ounty building inspector to double check your code requirements before starting a project. We try to keep this database up-to-date as best as possible, but express no warranties on accuracy of information. If you find a mistake or have any questions, please Contact Us or call 1-888-650-9355

Houston Fire Department Fire Extinguisher Standard: HERE Learn about what yo

u need to make your properties ready for inspection . As background, HFD initiated a long-term program to inspect every apartment property in the city of Houston for compliance with a list of fire code requirements.

Code and Design Assistance Basic Residential Stairway Requirements. Resident

ial Code. Height of the handrail. For a rake is typically between 34 and 38 inches (864 and 965 mm), measured to the nose of the tread. The ideal rake height is 36 inches. The minimum height of a balcony handrail is 36 inches (914 mm) and no more than 42 inches tall.

Building Departments create building codes and standards for building constr

uction to ensure building safety. The Houston County DOB is involved in all aspects of construction, including zoning laws, design requirements, building materials, trade and professional license regulation. You may contact the Building Department for questions about:

Update to the City's Building Code. As of January 1, 2019, the following sha

ll be deemed the building codes of the City of Bellaire and shall be controlling as to all the matters in relation thereto and become effective on January 1st, 2019. 2018 International Building Code; 2018 International Residential Code; 2018 International Mechanical Code