The 86th Texas Legislative Session will adjourn Sine Die on May 27. And while there is less than a month remaining in the 140 day session, the next few weeks will see a frenzy of …
GHBA Goes to Austin
Rally Day 2019 On the morning of March 20, GHBA members left Houston to make their way to Austin to participate in the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) biennial Rally Day at the Texas Capitol. …
Get on the Pro-Housing Bus
Rally Day is upon us! If you’re not on the pro-housing “bus,” then you’re part of the problem. On Wednesday, March 20, more than 150 builder, remodeler and associate members of the GHBA will converge …
Make Your Voice Heard at Rally Day
March 20 in Austin, TexasCost: $55Registration Deadline: Friday, March 1 Rally Day is an advocacy event hosted at the Texas State Capitol in Austin. It is a valuable opportunity for association members to talk with …
City of Houston “Electronic Plan Review (EPR)” Training
This spring, the City of Houston’s Permitting Center will be moving to 100% electronic plan submittal for all residential projects. While the EPR option has been available for years, it will now be mandatory. City …
The 86th Texas Session is Rolling Along
As the legislative session enters its third month, we have reached the turning point and the time when legislation actually begins to get moving. Members only have 140 days to complete the business of the …
86th Texas Legislature Now in Session
On January 8 at noon, members of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives gathered in their respective chambers at the Capitol to gavel in the 86th legislative session. That began the 140 day countdown …
City of Houston 2015 Wood Frame Construction Manual Seminars
The Customer Assistance and Code Development group will host two day-long seminars on the 2015 Wood Frame Construction Manual provided by the American Wood Council. The seminars will take place on February 13, 2019 and …
Houston, We Have a Problem
Houston is facing some serious problems, but the good news is that YOU are the answer. There is turmoil in the housing industry caused largely by costs escalating beyond the consumer’s ability to afford them. …
NAHB Regulatory Achievement
Important Step Forward on Waters of the U.S. Rule We are pleased to announce that the Trump administration today released its proposed new definition for “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) that will resolve years …
Government Affairs: A 2018 Year in Review
As we turn the page on another year and look forward in anticipation of what 2019 has in store, we need to look back and reflect on both the good and bad of 2018. It …
City of Houston Floodplain and Drainage Regulations
The City of Houston recently made some major revisions to Chapter 19, the floodplain ordinance, and to Chapters 9 and 13 regarding drainage in the infrastructure design manual. These new regulation changes went into effect on …
New Houston Heights Historic Guidelines Now in Effect
In 2015, the City of Houston Planning Department began a process to adopt design guidelines for the Heights historic districts of East, West and South. This process included numerous public meetings and presentations from consultants, …
Waters of the U.S. Rule Implementation Halted in Texas
Recently, there has been much confusion over the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) joint Clean Water Act (CWA) “Waters of the U.S.”(WOTUS) definition and …
New Regulations for the City of Houston Effective September 1
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 …