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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Congressman John Culberson at Developers Council
On August 1, the GHBA Developers Council hosted Congressman John Culberson (CD-7) who discussed his work on securing federal funds for Harvey recovery and infrastructure projects in his role as a subcommittee chairman of the …
City of Houston Passes Ordinance Expanding Regulation in Floodplains
Last week the Houston City Council voted to dramatically increase regulations on building within the 100 and 500 year floodplains. The proposal to amend Chapter 19, the City’s Floodplain Regulation Ordinance, was first introduced in …
2018 Primary Elections Recap
In the age of social media, 24 hour news and amplified political polarization, there is a perceived lack of pragmatism and a belief that neither side is willing to work together to craft prudent public policy. …
Contracting Practices for a Post-Hurricane Harvey World
In light of the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, we want to remind builders and contractors of certain best practices and laws that apply to the industry as a whole and specifically for disaster …
New COH Floodplain Permit Procedures
The City of Houston (COH) Floodplain Management Office (FMO) has added an additional method for permitting of flood damaged, single family homes that are located in the floodplain and will cost more than $10,000 to …
The Tree Bill: A Victory for Property Rights
Texas Legislative Special Session Has Adjourned Sine Die On Tuesday, August 15, the Texas Legislature adjourned the First Called Special Session of the 85th Texas Legislature, concluding on the 29th day of the constitutionally mandated …
OSHA’s New e-Reporting Requirements for Workplace Injuries and Illness
OSHA issued a final rule in May 2016 to revise its Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses regulation. The final rule became effective on January 1, 2017, and requires employers in certain industries to …
WCR Application Process Reset
The Houston Permitting Center is working to improve the Wastewater Capacity Reservations (WCR) application process. On May 1, the Houston Permitting Center launched a new process that introduced an appointment feature to schedule and process …