Construction Code Amendments

The period to submit an amendment proposal for the following codes has closed; we are accepting public comments that will be considered when presenting Houston's 2021 Building Codes to City Council for adoption.

The final proposed amendments will be posted from August 21, 2023, to September 19, 2023. On August 24, 2023, the proposed codes will be presented to the Transportation., Technology, and Infrastructure (TTI) Committee to be approved for City Council Adoption.

Please visit https://www.houstontx.gov/council/committees/tti.html to register to speak for 1-2 minutes at the Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure (TTI) Committee.

You may submit a comment concerning any proposed code until September 19, 2023. Click the Link to Submit Public Comment.

Houston Amendments Addendum

Process arrow : Public Comment Period (ends August 21, 2023)

The following proposed Houston Amendments are an addendum to the 2021 Building Codes that reflect the 2021 codes as they will be shown in the 2021 Houston Construction Code. The proposed amendments will be available for public comment until September 19, 2023:

Code Analysis

Code analysis began in June 2022 and was completed in November 2022. Each code analysis compares the 2015 and 2021 codes and includes proposed local changes. Each code has been posted for a minimum of a 30-day public comment period will begin. These codes will be updated on July 27th with Legal input. Final documents will be posted by August 21, 2023.

Task Force Group 1: Building & Fire Codes

Timeline of TFG-1 showing completed milestones

Public comments are no longer available for the building and fire codes. The proposed amendments are under review by the Legal department. Once complete, the proposed amendments will be presented to the Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure (TTI) Committee on August 24, 2023. A public notice will be provided once the TTI meeting has been scheduled.

The following links are provided for reference only and reflect the 2021 codes as they will be shown in the 2021 Houston Construction Code. The proposed amendments will be available for public comment until September 19, 2023:

Task Force Group 2: Residential & Pool Codes

Timeline of TFG-2 showing completed milestones

Public comments are no longer available for the residential and pool codes. The proposed amendments are under review by the Legal department. Once complete, the proposed amendments will be presented to the Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure (TTI) Committee on August 24, 2023. A public notice will be provided once the TTI meeting has been scheduled.

Task Force Group 3: Energy Conservation & Performance Codes

Timeline of TFG-3 showing completed milestones

Public comments are no longer available for the energy conservation codes. The proposed amendments are under review by the Legal department. Once complete, the proposed amendments will be presented to the Transportation, Technology, and Infrastructure (TTI) Committee later this year. A public notice will be provided once the TTI meeting has been scheduled.

2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) Houston Amendments

Task Force Group 4: Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing Codes

Public comments are no longer available for the Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing codes. The proposed amendments are under review by the Legal department. Once complete, the proposed amendments will be presented to the Transporation, Technology, and Infrastructure (TTI) Committee on August 24, 2023. A public notice will be provided once the TTI meeting has been scheduled.

Houston Fire Department Life Safety Bureau (HFD LSB) Standards

Public comments are no longer available for the Life Safety Bureau Standards. The Houston Fire Department Life Safety Bureau Standards are established in accordance with provisions of the City of Houston Fire Code. The Houston Fire Department Life Safety are subject to administrative sections covering alternative materials and methods, modifications, and the Board of Appeals. Once complete, the proposed amendments will be presented to the Transporation, Technology, and Infrastructure (TTI) Committee on August 24, 2023. A public notice will be provided once the TTI meeting has been scheduled.

Below are the Houston Fire Department Life Safety Bureau from 1-19

Below are the Houston Fire Department Life Safety Bureau from 22-25

You may submit a comment concerning any proposed code until September 19, 2023: Click the Link to Submit Public Comment.

All amendments have been updated as of July 24, 2023

You may submit a Public Comment Form below.

The City of Houston is no longer accepting amendment proposals.

Code Amendment Proposal Process

To ensure the code amendment process captures the needs of the larger community while protecting the health and safety of Houston’s citizens, we ask that you submit your proposed amendment through your technical association or professional organization. All code submittals will be reviewed. If the City receives multiple submittals concerning the same code, the Task Force Group will determine one submittal that best represents what is being requested. Code submittals through trade associations and organizations will take precedence in the code review process.

The criteria for all code amendment proposals:

You must submit a separate form per code section
Proposed code amendments must be in the legislative format (i.e. Underline new words and strikethrough ~~deleted words~~)
Sufficient justification and supporting documentation must be provided, including
- the need for a code clarification,
- Houston-specific historical data of physical injuries, loss of life or property,
- the intended increase in effectiveness,
- Increased safety impact, enforceability, and/or unique local conditions that warrant such addition or modification to the 2021 Codes.
Sufficient information must be provided to substantiate the cost impact of the proposed code change to the nationally promulgated code. You must indicate whether the proposed code change will:
- not increase the cost of construction,
- increase the cost of construction, or
- decrease the cost of construction.

The Houston Public Works mandate for this code adoption is to adopt the 2021 Code Editions as a base code with local amendments that:

Help strengthen and ensure long-term sustainability and resiliency in Houston,
Do not reduce the fire- or life-safety provisions without providing an equivalency to what's found in the base code, and
Comply with the intent of the code in quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability, and safety for the purpose intended.

A proposal that does not follow the above criteria will be considered incomplete and will not be processed. A proposal submitted outside of the public comment period will not be accepted.

All proposals must be submitted electronically. Handwritten forms will not be accepted.

Search

Houston Amendments Addendum

Code Analysis

Houston Fire Department Life Safety Bureau (HFD LSB) Standards

The City of Houston is no longer accepting amendment proposals.

Code Amendment Proposal Process