ASSESSMENT, COLLECTION AND COMPUTATION OF DRAINAGE IMPACT FEES

Houston Code of Ordinances ch. 47, art. XV, div. 2

in effect

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-891 Assessment of fees.

Sec. 47-891. - Assessment of fees. Assessment of drainage impact fees against new development shall be based on the drainage impact fee per service unit within the applicable drainage service area, established by city council. Except as otherwise provided herein, the utility official shall assess a drainage impact fee on any building permit application for new development submitted after April 3, 1 2014, at the time the building permit application is submitted. (Ord. No. 2013-281, § 5, 4-3-2013)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-892 Time of fee collection.

Sec. 47-892. - Time of fee collection. Drainage impact fees shall be collected at or before the time of issuance of building permits. (Ord. No. 2013-281, § 5, 4-3-2013)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-893 Computation of fees.

Sec. 47-893. - Computation of fees. The department shall compute the drainage impact fees in the following manner: (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the drainage impact fee shall be calculated by multiplying the applicable service unit rate by the number of service units generated by the new development, rounded to the nearest hundredth. (2) The drainage impact fee for new development on an improved lot shall be reduced by a credit determined by the utility official to be equal to the existing impervious surface on which drainage fees are being paid at the time a building permit application is submitted. (3) Development of low and moderate cost single family housing is exempt from payment of impact fees. To qualify for this exemption, a house must be a single family residence located within the city limits having an initial purchase price as certified by the property owner that does not exceed the latest available 12-month listing for median price single family housing in the city as published by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University. In the event the initial purchase price exceeds this amount, the property owner making the certification shall pay to the city the full amount of the impact fee as calculated under this section. If publication of the median price for single family housing is discontinued by the Real Estate Center at the Texas A & M University, the mayor is authorized to select another publication that lists the median price of single family houses in the city. (4) If the new development involves the alteration of existing structures, new impervious surface created by such altered structure or structures shall be converted to additional service units. If the impervious surface for the new development exceeds the existing impervious surface, the amount of the drainage impact fee due shall be the number of additional service units, rounded to the nearest hundredth, multiplied by the drainage impact fee per service unit then in effect. If the impervious surface for the new development is less than or equal to the existing impervious surface, no impact fee is due. (5) The amount of each drainage impact fee due shall be reduced by any allowable adjustments in the manner provided in section 47-894 of this Code. (6) If the property owner proposes to increase the number of service units for development following payment of the drainage impact fee, the additional drainage impact fees collected for such new service units shall be determined in the same manner as provided in this section. (Ord. No. 2013-281, § 5, 4-3-2013)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-894 Determination of service units.

Sec. 47-894. - Determination of service units. (a) The utility official shall determine the number of service units generated from a new development based on the information contained in the building permit application along with digital map data associated with tax plats and assessment rolls or other similar, reliable data from independent sources authorized by the director. (b) If the utility official determines that sufficient information is provided along with the building permit application to demonstrate that no drainage will ever flow off all or a significant portion of the property, the director may approve an adjustment in the number of service units. Before an adjustment is made, the property owner shall covenant not to change the property to allow drainage to flow off the property without first obtaining a building permit and paying impact fees on any new development. The director may develop guidelines to determine the amount of drainage that will flow off the property and what constitutes a significant portion of the property. (Ord. No. 2013-281, § 5, 4-3-2013)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-895 Offsets against drainage impact fees.

Sec. 47-895. - Offsets against drainage impact fees. (a) A property owner may receive an offset pursuant to a development agreement approved by the city, if (1) The property owner constructs or finances a drainage facility included in the drainage impact fee improvement plan; (2) The property owner does not receive reimbursement for the drainage facility constructed or financed by the property owner; (3) The drainage facility serves only the city drainage system; and (4) The offset does not include on-site drainage for the property. (b) A drainage facility constructed for an offset pursuant to a development agreement must be constructed within the drainage service area in which the property is located. The offset may be associated with the plat of the property that is to be served by the constructed or financed drainage facility. The amount of the offset shall be determined pursuant to rules established in this section and any administrative guidelines promulgated by the director. In no event shall the offset allowable under this subsection exceed the amount of the drainage impact fees due. (c) Any offset associated with new development shall be applied against the drainage impact fee due at the time that the fee for the building permit is collected. (d) Any offset provided under this section shall have no effect on on-site drainage requirements associated with the property. (Ord. No. 2013-281, § 5, 4-3-2013)

Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-896 Development agreements in drainage benefit areas.

Sec. 47-896. - Development agreements in drainage benefit areas. If the director determines that adequate capacity exists within the drainage system, a property owner within a drainage benefit area may voluntarily enter into a development agreement to connect to the drainage system. The director may authorize a development agreement to allow the property owner to construct facilities consistent with section 47-895 of this Code, and any associated rules and guidelines, or pay charges equivalent to drainage impact fees. The drainage impact fee improvement plan, as amended in accordance with Chapter 395 of the Local Government Code, shall account for the connections pursuant to development agreements under this section and shall include projections for voluntary connections to the drainage system from the drainage benefit area. (Ord. No. 2013-281, § 5, 4-3-2013)

Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH47WASE_ARTXVDRIMFE_DIV2ASCOCODRIMFEFetched: 10/26/2026