Emergency action, securing dangerous buildings; mandatory repair.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 33-251
in effectSec. 33-251. - Emergency action, securing dangerous buildings; mandatory repair.
(a) Nothing in this division shall limit the ability of the city to demolish, to order the demolition of, or to order any other action with respect to, any building, structure or object that the building standards official, as that term is defined in article IX of chapter 10 of this Code, determines to be an imminent danger to the health, life or safety of any person. No certificate of appropriateness shall be required for any action required by the city pursuant to division 7 of article IX of chapter 10 of this Code, or the securing of a building required by the city pursuant to article IX of chapter 10 of this Code.
(b) The building standards official shall not issue an order for, authorize, or set a hearing before the hearing officer or the building and standards commission for, the demolition of a building, structure, or site for which a certificate of appropriateness is required by this article without first obtaining a certificate of appropriateness from the HAHC.
(c) The director shall issue a certificate of appropriateness for mandatory repair of a landmark, protected landmark, or of a building, structure or object within an historic district or archaeological site upon application and review of the order or citation requiring the mandatory repair if the director finds that the proposed mandatory repair is necessary to comply with the order or citation and will not result in a change in the architectural, historical, archaeological or cultural character of the landmark, protected landmark, or of the building, structure or object in the historic district or archaeological site that existed prior to the issuance of the order or citation. The director shall consider the criteria in section 33-241 in reviewing the application and making the findings required by this section.
(d) If the director does not issue a certificate of appropriateness for mandatory repair within three working days following receipt of the application or a later date mutually agreeable to the applicant and the director, or if the director denies the application, the application shall be submitted to the HAHC for consideration as if it were an application for a certificate of appropriateness for alteration, rehabilitation, restoration or construction pursuant to section 33-241 of this Code.
(Ord. No. 95-228, § 2, 3-1-95; Ord. No. 2015-967, § 36, 10-7-2015)
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_CH33PLDE_ARTVIIHIPR_DIV4CEAP_S33-251EMACSEDABUMAREFetched: 10/26/2026