Sidewalk plan and approval required.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 40-555
in effectSec. 40-555. - Sidewalk plan and approval required.
(a) An applicant shall submit a sidewalk plan to the department for review and approval in conjunction with a development plat required by chapter 42, or prior to obtaining a building permit, certificate of occupancy, or other construction permit, or for approval of a sidewalk plan required to perform an activity listed under section 40-553. The sidewalk plan for the project site shall:
(1) Be in the form prescribed by the planning official.
(2) Be to scale, provide a north arrow, and contain dimensions and boundaries of all public streets, and sidewalk easements; and
(3) Show:
a. The location and dimensions of each existing and proposed sidewalk and safety buffer;
b. The location of above-ground existing and planned physical features within the public street or sidewalk easement such as utility poles and equipment, signposts, traffic signal equipment, parking meters, guywires, fire hydrants, bollards, bus or transit shelters, bicycle racks, planters, stairs or steps, street furniture, and fences or barriers;
c. The location and dimension of each driveway that crosses the sidewalk and safety buffer;
d. The location and dimension of each pedestrian safety and visibility buffer required by section 40-32;
e. The location and dimension of each curb ramp, as the term is used in chapter 17 of the design manual;
f. The location, dimension, and vertical clearance of any building or structure constructed over the sidewalk or safety buffer;
g. Existing and proposed trees, shrubs, and screening fences required by article V of chapter 33 that are within the public street or sidewalk easement;
h. The functional edge furthest from the roadway of an adequate drainage facility, as approved by the city engineer, along any public street that is not curb and gutter; and,
i. If requesting an exemption, the location and details of any exemption condition listed under section 40-556; and
j. Reserved.
k. A fee calculation analysis when a fee-in-lieu of sidewalk construction is requested in accordance with this article.
(b) Upon receipt of a sidewalk plan containing all the information required by subsection (a), the planning official shall review the sidewalk plan to verify compliance with this article. This review shall be completed within 15 business days from the date a complete application is submitted to the planning official. The planning official shall deny in writing all sidewalk plans that do not comply with the requirements of this article.
(c) The building official or city engineer shall not issue a building permit, certificate of occupancy, or other construction permit unless the planning official approves the sidewalk plan.
(d) The building official or city engineer shall not issue a certificate of occupancy or otherwise certify satisfactory completion of a construction permit or approval unless the applicant constructs or provides for the sidewalk and related information shown on the approved sidewalk plan or provides payment of the required fee-in-lieu of sidewalk construction.
(Ord. No. 2023-58, § 2(Exh. A), 1-25-2023, eff. 3-1-2023)
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_CH40STSI_ARTXXIISI_DIV1SINERE_S40-555SIPLAPREFetched: 10/26/2026