CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS

San Antonio City Code ch. 15, art. V, div. 2

in effect

San Antonio City Code § 15-121 Requirements are minimum.

Sec. 15-121. - Requirements are minimum. The regulations set forth in this division are minimum requirements for applying rat-stoppage to business buildings in order to obtain maximum rat-stoppage at a minimum cost to the owner or occupant thereof. (Code 1950, § 47-12; Code 1959, § 18-48)

San Antonio City Code § 15-122 Where protective coatings required.

Sec. 15-122. - Where protective coatings required. Solid sheet metal, expanded metal and wire cloth, when specified in this article, shall have a rust-resisting, protective coating, preferably galvanized. (Code 1950, § 47-13; Code 1959, § 18-49)

San Antonio City Code § 15-123 Markets.

Sec. 15-123. - Markets. Curb or farmers' markets in which fruit or vegetables or any other food products are exposed and offered for sale, on racks, stands, platforms and in vehicles outside of business buildings, shall have floors paved with concrete or asphalt for the entire surface area of the market. Display racks, stands or platforms on which fruit or vegetables or any other food products are displayed or offered for sale shall be of sufficient height that all such fruits, vegetables or other food products shall be kept at a distance of not less than eighteen (18) inches above the floor pavement, and shall be so constructed that rats cannot harbor thereunder. (Code 1950, § 47-14; Code 1959, § 18-50)

San Antonio City Code § 15-124 Masonry or concrete exterior wall construction, foundation and exterior wall openings.

Sec. 15-124. - Masonry or concrete exterior wall construction, foundation and exterior wall openings. (a) All foundation wall ventilator openings shall be covered for their entire height and width with perforated sheet-metal plates of a thickness not less than fourteen (14) gauge, or with expanded sheet metal of a thickness not less than eighteen (18) gauge, or with iron grills or grates, or with any other material of sufficient strength and equal rat-resisting properties. The openings therein shall be small enough to prevent the ingress of rats, and in no instance shall be larger than one-half inch. (b) All other foundation and exterior wall openings, excluding those used for the purpose of ventilation, light, doors and windows, such as those openings around pipes, electric cables, conduits, openings due to deteriorated wall, broken masonry or concrete, shall be protected against the ingress of rats by closing such openings with cement mortar, concrete or masonry, or close-fitting sheet metal or pipe flanges of suitable size or other material with equal rat-resisting properties, which shall be securely fastened in place. (Code 1950, § 47-15; Code 1959, § 18-51)

San Antonio City Code § 15-125 Doors.

Sec. 15-125. - Doors. (a) All exposed edges of the lower eight (8) inches of wooden doors and door jambs, serving as entrances into business buildings from the ground, basement or cellar floors, and other doors accessible to rats, shall be protected against the gnawing of rats by covering such doors and jambs with solid sheet metal of not less than twenty-four-gauge thickness. The same material shall be used on doorsills or thresholds; or such doorsills or thresholds may be constructed of cement, stone, steel or cast iron. (b) Doors, door jambs and sills of coal chutes and hatchways that are constructed of wood shall be covered with solid sheet metal of twenty-four-gauge or heavier, or such chutes may be replaced with metal chutes of twenty-four-gauge or heavier, installed in such manner as will prevent the ingress of rats. (c) All doors on which metal flashings have been applied shall be properly hinged to provide for free swinging. When closed, doors shall fit snugly so that the maximum clearance between any door, jamb and sill shall not be greater than three-eighths of an inch. (d) Door jambs and sills constructed of metal, concrete, masonry, stone or cement mortar, or cast iron and steel, when fitting closely to exclude rats, are not required to comply with this section. (Code 1950, § 47-16; Code 1959, § 18-52)

San Antonio City Code § 15-126 Windows and other openings.

Sec. 15-126. - Windows and other openings. (a) All windows and other openings for the purpose of light or ventilation located in the exterior walls and within thirty (30) inches above the existing ground level immediately below such openings, shall be covered for their entire height and width, including frame, with wire cloth of nineteen-gauge or heavier, having a mesh of not larger than one-half inch. (b) All other windows and other openings for the purpose of light or ventilation in the exterior walls, which may be accessible to rats by way of exposed pipes, wires, conduits and other appurtenances, shall be covered with guards of wire cloth of nineteen-gauge or heavier, having a mesh of not larger than one-half inch. In lieu of such wire cloth covering on such openings, such pipes, wires, conduits and other appurtenances shall be blocked from rat usage by installing sheet-metal guards as provided in the following section. (Code 1950, § 47-17; Code 1959, § 18-53)

San Antonio City Code § 15-127 Pipes, wires and conduits.

Sec. 15-127. - Pipes, wires and conduits. (a) Pipes, wires, conduits and other appurtenances which may cause openings to be accessible to rats shall be blocked from rat usage, where such openings are not ratproofed as provided in section 15-126, by installing sheet-metal guards of twenty-four-gauge or heavier. (b) Such guards when used on horizontal pipes, wires, conduits or other appurtenances shall be placed in a vertical position, and shall be snugly fitted around the pipe, wire, conduit or other appurtenances. Such guards shall measure not less than twelve (12) inches beyond and on all sides of the pipe, wire, conduit or other appurtenance where the intervening space between the wall and pipe permits, shall extend thirty (30) inches in an upward direction and twelve (12) inches in a downward direction and shall be securely fastened to the pipe, wire, conduit or other appurtenance and also to the adjacent wall wherever practicable so that the guard will remain in a vertical position at all times. (c) Such guards when used on vertical pipes, wires, conduits or other appurtenances shall be fitted snugly around the pipe, wire, conduit or other appurtenance, shall be placed in a horizontal position at a right angle thereto and shall extend horizontally from the pipe, wire, conduit or other appurtenance for a minimum distance of twelve (12) inches beyond and on all sides of the pipe, wire, conduit or other appurtenance, where the intervening space between the pipe and wall permits, and shall be securely fastened to the pipe, wire, conduit or other appurtenance and also to the adjacent wall wherever practicable in such manner that the guard will remain in a horizontal position at all times. (Code 1950, § 47-18; Code 1959, § 18-54)

San Antonio City Code § 15-128 Light wells in sidewalks.

Sec. 15-128. - Light wells in sidewalks. Light wells with windows in exterior walls that are located below the outside ground level shall be protected from the ingress of rats by one of the following methods: (1) Installing over the light wells iron or steel grills or steel gratings, or other material of equal strength and rat-resisting properties, with opening in grills or gratings not to exceed one-half inch in shortest dimension; (2) Installing securely to and completely covering existing metal grills that are broken or have openings larger than one-half inch in shortest dimension, or are otherwise defective, with expanded metal of eighteen-gauge or heavier, having openings not greater than one-half inch in shortest dimension, or with sixteen-gauge or heavier wire cloth with one-half inch mesh; (3) At the option of the owner the opening in the wall of the building below the grate may be entirely closed with brick or concrete or partially closed and the remaining open space covered with nineteen-gauge or heavier wire cloth with mesh not to exceed one-half inch. (Code 1950, § 47-19; Code 1959, § 18-55)

San Antonio City Code § 15-129 Solid masonry or sheet-metal curtain walls in certain wood frame construction.

Sec. 15-129. - Solid masonry or sheet-metal curtain walls in certain wood frame construction. (a) Business buildings constructed on piers having wooden floor sills less than twelve (12) inches above the surface of the ground shall have the intervening space between the floor sill and ground protected against the ingress of rats by installing a solid masonry or concrete wall not less than four (4) inches thick, or solid sheet-metal curtain wall of twenty-four-gauge or heavier around the entire perimeter of the business building and extending such curtain wall to a depth of not less than thirty-six (36) inches below the surface of the ground level and fastening securely to the exterior wall of the business building, in such manner as will prevent rats from entering the building. (b) Business buildings constructed on piers having wooden floor sills greater than twelve (12) inches above the ground level shall have the intervening spaces between the floor sill and ground protected against the ingress of rats by installing curtain walls in accordance with the preceding paragraph, or by protecting such building against the ingress of rats as provided in section 15-129. (c) In lieu of the installation of curtain walls, all ground floors of wood construction may be replaced with concrete of not less than three (3) inches in thickness with the exterior walls protected for a height of twenty-four (24) inches above the concrete floor with masonry, concrete or solid metal of twenty-four-gauge or heavier. Exterior wall protection shall be securely tied into the concrete floor at all points. (Code 1950, § 47-20; Code 1959, § 18-56)

San Antonio City Code § 15-130 Openings in ground floors of wooden construction.

Sec. 15-130. - Openings in ground floors of wooden construction. In business buildings constructed on piers having wooden floor sills greater than twelve (12) inches above the ground level solid sheet metal coverage of twenty-four-gauge or heavier may be installed snugly around each pipe, cable, wire, conduit or other utility service passing through a wooden ground floor in lieu of curtain walls. Such metal coverage shall not be less than eight (8) inches in diameter larger than the diameter of the pipe, cable, wire, conduit or other utility service, and shall be securely fastened to the wooden floor. All other openings in wood ground floors through which rats may gain entrance into double walls or the interior of business buildings, such as openings that may exist in floors and double walls above floor sills, shall be closed with twenty-four-gauge or heavier solid sheet metal or sixteen-gauge or heavier wire cloth of one-half inch mesh or with concrete or masonry. (Code 1950, § 47-21; Code 1959, § 18-57)

San Antonio City Code § 15-131 Wall openings, doors and windows of wood frame construction.

Sec. 15-131. - Wall openings, doors and windows of wood frame construction. Wood frame construction business buildings having concrete or masonry foundation walls shall have ventilators in foundation walls protected as provided in section 15-124. All miscellaneous wall openings, doors and windows shall be protected as provided in sections 15-124 through 15-126. (Code 1950, § 47-22; Code 1959, § 18-58)

Source: City of San Antonio, City Code, City Charter and Unified Development Code (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/san_antonio/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH15HE_ARTVROCO_DIV2COREFetched: 10/27/2026