Baytown, TX Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- New construction since Jan. 1, 2010
- Water use cut
- 20% below interior fixture baseline
- Cool roof reflectance
- At least 0.65 for low-slope roofs
- Residential lighting cap
- 100W incandescent, 32W CFL
- Administered by
- Chief building official
Summary
Every new one- and two-family home and all other new construction in Baytown built since January 1, 2010 must meet the city's energy efficiency building program under Sec. 18-2, covering energy code compliance, at least 20% less interior water use than baseline, and cool-roof and outdoor lighting standards enforced by the chief building official.
Sec. 18-2. - Energy efficiency building program. ... (b) Applicability. The program is applicable to all new residential and commercial buildings within the city from and after January 1, 2010. ... (f) Water use standards. All one- and two-family dwellings and all other new construction shall use 20 percent less water than the water use baseline calculated for the building's total interior water fixture use as required by the plumbing code adopted in article IV of this chapter. (g) Cool roof standards. ... All roof surfaces with a slope of 2:12 inches or less (as defined in the ASTM E 1918-97) shall meet the specifications of the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star qualified low-slope roof product requirements... be installed with an initial solar reflectance of ≥ 0.65.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 83 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 18-2(b) applies the energy efficiency building program to all new residential and commercial buildings built from and after January 1, 2010, administered and enforced by the chief building official under subsection (c). Subsection (e) requires new one- and two-family dwellings and all other new construction to meet the energy conservation code adopted in Article VIII of Chapter 18, demonstrated either through Energy Systems Laboratory-approved compliance software (COMcheck or REScheck) or by installing products certified under a national, state, or local accredited energy efficiency program, including EPA Energy Star certification.
Subsection (f) requires new construction to use 20 percent less water than the baseline calculated for the building's total interior water fixture use under the plumbing code in Article IV. 65. Subsection (h) adds outdoor lighting standards requiring full cutoff or fully shielded fixtures for horizontal-surface lighting such as parking areas and walkways, capping residential lighting at 100 watts for incandescent and 32 watts for compact fluorescent bulbs, with exceptions for security lighting, pools, exit signs, and shielded landscape lighting.
Violations & Fines
New construction that fails to demonstrate energy code compliance, meet the 20 percent water-use reduction, or install the required cool-roof and shielded lighting standards can be held up by the chief building official under Sec. 18-2(c), who administers and enforces the program alongside the city's standard building permit and inspection process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Baytown buildings must meet the energy efficiency program?
How much water use reduction does Baytown require for new construction?
What roof standard applies to new Baytown buildings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baytown
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Baytown to another location·View the Texas building safety overview
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Green Building Code in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Harris County handle green building code.