Building Safety in Dallas, TX (2026)
7 verified building safety rules for Dallas, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Lead-based paint in homes built before 1978 is regulated by EPA's RRP Rule and Texas Environmental Lead Reduction Rules (TELRR). Contractors disturbing more than 6 sq ft of interior paint or 20 sq ft of exterior paint must be EPA/DSHS certified.
Dallas Lead Paint Safety Requirements
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Occ. Code Sec. 1955.052
Sec. 1955.052. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENT. (a) The executive commissioner by rule may require a person involved in a lead-based paint activity in target housing or a public area that the department determines creates a public health hazard to be certified. The department shall delay implementation of the certification requirement for six months after the date the rule is adopted. (b) A rule adop...
Pest Control
Dallas operates a comprehensive mosquito abatement program through Code Compliance Services and enforces property standards related to pest control under Chapter 27 of the Dallas City Code. Section 27-14.1 addresses treatment for insects and rodents in structures ordered for demolition. The city conducts aerial and ground spraying for mosquito control to combat West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne diseases, and property owners are required to eliminate standing water and conditions that breed pests.
Dallas Mosquito and Pest Abatement Regulations
Some RestrictionsTex. Occupations Code Sec. 1951.003 (Business of Structural Pest Control - Definitions)
Sec. 1951.003. BUSINESS OF STRUCTURAL PEST CONTROL. (a) In this chapter, a person is engaged in the "business of structural pest control" if the person performs, offers to perform, or advertises for or solicits the person's performance of any of the following services for compensation, including services performed as a part of the person's employment:(1) identifying infestations or making i...
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Dallas Chapter 17 adopts the International Fire Code with local amendments and the IRC R313 sprinkler provision. Most new commercial buildings require NFPA 13 sprinklers, while large new single-family homes trigger NFPA 13D residential coverage.
Fire Sprinklers: New Single-Family Threshold and Code Requirements
Some RestrictionsTexas Local Government Code Chapter 233 - County Regulation of Housing and Other Structures
Sec. 233.153. BUILDING CODE STANDARDS APPLICABLE. (a) New residential construction of a single-family house or duplex in the unincorporated area of a county to which this subchapter applies shall conform to the version of the International Residential Code published as of May 1, 2008, or the version of the International Residential Code that is applicable in the county seat of that county.(b) S...
Childcare Center Rules
Dallas requires childcare centers to obtain a certificate of occupancy under Chapter 53, comply with Chapter 17 fire code, and hold a Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child Care Licensing permit before opening or expanding capacity.
Childcare Center Rules: Local Permits and State Licensing
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Human Resources Code Sec. 42.002(7) (Day-Care Center Definition)
fined by department rule.(7) "Day-care center" means a child-care facility that provides care at a location other than the residence of the director, owner, or operator of the child-care facility for seven or more children under 14 years of age for less than 24 hours a day, but at least two hours a day, three or more days a week.(8) "Group day-care home" means a child-care facility that provi...
Door Locking Hardware
Dallas Chapter 53 incorporates IFC Section 1010, requiring egress doors to unlock from the inside without keys or special knowledge. Schools, daycares, and assembly spaces face additional rules on classroom barricade devices and panic hardware.
Door Locking Hardware: Egress and Means-of-Escape Rules
Some RestrictionsAnti-Mansionization
Dallas Chapter 51A imposes floor-area-ratio caps and bulk limits in certain single-family overlay and conservation districts to prevent oversized infill homes. Most standard zoning lacks FAR limits, but neighborhood overlays restrict massing through height plane and setback rules.
Mansionization: FAR Caps in Conservation and Overlay Districts
Some RestrictionsGreen Building Code
Dallas Green Building Ordinance amends Chapter 53 to require energy-efficient envelopes, reflective high-rise roofs and walls, permeable surfaces on certain projects, and SmartGrowth checklists for new commercial and multifamily construction.
Green Building Code: Reflective Surfaces and Permeability Standards
Some RestrictionsTexas Health & Safety Code Chapter 388 - Texas Building Energy Performance Standards
Sec. 388.003. ADOPTION OF BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (a) To achieve energy conservation in single-family residential construction, the energy efficiency chapter of the International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2001, is adopted as the energy code in this state for single-family residential construction. On September 1, 2016, the energy efficiency chapter of t...
Looking for Dallas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dallas city rules.
Building Safety in Dallas County →