Building Safety in Waco, TX (2026)
7 verified building safety rules for Waco, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Lead Paint
Waco requires an owner to submit a written lead-hazard removal plan within 90 days of notice once a city or state investigation confirms lead-based paint or soil lead hazards tied to a child's elevated blood lead level. Failing to submit or follow the plan is a class C misdemeanor and can trigger civil penalties.
Waco Lead Hazard Notice and Abatement Rules
Significant RestrictionsWaco, TX Code of Ordinances Sec. 16-229 (Ord. No. 2018-905, § 1, 10-2-18)
Sec. 16-229. - Penalties and enforcement. (a)A person commits an offense if the person: ... (2)Failed to provide the city with a plan for removal/elimination of the lead paint hazards at the residence or facility through interim controls or abatement or a combination of interim controls and abatement by the 90th day after the notice was delivered to the residence or facility (as applicable).(b)...
Fire Sprinkler Requirements
Waco adopted the 2024 International Residential Code but struck the code's mandatory fire-sprinkler chapter for houses. Sec. 6-29(4) deletes IRC Section R309.2, so one- and two-family homes and townhomes built in the city are not required to install automatic fire sprinkler systems, unlike the unamended national model code.
Waco Deletes Residential Fire Sprinkler Mandate
Few RestrictionsWaco, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 6-29(4) (Ch. 6, Art. II)
Sec. 6-29. - Exception, amendments, and deletions to the International Residential Code, 2024 Edition, including appendices BB, BD, BO, and NE.(1)IRC Part VIII—Electrical Chapters 34-43 shall be deleted.(2)IRC Section R108.2. Schedule of Permit Fees shall read: ... (4)IRC Section R309.2 One and two family dwellings automatic sprinkler systems shall be deleted.
Door Locking Hardware
Waco's security code requires every new or substantially built residence to lock up tight. Exterior swinging doors need a single-cylinder deadbolt with a one-inch throw, sliding patio doors need a 300-pound-rated bolt, windows need a 150-pound-rated latch, and garage doors must have a working lock. The building official checks all of it at permit inspection.
Waco Exterior Door Locking Hardware Rules
Some RestrictionsWaco, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 6-376 (Exterior swinging doors)
(a)All swinging doors leading to the exterior of a building intended for residential occupancy shall be equipped with a single-cylinder deadlock equipped with a turnpiece with a minimum throw of one inch.(b)The requirement of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to doors leading into a garage, which is equipped with a garage door, but does apply to doors leading from a carport (garage...
Building Permits
Waco requires a building permit before anyone may construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, or demolish a building or structure. The city adopts the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes, and the code official issues permits through Development Services before work begins.
Waco Building Permit Required Before Construction
Some RestrictionsWaco, TX Code of Ordinances § 6-27(1)
IPMC Section 103.4 Permits, shall be added to read: Any owner, authorized agent, or contractor who desires to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change a building or structure or to cause any work to be done shall first make application to the code official and obtain the required permit thereof. Ordinary minor repairs may be made with the approval of the code official withou...
Electrical Permits
No one may perform electrical work in Waco without holding a state-issued electrician's license and a city permit for the specific job. Sec. 6-90 requires the state license, Sec. 6-126 bars any electrical installation, alteration, or wiring change without both that license and a permit under Sec. 6-128, and contractors must post a $6,000 surety bond or equivalent insurance.
Waco Electrical Work Requires License and Permit
Some RestrictionsWaco, Tex., Code of Ordinances §§ 6-90, 6-126, 6-128 (Ch. 6, Art. III, Div. 1 & 4)
Except those persons who perform the type of electrical work that is exempt from the requirement for licensure in this state, a person may not perform electrical work in this city unless the person holds an appropriate license issued or recognized by this state. Such license shall be on file in the building official's office, together with the firm's address, telephone number and bond or insura...
Plumbing Permits
Plumbing work in Waco requires both a state plumber's license and a city permit. Sec. 6-236 bars any plumbing installation, repair, or alteration without a building-official permit, available only to a state-licensed master plumber, while Sec. 6-216 and 6-217 require master and journeyman plumbers to hold the state board's license before working in the city.
Waco Plumbing Permit and Licensing Rules
Some RestrictionsWaco, Tex., Code of Ordinances §§ 6-216, 6-217, 6-236 (Ch. 6, Art. IV, Div. 3 & 4)
(a)No person shall do any plumbing of any character or install or connect any plumbing fixture or repair any plumbing work or make any extensions or alterations to plumbing, or change the style or location of any fixtures, except as provided in this division, until he has received a permit from the building official. A person will not be issued a permit by the city unless the applicant therefor...
Building Inspections
Once electrical work is finished, the contractor must call the building official for a final inspection under Sec. 6-136, with the fuses or breaker installed and no wiring concealed until it is approved. The official tags the work as approved or rejected, and Sec. 6-140 requires a certificate of inspection before the electric company may energize the installation.
Waco Electrical Inspection and Certificate Process
Some RestrictionsWaco, Tex., Code of Ordinances §§ 6-136, 6-138, 6-140, 6-142, 6-143 (Ch. 6, Art. III, Div. 4)
Sec. 6-136. - Final inspection required. A final inspection by the building official shall be called by the person performing electrical work for which a permit has been issued on completion of such work. ... Sec. 6-138. - Approval tag. After inspecting any electrical wiring, the building official shall leave notice in the form of a tag or label attached to the service entrance switch, which no...