Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Harris County, TX (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Harris County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Sidewalk Repair
In unincorporated Harris County, repairing or rebuilding a sidewalk in a county right-of-way needs a County Engineer permit under the driveway and culvert regulations, unless the sidewalk was already in place before November 1, 2005.
Harris County Sidewalk Repair Needs County Permit
Some RestrictionsHarris County Code of Ordinances, Ch. 41, Subch. 41C, Sec 3
Construction of driveways, sidewalks, culverts whenever applicable, or the replacement of existing driveways, sidewalks or culverts on County or public easements on rights-of-way without first securing a permit is prohibited. ... Permits for the installation of driveways, sidewalks or culverts must be obtained from the County Engineer prior to the start of construction. Permits are not required...
Obstruction Rules
In unincorporated Harris County, no one may obstruct access to county or flood-control right-of-way, and landscaping over 30 inches or monuments cannot be placed in ROW corner cut-backs or HCFCD right-of-way without prior approval.
Harris County ROW Obstruction Rules (Unincorporated)
Some RestrictionsHarris County Code of Ordinances, Ch. 41, Subchapter 41B, Sec 12
No Person shall perform any Work in such a manner as to obstruct access or interfere with the construction alteration, access, improvement, enlargement, operations, capacity enhancement, maintenance, or repair of any HC or HCFCD ROW... No Landscaping higher than 30 inches measured from top of curb at mature growth and no Monuments shall be placed in the ROW Corner Cut Back. No Landscaping or Mo...
Encroachment Permits
Building a sidewalk, driveway, or culvert across Harris County right-of-way in unincorporated areas requires a permit from the County Engineer before construction begins, under the county's driveway regulations.
Harris County Right-of-Way Encroachment Permits
Some RestrictionsHarris County Code of Ordinances, Ch. 41, Subch. 41C, Sec 3 (General Provisions)
Construction of driveways, sidewalks, culverts whenever applicable, or the replacement of existing driveways, sidewalks or culverts on County or public easements on rights-of-way without first securing a permit is prohibited. Applications for permits for the construction of driveways, sidewalks and culverts on County or public easements or rights-of-way shall be made to the County Engineer.
Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules by City in Harris County
2 cities in Harris County have their own sidewalk & pedestrian rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Harris County ordinances
See every category we cover for Harris County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
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