Haltom City, TX Environmental Rules: Grading & Drainage (2026)

Haltom City regulates site grading through its development ordinance and the adopted International Residential Code drainage provisions. A grading permit is typically required for earthwork involving more than 50 cubic yards of cut or fill, any grading in a floodplain or floodway, any grading changing historic drainage patterns, or grading over a defined slope threshold. Single-family home construction includes grading review as part of the building permit drainage plan. Required grading standards include positive drainage away from building foundations with a minimum 5 percent slope for the first 10 feet (6 inches of fall over 10 feet), finished lot grading that directs runoff to swales or inlets rather than pooling near the structure, and matching property-line elevations to adjacent lots so runoff is not concentrated onto neighboring properties. Retaining walls over 4 feet tall require an engineered design and building permit. Fill in a regulatory floodway is prohibited without FEMA CLOMR approval; fill in a floodplain outside the floodway requires a floodplain development permit and no-rise analysis. Discharging roof gutters or sump pumps directly onto neighboring property is prohibited; homeowners must direct such flow to the street, an approved drainage easement, or a swale entirely within their own lot. Disputes between neighbors about altered drainage are a civil matter in Texas but may also violate the Haltom City nuisance ordinance when the alteration is substantial. Drainage easements shown on the plat cannot be obstructed by fences, structures, or landscaping that impedes flow. New subdivisions and commercial developments must submit hydrology and hydraulics studies sized for the 100-year storm using city-approved methods (typically rational method for small areas, TR-20 or HEC-HMS for larger watersheds).