Moving to Katy, TX?

Katy bans loudspeakers cast onto public streets for advertising and prohibits radios, stereos, and amplifiers loud enough to disturb neighbors, with a strict 11 p.m.-7 a.m. audibility threshold.

Katy declares it a nuisance for an animal to bark, howl, whine, or otherwise disturb neighbors, and requires the complainant to give the owner prior written notice before filing.

Katy's noise ordinance creates a prima facie nighttime quiet period from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. for amplified sound and prohibits any noise that disturbs neighbors at any hour.

Katy does not ban leaf blowers but requires noise-creating blowers, power fans, and internal combustion engines to be muffled enough to deaden the noise they produce.

Katy requires every permitted short-term rental to maintain qualifying general liability insurance and provide proof of coverage during the application and renewal process.

Katy imposes a 7% city hotel occupancy tax on short-term rentals, in addition to the 6% state HOT, with monthly reporting required from operators.

Katy requires every short-term rental operator to obtain a city-issued permit before listing or renting a dwelling for periods of less than thirty consecutive days.

Katy STR Article 4.10 requires parking to comply with the zoning ordinance, prohibits required parking in public right-of-way, alleys, or access easements, and bars yards from being used for the minimum required parking.

Katy STR Article 4.10 (adopted Mar 27, 2023) makes operators civilly and criminally liable for guest noise. Citywide Article 8.04 prohibits sound plainly audible 50 feet away between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Katy property owners must keep lots free of rubbish, brush, and other debris under Chapter 6 (Ordinance 01023). Weeds taller than nine inches, or any vegetation harboring rodents and pests, are declared a nuisance subject to abatement.

Katy prohibits the manufacture, sale, possession, and discharge of all fireworks inside city limits under Article 5.07 of its Code of Ordinances. Violators face fines from $25 to $200 per offense and the Fire Marshal will seize and destroy any fireworks found.

Katy bans construction or use of any barbecue pit or open flame within 10 feet of a multifamily building wall, or beneath a balcony, porch, roof overhang, or veranda. The rule was adopted under Ordinance 3123 amending the 2021 International Fire Code.

Katy's zoning ordinance restricts where recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers may be parked in residential districts, generally requiring storage in the side or rear yard rather than the front yard or public street.

Katy's parking article designates specific no-parking zones along Franz Road and Katy-Hockley Road and authorizes posted tow-away signs, with violations punishable as misdemeanors.

Katy's nuisance code requires owners to keep property free of junked vehicles and authorizes police to impound abandoned vehicles, with a 45-day inoperability test and mandatory abatement orders.

Katy prohibits parking commercial vehicles exceeding 10,000 pounds gross weight on any city street, right-of-way, or alley for longer than one hour, with exceptions only for active deliveries.

Katy's Code of Ordinances and Zoning Ordinance (Exhibit 14A) do not set a numeric maximum fence height for residential lots and require no building permit for fence construction. Corner lots must preserve sightlines at intersections, and almost every Katy subdivision is governed by HOA deed restrictions that typically cap fences at 6 to 8 feet. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 211 authorizes Katy's zoning controls.

Katy declares any livestock, fowl, or animal kept in conditions that disturb neighbors or create unsanitary conditions a public nuisance, allowing animal control to investigate and abate hoarding-type situations.

Katy classifies exotic animals as livestock subject to the one-acre rule and regulates dangerous wild animals under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822, Subchapter E, with the city as the local enforcement authority.

Katy requires dogs to be on a leash or securely confined within a fence at all times, prohibits dogs from running at large, and authorizes animal control to impound any unrestrained dog found in the city.

Katy prohibits keeping chickens, fowl, or livestock on tracts smaller than one acre, caps the number per acre, and bans swine within city limits except for limited FFA or 4-H exemptions.

Katy prohibits grass and weeds growing taller than nine inches on any improved or unimproved lot within the city limits.

Katy treats uncultivated vegetation over nine inches, or any growth harboring rodents or vermin, as a public nuisance regardless of height.

Removing or destroying a tree on Katy public property without the public works director's permission is a misdemeanor with fines up to $200 per tree.

Katy enforces a multi-stage drought plan with mandatory twice-weekly outdoor watering windows tied to address numbers and land use.

Katy requires the public works director's approval before trimming, pruning, or otherwise altering any tree on city property, easements, or rights-of-way.

Katy regulates signs through Article 3.06 of Chapter 3, restricting moving and intermittent lights and prohibiting unpermitted off-premises signs in residential districts where home occupations operate.

Katy's zoning ordinance separates commercial daycare from residential uses, classifying "Commercial Daycare, Pre-School, Childcare, Nursery" as a distinct category requiring proper zoning and compliance certificates.

Katy's zoning ordinance permits limited home occupations as a secondary residential use, restricting allowed activities to specific professional and craft trades while prohibiting retail and noxious operations.

Katy's zoning ordinance bars home occupations from creating noxious impacts including vibration, noise, odor, dust, smoke, gas, or unsightly appearance, effectively limiting customer traffic on residential streets.

Katy requires a building permit before construction or installation of any in-ground or above-ground residential swimming pool within city limits.

Above-ground pools in Katy must obtain the same building permit and meet the same 2021 ISPSC standards as in-ground residential pools.

Hot tubs and spas in Katy fall under the same adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, with permit and safety cover or barrier requirements.

Katy adopted the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code and 2021 IRC (effective Jan 1, 2024), which require a 48-inch barrier with self-closing/self-latching gates around residential pools; a permit is required for all in-ground and above-ground pools.

Katy treats carports as accessory structures requiring a building permit, with placement governed by the same setback and height rules as other detached accessory buildings.

Katy requires a permit for storage sheds and other detached accessory buildings, with setback and height limits set by the city zoning ordinance and building code.

Katy requires a building permit for converting a garage to living space under the 2021 IRC and 2023 NEC adopted Jan 1, 2024. Conversions cannot create an unrelated rental unit, and HOA deed restrictions in master-planned subdivisions often prohibit the change.

Katy's Zoning Ordinance defines an Accessory Dwelling Unit as a unit accessory to a principal single-family residence, used only by family members, guests, or employees working within the residence; commercial use is prohibited.

Katy requires a stormwater pollution prevention plan and TPDES coverage for any construction site disturbing one or more acres, including post-construction BMPs maintained by the property owner.

Katy requires erosion and sediment controls as part of the SWPPP for one-acre construction sites and incorporates Harris County PCPM design standards for stable channels and detention ponds.

Katy's minimum construction standards require storm sewers to contain a two-year storm without surcharging at minimum 0.1% gradient using Class III concrete pipe and follow Harris County PCPM hydrology standards.

Katy's flood damage prevention article requires anchoring, flood-resistant construction, and floodplain administrator approval for all new construction and substantial improvements in special and moderate flood hazard areas.

Christmas displays and similar non-advertising holiday decorations are expressly exempt from Katy's sign regulations but must comply with fire safety rules.

Katy prohibits posting garage sale signs and other bandit signs in public rights-of-way, on utility poles, traffic signs, or attached to public infrastructure.

Katy requires trash containers to be marked with owner contact information, kept covered, and used only by the property they belong to.

Owners of vacant lots in Katy must keep weeds under nine inches and prevent rubbish, stagnant water, or pest harborage on the parcel.

Katy treats high weeds, accumulated rubbish, and unsanitary conditions as nuisances when weeds exceed nine inches or harbor pests.

Katy's zoning ordinance prohibits offensive glare from industrial-district uses and code enforcement treats unreasonable light intrusion onto neighboring property as a nuisance violation subject to citation.

Katy requires carts placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on collection day, and commercial dumpsters must sit on a screened, all-weather pad except when stored fully inside.

The City of Katy contracts with Texas Pride Disposal for residential trash and recycling collection, with set-out times, container standards, and routes governed by city ordinance.

Katy residents receive weekly bulk pickup of up to three bulky items plus quarterly Super Heavy Trash collection, with strict limits on prohibited materials.

Katy provides single-stream curbside recycling through Texas Pride Disposal, with accepted materials including paper, cardboard, metal cans, glass, and plastic bottles and jugs.

Katy requires every food truck and mobile food unit to obtain a city Mobile Food Vendor permit under Ordinance 3086, valid for one year. Operators must also display a current Harris County or Fort Bend County health permit before selling food in the city.

Katy limits stationary food truck operation to the M industrial district, with additional accessory-use allowances in the OKD Old Katy district. No more than two mobile food establishments may share a single location, and OKD trucks must sit behind a building and stay 300 feet from other vending sites.

Katy Ordinance No. 2243 lets residents block solicitors by posting a weatherproof no-solicitation sign at least one inch tall in bold print near the main entrance, making any further solicitation a code violation.

Under Ordinance No. 2243, anyone engaged in home solicitation, charitable solicitation, or itinerant peddling in Katy must obtain a permit and register with the Katy Police Department before knocking on doors.

The City of Katy enforces nighttime and daytime juvenile curfews under Chapter 8, prohibiting minors from being in public during specified hours absent statutory exceptions.

City of Katy parks operate under park rules that limit access to posted hours, with the dog park open dawn to dusk and other facilities generally closed late at night.

Katy's R-1 single-family district requires a 25-foot front yard, side yard adjacent to streets on corner lots, and a minimum 15-foot rear yard depth measured from any structure.

Katy zoning limits residential structures to 32 feet measured from the highest natural grade under the slab, excluding chimneys, attic ventilators, and plumbing vent stacks from the height calculation.

Katy makes it a misdemeanor to damage, cut, or remove vegetation on public parks, easements, rights-of-way, or other city property, with fines up to $200 per violation.

Katy requires two replacement trees for every living tree removed during development and obligates owners to replace dead landscaping within 60 days of city notice.