Baytown, TX Hurricane Preparedness: Roof Standards (2026)

Section 18-92 rewrites three wind-load sections of the adopted 2015 International Building Code for every roof, wall and cladding assembly built in the city. 4 requires construction documents to show the basic wind speed of 150 mph (Ultimate Design Wind Speed, V ULT), the wind importance factor and occupancy category, whether exposure B or C applies, the internal pressure coefficient, and the design wind pressures in psf for exterior components and cladding materials, such as roof coverings, that are not separately engineered. 1 makes the 150 mph load mandatory for every building, structure and part of a structure, and bars any decrease in the wind load for shielding by other buildings.

1 only for special wind regions such as mountainous terrain or gorges, neither of which applies in Baytown. Section 18-27, in the windstorm standards division, backs this up on the permitting side: before the building official issues a permit for new construction, the applicant must submit a separate windstorm plan showing the framing components and connections that resist the 150 mph pressures, and any structure taller than one story or larger than 350 square feet in area must be designed by a state-licensed engineer whose seal appears on the drawings under section 18-28. 4 amendment, unless the building official approves an alternate elevation with adequate drainage.