Waco, TX Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing statute
- Tex. Local Gov't Code Ch. 54 and Ch. 214
- Repair/demolition deadline
- 30 days, extendable to 90 with a plan
- Civil penalty
- Up to $1,000/day per violation
- Homestead penalty cap
- $10/day if property is a lawful homestead
- Enforcement body
- 7-member Building Standards Commission
- City repair exclusion
- City won't repair buildings with 11+ units
Summary
Waco's Minimum Building Standards Code declares any unsafe, unsanitary, or unsecured vacant building illegal and lets the Building Standards Commission order repair, securing, or demolition. Sec. 6-316 authorizes civil penalties up to $1,000.00 per day per violation, or $10.00 per day for a homestead, on top of criminal referral or city-performed repairs assessed against the property.
This article is adopted pursuant to Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 54 and Chapter 214 to establish minimum standards ... All unsafe buildings or structures are hereby declared to be illegal and shall be abated by securing, repair, removal, or demolition in accordance with the procedures set forth in this code. ... The building standards commission by order, may assess and recover a civil penalty against the property owner in an amount not to exceed $1,000.00 per day for each violation or, if the owner shows that the property is the owner's lawful homestead, in an amount not to exceed $10.00 per day for each violation, if the city proves:(1)The property owner was notified of the requirements of this article and the owner's need to comply with the requirements; and(2)After notification, the property owner committed an act in violation of this article or failed to take an action necessary for compliance with this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
" Sec. 6-308 declares unsafe buildings illegal and defines them as structures unfit for human habitation, lacking adequate egress, constituting a fire hazard, or otherwise dangerous by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence, or abandonment, as well as any vacant, unsecured building that could shelter trespassers or endanger children. A seven-member Building Standards Commission, appointed under Sec. 6-310, hears these cases. After notice under Sec. 6-312, Sec. 6-313 requires the commission to give the owner, lienholder, or mortgagee 30 days to secure, repair, remove, or demolish the building, unless they show the work cannot reasonably be finished that fast, and caps extensions at 90 days absent a detailed plan justifying more time.
Once the deadline lapses, Sec. 00 per day if the owner shows the property is their lawful homestead. Separately, Sec. 6-318 lets the city secure an unoccupied or unlawfully occupied substandard building without a full commission hearing, after which Sec. 6-320 gives the owner 30 days to request a hearing on the securing itself. The city will not repair residential buildings with 11 or more dwelling units under Sec. 6-316(b).
Violations & Fines
Violating the minimum building standards after notice exposes an owner to a civil penalty of up to $1,000.00 per day per violation under Sec. 6-316(c), reduced to $10.00 per day for a homestead, plus possible criminal referral to municipal court, city-performed repair or demolition billed to the property as a lien, or relocation of occupants. Any lien the city files is privileged and subordinate only to tax liens under Sec. 6-317.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as an unsafe building in Waco?
How much time do I get to fix a substandard building?
What penalty can Waco impose for an unsafe building?
Can the city demolish my building without a hearing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
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