Harris County · Texas
Commercial Contractor in Houston
Ground-up commercial, tenant build-outs and franchise locations in Houston, TX — estimating, permitting, construction and closeout under one contract.
What We Build in Houston
Houston commercial demand is industrial and energy-adjacent — service facilities, fabrication and equipment buildings, distribution — plus a large restaurant and retail build-out market. It is a sophisticated construction market where clients ask harder questions about schedule and scope than most.
Houston is roughly four hours from our Richardson office. We mobilize on a project basis and price that as a stated line item rather than folding it into the square-foot rate.
Permitting & Code in Houston
Who issues the permit
Permits are issued through the Houston Permitting Center, administered by Houston Public Works Building Code Enforcement. Houston has no zoning ordinance, which removes a review step — but private deed restrictions still apply, are enforced privately, and are frequently the real limit on what can go on a given site. Check them before design.
Which code applies
Houston adopted the 2021 International Codes with Houston amendments, effective 1 January 2024 following City Council approval on 25 October 2023.
What drives cost and schedule
Two things drive Houston commercial cost that do not apply in North Texas. Wind loading is determined site-specifically under ASCE 7 and is materially higher, which changes structural design rather than adding margin. And flood plain designation governs finished floor elevation and site drainage — an engineering decision that cannot be corrected after the slab is poured.
Code and permitting details verified 2026-09-07 against ICC — Houston adopts the 2021 International Codes. Adopted editions change — confirm current requirements with the authority before relying on this for design.
Houston Commercial Construction Questions
It removes one review step, but it does not make a site unconstrained. Private deed restrictions still apply and are enforced privately rather than by the city, and they are frequently the binding limit on use, setbacks and signage for a commercial property. Establish what the deed restrictions permit before you design to them, not after.
Houston adopted the 2021 International Codes with Houston amendments, effective 1 January 2024. Structural wind loading is determined site-specifically under ASCE 7 and is considerably higher than North Texas, which changes frame, anchorage and connection design rather than simply adding a safety margin.
Yes, and we show it as its own line item. Houston is roughly four hours from our Richardson office, so the estimate states the mobilization cost separately rather than burying it in the square-foot price.
Commercial construction in other cities
Planning a Commercial Project in Houston?
Tell us the scope, the site and the timeline. You get a line-item estimate that separates construction, site work, permitting and allowances, so you can see exactly what you are paying for and what is still open.