City Of Katy, TX

Sec. 3.104     Local Amendments
(a)     The International Building Code or International Residential Code is amended to provide the following: (Ordinance 2240 adopted 11/10/03)

(1)     A survey by a surveyor licensed by the state is required on all residential construction when a concrete slab is involved and shall be based on actual forms and must include a finished floor elevation of 12 inches above the centerline of the front street, or 18 inches above the curb or 12 inches above the base floodplain elevation, whichever is higher. A form survey is not required where there is an existing survey with absolute reference points. This exception shall not apply to projects located within the 100-year floodplain. (Ordinance 2461 adopted 1/11/10)

(2)     Surveys required hereunder shall show all municipal and private easements.

(3)     A final “as built” survey shall be submitted prior to receipt of certificate of occupancy and shall show the owner’s name. The permit department shall submit notice of the certificate of occupancy to the water department and no service shall be extended to the construction without such notice.

(4)     Smoke and/or heat detectors shall be required in all attics in addition to all other required locations. Each unit shall operate on 110 volt electric service, have battery backup and be interconnected in such a way that should any detector sound an alarm, all detectors will sound an alarm.

(5)     Any and all mobile homes located within the City of Katy or its extra territorial jurisdiction shall within 6 months after adoption of this article comply with HUD requirements for anchoring and be skirted with a non flammable material.

(6)     In any garage attached to a residence, all walls and ceilings adjacent to the residence shall be covered with 5/8″ sheetrock.

(b)     The International Plumbing Code is amended to provide the following:

(1)     Natural draft appliances shall have 3 feet minimum vertical height or as much as would be required for clearance from combustibles and the vertical to horizontal requirements.

(2)     Water piping under a slab on grade shall be sleeved with a continuous piece of tubing .025 inches thick, terminating a minimum of 6″ above the finished floor, per loop.

(3)     Drain, waste and vent piping under slab on grade or structure shall be schedule 40 material minimum. Coextruded PVC plastic piping is not allowed.

(4)     Building sewers and fittings shall be schedule 40 material and a minimum of 4″ in size. Coextruded PVC plastic piping is not allowed.

(5)     Pressure and temperature relief water lines shall be copper or galvanized piping.

(1979 Code of Ordinances, Chapter 3, Section 1)

(6)     Roof jacks shall comply with Compliance Report #94151. If lead jacks are used they shall be 4 lbs. minimum lead unless incompatible with roofing system being installed. (Ordinance 2240 adopted 11/10/03)

(7)     Yard sprinkler systems shall be piped with schedule 40 PVC for all pressure lines. All field lines, not under pressure, may be Class 160 PVC piping minimum. (Ordinance 2007 adopted 2/9/98)

(8)     All drain, waste and vent passing through concrete shall be coated with a minimum of 1/8 in. of mastic sealer.

(9)     Polybutylene pipe and tubing (PB) and polyethylene pipe and tubing (PE), cross-linked polyethylene piping and tubing (PEX) shall not be used in any concealed space for purposes of this code as amended. Attics are considered a concealed space.

(1979 Code of Ordinances, Chapter 3, Section 1)

(10)     No person shall install, nor shall any landowner or person in control of real property within the City of Katy, install a lawn sprinkler or irrigation piping system, as that term is defined or used in the International Plumbing Code, without first applying for and obtaining a permit for its installation. No person, landowner or person in control of real property shall install a faucet or hose bib attached to a lawn sprinkler system or irrigation piping system when such system is attached to a water meter which allows water usage without charge for sanitary sewer service. It shall be unlawful for any person to install, use or maintain a lawn sprinkler or irrigation piping system for any purpose other than the irrigation of vegetation when such system is attached to a separate water meter which allows water usage free of sanitary sewer usage fees. (Ordinance 2007 adopted 2/9/98)

(c)     The International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings is amended to provided the following: (Ordinance 2179 adopted 4/8/02)

(1)     Chapters 21 through 32 dealing with plumbing are deleted, and all plumbing requirements shall be in conformity with the International Plumbing Code, as herein adopted. (Ordinance 2240 adopted 11/10/03)

(2)     In all buildings requiring stairs, the standard rise shall be 7-3/4″ maximum. (1979 Code of Ordinances, Chapter 3, Section 1)

(3)     Stairways, Winders. Winders are permitted, provided that the width of the tread at a point not more than twelve 12 inches (305 mm) from the side where the treads are narrower is not less than ten 10 inches (254 mm) and the minimum width of any tread is not less than six 6 inches (152 mm). The continuous handrail required shall be located on the side where the tread is narrower; however, a newel post may be installed at a turn but may not extend above the handrail. (Ordinance 2272 adopted 1/24/05)

(4)     Chapter 4, Section R 401.1-Application, shall be amended to provide: (Ordinance 2240 adopted 11/10/03)

(A)     All concrete slabs up to 4″ thick shall be reinforced with 6x6x6 welded wire mesh or #3 rebar on 16″ centers.

(B)     Beams in single story dwellings shall have 2 #4 rebar top and bottom.

(C)     Beams in two story dwellings shall have 2 #5 rebar in the top and 3 #5 rebar in the bottom.

(D)     Beams in three story dwellings shall have 3 #5 rebar in top and bottom.

(E)     All deformed bars (rebar) shall conform to ASTM A-615, A-616, A-617. Bar mats shall conform to ASTM A184. Welded wire fabric shall conform to ASTM A-185 or A-497.

(F)     All flat work shall be reinforced with #6 wire mesh or #3 rebar on 18″ centers.

(G)     All reinforcement shall be elevated as required in ACI 318 and ACI 302.

(H)     Wood shingles on new construction are prohibited except when the new construction is an addition to an existing wood shingle roof or is placed on a decorative structure such as a gazebo, by way of example only, which is located more than ten (10′) feet from the main structure.

(Ordinance 2179 adopted 4/8/02)

(d)     Any plumber, electrician, air conditioning/heating and/or general contractor applying for any permit required under any building, construction, plumbing or electrical code adopted by the City of Katy, shall show proof of general liability insurance of at least $300,000.00 or equal to the estimated value of the structure, whichever is greater, prior to receipt of any permit. This requirement shall not apply to a homeowner performing work on his own home.  (1979 Code of Ordinances, Chapter 3, Section 1)

(e)     The International Fire Code 2003 Edition, Chapter 3, Section 308.3, is amended by adding the following language: (Ordinance 2240 adopted 11/10/03)

(1)     The construction, erection, maintenance or use of a barbecue pit or the burning of any combustible material within 10 feet of any wall of a multifamily residential building, or on or beneath any balcony, porch, roof overhang or a veranda of a multifamily residential building constitutes a fire hazard which endangers life and threatens property.

(A)     No person shall construct, erect, install, maintain or use any barbecue pit or burn any combustible material within 10 feet of any wall of a multifamily residential building, or on or beneath a balcony, porch, roof overhang or a veranda of a multifamily residential building.

(B)     It is unlawful for any person to construct, erect, install, maintain or use any barbecue pit or burn any combustible material within 10 feet of any wall of a multifamily residential building, or on or beneath a balcony, porch, roof overhang or a veranda of a multifamily residential building.

(C)     Electric barbecue pits are excepted from this section provided they have no open flame and are equipped with, and there is present, a non noncombustible metal lid, with a handle, fitting over the entire cooking surface.

(D)     For purposes of this section:

(i)     Barbecue Pit. Shall mean any kind of device used for cooking food by exposing such food directly to red heat or open flames from heated briquettes, charcoal, natural gas, propane, compressed gas, wood or paper.

(ii)     Multifamily residential building. Shall mean a building containing more than one residential unit including apartment complexes,  duplexes, fourplexes, condominiums or any other structure where more than one family may reside in a residential unit.

(iii)     Burn.  Shall mean to light a fire, which produces heat or light, resulting in the combustion of any material including wood, natural gas, liquid petroleum gas, charcoal, briquettes or paper.

(Ordinance 2096 adopted 12/13/99)