Texas — Code Adoption Summary
Adoption model: Home-rule / mixed — no statewide commercial building code; each municipality adopts + amends its own. BUT the NEC is adopted statewide (TDLR) and the energy code is a statewide minimum.
Last verified: 2026-07-03
Confidence: verified
Primary sources: TDLR (electrical) — https://www.tdlr.texas.gov · SECO/energy — Texas 2021 IECC ; ICC TX — https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/adoptions-map/texas/
Statewide items (apply everywhere)
| Code family | Adopted edition | Notes | Source |
|---|
| Electrical (NEC) | NEC 2023 statewide → NEC 2026 effective 2026-09-01 | TDLR must adopt the latest NEC (Texas Electrical Safety & Licensing Act) | tdlr.texas.gov / IEC Fort Worth |
| Energy (commercial) | IECC 2021 + ASHRAE 90.1-2019 | statewide minimum | SECO / meltplan |
| Energy (residential) | 2021 IRC Chapter 11 | statewide minimum | " |
Building / Mechanical / Plumbing — set by each municipality (home-rule)
- No statewide commercial building code. Cities adopt their own IBC/IMC/IPC editions + amendments. Unincorporated areas often have limited/no building-code enforcement (county authority is narrow in TX).
- Plumbing: most metros use IPC; the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners licenses plumbers, but the technical code is local.
Adoption model & precedence
- Electrical + energy: statewide floor (above).
- Everything else: the local city is the AHJ and its adopted editions govern; no state override. Confirm the exact city adoption for every project.
Major cities / metros
| Jurisdiction | County | Notes | Building dept. |
|---|
| Houston | Harris | Reviews electrical to state NEC; minimal local amendments | houstonpermittingcenter.org |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | Dallas/Tarrant | NCTCOG regional amendments coordinate the metroplex (regional NEC/building amendment packets) | nctcog.org/envir |
| Austin | Travis | Progressive; energy/electrification amendments beyond state min | austintexas.gov |
| San Antonio | Bexar | Own adopted editions | sanantonio.gov |
| El Paso | El Paso | Own adopted editions | elpasotexas.gov |
AHJ fallback (when local adoption is unverified)
- Certain floor: statewide NEC (2023→2026) + IECC 2021 / 90.1-2019 energy.
- Building/mechanical/plumbing: must confirm the city's adopted editions — there is no state default. If unincorporated, confirm whether any building code is enforced at all.
- Action: contact the specific city building/permitting dept (or NCTCOG for DFW) to confirm editions + amendments.
Change log
- 2026-07-03 — created; verified statewide NEC 2023 (→2026 on 2026-09-01), IECC 2021/90.1-2019, home-rule building.
