Texas SB 15 — Small Lot Deregulation (TX)

Tracked preemption from the Texas overlay bundle.

Overview

Effective
2025-09-01
Sunset
Authority
state
Scope
state:TX
Primary-source summary
SB 15 — Small Lot Deregulation (2025)

Trigger predicate

When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.

AND
  • parcel.lot_area_sf 4000

Preempted fields

4 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.

FieldOpValueNote
base_districts[*].min_setback_ftwaiveLimits city regulation of setbacks on lots ≤4,000 sf
base_districts[*].parking_ratiowaiveLimits city regulation of parking on qualifying small lots
base_districts[*].max_height_ftwaiveLimits city regulation of height on qualifying small lots
base_districts[*].max_farwaiveLimits city regulation of bulk on qualifying small lots

Citation

Authority source
Texas SB 15 (88th Legislature)
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/SB00015F.HTM

Research notes

Applies to lots ≤4,000 sf to enable 'missing middle' housing. Cities retain authority over use restrictions and life safety. Source .md does not specify the exact effective date beyond '2025' — using Sept 1 (standard Texas bill effective date) as approximation; verify if a precise date matters. Height waivers could intersect federal airport surfaces in dense urban cores.