Zoning › Texas › Comal County › New Braunfels

New Braunfels, TX Zoning

14 districts. 8 overlays. 4 applicable state preemptions.

Overview

Worth knowing
  • {"id": "q1", "text": "German heritage and founding: Founded 1845 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels; Wurstfest Special District reflects annual German sausage festival; historic downtown reflects German-immigrant planned community (1845-1940)"}
  • {"id": "q2", "text": "Dual-designation naming system: 1987 comprehensive update created parallel pre/post-1987 district names with identical standards (R-1/R-1A-6.6, R-2/R-2A); LDO consolidation underway to clean up redundancies"}
  • {"id": "q3", "text": "LDO comprehensive revision (2021-present): Four ordinances (zoning, platting, signs, historic preservation) being merged into single Land Development Ordinance; April 2025 public meetings on Downtown Form-Based Zoning District may significantly change district structure"}

+ 7 more in Quirks & notes

Districts

res_sf 11com 2ind 1
CodeNameCategory Min lotHeight CoverageFAR Du/acParking Setbacks F/S/R
R-1Single-Family (R-1) — Pre-1987res_sf6,600 sf[4]35 ft[5]————25[1] / 5[2] / 20[3]
R-2Single-Family and Two-Family (R-2) — Pre-1987res_sf6,600 sf[9]35 ft[10]————25[6] / 5[7] / 20[8]
R-4Single-Family R-1A-4 (R-4)res_sf4,000 sf[14]35 ft[15]————15[11] / 5[12] / 15[13]
R-5.5Single-Family R-1A-5.5 (R-5.5)res_sf5,500 sf[19]35 ft[20]————25[16] / 5[17] / 15[18]
R-8Single-Family R-1A-8 (R-8)res_sf8,000 sf[24]35 ft[25]————25[21] / 5[22] / 20[23]
R-12Single-Family R-1A-12 (R-12)res_sf12,000 sf[29]35 ft[30]————25[26] / 10[27] / 20[28]
RE-1Rural Estate Tier 1 (RE-1) — LDO Draft onlyres_sf——————— / — / —
RE-2Rural Estate Tier 2 (RE-2) — LDO Draft onlyres_sf——————— / — / —
RS-12Residential Standard 12 (RS-12) — LDO Draft onlyres_sf——————— / — / —
RS-15Residential Standard 15 (RS-15) — LDO Draft onlyres_sf——————— / — / —
RS-20Residential Standard 20 (RS-20) — LDO Draft onlyres_sf——————— / — / —
C-1Local Business (C-1) — Pre-1987com—35 ft[34]————25[31] / 0[32] / 20[33]
C-2General Business (C-2) — Pre-1987 / CBDcom—75 ft[37]————0[35] / 0[36] / —
I-1Light Industrial (M-1 / I-1) — Pre-1987ind—120 ft[41]————25[38] / 0[39] / 20[40]

Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found

Overlays

DHD
Downtown Historic District
HP
Chapter 66 — Historic Preservation | Code of Ordinances Ch. 66

Downtown area; Period of Significance 1845-1940 | Downtown New Braunfels historic area; Period of Significance 1845-1940; mapped boundary per Ch. 66

period_of_significance1845-1940
design_review_scheduleLast Tuesday monthly 3-5pm
coa_requiredTrue
tax_incentive_percent20
MSHD
Mill Street Historic District
HP
Chapter 66 — Historic Preservation | Code of Ordinances Ch. 66

Mill Street area | Mill Street corridor; mapped boundary per Ch. 66 historic overlay map

coa_requiredTrue
SHHD
Sophienburg Hill Historic District
HP
Chapter 66 — Historic Preservation | Code of Ordinances Ch. 66

Sophienburg Hill area | Sophienburg Hill neighborhood; mapped boundary per Ch. 66 historic overlay map

coa_requiredTrue
SHD
Stock Historic District
HP
Chapter 66 — Historic Preservation | Code of Ordinances Ch. 66

5 properties at Coll St between Market-Seguin Ave (smallest district) | 5 properties on Coll Street between Market Ave and Seguin Ave (smallest historic district in city)

property_count5
coa_requiredTrue
FP
Floodplain Overlay
FP
Chapter 58 — Floods | Code of Ordinances Ch. 58, Art. II §58-29

FEMA flood maps; Comal River and Guadalupe River corridors | FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA); Comal River corridor (headwaters at Comal Springs/Landa Park) and Guadalupe River corridor

freeboard_ft_above_bfe2[42]
rpls_form_board_survey_requiredTrue
rivers_coveredComal River; Guadalupe River
EARZ
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Overlay
ENV
Chapter 144 — Zoning Ordinance | Code of Ordinances Ch. 144

Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone boundary | Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone boundary (TCEQ-mapped); portions of New Braunfels overlie the recharge zone

min_lot_sf_in_recharge43560
min_lot_sf_elsewhere_with_sewer21780
regulatory_sharingEdwards Aquifer Authority
WSD
Wurstfest Special District
spec
Chapter 144 — Zoning Ordinance | Code of Ordinances Ch. 144

Wurstfest festival grounds and adjacent area | Wurstfest grounds and adjacent parcels along Landa Park Drive

use_frameworkfestival-tourism-mixed
AHO
Airport Hazard Overlay
SPEC
Chapter 144 — Zoning Ordinance §144-5.20 | Code of Ordinances Ch. 144 §144-5.20

FAA Part 77 imaginary surfaces; conical, horizontal, primary, approach, and transitional zones around KBAZ | FAA Part 77 surfaces around New Braunfels Regional Airport (KBAZ); horizontal zone extends below a horizontal surface 150 ft above established airport elevation

horizontal_surface_ft150[43]
conical_slope_ratio20:1
conical_horizontal_extent_ft4,000[44]
min_sound_attenuation_db25[45]

State preemptions

SB 15 — Small Lot Deregulationapplies
Qualifying condition
lots ≤4,000 sf exist in city | id=TX-SB15 ; name=SB 15 — Small Lot Deregulation ; year=2025 ; reason=New Braunfels general residential minimum lot is 6,600 sf interior / 7,000 sf corner (Ch. 144); SB 15 applies only if the city has or permits lots ≤4,000 sf. Applies conditionally to any small-lot subdivision under PD/SUD or legal non-conforming lots ≤4,000 sf; city retains use/life-safety authority.
SB 2038 — ETJ Release (2023)applies
Qualifying condition
city has ETJ under Loc. Gov't Code ch. 42 | id=TX-SB2038 ; name=SB 2038 — ETJ Release (2023) ; year=2023 ; reason=New Braunfels has extensive ETJ in Comal and Guadalupe counties (high-growth area); owners may petition for release by simple majority; materially affects ETJ-boundary platting and subdivision authority.
HB 2127 — Death Star local preemption (2023)applies
Qualifying condition
statewide | id=TX-HB2127 ; name=HB 2127 — Death Star local preemption (2023) ; year=2023 ; reason=Does not preempt Ch. 211 zoning authority directly, but limits certain occupational/commercial regulations adjacent to zoning (tree-preservation local add-ons, STR registration, some property-maintenance rules).
HB 3903 — Short-term rental preemptionapplies
Qualifying condition
statewide | id=TX-HB3903 ; name=HB 3903 — Short-term rental preemption ; year=2023 ; reason=High-impact for New Braunfels given river-tourism STR inventory (Comal/Guadalupe). City cannot prohibit STRs outright in residential zones; retains registration, life-safety, and noise authority. Pairs with local STR ordinance adopted under Ch. 144.
Non-applicable laws (1)
SB 840 — Multifamily by-right in commercial/office/retail/warehouse/MU zonesunder_review
Qualifying condition
city population ≥150,000 AND county population ≥300,000 (both required) | id=TX-SB840 ; name=SB 840 — Multifamily by-right in commercial/office/retail/warehouse/MU zones ; year=2025 ; reason=New Braunfels population ~100,000 is below the 150,000 city floor. Comal County (~180,000) is also below the 300,000 county floor. Both thresholds fail. SB 840 does NOT apply even though a small portion of the city extends into Guadalupe County. ; note=state-preemptions/texas.md qualifying-city list incorrectly includes New Braunfels (flags Bexar/Comal); primary county is Comal (~180k) which is below the 300k county threshold. Flag for state-tracker correction.

Adopted building codes

Home rule; major cities on 2024 IBC

IBC
2012 (state min)
IRC
2021
NEC
2023
IFC
Local adoption
IECC (Residential)
2015
IECC (Commercial)
2015

Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.

Quirks & notes

  • {"id": "q1", "text": "German heritage and founding: Founded 1845 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels; Wurstfest Special District reflects annual German sausage festival; historic downtown reflects German-immigrant planned community (1845-1940)"}
  • {"id": "q2", "text": "Dual-designation naming system: 1987 comprehensive update created parallel pre/post-1987 district names with identical standards (R-1/R-1A-6.6, R-2/R-2A); LDO consolidation underway to clean up redundancies"}
  • {"id": "q3", "text": "LDO comprehensive revision (2021-present): Four ordinances (zoning, platting, signs, historic preservation) being merged into single Land Development Ordinance; April 2025 public meetings on Downtown Form-Based Zoning District may significantly change district structure"}
  • {"id": "q4", "text": "Fastest-growing US city: 5.05% annual growth; projected 50% increase by 2030, doubling by 2040; development pressure on agricultural lands"}
  • {"id": "q5", "text": "River tourism economy: Comal River (headwaters at Comal Springs in Landa Park), Guadalupe River \u2014 tubing industry creates unique intersection of floodplain management and recreational/tourism economy"}
  • {"id": "q6", "text": "Schlitterbahn WaterPark Resort: 1 million annual visitors; major land use driver; commercial/resort zoning"}
  • {"id": "q7", "text": "Edwards Aquifer lot size escalation: 1.0 acre minimum in recharge zone creates a sharp density cliff at aquifer boundary \u2014 significant constraint on development pattern"}
  • {"id": "q8", "text": "Four historic districts: Downtown, Mill Street, Sophienburg Hill, Stock \u2014 extensive preservation framework with COA process and 20% ad valorem tax reduction incentive"}
  • {"id": "q9", "text": "SB 840 exclusion: New Braunfels population ~100k fails the 150k city floor AND Comal County ~180k fails the 300k county floor. state-preemptions/texas.md qualifying-city list incorrectly includes New Braunfels; flag for state-tracker correction."}
  • {"id": "q10", "text": "HB 3903 STR preemption is load-bearing given river-tourism STR inventory; local STR ordinance constrained to registration/life-safety/noise"}

Formulas

Definitions

height
Ground level to highest point of structure.
lot_coverage
Building footprint / lot area.
far
Gross floor area / lot area.
du_ac
Dwelling units per gross acre.
setback_front
Front property line to nearest building face.
setback_side
Side property line to nearest building face.
setback_rear
Rear property line to nearest building face.
parking
Spaces per dwelling unit unless noted.

Capacity calculations

max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage
max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far
max_units_from_density
lot_area_sf * du_ac / 43560

Massing explorer

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District Category Height FAR Coverage Setbacks Parking Density Min lot Overlays

Sources & references

Primary source
https://library.municode.com/tx/new_braunfels/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_CH144ZO
as amended through 2026-Q1
Citations
  1. [1] §144-3.3-1
  2. [2] §144-3.3-1
  3. [3] §144-3.3-1
  4. [4] §144-3.3-1
  5. [5] §144-3.3-1
  6. [6] §144-3.3-2
  7. [7] §144-3.3-2
  8. [8] §144-3.3-2
  9. [9] §144-3.3-2
  10. [10] §144-3.3-2
  11. [11] §144-3.4-5
  12. [12] §144-3.4-5
  13. [13] §144-3.4-5
  14. [14] §144-3.4-5
  15. [15] §144-3.4-5
  16. [16] §144-3.4-4
  17. [17] §144-3.4-4
  18. [18] §144-3.4-4
  19. [19] §144-3.4-4
  20. [20] §144-3.4-4
  21. [21] §144-3.4-2
  22. [22] §144-3.4-2
  23. [23] §144-3.4-2
  24. [24] §144-3.4-2
  25. [25] §144-3.4-2
  26. [26] §144-3.4-1
  27. [27] §144-3.4-1
  28. [28] §144-3.4-1
  29. [29] §144-3.4-1
  30. [30] §144-3.4-1
  31. [31] §144-3.3-7
  32. [32] §144-3.3-7
  33. [33] §144-3.3-7
  34. [34] §144-3.3-7
  35. [35] §144-3.3-8
  36. [36] §144-3.3-8
  37. [37] §144-3.3-8
  38. [38] §144-3.3-11
  39. [39] §144-3.3-11
  40. [40] §144-3.3-11
  41. [41] §144-3.3-11
  42. [42] §58-29
  43. [43] §144-5.20
  44. [44] §144-5.20
  45. [45] §144-5.20

Research status

Publication gates

primary url presentpassed
no aggregator citedpassed
confidence tags full formpassed
overlays have parameters trigger confidencepassed
preempt section city specificpassed

Data quality

72%completeness79 confirmed30 partial
Documented gaps
  • C-1B specific dimensional standards (assessment notes 'similar to C-1B and C-2' but specific values not directly retrieved)
  • C-4 / C-4A specific dimensional standards (LDO draft introduces new lot size; current values pending direct §144-3.3-10 / §144-3.4-15 retrieval)
  • MU-A and MU-B mixed-use district standards (use 'umbrella' approach — base standards apply per assessment p.16)
  • C-O Commercial Office district standards (assessment notes uses C-1A standards minus 50,000 sf cap, p.18)
  • FAR, lot coverage, parking ratios — Chapter 144 does not appear to use FAR or lot coverage; parking requirements housed in §144-5.1 (Parking, loading, stacking) — separate retrieval needed
  • RE-1/RE-2/RS-12/RS-15/RS-20 are LDO-draft district names not in adopted Chapter 144; flagged but no enforceable standards exist
  • Edwards Aquifer overlay specifics: 1.0 acre min lot in recharge zone is referenced in Code Assessment ('aquifer recharge zone' large-lot retention) but exact §144 cite for the 1.0-acre rule pending direct retrieval — current value retained as inferred from prior research
  • Downtown Form-Based Zoning District specifications (April 2025 public meetings — likely supersedes some C-2/CBD standards once adopted)

Known issues

freshness:volatiledata:partial-on-mu-and-co-districts

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