Our Codes

It’s been said that the City of Sour Lake has no code. This is not true.

Sour Lake Ordinance | 155.04  MINIMUM STANDARDS.

In order to eliminate the existence of and to prevent in the future all uninhabitable and dangerous dwellings or buildings, the following minimum standards are hereby established and all the existing buildings, new construction and future installations shall be in accordance with the applicable ordinances of the city regulating the same.

Foundationally, cities exist for the sole purpose of managing the needs of people who live and work in close proximity. The only way we can effectively do this is through ordinances and code. So the question is, what does Sour Lake follow?

Sour Lake is a General Law City. This means that we exercise those powers that are specifically granted or implied by statute.

If you’re curious how that compares to some of the larger municipalities that surround us, it comes down to The Home Rule Amendment of 1912. This amendment gave cities with over 5000 inhabitants the power to adopt their own charter, thereby giving them the power of self-government, so long as they are not in conflict with state or federal law. This is probably where the confusion sets in for some, Sour Lake may not have it’s own charter (and therefor is not a Home Rule city), but that does not mean that we don’t have a code and a local ordinance.

The State of Texas has adopted the following codes for construction (This is the minimum standard). To access these codes for free, please click the name of whichever code you’d like to view.

Municipalities can make local amendments to these respective codes as well as adopt later editions of them at will. 

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors program currently adopts the 2018 IMC, IRC, IFGC.

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has adopted the National Electric Code 2023 Edition, as it existed on August 25, 2022 and as adopted by the National Fire Protection Association, Inc. It became effective September 1, 2023.

The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners currently adopts the 2018 IPC, UPC, IRC, and IFGC.

The 2015 IECC is promulgated through the Texas State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) by administrative rule.

Sour Lake Ordinance | Section 10.08  REFERENCE TO OTHER SECTIONS.

Whenever in a section reference is made to another section hereof, the reference shall extend and apply to the section referred to as subsequently amended, revised, recodified or renumbered, unless the subject matter is changed or materially altered by the amendment or revision.

Within those codes, the following I-Codes are also referenced:

  • 2018 IBC (Building Code)

  • 2018 IEBC (Existing Building Code)

  • 2018 ISPSC (Swimming Pools)