Austin wants power to order emergency demolitions within 96 hours. A hearing is set for Nov. 19

Austin is moving to give its building official the power to order a dangerous building torn down within 96 hours, without waiting for the city's Building and Standards Commission. On Nov. 5 the City Council is scheduled to set a public hearing on the change for Nov. 19, according to the draft agenda.

This matters for anyone who owns property, lives next to a vacant or fire-damaged building, or worries about historic structures. The proposal would add a new emergency track alongside the standard demolition process, which runs through the commission and which staff call lengthy.

What the proposal would do

According to the staff recommendation for action and the draft ordinance:

• Who it covers. Abandoned or vacant buildings, and buildings with structural damage from fire, water or another sudden event. "Vacant" means all lawful activity has stopped, or appears to have stopped, for more than 150 days. City slides say the chapter does not apply to occupied structures.
• The standard. The building official must find an "imminent threat or danger," defined as a condition that could cause serious injury or death at any time.
• The steps. The building is first posted with a "DO NOT ENTER" placard, and the case goes to internal review. The building official signs an emergency affidavit and order, and so does the fire code official if fire is involved. The Development Services director then approves it.
• The clock. Demolition must start within 96 hours after the order is signed.
• Owners. The city must try to get the owner's consent. If the owner refuses, the city must get an administrative search warrant from a court. After demolition, the order is filed in county property records and mailed to the owner and any lienholders.
• Cost. The draft says the city will not seek to recover its costs for an emergency demolition.

City presentation slides describe a "Dangerous Premises Team" that can include the building official, fire marshal, an engineer and the chief building inspector. They say the city would notify the Historic Preservation Office, the homeless strategy office and the city attorney before a demolition, and would notify the state health department, which requires work to begin within 48 hours of that notice. Staff say San Antonio, Dallas and Houston already use emergency demolitions. The city held a public webinar on the change.

What our records add

A commission vote, with one no. The Building and Standards Commission recommended the change on Sept. 23 by a 6-1 vote, according to the staff memo. One commissioner voted no and two were absent.

How the current code was adopted. The council adopted the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code, with local amendments, in April 2025 on an 11-0 vote after a public hearing. It had set that hearing on consent, also 11-0. This proposal adds a new chapter to that code.

Skipping some steps. The draft ordinance waives two code requirements for how land development amendments are started and reviewed by commissions. It lists an effective date of Jan. 4, a date that would be set in the final version.

Demolition and historic review. In August the council approved, 11-0, owner-opposed historic zoning for part of the Goins-Versea-Nitschke house at 907 E. 13th St. City planning staff told the council the case began after the owner applied for a demolition permit. Under the new process, the slides say, the Historic Preservation Office would get a courtesy notice before an emergency demolition. The draft ordinance does not give it a role in approving one.

What's next

Setting the hearing is a consent item on Nov. 5 and usually passes without debate. The hearing and possible vote would be Nov. 19 at City Hall. Questions can go to Development Services at codecommunications@austintexas.gov, according to the city's slides.