Cities | Fort Worth and Others
Fort Worth, El Paso and the Other Texas Cities SB 15 Covers
Two of the 2025 Texas housing laws, SB 15 and SB 840, apply only in large cities. This page lists the 19 cities that meet their size test on 2020 Census counts, shows the close cases, gives what VanPlex could verify for Fort Worth, El Paso and Arlington, and explains how an owner in any other Texas city can check the rules for a lot.
The covered cities in six facts
- By VanPlex count from 2020 Census figures, 19 Texas cities have more than 150,000 people and sit wholly or partly in a county of more than 300,000, the test SB 15 and SB 840 use. Source: 2020 Census redistricting file for Texas
- Texas statutes read "population" as the count in the most recent federal decennial census unless a law says otherwise. Source: Government Code 311.005
- Fort Worth's 2019 zoning district summary lists a B two-family district with a 5,000 square foot minimum lot for two attached homes and 7,500 for two detached homes. Source: Fort Worth zoning district summary (2019)
- Fort Worth had 918,915 people in the 2020 Census and 1,028,117 on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau estimate. Source: Census Vintage 2025 city estimates
- In 2025 Fort Worth permitted 59 two-unit buildings and 23 buildings of three or four units; Arlington permitted 51 buildings of three or four units. Source: Census Building Permits Survey
- Laredo had 255,205 people in 2020 but sits in Webb County, which had 267,114, so it falls outside SB 15 and SB 840. Source: 2020 Census redistricting file for Texas
The 19 Covered Cities
SB 15 and SB 840 apply in a city of more than 150,000 people that is wholly or partly in a county of more than 300,000 people. The test appears in Local Government Code 211.052, added by SB 15, and in Local Government Code 218.002, added by SB 840. Neither law names the cities, and VanPlex found no state agency list.
To count them, VanPlex used the rule in Government Code 311.005: "population" means "the population shown by the most recent federal decennial census," and Local Government Code 1.002 applies that rule to the Local Government Code. We joined each city to every county it touches in the 2020 Census redistricting file. This is a VanPlex count from 2020 Census figures:
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Dallas
- Austin
- Fort Worth
- El Paso
- Arlington
- Corpus Christi
- Plano
- Lubbock
- Irving
- Garland
- Frisco
- Grand Prairie
- McKinney
- Brownsville
- Killeen
- Pasadena
- Mesquite
Close cases
| City | City, 2020 Census | County, 2020 Census | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corpus Christi | 317,863 | Nueces County, 353,178 | Covered |
| Lubbock | 257,141 | Lubbock County, 310,639 | Covered |
| Brownsville | 186,738 | Cameron County, 421,017 | Covered |
| Killeen | 153,095 | Bell County, 370,647 | Covered |
| Pasadena | 151,950 | Passes the county test | Covered (2025 estimate 148,539) |
| Mesquite | 150,108 | Passes the county test | Covered |
| Laredo | 255,205 | Webb County, 267,114 | Not covered: county under 300,000 |
| Amarillo | 200,393 | Potter County, 118,525; Randall County, 140,753 | Not covered: both counties under 300,000 |
| McAllen | 142,210 | Not covered: city under 150,000 (2025 estimate 150,640) | |
| Denton | 139,869 | Not covered: city under 150,000 (2025 estimate 169,431) | |
| Waco | 138,486 | Not covered: city under 150,000 | |
| Midland | 132,524 | Not covered: city under 150,000 |
VanPlex count from 2020 Census figures in the Census Bureau redistricting file for Texas. 2025 estimates from the Vintage 2025 city file.
The close cases show how the test works. Corpus Christi (317,863) passes because Nueces County had 353,178. Lubbock (257,141) passes with Lubbock County at 310,639. Brownsville and Killeen pass through Cameron County (421,017) and Bell County (370,647). Pasadena (151,950) and Mesquite (150,108) pass by fewer than 2,000 people each, and Pasadena's July 1, 2025 estimate of 148,539 is under the line. McAllen (150,640) and Denton (169,431) are over 150,000 in the 2025 estimates but were under it in 2020. If your land is in one of these cities, ask the city attorney which count the city uses before you plan around either law.
What the State Laws Do in These Cities
In each covered city, SB 15 bars a lot size rule above 3,000 square feet on a new single-family tract of five acres or more with no recorded plat, and SB 840 requires the city to allow housing of three or more units on land zoned for office, commercial, retail, warehouse or mixed use, with no rezoning. Both took effect September 1, 2025. HB 24 applies more widely: its protest rules cover every Texas city with zoning, large or small. Texas has no statewide accessory dwelling unit (ADU) law, so in all of these cities the number of homes on a single-family lot comes from the city's own code.
Fort Worth
Fort Worth had 918,915 people in the 2020 Census. By the Census Bureau's estimates it passed 1 million in 2024 (1,008,605) and reached 1,028,117 on July 1, 2025. It sits in Tarrant County, which had 2,110,640 people in 2020, so SB 15 and SB 840 apply there.
The City's zoning district summary, marked "Rev. 4/02/19," lists these residential districts:
| District (2019 summary) | Lot size or density |
|---|---|
| A-5 One-Family | Minimum lot 5,000 sq ft |
| AR One-Family Restricted (zero lot line) | Minimum lot 3,500 sq ft |
| B Two-Family | 5,000 sq ft for two attached homes on one lot; 7,500 sq ft for two detached homes on one lot |
| R1 Zero Lot Line/Cluster | 3,000 sq ft for a detached one-family home; 2,500 sq ft for a zero-lot-line home |
| R2 Townhouse/Cluster | Up to 24 units per acre on average |
| CR Multifamily | Up to 16 units per acre |
Source: City of Fort Worth zoning district summary, revised April 2, 2019.
A zero-lot-line home sits on or next to one side property line, with no side yard on that side. The B district is the Fort Worth district named for two-family homes: two attached homes on a 5,000 square foot lot, or two detached homes on a 7,500 square foot lot, by the 2019 summary.
That summary is from 2019. Fort Worth's current district rules must be read on the City's code site. The City's zoning ordinance page says the ordinance is published on American Legal Publishing, including Chapter 4 (District Regulations) and Chapter 5 (Supplemental Use Standards). VanPlex did not verify Fort Worth's accessory dwelling rules, so this page states none.
In 2025 Fort Worth issued permits for 5,887 one-unit buildings, more than any other city in this guide's permit table, plus 59 two-unit buildings (118 homes), 23 buildings of three or four units (84 homes) and 105 buildings of five or more units (3,348 homes).
El Paso and Arlington
El Paso had 678,815 people in the 2020 Census and 683,012 on July 1, 2025. El Paso County had 865,657 in 2020, so El Paso is a covered city. The Census Bureau's 2025 permit file shows "0" months reported for El Paso, which means the Census filled in every El Paso figure itself: 1,466 one-unit buildings, 35 two-unit buildings and 14 buildings of three or four units. Treat those as Census estimates. VanPlex did not research El Paso's own duplex or ADU rules; read them in the City's code before you plan.
Arlington had 394,266 people in 2020 and 402,134 on July 1, 2025, and is a covered city. In 2025 it permitted 51 buildings of three or four units (204 homes), the most of any city in this guide's table, against 14 two-unit buildings and 532 one-unit buildings. The Census file gives counts only, with no reasons behind them.
2025 Permits in These Cities
| 2025 permits | 1-unit buildings | 2-unit buildings (homes) | 3 to 4 unit buildings (homes) | 5+ unit buildings (homes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (statewide) | 140,579 | 3,178 (6,356) | 727 (2,777) | 1,970 (60,505) |
| Fort Worth | 5,887 | 59 (118) | 23 (84) | 105 (3,348) |
| Arlington | 532 | 14 (28) | 51 (204) | 9 (812) |
| El PasoEl Paso reported 0 months; Census filled in every figure | 1,466 | 35 (70) | 14 (44) | 15 (142) |
Sources: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, state file and South Region places file, 2025 annual, estimates with imputation.
For the four largest cities, see the Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin pages, which carry their own permit tables.
Cities Outside the Size Test
Laredo, Amarillo, McAllen, Denton, Waco and Midland fall outside SB 15 and SB 840 on 2020 Census counts. In those cities, and in every smaller one, the city's own zoning code decides lot size and the number of homes, and HB 24's protest rules still apply to any rezoning.
One more 2025 law reaches some mid-size cities. SB 1567 applies only to a home-rule city of under 250,000 people that has, or is next to, a college campus with more than 20,000 students. A home-rule city is one that has adopted its own charter. Such a city may not cap the number of people in a home by age, family status, job or relationship, but may cap it at one person per bedroom of at least 70 square feet plus one more for each extra 50 square feet. The other 2025 laws page has the details.
How to Check the Rules in Any Texas City
1. Find out who controls the land. Texas counties can zone only in the specific areas listed in Local Government Code chapter 231, such as Padre Island and the land around certain named lakes. Inside a city, the city's code applies. Just outside it lies the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), where the city applies its plat rules, the rules for dividing land into lots. Under Local Government Code 212.003, it may not regulate a building's use, size or units per acre there unless another law allows it. The ETJ's reach depends on the city's size, under Local Government Code 42.021:
| City population | ETJ reaches |
|---|---|
| Under 5,000 people | One-half mile |
| 5,000 to 24,999 | One mile |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | Two miles |
| 50,000 to 99,999 | 3.5 miles |
| 100,000 or more | Five miles |
Since September 1, 2023, owners can also petition to leave a city's ETJ under SB 2038 (2023). A petition needs signatures from more than 50 percent of the registered voters in the area, or from owners of a majority of the land value, gathered within 180 days. Land within five miles of a military base with active training is left out of that process.
2. Read the deed restrictions. A recorded deed restriction can forbid a duplex the city allows, and Property Code 202.003 tells courts to read it broadly.
3. Read the zoning district. Find your lot's district on the city's zoning map and read that district's rules in the city code, on the city's own site or its code publisher. Check the number of homes allowed, the minimum lot size and any accessory unit rules.
4. Plan the plat and the permit. Dividing a tract into building lots inside a city or its ETJ needs a plat under Local Government Code 212.004, unless every part is over five acres with access and no public improvement. The city has 30 days to act on a plat under Section 212.009, and 45 days to act on a building permit under Section 214.904, or it must refund the permit fees.
5. Check the building code. The state minimum for one- and two-family homes is the International Residential Code as it existed on May 1, 2012, and a city may adopt a later edition by ordinance. The building codes page covers it.
Best For
- ✓ Owners in one of the 19 covered cities with commercial land (SB 840) or large unplatted tracts (SB 15).
- ✓ Fort Worth lots in the B Two-Family district, after checking the current ordinance.
- ✓ Any owner who wants a checklist for a city this guide does not cover in depth.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The plan relies on the 2019 Fort Worth summary without reading the current ordinance.
- ✕ The city is near 150,000 people and the plan assumes SB 15 applies.
- ✕ The lot is in the ETJ and the plan assumes city zoning limits apply there.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → Which census count your city applies to the 150,000 and 300,000 tests.
- → The current district rules on your city's code site.
- → Recorded deed restrictions on the lot.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: the SB 15 small lots page, the how Texas zoning works page and the Texas multiplex guide overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Texas cities are covered by SB 15?
Can I build a duplex in Fort Worth?
Does SB 15 apply in Fort Worth?
Does SB 840 apply in El Paso?
Why are Laredo and Amarillo not covered by SB 15?
Is Pasadena, Texas covered by SB 15?
How many fourplexes were permitted in Fort Worth in 2025?
Where can I read the Fort Worth zoning ordinance?
How far does a Texas city control land outside its limits?
How do I check the duplex rules in a smaller Texas city?
Did El Paso report its 2025 building permits?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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