Cities | Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena, Texas Multiplex Rules 2026: No Zoning, Appendix A Lots and Chapter 9
Pasadena, Texas is a city of 151,950 people (2020 Census) in Harris County, and this page is about that city; Pasadena, California has its own rules. Pasadena, Texas has no zoning, and what you can build on a lot is set by Chapter 9 of the Code of Ordinances (building lines, apartments, flood rules), Chapter 28 (the Planning Commission, site plans and fees), Appendices A, B and C (subdivisions, townhouses and patio homes), and the deed restrictions recorded on your subdivision. This page gives the main numbers, with the section for each, and links to seven detailed pages.
Pasadena, Texas in six facts
- The City of Pasadena, Texas says it "is a non-zoned municipality," and its Planning Department FAQ says the City has no zoning map. Source: City of Pasadena, Zoning page
- A residential lot on public sewer must be at least 60 feet wide, 100 feet deep and 6,000 square feet, unless the Planning Commission makes an exception. Source: Pasadena Code, Appendix A, Sec. 24
- Townhouse lots may be 16 feet wide for homes of more than one story, with at least 900 square feet of living area, and no more than 16 homes per gross acre. Source: Pasadena Code, Appendix B, Sec. 2
- A multifamily development may not exceed 18 units per acre, 200 units per complex or a floor area ratio of 0.40, and its roof line may not exceed three stories. Source: Pasadena Code, Secs. 9-2 and 9-2.1
- A new building's lowest floor must sit at least 1 foot above the centerline of the adjacent streets at the middle of the lot, or at the 500-year flood elevation, whichever is higher. Source: Pasadena Code, Sec. 9-189
- Pasadena had 151,950 people in the 2020 Census, in Harris County with 4,731,145, which passes the SB 15 and SB 840 size test by VanPlex count. Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census
Pasadena Guide Pages
Where the Current Code Is
Pasadena publishes its Code of Ordinances on municode, the online code library the City links from its codes and ordinances page. The version read for this guide is Supplement 33 Update 1, "Codified through Ordinance No. 2025-235, enacted November 18, 2025." Municode posted it online on April 29, 2026. The supplement history table lists Ordinance No. 25-198 of October 21, 2025, which adopted the 2024 International Building Code and International Residential Code, as included in Supplement 33.
To find changes made after that date, VanPlex read municode's ordinance bank, which holds adopted ordinances, through Ordinance No. 2026-143 of September 1, 2026. The entries adopted in 2026 change park fees, alcohol license areas, council meeting rules, industrial water rates, a speed limit, fire and emergency fees, ambulance rules and film permits. None changes the Chapter 9 rules on multifamily dwellings, building lines or floods, Chapter 28, or Appendices A, B and C. VanPlex also read the agendas in the 191 City Council and Planning Commission files the City posts in its Agenda Center for January 2024 to October 2026. The captions show plats, single-site variances and fee changes, and no item names SB 15 or SB 840.
The Planning Department's applications page says the City "launched the Citizen Self-Service (CSS) Portal on April 28, 2026," and that all Planning applications, including plats, site plans and floodplain development permits, now go through it.
What Applies Without Zoning
The City's zoning page reads: "The City of Pasadena is a non-zoned municipality. However, there are certain land development regulations applicable to properties located within the corporate limits of the City of Pasadena." The Planning Department FAQ adds: "The City of Pasadena does not have zoning. Therefore, the City does not have a zoning map." Zoning is a city map that sorts land into districts with lists of allowed uses. Without it, no City list says which lots may hold houses, duplexes or apartments. The rules that remain fall into five groups:
- Subdivision rules in Appendix A: lot size, lot width, streets and building lines on new plats. A plat is the recorded map that divides land into lots.
- Development types with their own appendix or section: townhouse subdivisions (Appendix B), patio home subdivisions (Appendix C), multifamily dwellings (Secs. 9-2 and 9-2.1), condominiums (Chapter 9, Article VIII) and manufactured homes (Chapter 21).
- Site rules in Chapter 9: setbacks, fences, off-street parking and landscaping.
- Flood and drainage rules in Chapter 9, Article IX, which apply to "all areas within the jurisdiction of the City."
- Deed restrictions: private rules recorded with Harris County that bind each lot in a subdivision.
The City still has a body called the Planning and Zoning Commission in Sec. 28-31, with nine members. Its own page calls it the Planning Commission and says it reviews "subdivision plats, site plans and alternative landscape plans." For any property, the City issues a standard No Zoning Letter; you request one by email to [email protected]. The no zoning and deed restrictions page covers each group.
State Law in Pasadena, in Brief
Pasadena had 151,950 people in the 2020 Census, and Harris County had 4,731,145. So Pasadena passes the size test in the 2025 laws, a city of more than 150,000 in a county of more than 300,000, by VanPlex count from 2020 Census figures. The Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimate for Pasadena is 148,539, under 150,000. Government Code 311.005 says "population" means the count in "the most recent federal decennial census," so the 2020 count applies until the 2030 Census is published. The more Texas cities page lists Pasadena among the 19 cities that pass.
Both 2025 laws are written for cities with zoning. SB 15 reaches a tract of five acres or more with no recorded plat that will be "located in an area zoned for single-family homes," and bars a lot size rule above 3,000 square feet there. SB 840 requires a city to allow apartments "in a zoning classification that allows office, commercial, retail, warehouse, or mixed-use use." Pasadena has neither zones nor zoning classifications. Its Appendix A sets 6,000 square foot lots, its patio home and townhouse appendices already allow lots smaller than that, and its Sec. 9-2 sets multifamily limits that are tighter than the numbers in SB 840. The City has adopted no ordinance on either law. Ask the Planning Department in writing how it applies them to your land.
HB 24 rewrote the protest rule for zoning changes in Local Government Code 211.0061, in force since September 1, 2025. It keeps two protests. Under 211.0061(b)(1), owners of "at least 20 percent of the area of the lots or land covered by the proposed change" can still force a vote of "three-fourths of all members of the governing body," for any change. Under 211.0061(b)(3), for a change that "has the effect of allowing more residential development" and adds no commercial or industrial use beyond a limited first floor, a protest by owners of the adjoining land within 200 feet needs "at least 60 percent" of that land, and the change then needs "a majority of all members of the governing body." Pasadena has no zoning to change, so the City has no protest process under this section.
How a Lot Reaches Two, Three or More Homes
| Homes | Route | Main rule | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| One house | Lot in a recorded plat | 6,000 sq ft, 60 ft wide, 100 ft deep on public sewer; 2 parking spaces | App. A Sec. 24 |
| 2 (duplex) | No use list; deed restrictions and building lines decide | 5 ft from every property line; 2 spaces per home; site plan; rental license if leased | Secs. 9-76, 28-66, 16½-6 |
| 2 manufactured homes | Private lot outside a park | 5,000 sq ft and 50 ft of front width for each home | Sec. 21-26 |
| Patio homes | Patio home subdivision of 8 lots or more | 5,000 sq ft lots, 50 ft wide; 50% lot coverage; 36 ft tall | App. C |
| Townhouses | Townhouse subdivision, generally 3 acres or more | 16 or 24 ft lots; 16 homes per gross acre; 20% open space | App. B |
| 3 or more in a complex | Multifamily site plan reviewed by the Planning Commission | 18 units per acre; FAR 0.40; 3 stories; 2 spaces per unit plus guest parking | Secs. 9-2, 9-2.1 |
Source: Pasadena Code of Ordinances on municode, Supplement 33 Update 1 (Appendix A, Sec. 24, Appendix B, Appendix C, Sec. 9-2, Sec. 21-26), and the City's off-street parking table.
Deed Restrictions Decide First
In a city without zoning, the recorded deed restrictions on a subdivision can limit how many homes a lot may hold. The City's FAQ calls them "private agreements" that are "binding upon every property owner in a subdivision," and says City staff "are prohibited from trying to interpret individual restrictions." The code backs them in three places. Sec. 16½-4 says nothing in the housing code permits "establishment or conversion of a multifamily dwelling in any residential addition except where permitted by the deed restrictions." Sec. 21-15 bars a manufactured home in a subdivision whose restrictions forbid it. Sec. 9-1 lets the City's law department sue to stop a violation of a recorded restriction inside the city limits.
Plats carry their own limits. Since October 5, 2021, Appendix A, Sec. 34 says a plat restriction that limits lots to residential or single-family use may be changed by replat only to allow "landscape, park, recreation, drainage, or open space." A seller of restricted land must also give the buyer a notice of the restrictions at closing and record it, under Sec. 9-10.
Duplexes and Second Homes
The code has no rule for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), the small second homes some cities allow behind a house. It does name duplexes. Sec. 9-76 sets a 5-foot setback for a "single or duplex residential" building, and the parking table asks for two spaces per dwelling unit for "two family residential." Since 2021, Sec. 28-64 defines "single-family residential" as one building with "not more than one dwelling unit," and only single-family residential is exempt from site plan review. A leased duplex or triplex needs an annual occupancy license at $50 per unit. Two manufactured homes may share a private lot when it has 5,000 square feet and 50 feet of front width for each. The duplexes and second homes page has the details.
Townhomes, Patio Homes and Apartments
Appendix B allows townhouse subdivisions with lots 16 feet wide for homes of more than one story and 24 feet for one story, at no more than 16 homes per gross acre, on a site that "shall generally not be less than three (3) acres." Appendix C allows patio home subdivisions of at least eight lots of 5,000 square feet. Sec. 9-2 and 9-2.1 govern multifamily development: 18 units per acre, a floor area ratio (floor space divided by land area) of 0.40, three stories, two parking spaces per unit, a garage for every four units, and a fence of 7 or 8 feet. The townhomes, patio homes and apartments page sets out each rule.
Lots, Setbacks and Parking
Residential lots on public sewer must be 60 feet wide, 100 feet deep and 6,000 square feet, and each needs a driveway for two cars "exclusive of any garage." Sec. 9-76 bars a building within 25 feet of the front property line, and Appendix A puts the front building line for living space 20 feet from a minor street. Single and duplex buildings stay 5 feet from every property line. The lot size page and the parking, setbacks and height page have the numbers.
Flood and Drainage
Chapter 9, Article IX applies to every lot in the city. Sec. 9-179 says a floodplain development permit "shall be required to ensure conformance with the provisions of this article regardless of whether the development is within the special flood hazard boundary," and it must be approved before the building permit application. Every building needs an elevation certificate, a signed survey form that records floor heights. The lowest floor must sit at least 1 foot above the centerline of the adjacent streets at the middle of the lot, or at the 500-year flood elevation, whichever is higher. New development must detain stormwater at 0.55 acre-feet per acre. The flood and drainage page explains each rule.
What the Numbers Show
Pasadena had 148,539 people on July 1, 2025, by the Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 estimate, down from an estimates base of 151,938 for 2020. That file lists one county part for Pasadena, Harris County, with the same number of residents. The Census Bureau's 2025 Building Permits Survey file shows Pasadena reported all 12 months, with these counts:
| Pasadena, 2025 permits | Buildings (homes) |
|---|---|
| 1-unit buildings | 87 (87) |
| 2-unit buildings | 0 |
| 3 to 4 unit buildings | 0 |
| 5+ unit buildings | 0 |
Source: Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, South Region places, 2025 annual. Pasadena's Texas row (place code 56000) shows 12 months reported, so the estimate and reported columns are the same.
The Census counts a building by the number of homes it holds, so a fourplex is one building of three to four units. The 87 one-unit buildings carry a reported value of $14,815,798. The file gives counts only, with no reasons behind them.
Plats, Permits and Fees
Under Sec. 28-46, a preliminary or final plat costs $500 plus $5 per lot, a multifamily site plan review $500 plus $5 per unit, and a site plan under one acre $100. Building permits for one- and two-family homes cost $0.20 per square foot under roof, and a sewer tap for a one-family home is $1,000. The Planning Commission must act on a preliminary plat within 30 days of filing, matching Local Government Code 212.009. The plats, permits and fees page has the full lists.
Where the City's Documents Disagree
VanPlex found these while reading the code and the City's 2026 guides:
- The 2026 Platting Procedures Guide says "The Planning Commission has the final approval authority for plats," while Appendix A, Sec. 13 sends final plats to City Council, and the same guide lists "Mayor and City Council approve plat" as a step.
- The Platting Guide cites Local Government Code "Chapter 212.014" for the replat hearing rule; the hearing rule is in Section 212.015.
- Sec. 28-46 charges $5 "per lot" for plats, and the Planning Application Fee Schedule charges $5 "per lot/reserve."
- Sec. 9-76 bars a building within 25 feet of the front property line, while Appendix A sets a 20-foot front building line for living space on minor streets. Appendix A, Sec. 3 says the more restrictive rule controls.
- Appendix A lets one interior side yard be 3 feet or less with a maintenance easement, while Sec. 9-76 keeps single and duplex buildings 5 feet from every property line.
- Sec. 9-10 defines deed restrictions by "section 230.002 of the Local Government Code," a section the Legislature renumbered; the definition is now Section 212.152.
- Sec. 9-176 says a parking or storage enclosure "is not considered a building's lowest floor," while Sec. 9-189 requires "the lowest floor, including the basement, garage," to be raised to the flood height.
- The Multi-Family Ordinance checklist PDF puts complexes of "50+ units" in the 2,500-foot spacing group, while Sec. 9-2 starts that group above 50 units.
- Sec. 9-2 caps apartments at 18 units per acre, a floor area ratio of 0.40 and two parking spaces per unit, while Local Government Code 218.102 bars density limits under 36 units per acre, floor area limits and more than one space per unit for the developments SB 840 covers.
Where a City text conflicts with state law, the statute controls. Where two City texts conflict, ask the Planning Department in writing which one it applies to your lot.
Best For
- ✓ A lot whose recorded deed restrictions allow more than one home.
- ✓ A tract of 3 acres or more for a townhouse subdivision at up to 16 homes per gross acre.
- ✓ A lot outside the 1 percent flood zone where the floor can sit 1 foot above the street.
Usually Fails When
- ✕ The subdivision restrictions limit each lot to one single-family home.
- ✕ The plat restricts lots to single-family use and the plan depends on a replat to change it.
- ✕ The budget leaves out detention at 0.55 acre-feet per acre and the elevation certificate.
What To Verify Before Spending Money
- → The recorded deed restrictions and plat notes, from the Harris County Clerk.
- → The flood zone, the 500-year flood elevation and the street centerline elevation.
- → The Planning Department's written reading of SB 15 and SB 840 for your tract.
Where to Go Next
Related on VanPlex: how Texas zoning works, financing 2 to 4 units and the Texas multiplex guide overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pasadena, Texas have zoning?
Does SB 15 apply in Pasadena, Texas, a city without zoning?
Can I build a duplex in Pasadena, Texas?
How many apartments can I build on an acre in Pasadena, Texas?
Who keeps the deed restrictions for Pasadena, Texas subdivisions?
How do I get a zoning letter for a Pasadena, Texas property?
Which version of the Pasadena, Texas code is current?
How many homes did Pasadena, Texas permit in 2025?
How much does a plat cost in Pasadena, Texas?
Does every Pasadena, Texas lot need a floodplain permit?
Official sources (checked October 2026)
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