Starting Sept. 1, cities can no longer dictate exterior building materials for either residential or commercial buildings.

A recently-passed piece of legislation, House Bill (HB) 2439, states that builders may use any building material listed in the National Code. It also prohibits cities from setting more stringent standards than what the national code lists.

For example, Sachse requires residential and commercial buildings to be made of mostly masonry. When city council passed an ordinance in June changing 61 acres of Industrial-zoned land to Planned Development, they spelled out just how future homes should look: at least 80 percent masonry and up to 20 percent cementious fiberboard.

“This will have some effects on future developments,” said Development Services Director Matt Robinson. “It could be challenging, but it’s something the city is investigating and evaluating the full scope of. From there, there may be adjustments to ensure we get the highest quality.”

For the full story, see the Aug. 1 issue or subscribe online.

By Morgan Howard • [email protected]