Supporting Building and Construction Site Safety

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Building Safety Month. Throughout the year, DSD is taking more steps to reinforce safe practices for active construction sites.  

DSD has new safety flyers with reminders, in both English and Spanish, about the three most common safety concerns we see when inspecting your job sites. We encourage contractors and safety staff to post these reminders with your required signage. Our inspectors will have copies of these flyers available for you. If you want to start sharing this information now, you can download, print, and post these materials today. These safe practices help protect construction workers, inspectors, and our community as we work together to keep construction sites and the areas around them safe. 

Council to Consider Proposed Safe Fencing Regulations

Last week, the City of Austin Planning Commission discussed proposed safe fencing regulations. The Commission voted to support the proposed ordinance, with several amendments. The next step is for Austin City Council to consider the final ordinance next month.  

Recently, the Development Services Department gathered stakeholder input, both in person and virtually, to write these proposed code amendments. The goal of these changes was to improve safety for children and wildlife. Specifically, Council requested staff and stakeholders to consider requiring flat-top designs for new fences and some repairs and remodels.  

We will continue to post updates on the status of proposed safe fencing regulations at publicinput.com/safefencing.   



Proposed Rule to Clarify Expiration Dates for Building Plan Review Applications

DSD staff has proposed an amendment to the City of Austin’s Building Criteria Manual (BCM) to clarify expiration dates for building plan review applications. Under the proposed rule, if no permit has been issued, a building plan review application would expire one year after it is filed. 

If building plans are approved before the application expires, the deadline to update the application would be extended 181 days. After that, all pending permits would expire on the 181st day unless a building permit is activated. Stakeholders are invited to provide feedback on this proposed amendment through June 16. Upon adoption, the amendment would become Section 1.2.11 of the BCM. 

Do I Need a Permit?

New Online Tool Helps You Get Started

DSD has a new interactive wizard to help residents and business owners know where to start the process for construction, renovations, and other improvements. Just answer a few quick questions and the “Do I Need a Permit?” interactive wizard can help you find out if your project requires a permit. It also offers guidance on what to do next and who to contact for help. The wizard takes about five minutes, and you can save your session and come back later to finish. Give it a try, and let us know your thoughts!

Public Project Team Launches Appointments

The City’s new Public Projects Review Team is preparing for an official launch in June. The multi-departmental team, under the leadership of DSD Capital Program Consultant Tera Villaret, will offer a new review process for a variety of publicly funded projects. A soft launch in May allowed the team to test and refine the various types of pilot meetings and reviews. The team will begin scheduling appointments in June. The Public Projects Team offers a more streamlined process for publicly funded projects. For more information, visit the team’s new webpage. 



New Service Center Webpage to Launch June 15

The Service Center webpage will undergo a significant update on Friday, June 15. The page’s new content is the result of a departmentwide effort to build new forms and webpages that better guide applicants through the development process. 



The following resources will still be available from the Service Center webpage: 

• Contractor Registration & Insurance 
• Homeowner’s Permits 
• Stand-Alone Building or Trade Permits 
• Emergency Permits 
• Activating Approved Building or Trade Permits 
• Modifying an Existing Permit 
• Temporary Certificates of Occupancy 
• Escrow Accounts 
• Refund Requests 

If you have any feedback about the Service Center webpage or any DSD webpages, please contact us.

Beat the Heat with Required Outdoor Breaks this Summer

As temperatures climb this summer, do not forget that heat can be dangerous. The Beat the Heat! Campaign seeks to raise awareness about the 2010 ordinance that guarantees construction workers a 10-minute break for every four hours worked.  



As temperatures climb dangerously high during the summer months, we remind everyone who works on construction sites to take preventative measures against heat exhaustion and other weather-induced conditions.  

To help ensure awareness and worker safety, inspectors also will be checking for required signage during site visits over the summer. 

Watch Recent General Stakeholder Meetings Online

Recordings and presentation materials from two recent virtual stakeholder meetings are now available on DSD’s Public Meetings page.

Both meetings offered departmentwide updates, including introductions of the full executive team following the department’s recent consolidation with Austin Code. The May 16 meeting provided specific updates related to Site Plan/Subdivision Review and Inspections, and the May 24 meeting covered topics related to Building Plan Review and Inspections.

Austin Energy Takes New Approach to Secure Needed Equipment 

A Message from Austin Energy

Austin Energy has adjusted its business practices to address challenges associated with nationwide shortages of electric transformers. Raw materials shortages and supply chain issues have made it more difficult to secure this vital equipment, which is required to convert and deliver power safely to homes and businesses. Austin Energy is taking several new approaches to obtain the equipment to address demands for new development, ongoing system maintenance, and storm response and restoration. These include pinpointing critical supplies to plan for future needs, adjusting equipment specifications to allow more flexibility, expanding equipment sourcing beyond the United States, and improving processes to help customers prepare more effectively. Read Austin Energy’s news release to learn more about this initiative. 

Help Us Help You! Review Your Building and Unit Numbers

A Message from Communication & Technology Management

The City of Austin’s Address Management Services is requesting that all developers check their building and unit numbers to ensure they have been assigned appropriately. 

Some site plans have received final approval without receiving building and unit numbers assigned by the City. This problem is being identified in the final stages of construction and can cause significant delays. Follow the instructions in this document to review your building and unit numbers. 



Upcoming Dates

Public Project Team appointments begin – June 1 

Pop-Up ATX, Gus Garcia Recreation Center – June 4 

Environmental Inspections Lunch & Learn (FULL) – June 8 

Safe Fencing Regulations to Austin City Council* – June 8 

Juneteenth holiday (City offices closed) – June 19 

Tree Smart Brown Bag Lunch & Learn – June 22 

*Subject to change, check agenda here.



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