| Repair | Who pays | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk Trash / Junk Removal | City | Houston collects Heavy Trash at the curb every other month (up to 6x/year), but excludes contractor debris and requires a refrigerant-removal tag on fridges/freezers. |
| Gas Service Line | Property owner | In Houston, CenterPoint Energy owns the gas line to the meter; the customer owns the piping beyond it. Cited to CenterPoint’s customer-owned-lines page. |
| Municipal Liability: Pothole Damaged My Car | Depends | Houston says it will not reimburse pothole car damage under Texas law; a 90-day sworn written notice is still required to contest it. |
| Municipal Liability: Sewer Main Backup Into My Home | Depends | Houston says it will not reimburse sewage damage from a clogged city sewer line; a 90-day sworn written notice still applies. |
| Sewer Lateral | Shared | In Houston the owner is responsible for the sewer pipe up to the street cleanout. Houston Public Works owns the cleanout-to-main segment in the right-of-way. |
| Sidewalk Repair | Property owner | Houston sidewalk repair: the abutting property owner pays, per the City of Houston FAQ. City replacement is limited to thoroughfares, school routes and mobility cases. |
| Storm Drains: Ditches and Culverts | Shared | Houston Public Works maintains storm sewers and ditches, but the abutting property owner keeps ditches free of debris and replaces damaged driveway culverts. |
| Tree Roots | Property owner | Houston makes the abutting owner repair neighborhood sidewalks, tree-root damage included. The City replaces them only on thoroughfares, near schools, or for mobility. |
| Water Service Line | Shared | In Houston the water service line splits at the meter: the owner owns meter-to-house, the City owns meter-to-street. Cited to the Houston 311 knowledge base. |
Bulk Trash / Junk Removal
Houston Solid Waste Management collects "Heavy Trash" (bulk & tree waste) at the curb every other month (up to 6x/year) for eligible addresses, but does not collect contractor-generated construction debris and requires a certified technician's tag before taking refrigerant-containing refrigerators/freezers.
Heavy trash is collected every other month for eligible addresses that receive City curbside service. Residences that receive curbside collection are allowed six (6) heavy trash curbside collections per calendar year.
Gas Service Line
Houston: past the gas meter is yours, CenterPoint owns to the meter, you maintain "customer-owned piping on the other side of the meter."
You’re generally responsible for maintaining customer-owned piping on the other side of the meter — whether those pipes go into your home, to your garage or to outdoor equipment like pools and grills.
Source: Customer-owned gas lines
Municipal Liability: Pothole Damaged My Car
Houston's Legal Department says it will not reimburse pothole vehicle damage because Texas law shields cities from street-condition liability; sworn written notice within 90 days is still required to preserve any claim.
Will the City reimburse me for damage to my vehicle caused by a pothole or an object on a City street? No. Texas law determines whether the City and other governmental entities in the State of Texas can pay for damage caused by a pothole or an object in the street. Under State law, the City is not liable for...
Source: Filing a Claim
Municipal Liability: Sewer Main Backup Into My Home
Houston's Legal Department says the City will not reimburse sewage cleanup or repair from a clogged sewer line, because under State law it is not liable for that damage. Any property damage claim against the City still needs a verified written notice within 90 days.
Will the City reimburse me for the cost to repair and clean sewage from the interior of my residence which resulted from a clogged sewer line? No. Texas law determines whether the City and other governmental entities in the State of Texas can pay for these claims. Under State law, the City is not liable for...
Source: Filing a Claim
Sewer Lateral
Houston draws the line at the street cleanout: the owner pipe ends there, and Houston Public Works owns the segment from the cleanout to the main.
Problems with private wastewater pipes, which are typically closer to the home, are the responsibility of the homeowner. Problems with public pipes or those on a public right-of-way are the responsibility of Houston Public Works.
Source: Protect Our Pipes.
Sidewalk Repair
Houston: the abutting property owner pays. The City only steps in for busy thoroughfares, school routes, or mobility-impairment cases.
the maintenance and repair of neighborhood sidewalks is the responsibility of the abutting property owner, and the City will only replace sidewalks in very specific circumstances, such as on a busy thoroughfare, near a school, or for citizens with mobility impairments.
Source: City of Houston Council FAQ: sidewalk maintenance is the abutting owner's responsibility
Storm Drains: Ditches and Culverts
Houston maintains storm sewers and ditches, but you must keep the ditch in front of your property clear and replace a damaged driveway culvert.
The Storm Sewer Maintenance Section (closed system) handles the operation and maintenance of the City's storm sewer system
Source: Stormwater Maintenance
Tree Roots
Houston makes the abutting owner repair sidewalks with no tree exception, a keyword sweep of the sidewalk code returns zero mentions of "tree" or "root."
the maintenance and repair of neighborhood sidewalks is the responsibility of the abutting property owner, and the City will only replace sidewalks in very specific circumstances, such as on a busy thoroughfare, near a school, or for citizens with mobility impairments.
Source: City of Houston Council FAQ (owner responsible for sidewalk repair)
Water Service Line
Houston: split at the meter, the City fixes meter-to-street, and "if there is a leak anywhere between the meter and the house, the repair is [the owner’s] responsibility."
If there is a leak anywhere between the meter and the house, the repair is their responsibility to make and the homeowner should hire a plumber to repair the leak. If there is a leak on the line that runs from the meter to the street, the City is responsible for making this repair.
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