HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10488 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 20-10488
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council October 20, 2020
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SUBJECT: DOOR AND WINDOW REPLACEMENT PERMITS
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The purpose of this report is to address concerns regarding City permitting requirements for residential
door and window replacements. The City currently requires permits for the replacement of doors and
windows in order to meet energy code, safety, and design requirements. A permit to replace windows
and/or doors is available online and is processed in one day.
The State has adopted the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as a minimum standard
for building elements in order to achieve energy efficiency and improved air quality. The IECC contains
requirements for doors and windows both in Solar Heat Gain Coefficients (SHGC) and R-value, which
measures the resistance to heat flow. Requiring permits for replacement doors and windows ensures that
these standards are met.
The adopted building code has several safety standards for windows. Windows from bedrooms must
provide a specific openable area of 5.7 square feet to allow a person to escape through that window in
case of an emergency. The building code also requires that safety glazing be located in windows that are
adjacent to doors, stair landings, wet areas, and certain large panes of glass. Requiring permits for
replacement windows allows the City to make sure that the egress capacity of a window is not reduced
and that the proper type of glazing is used.
Windows and doors are primary character-defining features on buildings. In order to protect these
important features, our local historic district regulations require the review of windows and doors in
addition to other exterior items like roof and building materials. Illegal window replacement is one of the
most contentious issues in historic districts. Requiring permits for doors and windows reduces the number
of cases where incompatible windows and doors are installed without historic review. When a permit is
requested for windows and doors, applicants are notified if the property has a historic designation. If so,
the application will be reviewed for compliance with district design standards by historic preservation staff.
If the proposed work meets local historic district regulations and the Secretary of the Interior of Standards
for the Treatment of Historic Properties, they receive a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for the
proposed work. If we did not require a permit, it would severely limit our ability to administer our local
preservation ordinance and meet the condition of our Certified Local Government (CLG) agreement with
the State of Texas and the Federal government.
City staff surveyed area municipalities and other large cities in Texas to assess their practices with
residential replacement door and window permits. The majority of cities require permits for both residential
window and door replacements, as indicated in the table below.
Permitting Requirements for Residential Door and Window Replacements
Fort
Worth Dallas Austin Antonio San El Paso Arlington Plano Denton Irving
Doors V V V V N/ V V
Windows V V V V V V V V V
Historic Districts Both Both Both Both Both Both Both Both NA
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 20-10488
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council October 20, 2020
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SUBJECT: DOOR AND WINDOW REPLACEMENT PERMITS
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Recommendation
Staff is able to recommend that we no longer require permits for replacement of residential doors that
maintain the same opening size and where the dwelling does not have a historic designation. Door
replacements do not have as many safety concerns associated with them as window replacements.
Amendments to the Administrative Building Code will be required to enact this change and are proposed
to be effective January 2021. Staff will continue to look for ways to streamline and improve the permitting
process for our customers. This includes adding to the list of permits that are currently issued with little or
no plan review and verified by inspectors in the field, including solar panel installations, siding
replacement, foundation repairs and replacement of residential roof decking.
If you have any questions on this report please contact Allison Gray, Assistant Director and Building
Official, Development Services, at 817-392-8030 or allison.gray(a-fortworthtexas.gov.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS