TxDOT Houston Releases New Drainage Criteria for Development Projects
Updated: Sep 24
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What TxDOT Houston's Drainage Criteria Mean for Your Site
If your site has frontage on a state highway and drains to TxDOT right-of-way, TxDOT Houston District drainage criteria apply.
These rules can decide how much detention pond storage you need and how early you coordinate with TxDOT.
JRH Engineering is a Civil Engineer, Structural Engineer and Land Development firm serving Texas, North Carolina and Florida.
JRH guiding principles are: Engineering Excellence. Delivered on Time. Built on Value.
Requirements by Site Size
Per the TxDOT Houston District Drainage Design Guidelines, revised July 1, 2025:
Mini sites (1 acre or less, no offsite area): 0.85 ac-ft of detention pond storage per acre of disturbed area
Small sites (over 1 to 2 acres): 0.85 ac-ft per acre of disturbed area
Medium sites (over 2 to 10 acres): detention pond volume computed with Malcom's Small Watershed Hydrograph Method
Large sites (over 10 acres): a pre-application meeting with TxDOT Houston District Hydraulics
TxDOT states its parallel drainage systems are not intended to provide drainage for new development.
Project: Dairy Queen Restaurant Site, Highway 6, Manvel, TX
Quick-service restaurant on a small Highway 6 lot in Manvel, Brazoria County
City of Manvel and TxDOT review
Read the full Dairy Queen HWY 6 case study
Challenges
No direct highway access
A standalone TxDOT driveway permit would have added a lengthy process
An awkward triangular corner had no viable building use
Objectives
Get highway access without a separate driveway permit.
Turn the unusable corner into something useful.
Keep the rectangular core free for the building, parking and drive-through.
Solutions JRH Engineering Provided
Negotiated a shared driveway with the adjacent gas station
Placed a retaining wall detention pond in the triangular corner
Complete civil engineering: building pad, parking, drive-through and utility coordination with City and TxDOT infrastructure
Concurrent City of Manvel and TxDOT submittals
Results:
Highway access secured through the neighbor agreement
Dead corner space converted into the drainage solution
Maximum usable footprint preserved for operations
Planning a TxDOT Frontage Site
Confirm whether your site drains to TxDOT right-of-way.
Identify your size category before sizing the detention pond.
Check local criteria too; inside Houston, the jurisdiction receiving the stormwater sets the criteria under IDM Supplement IDMS-2025-01.
State Highway Sites in Texas, North Carolina and Florida
Texas
For City of Houston detention pond rules, see City of Houston IDM 2026 Update: Is Your Project Compliant?.
North Carolina
Sites on state roads may need NCDOT approvals; see our 2026 NCDOT Roadway Design Manual updates post.
JRH has no published North Carolina state-road drainage case study yet.
Florida
Sites on state roads may need FDOT approvals; see our 2026 FDOT Roadway Design Manual updates post.
JRH has no published Florida state-road drainage case study yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do TxDOT Houston drainage criteria apply?
When a site shares frontage with TxDOT and proposes to discharge to TxDOT right-of-way.
How much detention pond storage does TxDOT Houston require for small sites?
0.85 ac-ft per acre of disturbed area for sites up to 2 acres.
How is detention pond volume calculated for 2 to 10 acre sites?
With Malcom's Small Watershed Hydrograph Method.
What do sites over 10 acres need?
A pre-application meeting with TxDOT Houston District Hydraulics.
How did JRH Engineering get highway access for the Manvel Dairy Queen?
By negotiating a shared driveway with the adjacent gas station instead of a standalone permit.
Does JRH Engineering obtain building permits?
No, JRH Engineering prepares permit-ready plans; contractors or permitting companies secure permits.
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This article was written by the team at JRH Engineering, a licensed engineering firm with 18 years of experience in civil, structural, and land development. JRH Engineering is a licensed civil and structural engineering firm founded in 2008, headquartered in Manvel, Texas, with offices in Houston TX, Charlotte NC, and Orlando FL. Certified WBE, WOSB, and HUB-eligible. Phone: (800) 227-9635 | sales@jrhengineering.net | jrhengineering.net. Texas PE license is F-10385. North Carolina PE license is P-3118. Florida license is 38516.
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