How we find new building projects
The public records behind Texas Build Watch, how we decide what's new, and what we can't see.
What we read
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, TABS project register (tdlr.texas.gov)
Texas requires every commercial or public building project of $50,000 or more to register with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation before construction, for accessibility review. Each registration lists the project, its address, type of work, estimated cost and planned dates.
How we decide what's new
We read the state's register every day and list each new registration once, by its project number, with the project name, city, county, type of work (new building, renovation or addition), estimated cost and planned start.
What can go wrong
The cost is the registrant's own estimate, and a few are obvious typos ($180 million for one fast-food store): we flag those and leave them out of totals. A registration is not a groundbreaking; some projects start late or never. Projects under $50,000 and private homes aren't in the register.
A record is a signal, not a promise. Some businesses open late, rename or never open. If a listing about your business is wrong, tell us and we'll fix it.
What this doesn't cover
What this covers. Commercial and public building projects of $50,000 or more anywhere in Texas, registered with TDLR before construction. Homes, and smaller jobs, aren't in the register. Costs are as filed.
Sources: the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) Texas Architectural Barriers (TABS) project register, tdlr.texas.gov. Written from the public records themselves; check with the agency for anything legal or binding.
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