Phone: 311
The Building Standards Board is a quasi-judicial board established to hear appeals to and violations of the San Antonio Property Maintenance Code and summary abatement appeals. The board also rules on cases and can order the repair or demolition of a structure at the owner’s expense.
Unoccupied or ruined structures can attract vagrants, illegal activity, rodents and/or snakes. If these structures haven’t been maintained, they can also be on the verge of collapse, which is dangerous for surrounding neighbors and residents. When deemed necessary, a public hearing may be held before the Building Standards Board to determine if a property is in need of abatement. If the Building Standards Board determines codes were violated, property owners could face civil penalties.
Property owners can appeal a property maintenance code violation to the Building Standards Board. Appeals must be based on a claim that the true intent of the code has been incorrectly interpreted or does not apply and/or there is a special individual reason that makes the strict letter of the code impractical. The appellant can offer an alternative proposal that meets the intent and purpose of the Code and does not lessen health, life, and fire safety requirements. All appeals must be filed no later than ten business days after the notice of violation was served.
The Building Standards Board meets twice a month, unless otherwise posted, on Thursdays. Meetings are held in the Board Room located at the Cliff Morton Development and Business Services Center, 1901 S. Alamo St., at 9 a.m. For more information on the Building Standards Board meetings, please contact the liaison, Judy Croom. All meetings are open to the public. You can access videos of previous meeting and watch a livestream of the meetings.
The Building Standards Board is a citizen-based board and has 14 members appointed by City Council: two panels of seven members each. Appointed by the City Council with each City Council member appointing their own representatives to the board. Members serve overlapping two-year terms and there is no limit on the number of terms that may be served.