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Post Harvey Construction Guidelines

Braeswood Place Homeowners Association (BPHA) is the HOA for multiple subdivisions including:

Braes Heights (13 Sections)
Ayrshire (14 Sections)
Braes Oaks (2 Sections)
Southern Oaks (2 Sections)
Emerald Forest
Braes Terrace
Braes Manor

Part of the responsibility of BPHA is to ensure that the various sets of deed restrictions are renewed to keep them active and to enforce the restrictions. Many of the restrictions specify that a residence cannot exceed a specified number of stories or levels: 1½, 2 or 2½. Following Hurricane Harvey, Harris County and the City of Houston have imposed certain requirements for new construction or additions which exceed 1/3 of the existing square footage of the house. Effective September 1, 2018, the lowest occupied floor must be a certain height above the 500-year flood plain. Any space below the lowest occupied floor must be “floodable”, have vent openings to accommodate water flow, and mechanical and electrical equipment must be raised; the lowest level can be used for parking, storage and access to the upper level(s).

Construction Criteria

To accommodate the requirements above, the BPHA Board of Directors has agreed to allow new construction (or existing structures being elevated) to have a ground level for parking, storage and access to upper levels. That lowest level will not be counted toward the maximum number of floors listed in the deed restrictions as long as the following criteria are met:

There must be an opaque wall or skirting on all sides of the lowest level which are visible from the street regardless of the presence of any other visible obstructions including fences and landscaping.
That wall or skirting must be of materials that are consistent in appearance with the upper portion of the house.
The lower level cannot be air-conditioned, except for the access point to the upper levels.
There can be a garage door or doors on the front and rear.

Required Forms

There is a fee to review new construction plans and renovation plans. The fee helps cover the cost of hiring an inspector to make periodic checks for compliance during the building process.

a. $750 fee for new construction

b. $250 fee for of renovation plans (only if adding square footage and/or outdoor structures)

Please pay below, Zelle the amount or send a check to the BPHA office then email your plans to office@braeswoodplace.org and david@wingfield-sears.com for review.

You can download the requirements & construction forms here.