Project types
Small multifamily.
Ten to a hundred units is where zoning, neighbors and utility capacity meet. The approvals are rarely exotic, but the order matters and each one can change the unit count.
Why it gets complicated
Where the time and money go.
Inside cities, multifamily usually needs the right zoning district, and a zoning change brings public hearings and conditions. Compatibility rules near single-family homes can cut height and push buildings back from the property line.
Water and wastewater capacity matter more than for most commercial uses, because demand scales with units. A provider may serve the site but not at the density you want without a line upgrade.
Fire access lanes, hydrant spacing and fire flow shape the site plan. Parking rules, where they still apply, compete for the same land.
Over sensitive aquifers or in protected watersheds, impervious cover limits for multifamily can be tight enough to set the density.
What we look at first
Deal-killers first, in order.
The checks most likely to change the plan for this type of project. Each links to a plain-English guide.
Jurisdiction and zoning
City, ETJ or county, and what the zoning allows by right.
Jurisdiction guideWater and wastewater capacity
Whether the provider can serve the unit count, and at what cost.
Water and wastewater guideFire flow and access
Required flow, hydrants and fire lanes for the building type.
Fire flow guideSetbacks and compatibility
Building lines, height steps and buffers near homes.
Setbacks guideImpervious cover
Watershed or aquifer limits that cap the density.
Impervious cover guideTitle and restrictions
Deed restrictions that limit multifamily or density.
Title guideBefore you close
Questions to ask early.
Cheap to ask before closing. Expensive to learn after.
- Is multifamily allowed by right, or does the site need a zoning change?
- Are there compatibility or height rules because of nearby homes?
- Can the water and sewer provider serve the full unit count, and what upgrades are needed?
- What fire flow and fire lane layout will the fire marshal require?
- Is there an impervious cover limit that caps the density?
- Do deed restrictions or a recorded plat note limit the number of units?
Typical patterns
Common situations, and what they usually mean.
Patterns, not rules. Every report checks the actual parcel, its jurisdiction and its utilities.
| Situation | What often happens | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial zoning, multifamily wanted | A zoning change with hearings and conditions | District, hearing path, typical conditions |
| Site next to single-family homes | Height steps and larger setbacks | Compatibility triggers and distances |
| Rural provider, high unit count | Line upgrade or capacity agreement | Service area, demand, upgrade path |
| Over the Edwards or a protected watershed | Cover limit reduces units | Watershed class, cap, transfers |
| Old subdivision with deed restrictions | Private limits on use or density | Restrictions, amendments, enforcement |
Keep reading
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Check your next multifamily site.
Send us the parcel and a target unit count. We start with what could change it.