Austin demolition: what has to happen to the utilities first

Last verified August 7, 2026 against the Austin Land Development Code · Kimbrough Gray · KiliGray Homes

After a demolition application is approved but before demolition can occur, the applicant must terminate all utilities unless continued service is separately approved, abandon public water and wastewater service lines under the Utilities Criteria Manual, and abandon any on-site sewage facility. Separately, a building permit application must include written verification that utilities are suitable and sufficient for the new project.

Applies to: Any demolition in Austin where the property is served by utilities, and any building permit application. The on-site sewage rules differ depending on whether the property sits inside the full purpose boundary.

The step between "approved" and "demolition can occur"

Getting the demolition permit is not the last gate. §25-11-64(C) opens with a phrase worth reading slowly:

After a demolition application has been approved but before demolition can occur, the applicant must satisfy the following requirements…

So there is a defined window after approval in which utility work has to be completed. Three obligations sit inside it, and none of them is instant.

Step	What is required	Governed by
Terminate all utilities	Unless you request continued service and receive approval from the appropriate utility	§25-11-64(C)(1)
Abandon water and wastewater service lines	Public service lines abandoned	Utilities Criteria Manual
— if reusing the lines	Private yard lines capped within private property	Chapter 25-12, Article 6 (Plumbing Code)
— if discontinuing the lines	Additional plans submitted to Austin Water for review	Austin Water
Abandon on-site sewage facilities	Inside the full purpose boundary (and limited-purpose annexed areas where City health and safety ordinances apply)	Chapter 15-5 (Private Sewage Facilities)
— everywhere else	Per the applicable permitting authority	That authority

From §25-11-64(C). "Terminate" and "abandon" are separate acts here — cutting off service is not the same as retiring the line.

Continued service during demolition is possible, but it is not automatic. §25-11-64(C)(1) requires termination unless the applicant submits a request for continued services and receives approval from the appropriate utility. Both halves are needed. If you want power on site through the demolition, that is a request to be made and granted, not an assumption.

The branch that decides whether you keep your tap

§25-11-64(C)(2) forks, and the fork has real money in it:

(i) If the existing lines or appurtenances are to be reused in the future — the corresponding private yard lines must be capped within private property, in accordance with the Plumbing Code.
(ii) If they will be discontinued — the applicant must submit additional plans to Austin Water for review.

A teardown and rebuild on broadly the same footprint is often a candidate for branch (i). Defaulting to (ii) discards an existing service connection and then requires a new one — which is both a cost and a schedule item that did not need to exist.

This is a decision to make deliberately, early, and in writing.

And a separate obligation pointing the other way

Buried in the same section is a requirement that has nothing to do with demolition. §25-11-64(B):

When an applicant files an application for a building permit, the applicant must submit a written verification that utilities for the proposed development are suitable and sufficient for the proposed project.

That attaches to the building permit, not the demolition, and it is forward-looking — it is about whether the service can carry what you intend to build. On a project that adds units or substantially increases demand, "suitable and sufficient" is a question with a real answer, and it is asked at application time rather than at connection time.

§25-11-64(A) supports it: the building official coordinates review with the City's electric utility and Austin Water where the property is served or will be served by public utilities.

Three documents govern the detail, and none is on this hub. This section defers to the Utilities Criteria Manual for abandonment, to Chapter 25-12 Article 6 (Plumbing Code) for capping yard lines, and to Chapter 15-5 for private sewage facilities. We can tell you which document governs each step. We cannot tell you what any of them requires — none has been retrieved.

Common questions

What has to happen to utilities before demolition in Austin?

After the demolition application is approved but before demolition can occur, the applicant must terminate all utilities unless continued service is requested and approved, abandon public water and wastewater service lines under the Utilities Criteria Manual, and abandon any on-site sewage facility.

Can I keep power on during a demolition in Austin?

Only with permission. §25-11-64(C)(1) requires termination of all utilities unless the applicant submits a request for continued services and receives approval from the appropriate utility service. Both the request and the approval are required.

Can I reuse my existing water and sewer connection after a teardown in Austin?

The code contemplates it. Under §25-11-64(C)(2)(i), where the existing public water and wastewater service lines or appurtenances are to be reused in the future, the corresponding private yard lines must be capped within private property under the Plumbing Code. Discontinuing them instead requires additional plans to Austin Water.

Does a building permit in Austin require utility verification?

Yes. §25-11-64(B) requires an applicant filing for a building permit to submit written verification that utilities for the proposed development are suitable and sufficient for the proposed project.

How do I abandon a septic system before demolition in Austin?

Inside the full purpose boundary — and in limited-purpose annexed areas where the City's health and safety ordinances apply — on-site sewage facilities are abandoned under Chapter 15-5 (Private Sewage Facilities). For all other properties, the requirements of the applicable permitting authority govern.

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We do this research ourselves on every project we take on — zoning, floodplain, watershed, trees, whether it is a legal lot. Send us an address and we will run it and tell you what we find. It works the same whether you own a vacant lot, a house you are thinking of adding a unit to, or a house you are thinking of replacing. No charge and no strings, and if it is a bad lot we will say so.

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We are homebuilders, not the City of Austin. This page explains how we read the code in practice — it is not legal advice and it is not an official determination. Always confirm with Austin Development Services before you rely on it for a project. The authoritative text is the Austin Land Development Code; permitting questions go to Austin Development Services Department.