agchouston.org Summer2026Cornerstone21 as well as Hurricane Beryl. Each storm changed the conversation in different ways, but together, they have accelerated an industry-wide reevaluation of resilience. “Historically, Houston has been rel- atively easy to develop,” Hargus said. Now, site development requires more features that weren’t commonly used previously, and contractors are having to approach construction differently. “I don’t foresee many developments that won’t be impacted from a cost or schedule perspective.” Hardening the Jobsite: Practical Prep That evolution is visible throughout the region’s commercial market. Elevated slabs have become more common, and stormwater detention systems have grown larger and more complex. Emergency generators are being requested more often as building owners ask tougher questions about business continuity long before storms ever enter the Gulf of Mexico. Following Hurricane Harvey, the City of Houston adopted major revisions to floodplain management requirements under Chapter 19 of the city code. One ordinance shifted flood mitigation requirements from the 100-year flood- plain standard to the 500-year flood- plain, requiring finished floor elevations at “500+2 feet” while implementing no-net-fill requirements in the 500-year floodplain. For contractors and developers, those updates carried significant practical impli- cations. The regulations altered everything from civil design strategies to project schedules and construction costs. The new requirements force project teams to rethink how sites are planned and elevated, particularly on large-footprint commercial developments. Sites that once could be developed with minimal grading suddenly required ele- vated pads, expanded detention systems, retaining walls, ramps and deeper utility coordination. “The least costly option is to raise the site with onsite fill,” Hargus said. “But if you go elevated, you need to consider fire sprinkler systems, elevators, lighting and other scope impacts.” The changes didn’t stop with floodplain standards, either. Updated regulations tied to Chapter 9 and Chapter 13 also changed detention and drainage calcu- lations across the region, and detention credits for redevelopment projects were eliminated while rainfall assumptions increased under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Atlas 14 precipitation study. Those revised assumptions rippled throughout commercial construction projects and continue to do so even a decade later. Larger detention ponds con- sume more site area, underground storm- water systems require deeper excavation and more structural coordination, pipe sizes increase, utility conflicts become more complicated, and civil construction durations extend. “Pipe diameter incre- mentally increases cost, although the key driver is excavation depth and structures,” Hargus explained. Reducing or minimizing onsite mate- rial storage — especially long-term — during peak hurricane months and shifting toward using just-in-time delivery strategies to limit exposure are some of the most commonly cited preparedness procedures. When a storm is predicted to hit, GCs can strategically hold concrete pours or delay installing elevated panels to min- imize wind exposure. No matter what, all loose materials should be properly secured or reinforced with temporary bracing, and off-site storage for equip- ment should be utilized. “Keeping a site clear of any unsecured materials is a best practice that’s additionally impactful during weather events,” affirmed Perilloux. Cost Challenges & Insurance Adaptation Developers are also confronting a more difficult economic equation, as no client has endless funds. Resilience improve- ments often add substantial upfront costs without creating immediately visible rev- enue opportunities. “It’s hard to convince clients to spend building dollars to provide impact-re- sistant glass or other redundancies, especially if it’s not creating revenue or attracting employees,” Hargus said. That tension between resilience and cost remains one of the industry’s defining challenges. Commercial owners increas- ingly understand the risks posed by flooding, power loss and severe weather disruptions, but many projects still oper- ate within tight financial constraints and don’t have a lot left over to incorporate non-mandatory enhancements. “It’s a sticky subject. Owners aren’t excited to spend more money, but they still want more from it,” said Tim Man- herz, vice president of operations at Encore Concrete Construction, LLC. “It’s a con- stant battle of what they get in return.” At the same time, insurance carri- ers are steadily reshaping expectations throughout the market. Contractors say underwriters now evaluate projects with far greater scrutiny than they did before Harvey. “Pricing is stable, but underwriting is more selective,” affirmed Perilloux. “Insurers now require more detailed applications, including eleva- tion data, wind mitigation and storm exposure controls.” And that scrutiny begins during pre- construction. “That’s driving earlier insurer involvement and more structured risk presentations,” Perilloux added. “Insurance loss prevention agents are a great deal more curious about our hurri- cane preparedness programs than in the past,” said Grace Fox, Encore Concrete Construction, LLC’s safety director. “They’re making sure we have protocols in place to address the risks before, during Our memory is sharp close to when the events occur. Then the headline ages, it becomes less top of mind, and here we are again when something else happens.
