The Houston area has seen significant home construction in flood-prone areas since Hurricane Harvey struck in 2017. According to a Houston Chronicle analysis, major developers such as Lennar, Meritage Homes, D.R. Horton, Perry Homes and McGuyer Homebuilders have each built more than 700 houses in federally mapped flood zones across the metro’s five largest counties. These builders are responsible for a substantial portion of the 65,000 structures erected in floodplains since the storm.
Texas does not have a statewide building code that addresses construction within floodplains. Instead, local governments set their own standards. Typically, they allow development if homes are elevated and detention ponds are constructed to manage water flow. This approach has supported suburban growth but raised concerns about increasing risks from climate change.
Jim Blackburn, an environmental attorney and professor at Rice University, commented on the trend: “We have generally accepted floodplain development in the past,” Blackburn told the outlet. “I just think it may not be the right way to go forward in the future.”
Lennar’s Friendswood Development subsidiary has been particularly active post-Harvey, with 5,700 homes built since then—25 percent located within flood zones. One of its projects is Tavola in New Caney, where residents experienced severe flooding during Tropical Storm Imelda soon after moving into their new homes.
Meritage Homes constructed nearly 3,000 houses following Harvey; 28 percent were sited in floodplains. The company’s Spring Brook Village project faced opposition from local residents and advocates who argued that elevating homes could worsen flooding nearby. Despite these concerns, Houston City Council approved the project.
D.R. Horton developed 8,100 new residences after Harvey; around 760 were built in high-risk areas for flooding. Perry Homes delivered about 3,900 units with nearly one-fifth situated within mapped floodplains.
Perry’s Woodridge Village project became controversial when neighboring properties flooded; litigation followed but was resolved through a $14 million land sale to Houston and Harris County for use as detention basins.
McGuyer Homebuilders (now part of Dream Finders Homes) placed close to one-third of its post-Harvey developments—about 2,200 homes—in designated flood zones including sections of Towne Lake in Cypress.
