Bellaire — The city’s building official reported to the Building Standards Commission on April 24 that efforts to remove substandard and abandoned homes are slowed by utility disconnection delays and rising demolition costs.

The building official said several properties identified for demolition have produced “very little response” from owners and that the city recently had to condemn a property referred to as “400 Auto” and is awaiting a gas service disconnection by the utility. “We have authority to do it. We're just waiting on the utility company,” the building official said.

Staff said the city is pursuing owner contact and removal options but that, for fiscal year 2026, additional funding will likely be needed to remove more substandard structures. The building official cited demolition cost increases, saying older 1950s houses that once cost about $8,000 to tear down are now in the $11,000 range.

Staff also reported specific complications on individual properties: one homeowner placed an unpermitted temporary storage unit on a slab and then disappeared; another involved elderly occupants with unclear ownership or familial contact; and a third property inside the loop presented follow‑up complications. The building official said the city intends to lien properties where the city pays for demolition; the official called the lien action ‘the first in the city’ for a recent case.

Why it matters: Delays in utility disconnection and the rising price of demolition increase the city’s cost to address hazardous vacant structures and can extend the period during which properties present safety, fire and vermin risks to neighborhoods.

Key points
- Utility delays: Staff reported they have removed electric service and requested gas disconnects; CenterPoint’s gas disconnection was described as taking ‘‘a long time’’ and staff said they are “hoping that will occur sometime in the next 2 weeks to 4 weeks.”
- Demolition cost: Building official estimated demolition of a typical 1950s house has risen from about $8,000 to about $11,000.
- Liens and authority: Staff said the city will lien properties where the city pays for demolition and that the city has authority to proceed after utility disconnects.

No formal action was taken on the report. Commissioners asked staff to return with updates at a subsequent meeting.

Methodology: The summary is drawn from the building official’s report to the commission and questions from commissioners at the April 24 meeting.