Field notes
What we learn on the job, written down. Each note names who wrote it, who checked it, and where the facts came from.
electrical-code · nec · adopted-codes
Which electrical code applies to your lot
Texas adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code on 1 September 2026. The city on your lot may be on the 2017, 2020 or 2023 edition. Why the gap exists and how to check.
schools · isd-boundaries · hudson-oaks
Your school district is not your city, and the listing may be wrong
A Hudson Oaks address is not automatically an Aledo ISD address. How to establish the district for a specific parcel, and why two published sources can disagree.
insurance · hail · deductibles
When a contractor offers to cover your deductible
The Texas Department of Insurance says waiving a homeowners deductible is illegal under state law. What a percentage deductible really costs, and what to ask instead.
contracts · liens · property-code
The subcontractor list you are owed before construction starts
Before construction starts, Texas obliges the contractor to give the owner each subcontractor by name, address and phone, and to update the list within 15 days of a change.
septic · ossf · aerobic
Living with an aerobic septic system: the part that starts after move-in
An aerobic system comes with a licensed maintenance provider, reports to the county at least every four months, and a two-year wait before an owner can maintain it themselves.
hoa · architectural-review · property-code
What an HOA has to put in writing when it says no
Texas Property Code §209.00505 says what an architectural review denial must contain, gives the owner 30 days to request a hearing, and puts the board on a 30-day clock.
impact-fees · tap-fees · water
What a water meter costs before you build, town by town
Fort Worth publishes its fees by meter size and period. Benbrook's water authority is separate from the city. Aledo does not publish its amounts online at all.
platting · subdivision · unincorporated-land
Can you split this tract? What platting actually decides
Dividing land is a platting question, not a building-permit question, and the county runs it through a different office. What the published rules actually govern.
driveways · culverts · county-roads
Who permits your driveway, and why it is not the builder
A driveway onto a state highway is a TxDOT permit. A driveway onto a county road is the commissioner's precinct. The county's own standards set the width, the spacing and the culvert.
licensing · tdlr · tsbpe
Checking a trade license in Texas, and the one job nobody licenses
Electricians and A/C contractors are licensed by TDLR, plumbers by a separate board, and general contractors by nobody. Where the public lookups are, and how to use them.