How much land to build small multifamily?

[Juan Carlos Cabrera]

Hello all, I’m currently exploring building a small multifamily complex in a Houston, TX submarket. How much land is needed to build either 4 duplexes or two fourplexes? Is there a rule of thumb ratio of vacant land to square footage of building?

[Lee Hampton]

If you plan on developing / building small multi-family in Houston, there are sources of information that you need to become intimately familiar. It is a lot to absorb but it is either absorb or hire the right person. The three documents are;

• City of Houston Multi-family minimum standards
• City of Houston  Code Chapter 42 developments and platting
• City of Houston Code Chapter 33 planning and dev

I get at least 2 calls per month from someone who has a lot in which they want to build multifamily. With two calculations from the ordinances, I can usually rule out what is typically a vision that fails to comply with Houston’s allowable density and parking requirements. The two calculations are;

• Max density is 27 units per acre
• Requirement of 1.5 parking spots per 2bdr unit, range is 1.25 to 2 depending on unit size.

There are many other requirements, but these are the 2 most prevalent gotchas.

Very similar regulations are in place in most cities. I am a small multi-family developer, so I’m speaking from first-hand experience.