Texas Grease Trap Regulations: City of Dallas Requirements, and What Happens When a Trap Fails
Last reviewed: September 2026
The short answer
Texas has no statewide grease trap pump-out schedule. Cities set the rules. In Houston, the city code requires a full pump-out at least every 90 days, sooner if grease and solids fill 25% of the trap’s wetted height. At least every 180 days, the trap must also be cleaned, inspected and repaired if needed. The city inspects at least once a year. It can fine each day of a violation, and it can shut off water and seal the sewer connection.
Who makes the grease trap rules in Texas
Texas splits the job in two. The state environmental agency, TCEQ, regulates what happens to grease trap waste once it leaves your trap: who may pump it, how it’s carried and where it can go. Everything about the trap itself is set locally. That includes whether you need one, how it’s put in, and how often it’s emptied.
“In Texas, the authorization and installation of grease traps are regulated by local ordinances, the local wastewater utility, or both. TCEQ regulates the pumping (evacuation), transportation, use, and disposal of all grease trap and wet grit trap waste under 30 TAC Chapter 312.”
TCEQ, RG-389, revised August 2026
That’s why there’s no single “Texas grease trap law” with a pump-out schedule, however often you see one quoted. The rules for a Houston kitchen are in the Houston Code of Ordinances, Chapter 47, Article XI, and the Houston Health Department enforces them. Other Texas cities set different rules. This page covers Houston only.
City of Houston grease trap requirements
A full pump-out at least every 90 days
“Each interceptor or holding tank shall be fully evacuated at least once every 90 days.”
Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-512(b)
“Fully evacuated” means everything comes out, not just the grease skimmed off the top. Houston’s code expressly bans partial pump-outs and processing the waste on site (§ 47-512(h)). State rules also require the trap to be fully emptied within 24 hours of the truck arriving, even if that takes more than one truck (30 TAC 312.143(c)).
The 25% rule, as it’s actually written
The “25% rule” is widely quoted, and usually quoted wrong. It isn’t “pump when the trap is 25% full”. Here’s the real text:
“Each interceptor or holding tank shall be fully evacuated more frequently than once every 90 days when: (1) Twenty-five percent or more of the wetted height of the grease trap or interceptor, as measured from the bottom of the device to the invert of the outlet pipe, contains floating materials, sediment, oils or greases; or (2) The discharge exceeds the discharge parameter set in this article; or (3) There is history of non-compliance.”
Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-512(c)
Three things are worth noticing:
- It’s measured by height, not capacity. “Wetted height” is the depth of liquid, from the bottom of the trap up to the bottom of the outlet pipe. For example, if that depth is 4 feet, the rule is reached when the floating grease and the settled solids add up to 1 foot.
- It makes you pump sooner, never later. The 90 days is the longest you can go. The 25% mark can bring the date forward.
- It’s one of three triggers. Grease in the outgoing water above the city’s limit, or a history of non-compliance, also mean pumping more often than every 90 days.
Every 180 days: cleaned, inspected, and repaired if needed
“In any event, a grease trap or holding tank shall be fully evacuated, cleaned, inspected, and, if needed, repaired or otherwise maintained, at least once every 180 days.”
Houston Code of Ordinances § 47-512(f)
This rule applies even to kitchens that have been granted a waiver from the 90-day schedule. It’s worth reading closely, because it treats repair as part of normal upkeep rather than an emergency. Every six months, the trap should be looked at properly and fixed if it needs fixing.
No visible grease in the sample well
The code requires a trap to be cleaned often enough “to ensure that no visible fat, oil or grease (FOG) is observed in the sample well” (§ 47-512(a)). The sample well is the chamber where water leaving the trap can be checked. Restaurants whose building permits were applied for after August 31, 2006 are required to have one (§ 47-513).
A limit on grease in the water leaving your trap
Water leaving the trap must average no more than 400 milligrams of fat, oil and grease per liter (§ 47-514).
A registered pumping company, every time
In Houston, you may not let anyone pump your trap unless their truck shows current, valid registration decals (§ 47-511). Pumping companies must be registered with TCEQ before they handle any grease trap waste, and TCEQ runs a public lookup where you can check one.
The state is also clear that the restaurant stays responsible for its waste until it reaches a proper disposal site. Choosing a properly registered company protects you as well as the environment.
Permits: Houston calls it a registration certificate
Grease traps don’t register with the state, but Houston has its own registration. Food service businesses need a generator registration certificate from the city, with an annual fee and a separate application for each grease trap (§§ 47-421 to 47-423). If you’ve been looking for a Houston grease trap permit, this is it.
Sizing a new grease trap
Chapter 47 doesn’t set trap sizes. Sizing for a new grease trap is handled under the city’s plumbing code, so check with the City of Houston when you’re planning one.
Records: five years, kept on site
Houston requires pump-out records to be kept for five years, on site and within the county, and produced immediately when asked (§ 47-522). If the pumping company’s signed copy of the paperwork hasn’t come back within 15 days, you have 10 business days to file your copy with the Health Department, together with a signed affidavit (§ 47-523).
Inspections: how often, and what they look at
The city must inspect at least once a year, and the inspection expressly includes verifying how often your trap is cleaned (§ 47-561). Taken together with the rules above, an inspection can turn on three things. Your pump-out records. What’s in the trap and the sample well. And whether the trap itself is in a condition to do its job.
What happens when a trap fails
| What the code allows | Details | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Fines | A Class C misdemeanor, $250 to $2,000, and each day is a separate offense | § 47-415 |
| Sewer blockage penalties | At least $1,000 for a first violation, $1,500 for a second within 12 months, up to $2,000 for each after that. Each day counts separately | § 47-515(b) |
| Water shut-off | The city can discontinue water service, and disconnect and seal the sewer connection | § 47-416(a) |
| More frequent pump-outs | A history of non-compliance can require pumping more often than every 90 days | § 47-512(c)(3) |
A fine is a cost. A sealed sewer connection closes the kitchen.
When the problem is damage, not grease
Some traps fail even when they’re pumped on schedule, because the trap itself is damaged. Grease and food waste left in a trap break down and form acid. Over time the acid eats holes in the walls and breaks the baffles that hold grease back. A trap in that condition lets grease through, and it may leak.
Houston’s 180-day rule expects this: traps are to be inspected and, “if needed, repaired”. A damaged trap doesn’t automatically need replacing.
That’s the work we lead with. Grease Trap Repairs Texas repairs holes, cracks, corrosion and broken baffle walls overnight, and the trap is ready the next morning. It typically costs under half the price of a new trap. We guarantee the repaired trap will pass inspection, and our 10-year warranty covers labor and materials, as long as the trap gets regular pump-outs.
How grease trap repair works
What this means for your kitchen
- Book a full pump-out at least every 90 days, and sooner if grease and solids reach 25% of the trap’s wetted height.
- Check the truck shows current registration decals before anyone pumps your trap.
- Keep every pump-out record for five years, on site.
- At least every 180 days, have the trap cleaned, inspected and repaired where needed.
- If an inspector or your pumping company finds damage, ask about repair before you book a replacement.
- If we’ve repaired your trap, those regular pump-outs also keep your 10-year warranty valid.
Sources
- Houston Code of Ordinances, Chapter 47, Article XI
- TCEQ, RG-389, Waste from Grease Traps, Grit Traps, and Septic Tanks (revised August 2026)
- TCEQ public lookup for registered pumping companies
This page explains the rules in plain language. It isn’t legal advice, and the text of the code always governs.