A Conroe-area developer is sounding the alarm over Montgomery County’s plan to bump the minimum lot width for new homes from 40 feet to 50, warning it could tack roughly $100,000 onto the price of a new house and shove would-be starter buyers out of the market. The county will hold a public hearing on the proposal at 9:30 a.m. Thursday before the Montgomery County Commissioners Court, setting up a showdown between builders and affordability advocates on one side and county officials on the other, who argue that larger lots help neighborhood character and infrastructure planning.
As reported by Houston Chronicle, the hearing will focus on raising the minimum lot width in unincorporated areas, where most of the county’s new subdivisions are being built, following a major rewrite of county development rules last year. County rules at issue apply only outside incorporated cities, which leaves local municipalities to set their own lot standards.
Developers Say Wider Lots Will Push Prices Up
In a press release via Ellison Development, Conroe-based developer Bill Ellison argued that lot size is “one of the most direct drivers of home price” and that adding 10 extra feet of frontage can translate into about $100,000 in added cost. His firm, which focuses on smaller, workforce-oriented subdivisions in unincorporated Montgomery County, urged residents to show up at Thursday’s hearing and press commissioners on affordability concerns.
Local Rules Have Already Shifted
Montgomery County previously moved from a 30-foot minimum to a 40-foot minimum in March 2025 as part of an overhaul of its development regulations, a change that already narrowed the pipeline for smaller, lower-cost homes, according to Community Impact. Conroe itself has cycled through several lot-size standards in recent years, including a May 2022 vote to restore a 50-foot minimum and a later amendment allowing 45-foot lots with deeper depths, as Community Impact reported.
State lawmakers have been wrestling with similar questions. Advocates have pointed to Texas’ recent legislative moves on municipal lot standards and housing density as context for the Montgomery County debate, per The Texas Tribune.
How Many Buyers Could Be Priced Out
The National Association of Home Builders estimates that about 88.2 million U.S. households, or roughly 65%, cannot afford the median-priced new home at a 6% mortgage rate. By its math, every $1,000 increase in price pushes about 156,405 additional households out of the market, according to NAHB. Local market reports put median single-family prices in the Houston region in the mid-$300,000s and average prices in the low-$400,000s, which helps explain why builders and housing advocates say a roughly $100,000 jump tied to regulation would sharply shrink entry-level supply, Houston Chronicle reported.
What To Watch at Thursday's Hearing
Thursday’s meeting is expected to feature testimony from local builders, the Greater Houston Builders Association and residents who live in smaller-lot subdivisions. In company posts, Ellison Development said GHBA representatives planned to speak and encouraged anyone worried about affordability to attend or follow county materials for next steps.
Commissioners could vote on the rule change after public comment, kick it back to staff for more study, or postpone a decision. Whichever route they choose will shape where and how many homes can be built in unincorporated Montgomery County for years to come.
