Hiring local businesses in Clear Lake

Clear Lake is Houston Super Neighborhood 81, in Council District E. It opened in 1963 as a master-planned community next to NASA's Johnson Space Center; check its community association's rules before exterior work. Houston has no zoning, so deed restrictions matter; the city Legal Department's deed restriction hotline is 832-393-6333.

Not every address people call Clear Lake sits inside Houston. Webster, for one, is its own incorporated city and takes permit applications through its OnCamino portal.

Clear Lake permits and floodplain rules

Inside Houston, permits come from the Houston Permitting Center through iPermits. Master plumbers and electrical contractors must register their state licenses with the city before pulling permits. Building in the 100- or 500-year floodplain or the floodway also needs a floodplain development permit from the city's Floodplain Management Office.

For water, sewer and drainage, call the Clear Lake City Water Authority at 281-488-1164. CenterPoint Energy owns the poles and wires, and you pick your own retail electric provider on PowerToChoose. City curbside homes get heavy trash every other month, but contractor debris isn't collected.

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and Harris County announces evacuation zones by ZIP code. The Harris Central Appraisal District values your home and takes protests through iFile; the usual deadline is May 15 or 30 days after your notice, whichever is later.

• In the house: plumbers, AC repair, pest control and house cleaning.
• Outside: pool service.
• Moving and buying: movers and realtors.
• Health and legal: dentists, gyms and personal injury lawyers.

Clear Lake sits within the wider Houston guide and the Houston and Gulf Coast region. Nearby: Webster and League City.