Planning a Brewery or Taproom Buildout in Houston
Craft breweries, taprooms, cideries and tasting rooms have become anchors for redeveloped warehouses, shopping centers and mixed-use projects around Houston. They bring foot traffic and evening activity, and landlords like what they do for a property. But a production brewery is part light industrial plant, part restaurant and part assembly space, and the buildout has to satisfy all three.
This guide covers the planning steps for owners, operators and landlords working on a brewery or taproom project. It is general information, not legal, design or engineering advice. Alcohol production and sales are heavily regulated, so work with your attorney, architect, engineers and equipment supplier on your specific project.
Start with the right building
Brewing equipment is heavy, wet and utility-hungry. Before signing a lease or buying a building, check:
- Slab strength: Fermenters and brite tanks full of liquid put heavy point loads on the floor. A structural engineer should confirm the slab can carry them, or plan for new footings.
- Ceiling height: Tall tanks need clear height, plus room for piping and exhaust.
- Loading access: Grain deliveries, kegs and equipment need a dock or wide overhead door.
- Utilities: Brewing needs large water, sewer, gas and electrical capacity.
- Parking and access: Taproom guests need parking and an accessible route.
- Deed restrictions and use: Houston has no conventional zoning, but deed restrictions and nearby uses can affect where alcohol production and sales are allowed. The City of Houston Legal Department's deed restriction page is a starting point, and your attorney should review it.
Former warehouse space is a natural fit. Our guide to industrial and warehouse buildouts covers many of the same building issues.
Plan the production and guest areas separately
Most projects split into two zones:
- Production: brewhouse, fermentation, cold storage, packaging, grain storage, cleaning and chemical storage
- Guest area: taproom bar, seating, restrooms, outdoor space and sometimes food service
The two zones have different code requirements. Production is often treated like a light industrial or factory use, while a taproom with many guests is an assembly use with its own exit, restroom and fire protection rules. Plan the separation between them early.
Slab, trench drains and floors
Breweries are wet. Floors are hosed down constantly, and tanks drain during cleaning. Planning items include:
- Trench drains along tank rows and the brewhouse
- Slab slope toward drains so water does not pond
- Chemical-resistant floor coatings that stand up to hot water and cleaning chemicals
- Slip resistance for staff safety
Cutting and replacing slab for drains is a major part of the scope in many conversions. Our guide to warehouse floor slab and loading dock repairs covers slab work in existing buildings.
Wastewater and pretreatment
Brewery wastewater carries sugars, yeast and cleaning chemicals, and it can be hot. Many utilities require monitoring or pretreatment before it reaches the sewer. Inside the city, Houston Public Works administers wastewater service and can explain which requirements apply. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality also oversees water quality rules. Plan sampling points, neutralization or settling tanks if they are required.
Utilities and mechanical systems
- Water: Brewing uses a lot of water. Confirm the meter size and backflow requirements. See our guide to backflow and water service upgrades.
- Gas or steam: Brewhouses are often heated with gas burners or steam boilers, both of which need venting and combustion air.
- Electrical: Pumps, glycol chillers, cold rooms and packaging lines add load. Our guide to commercial electrical service upgrade planning explains how to check capacity.
- Glycol and refrigeration: Chillers often sit outside or on the roof and need structural support and piping routes.
- Ventilation: Boil kettles release steam, and fermentation releases carbon dioxide that must be managed for staff safety.
- Cold storage: Walk-in coolers for kegs and packaged product. Our guide to cold storage and refrigerated warehouse buildouts explains the basics.
Houston's heat makes cooling a big factor, both for fermentation and for guests in the taproom.
The taproom
The taproom is where guests experience the brand. Plan for:
- Bar and draft system with cooler and glycol lines
- Restrooms sized for the expected number of guests
- Seating and occupant load, which drives exits and fire protection
- Outdoor patio or beer garden, which may need shade, lighting and drainage
- Food service, if any, which brings health department review. Our restaurant buildout checklist explains those requirements.
- Acoustics, since hard surfaces in warehouse spaces get loud
Fire protection and assembly rules
Large guest areas usually bring requirements for exits, emergency lighting, fire alarms and sometimes fire sprinklers. Production areas with stored materials and equipment have their own requirements. Fire marshal review is common. See our guides to fire marshal review basics and commercial fire sprinkler retrofit planning.
Accessibility
Taprooms and tasting rooms are public accommodations. Accessibility rules apply to entrances, routes, bars, seating, restrooms and outdoor areas. Federal guidance is at ADA.gov, and Texas has its own architectural barriers program administered by TDLR. Review accessibility with your attorney and design professional.
Alcohol permits
Breweries and tasting rooms need federal and state permits. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau handles federal requirements, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission handles state permits. Permit timing can affect when you can start brewing or selling, so coordinate it with construction. These are legal matters, so work with your attorney.
Building permits and inspections
Inside the city, buildouts require building permits and inspections through the Houston Permitting Center. Expect review of structural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection work. Our guides to the buildout permit process in Houston and certificates of occupancy explain the sequence.
Lease questions for landlords and operators
- Who pays for slab work, trench drains and utility upgrades?
- Who owns tanks and equipment at the end of the lease?
- What restoration is required at move-out?
- Are outdoor patio and event uses allowed?
- How are odors, noise and deliveries handled for neighbors?
- How is the tenant improvement allowance paid?
Review the lease with your attorney before signing. Our guide to landlord work vs tenant work letters explains how leases divide the work.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the slab can carry full tanks without an engineer's review
- Underestimating trench drain work
- Ignoring wastewater requirements until late in design
- Undersized utilities
- Forgetting assembly rules for the taproom
- Starting construction before permit timing is understood
Quick checklist
- Slab, height, access and utilities confirmed
- Deed restrictions and lease reviewed with your attorney
- Production and guest areas planned separately
- Trench drains and floor coatings designed
- Wastewater requirements confirmed
- Mechanical, refrigeration and ventilation planned
- Fire protection and accessibility reviewed
- Alcohol and building permits coordinated
A brewery or taproom can bring a building to life. Careful early planning keeps the project on track from first pour of concrete to first pour at the bar.
Planning a brewery or taproom buildout in Houston? BPC Development LLC provides free on-site estimates in Houston, TX. Call (281) 301-4737.