Neighborhood Tools
Pothole? Streetlight out? Illegal dumping? Here is exactly how to get it fixed.
9 min read | Sources: houston311.org, City of Houston Public Works
Houston covers 671 square miles. That is bigger than Los Angeles. The city cannot monitor every block, every streetlight, every bayou bank.
311 is the reporting system. When you call 311, submit a request online, or use the app, you create a work order. That work order gets assigned to a city department. Someone shows up.
No report, no work order. No work order, no fix.
In 2023, Houston 311 handled over 1.5 million service requests. The most common: trash and recycling issues, potholes, water leaks, and illegal dumping.
Source: City of Houston 311 Annual Report, houston311.org
311 handles a wide range of city services. If it is on city property or in a city right-of-way, 311 is probably the right call.
Pick whichever method works for you. They all create the same work order in the same system.
Step 1: Your report is logged and you get a service request number. Save this number.
Step 2: The request is routed to the responsible department. Potholes go to Public Works. Stray animals go to BARC. Illegal dumping goes to Solid Waste.
Step 3: The department creates a work order and assigns it to a crew or inspector.
Step 4: Someone shows up. For urgent issues (water main breaks, traffic signals out), this can be same-day. For routine issues (potholes, code violations), expect 7-14 days.
Step 5: The work order is closed. If you filed online or through the app, you get a notification.
Target response times vary by issue. Water emergencies: 4 hours. Potholes: 24-48 hours on major roads. Code violations: 7-14 days for initial inspection.
Source: City of Houston 311 Service Level Agreements, houston311.org
Filed a report and nothing happened? Here is the ladder.
Some things look like 311 issues but belong to a different agency.
That pothole you swerve around every day? That streetlight that has been out for months? Open the Houston 311 app right now and file it. It takes 2 minutes. The city cannot fix what it does not know about.
Free on iOS and Android. It uses your GPS, lets you take photos, and sends push notifications when your request is updated. Keep it on your home screen.
Add (713) 837-0311 to your contacts as 'Houston 311.' Works from any phone, including cell phones and phones outside city limits.
One 311 report is a request. Ten reports from the same block about the same issue is a pattern. The city allocates resources to areas with the most reports. Talk to your neighbors. File together.