George P. Bush: Updated building codes will make Texas more resilient [Opinion]

Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes construction. From the towering high-rises going up in our cities to the growth of residential housing across the state, building is one of our strongest businesses. In recent years, the construction industry has contributed $91.2 billion to our powerhouse economy and accounted for more than 726,000 jobs. And this will only continue to increase as our population grows by a thousand new Texans every day.

Since Hurricane Harvey, Texas builders have been a major part of the recovery effort, readily assisting with public outreach, charity and rebuilding. Harvey’s winds were brutal in the Coastal Bend, and the 27 trillion gallons of rainfall flooded countless homes in and near Houston and across southeast Texas. We heard from thousands of families displaced by tragic flooding. It was devastating, but seeing construction trucks and loads of drywall heading to homesites gave us hope.

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