Your water bill and your property tax bill in Bellaire

The utility bill: when and how to pay

The city's Utility Billing office processes one monthly bill for water, sewer, garbage and recycling. Payments are due before 5 p.m. on the second Friday of each month. The city lists these ways to pay:

- Online with a credit card, one time or recurring, through the city's payment portal. - By phone with a credit card. - By automatic bank draft, with a sign-up form on the city's Utility Billing page. - By mail, in the envelope that comes with a paper bill. - At the Utility Payments drop box in front of City Hall. - In person at Bellaire City Utility Billing, 7008 S Rice Ave, on the first floor of City Hall, open 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

The window takes cash, personal checks, money orders and most major credit cards.

Leaks are on you

The city does not reduce water bills because of leaks or pool filling. The account holder pays for all the water that passes through the meter. A running toilet or a broken sprinkler line shows up in full on the bill.

That makes the city's usage portal worth setting up. The resident utility portal, powered by AquaHawk, lets you set custom alerts and watch your water use. You can sign up for e-billing there too. Most meters are electronic smart meters, read automatically every month. If an alert points to a leak you can't find, local plumbers can trace it: Perot Plumbing, at 5010 Tamarisk St, Bellaire Plumbing, at 5311 Bellaire Blvd, Southern Plumbing, at 5233 Bellaire Blvd, and Global Plumber Bellaire TX, at 5422 Bellaire Blvd.

Why your sewer charge depends on winter

There is no meter on your wastewater line, so the city uses winter averaging. In winter, the city explains, households use the least water, and almost all of it goes straight into the sewer. In summer, much of the water goes on lawns, pools and cars instead. So the city sets your residential wastewater volume from your winter water use and bills it that way for the rest of the year. Fixing leaks before winter keeps that number low all year.

A leak during the winter months costs twice, once on the water bill and again on the sewer charge for the rest of the year.

The city's FY2027 adopted budget lists the new wastewater rates. The minimum monthly charge rises to $9.17, from $8.73, and includes the first 100 cubic feet. Each additional 100 cubic feet rises to $4.19, from $3.99.

Garbage and recycling on the same bill

The solid waste fee covers up to six garbage bags per home on each regular garbage day. Extra bag stickers are $2.25 each at the Utility Billing window, and recycling bins are $16.89 there. Our guide to trash and recycling day has the full schedule.

A leak during the winter months costs twice, once on the water bill and again on the sewer charge for the rest of the year. If you think a bill is wrong, start with the usage portal, which shows when the water was used, then contact Utility Billing. Your account information is confidential by default under a 2021 Texas law, H.B. 872. The city generally shares it only with people named on the account.

The property tax bill: who collects it

The Harris County Tax Office collects Bellaire's city property tax along with the county's and the school district's. You don't pay it at City Hall. The city's FAQ points residents to the nearest county location at 6000 Chimney Rock Road.

You can pay online through the Tax Office's MyHarrisCountyTax site, by phone, by mail or in person. The Tax Office charges a 2.40% fee on card payments, with a $1 minimum, and 50 cents for an e-check. Its downtown office, at 1001 Preston St., is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closed Wednesdays.

The stack, per $100 of value

These are the tax year 2025 adopted rates, the latest full set, from the Harris County Tax Office's table and Houston ISD:

- Houston ISD: $0.8783. - City of Bellaire: $0.4174. - Harris County: $0.38096. - Harris County Hospital District: $0.18761. - Harris County Flood Control District: $0.04966. - Port of Houston Authority: $0.0059. - Harris County Department of Education: $0.0048.

Together that is about $1.9246 per $100, or about $1,925 for each $100,000 of taxable value before exemptions. The school district takes nearly half. The city's share is less than a quarter.

What is changing this year

Several county bodies have already adopted 2026 rates, according to the Tax Office: Harris County at $0.4175, up from $0.38096, the hospital district at $0.19528, flood control at $0.05266 and the port at $0.00603.

Bellaire's 2026 rate is not adopted yet. The city has proposed $0.4268 per $100, up from $0.4174, according to Community Impact. The public hearing and adoption vote are set for Monday, Oct. 5, at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Community Impact reported that the average Bellaire homestead would pay about $3,874 in city tax under the proposed rate, $259 more than last year.

Exemptions

Exemptions lower the taxable value before the rates apply, and each taxing body sets its own. The City of Bellaire lists a homestead exemption of 20% of market value, with a minimum of $5,000, and exemptions of $135,000 for homeowners 65 and older and $135,000 for disabled homeowners. Houston ISD lists a homestead exemption of $140,000 plus 20% of appraised value, an additional $60,000 for homeowners 65 and older or disabled plus a $5,000 local option, and further exemptions for disabled veterans. You apply through the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD), not the city.

Before you go

- Pay the utility bill before 5 p.m. on the second Friday of the month. - Sign up for the AquaHawk portal and set a usage alert to catch leaks early. - Fix leaks before winter, when your sewer volume for the year is set. - File your homestead exemption with HCAD the year you move in. - Pay property tax to the Harris County Tax Office, and use an e-check to avoid the card fee. - Go to the Oct. 5 hearing at City Hall if you want a say in Bellaire's rate.

Sources

- City of Bellaire, Utility Billing (https://www.bellairetx.gov/603/Utility-Billing) - City of Bellaire, Frequently Asked Questions, Utility Billing (https://www.bellairetx.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=58) - City of Bellaire, FY2027 Adopted Budget, wastewater rates (https://user-9hywe2.cld.bz/FY2027-Adopted-Budget/408) - City of Bellaire, Frequently Asked Questions, General (https://www.bellairetx.gov/FAQ.aspx?QID=21) - Harris County Tax Office, Jurisdiction Tax Rates (https://www.hctax.net/Property/JurisdictionTaxRates) - Harris County Tax Office, Property Tax (https://www.hctax.net/property/propertytax) - Houston ISD, Tax Information (https://www.houstonisd.org/our-district/budget-financial-planning/tax-information) - Community Impact, Bellaire officials propose higher property tax rate for FY 2026-27 (https://communityimpact.com/bellaire-meyerland-west-university/government/bellaire-officials-propose-higher-property-tax-rate-for-fy-2026-27/)

En español

En Bellaire, una sola factura mensual cubre agua, alcantarillado, basura y reciclaje, y vence antes de las 5 p.m. del segundo viernes de cada mes. La ciudad no reduce las facturas por fugas, así que conviene inscribirse en el portal AquaHawk para recibir alertas. El cobro de alcantarillado se calcula con el consumo de invierno. El impuesto a la propiedad lo cobra la Oficina de Impuestos del Condado de Harris, no el Ayuntamiento. Con las tasas del año pasado, todas las entidades sumaron cerca de $1.92 por cada $100 de valor; el distrito escolar es casi la mitad. La ciudad propone subir su tasa a $0.4268, y la votación es el lunes 5 de octubre.