Precast Concrete Manholes, Catch Basins & Inlets in Houston

Where to buy precast concrete manholes in Houston

Storm and sanitary contractors, MUD and municipal buyers, and engineers can order precast manholes and catch basins from D&D Utility Supply at 14630 Blue Ash Dr., Houston, TX 77090. The published line is rings, risers, and cones, plus catch basins for storm drainage. Source plants and brand names are not listed. Call (832) 482-2483 with the structure schedule.

Precast manholes

Manhole components

The usual pieces of a precast manhole are a base, riser or barrel sections, a cone or a flat top, and grade or adjusting rings that set the frame at finished grade. Cones are specified as eccentric or concentric when the opening has to sit off center or on center. That is the usual municipal arrangement. What D&D publishes is in the next paragraph.

D&D's published manhole line is rings, risers, and cones for sanitary and storm work. Bases, flat tops, eccentric versus concentric cones, and grade rings are not listed as separate items. Call (832) 482-2483 with the structure schedule and we will quote the pieces the plans show.

Sanitary manholes and storm manholes

Sanitary manholes sit on wastewater lines. Specs for that service usually call for watertight joints, and many add a liner or coating where corrosion is a concern. Storm manholes and junction structures take inlet leads and storm pipe. D&D resells manhole sections for both sanitary and storm work. Joint type, liners, and coatings are not listed on this page. Send the note from your specification with the quote request.

For projects Harris County accepts under its infrastructure regulations, precast manholes and junction boxes are required to conform to ASTM C478 or ASTM C913, and precast inlet boxes to ASTM C913. Thin-wall knockouts sized for a range of pipes are not allowed in the county right-of-way. Read Section 6.02 of the Harris County regulations for the approval and acceptance of infrastructure (adopted December 18, 2018, updated October 10, 2023). D&D does not publish plant certifications. The engineer of record names the standard, and you can call us with that callout.

What size manhole do you need?

Manhole diameter is set by the pipe sizes, the depth, and the specification that governs the job. This page does not publish a diameter rule, and it does not list the diameters D&D can furnish. Call for sizes and availability, and have the pipe diameters from the plans ready.

For City of Houston sanitary work, Infrastructure Design Manual Table 8.2 sets the maximum distance between manholes. That spacing is 400 feet for 8-inch through 15-inch pipe and 800 feet for 18-inch through 48-inch pipe. Mains larger than 48 inches are spaced as the City approves. Table 8.2 is a spacing table. It does not set the manhole diameter. Follow the engineer's plans, or call D&D with the pipe sizes. Table 8.2 is in the City of Houston 2026 Infrastructure Design Manual.

Manhole frames and covers

Frames, covers, and grates are not listed on this page. If the plans call for a casting, include the detail or catalog number in the quote email. We will tell you whether that casting can go on the same order as the precast sections.

Catch basins and storm inlets

Precast catch basins

D&D resells precast concrete catch basins for storm drainage. A catch basin is the box that takes surface water and sends it into the storm line. Inlet types, grate styles, and sizes are not listed here. Include the detail number, the depth, and the pipe penetrations when you call for availability.

City of Houston standard inlets

A Type A inlet in Houston is the City standard for driveways, parking lots, and other small areas where a curb-and-gutter system is not available. Table 9.5 of the 2026 Infrastructure Design Manual says Type A inlets are not allowed on travel lanes. The nominal capacity listed for initial sizing is 2.5 cubic feet per second, and the detail is 02633-01. The table says nominal capacity is for initial sizing only. The engineer sizes the inlet from a hydraulic analysis.

The same table lists Type B-B inlets on detail 02633-02: 5 cfs without extensions, 10 cfs with one extension (B-B (1)), and 15 cfs with two extensions (B-B (2)). Type C, C-1, and C-2 are curb inlets on detail 02633-03, at 5, 10, and 15 cfs for the no-extension, one-extension, and two-extension versions. Type C sits on collector streets, transit corridor streets, and residential and commercial areas. C-1 and C-2 extend onto major thoroughfares. The manual also lists Type D (detail 02633-04, 2 cfs) and other inlets. Read Table 9.5 in the 2026 Infrastructure Design Manual before you order.

Which of those City details D&D can furnish is not published on this page. Email the detail number, or call (832) 482-2483. Houston Public Works applies the 2026 manual to public and private projects submitted for initial review on or after June 1, 2026. Plans already in review may still follow the 2023 manual. The City's 2026 IDM announcement states that effective date. Confirm which edition governs your project.

Curb inlet, catch basin, and grate inlet

A curb inlet, also called a curb-opening inlet, takes water through an opening in the curb face, so the throat sits outside the travel lane. A grate inlet lets water fall through a grate set in the gutter, a ditch, or a paved area. A catch basin is the box under that opening. In buyer language the grate-top box in a parking lot or ditch is often called a catch basin, and the curb-opening structure on a street is called a curb inlet. A combination inlet uses both a curb opening and a grate.

The TxDOT Hydraulic Design Manual groups highway inlets as curb-opening inlets, grate inlets, linear drains (slotted or trench), and combination inlets. Those definitions are in TxDOT Hydraulic Design Manual, Chapter 10, Section 5. The City of Houston table above is the local detail set for City streets. The two documents answer different questions: TxDOT describes inlet classes, and the City table names the details and nominal capacities used on City of Houston jobs.

TxDOT inlet standards

This page does not state that D&D furnishes TxDOT-standard inlets, and it does not state a TxDOT-approved producer status. If the plans cite a TxDOT inlet, send that detail with the structure schedule. We will quote it when we can furnish it.

How much does a precast manhole cost?

D&D does not publish precast prices. The quote depends on the diameter, the depth, the number and angle of pipe penetrations, the components on the schedule, and delivery to the job. Call (832) 482-2483, email the structure schedule to salesrep@ddutilitysupply.com with the subject “Precast quote,” or use the chat button. Hours are Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM.

How to order precast from D&D

Send the structure schedule or the plan sheets. Include the detail numbers, the depths, the pipe sizes, the angles of the penetrations, and the delivery address. Quote turnaround, lead time, delivery radius, and who offloads the truck are not published on this page. D&D serves Greater Houston from 14630 Blue Ash Dr., Houston, TX 77090. Call with the job address and we will quote the structures on the plans.

The chat box on this page takes a typed message. It does not take a file upload. Email is the path for plan sheets. Phone is (832) 482-2483.

Related products

Storm and sanitary structures usually ship with the pipe that ties into them. Reinforced concrete pipe, HDPE, and PVC for drainage work are on the storm drain page. ADS HDPE diameters are on the HDPE page. Water and sewer pipe and fittings are on the products page until those lines have their own URLs.

• Storm drain and culvert pipe
• HDPE pipe
• Water pipe and fittings
• Sewer pipe (SDR26 / SDR35)
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Precast manhole and catch basin FAQs