Dallas · Apartment types
Dallas High-Rise Apartments
In short
A high-rise apartment is a home on an upper floor of a tall building, reached by elevator. Building codes call a building high-rise once a floor sits more than 75 feet up; our own definition is below. This guide, updated October 2026, covers floors, elevators, balconies, parking and penthouses.
Looking for a luxury high-rise in Dallas? The examples below show each building’s floor count, checked on its own website.
Updated October 2026 · Source: Texas statutes and the International Building Code, checked October 2, 2026
What we mean by high-rise
On this page, a high-rise is a building with an occupied floor more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, the definition in the International Building Code (§202). Signed by our broker on [date]. A building appears on this page as high-rise only if it meets that definition.
Building codes have their own test. The International Building Code calls a building high-rise when an occupied floor sits more than 75 feet above the lowest level a fire truck can reach (section 202). That is the test this page uses.
Listings use the word more loosely. A community can call itself a high-rise, a mid-rise or a tower for marketing reasons. Ask how many floors the building has and which floor your unit is on, and compare those two numbers, not the label.
Picking a floor
In a tower, the floor you choose changes the apartment more than the floor plan does. The same layout on the fourth floor and on a much higher one can feel like two different homes.
- Light and heat. West-facing glass takes the afternoon sun, which matters in a Texas summer. Ask which way the windows face, and what the blinds or shades are like.
- Noise. Lower floors sit closer to traffic, sirens and whatever happens on the street. Higher floors can still hear wind, rooftop equipment or an amenity deck above them.
- The view. A view can close. Ask the leasing office what is planned for the lots around the building before you pay extra for one.
- Price. Communities often price units by floor and by view, so two identical layouts can rent for different amounts. Ask for the price of the same plan on two or three floors.
If you cannot decide, tour the same plan on two floors, at the hour you would usually be home.
Elevators, stairs and move-in day
In a tall building, the elevators are part of every trip you make. Count them on the tour, and ask what happens when one is out of service.
Texas requires the owner to have each elevator inspected every year by a registered inspector, and to display the certificate of compliance where the public can see it (Texas Health and Safety Code, section 754.019). Look for it near the elevators or the office. A current certificate is a small sign that the building keeps up with the basics.
- How many passenger elevators serve your floor, and is there a separate service elevator?
- Does move-in need a reservation for the service elevator? Are there set hours, a time limit or a deposit for it?
- Will your largest piece of furniture fit? Ask for the size of the elevator door and cab before you bring a sofa.
- Where are the stairs, and can residents use them every day or only in an emergency?
Balconies and windows
On an upper floor, the balcony is a large part of what you pay for. Read the rules for it before you sign, not after.
Balcony doors are usually sliding glass doors. Texas law requires every exterior sliding glass door to have a pin lock and either a handle latch or a security bar, and every exterior window to have a latch (Texas Property Code, section 92.153). Try them on the tour.
- What may go on the balcony: grills, plants, furniture, anything hung over the railing?
- Do the windows open, and do they have screens?
- Who cleans the outside of the glass, and how often?
Penthouses
Penthouse has no fixed meaning in a lease. It usually names units on the highest floor or floors, but the word on its own does not tell you what is different about the unit.
- What makes this unit a penthouse here: the floor, a higher ceiling, a larger plan, a private terrace, or only the name?
- What is the premium over the same plan one or two floors down?
- What is above it? A rooftop pool, an amenity deck or mechanical equipment can bring noise and foot traffic over your ceiling.
- Does the terrace have its own rules on furniture, plants, grills or gatherings?
- How does the elevator reach your floor? Ask whether it needs a key card, and how guests get up.
Any one building has only a few penthouse units, so one may open only now and then. If you want one, tell us early. We ask communities about what is coming open, not only about what is open today.
Buildings on this page
We show a building here as an example only when it is a community we work with, it meets the definition above, and we have checked its number of floors. Each example shows that floor count and the date we checked it. When none qualify, this page shows no examples rather than guesses.
Where to start looking
If you want a tall building, three of our neighborhood pages are a good first read: Downtown, Uptown and Victory Park. Each covers the streets, stations and parks around it. The Dallas page covers the whole city, with Census rent figures by bedroom.
Tell us where you work or study, and we will check which buildings keep that trip short. For many people, the commute decides more about daily life than the view does.
High-rise examples we track
Dallas Urby
built 2022 studio to 2 bedrooms
from $1,760 a month (listed October 9, 2026)
3 months free on a 12-month lease
Ask us first
27 stories (verified on its website)
Manor House
built 1965 studio to 2 bedrooms
from $1,235 a month (listed October 9, 2026)
2 months free on an 18-month lease
Ask us first
25 stories (verified on its website)
More candidates once the floor count is checked: Atelier (Tower) and The National, both downtown.
Rents and specials change often. These figures come down 30 days after the date shown. If that date is more than 30 days old, contact us for today’s price and special.
Your move or cash
Lease through us at a participating community, on a lease of 12 months or more, and choose 3 hours of moving with 2 movers and a truck, or cash: $400 if you found the place and registered it with us first, $200 if we search for you. Under $1,200 rent: $200 cash.
- Participating communities only.
- Rewards apply only at participating communities.
- Check with us first.
- Before you visit, call or apply, ask us. We confirm in writing whether your community participates and what your reward is.
- We pay when the community pays us.
- Cash is sent after the community pays our fee, usually 30 to 90 days after you move in.
Sources
Laws and codes on this page were checked on October 2, 2026.
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