Environmental Rules in Plano, TX (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for Plano, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Plano's storm water code bans dumping anything but storm water into the municipal storm sewer system. Sec. 21-65 lists specific prohibited substances, from oil, chemicals, and antifreeze to grass clippings, tree limbs, and commercial car-wash residue, because they endanger the system, public health, or the environment.
Plano Storm Water System Discharge Ban
Significant RestrictionsPlano Code of Ordinances § 21-65
(a)No person may introduce into the storm water system any pollutants or materials other than storm water that have an adverse effect on the environment, or may endanger life, health or property, or constitute a public nuisance.(b)Substances specifically prohibited from being discharged into the storm water system are as follows:(1)Polluted wastewater or other liquid wastes containing concrete,...
Erosion Control
Anyone conducting construction or land-disturbing activity in Plano, disturbing 5,000 square feet or more of vegetative ground cover, must prepare and get city approval of an erosion control plan before work begins, whether or not a building permit is otherwise required, under Code of Ordinances § 14-93.
Plano Construction Erosion Control Plan Rule
Some RestrictionsPlano Code of Ordinances § 14-93
(a)Application of article. A responsible party engaging in any land disturbing activity or any construction activities shall prepare an erosion control plan and submit that plan to the city for approval. This article shall apply regardless of whether a responsible party is required to obtain a permit from the city in order to conduct such land disturbing or construction activity. The responsibl...
Flood Zones
Any new construction, substantial improvement, or land alteration within Plano's areas of special flood hazard needs a floodplain development permit under Code of Ordinances Sec. 16-166. The floodplain administrator reviews and approves or denies every application, and the regulated flood zones are drawn from FEMA studies for both Collin County (2024 maps) and Denton County (2011 maps), reflecting Plano's cross-county footprint.
Plano Floodplain Development Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsPlano Code of Ordinances §§ 16-165, 16-166
The areas of special flood hazard identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the current scientific and engineering report entitled, "The Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Collin County, Texas And Incorporated Areas", dated November 21, 2024, with accompanying flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs) dated November 21, 2024, and the flood insurance study (FIS) for "Denton County, Texas and...
Vehicle Idling Restrictions
Plano makes it an offense to let a motor vehicle's primary propulsion engine idle for more than five consecutive minutes while the vehicle is stopped. City Code § 12-270 sets thirteen defenses, light vehicles, traffic delays, emergency vehicles, defrosting and more, but a violation outside those defenses is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 per day.
Plano 5-Minute Vehicle Idling Limit
Some RestrictionsPlano Code of Ordinances § 12-270(b), (d)(1)
A person commits an offense if he causes, suffers, allows, or permits the primary propulsion engine of a motor vehicle to idle for more than five (5) consecutive minutes when the motor vehicle is not in motion... Any person who fails to comply with any provision of this article shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine in an amount not to ...
Flood Elevation Requirements
In Plano's FEMA special flood hazard areas, new and substantially improved homes must have their lowest floor, including basement, elevated to two feet above the base flood elevation: a full two feet of freeboard, verified by a licensed engineer, architect, or land surveyor.
Plano Flood Elevation: Lowest Floor Two Feet Above BFE
Significant RestrictionsPlano Code of Ordinances Sec. 16-176(1)
(1) Residential construction. New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement), elevated to two (2) feet above the base flood elevation. A registered professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor shall submit a certification to the floodplain administrator that the standard of this subsection as proposed in subsectio...
Looking for Collin County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Plano city rules.
Environmental Rules in Collin County →