Collin County, TX Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Collin County, TX, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- FIRM Effective
- June 2, 2009
- County Freeboard
- 1 ft above BFE
- City Freeboard
- 2 ft (Plano, Frisco)
- Major Waters
- Lavon, Ray Hubbard
- CRS Class
- 7 (15% discount)
Summary
Collin County participates in NFIP with floodplain management ordinances. Lake Lavon and Lake Ray Hubbard drive FEMA Zone AE and shaded X designations. New construction in SFHA must elevate 1-2 ft above BFE.
The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard information produced in support of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Use the MSC to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and take advantage of tools for better understanding flood risk. FEMA flood maps are continually updated through a variety of processes. Effective information that you download or print from this site may change or become superseded by new maps over time. [...] Looking for a Flood Map? Enter an address, a place, or longitude/latitude coordinates: Looking for more than just a current flood map? Visit Search All Products to access the full range of flood risk products for your community. [...] The Search All Products page has been recently updated to allow users to download a listing of all products resulting from a search. Users can print the file or import it into a spreadsheet or database.
Full Breakdown
FEMA DFIRM panels (effective June 2, 2009 with amendments) map Collin County floodplains primarily along Lake Lavon, Lake Ray Hubbard, East Fork Trinity River, Sister Grove Creek, and Wilson Creek. Collin County Engineering enforces a 1-foot freeboard above the Base Flood Elevation for new residential construction in Zone AE, and cities like Plano and Frisco require 2-foot freeboard. Lake Lavon is managed by the USACE Fort Worth District; shoreline structures need USACE Section 404 permits. Substantial improvement rule (50%+ of value) triggers full NFIP compliance. Collin County is NFIP CRS Class 7 in most jurisdictions, earning 15% flood insurance discounts.
Violations & Fines
Building in SFHA without elevation certificate: city fine $500-2,000, FEMA loss of CRS status. Substantial damage noncompliance: loss of flood insurance. USACE 404 violation: federal penalty up to $50,000 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my Lavon-area property in a flood zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Collin County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Collin County to another location·View the Texas environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.