Rowlett, TX Outdoor Lighting: Light Trespass (2026)

Rowlett addresses light spillover mainly through its development-review process rather than a dedicated residential light-trespass code. The City's Zoning & Development Handbook glossary describes Site Plan Review as the evaluation of a development and its impact on neighboring properties, expressly including lighting among the impacts assessed, and the Handbook lists lighting as a key component established in site and civil plans. So when a commercial or multi-family project is built, its lighting layout is reviewed for compatibility with adjacent properties. Rowlett's zoning district descriptions also reflect a concern with glare: the light manufacturing (M-1) district is intended so that "the noise, odor, dust, and glare of each operation is completely confined within an enclosed building," and the office districts are designed so activities generate "virtually no noise, odor, dust, or vibration" and not adversely affect adjacent residential uses. Single-family and duplex homes generally are not subject to site-plan review, so a homeowner-versus-homeowner light dispute is usually not governed by a specific Rowlett ordinance number; the specific footcandle and shielding standards that do exist are contained in the Rowlett Development Code and Form-Based Code and applied through site-plan review. Residents experiencing significant light trespass from a commercial neighbor should contact the Community Development Department to determine whether the project's approved lighting plan or a district standard has been violated.