County recording office
Collin County Clerk
2300 Bloomdale Rd, McKinney, TX 75071 (opens in Google Maps)
Tidying the common area
Texas Property Code governs your HOA
Most Texas POAs follow Property Code Chapter 209 (open records, fines after notice, foreclosure with a 180-day redemption) and Chapter 202 (solar and flag rights). City zoning and STR rules sit on top.
Plano is a Collin County suburb north of Dallas built largely since the 1970s as a forest of master-planned communities, each with its own covenant package and architectural committee. A 2024 wave of STR-related criminal incidents pushed the city to amend its registration ordinance mid-year, and Plano's decision to run trash collection through its own city division — rather than a private hauler, as in most nearby suburbs — is a detail worth flagging for new residents.
County recording office
Collin County Clerk
2300 Bloomdale Rd, McKinney, TX 75071 (opens in Google Maps)
Expansive clay soils in Texas metros require consistent moisture management to reduce slab movement claims.
Board checklist
Municipal trash schedules, curb placement, and code enforcement pathways.
Plano's own Environmental Waste Services (EWS) division — not a contracted private hauler — handles all residential solid waste, running collection Monday through Thursday only (no Friday residential routes) on a four-zone geographic system, with recycling every other week in an Orange or Purple rotation and bulky waste on a separately assigned monthly day. Confirm your exact zone and day at the interactive map on Plano.gov/EWS or by calling 972-769-4150 — covenant handbooks rarely track EWS's holiday slide-forward rule correctly.
Mediation, courts, and state resources when board actions are challenged.
Plano's Article XXIV, Registration of Short-Term Rental Properties, added to Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 in 2024, requires every STR to register with the city and undergo self-inspection before operating; registration is a revocable privilege, not a right. After 2024 reports of a prostitution enterprise and a firearm discharge at STR properties, the City Council amended the ordinance's suspension and revocation triggers — one verified nuisance incident can bring a six-month suspension, and a serious incident or repeat nuisance incidents can bring a full year's denial. Violations are Class C misdemeanors punishable by a fine up to $500 per offense under Section 1-4(b) of the City Code, with every day a violation continues counted as a separate offense.
Late fee estimator
Enter your typical monthly assessment to see how local caps may apply. KindHOA can automate notices and fee schedules once your board defines the rules.
Estimated legal ceiling
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Many associations cannot assess late fees until accounts are at least 30 days past due and proper notice has been sent. You entered 15 days past due.
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A volunteer board guide for Plano: understand where municipal code ends, where your HOA covenants begin, and how to comply with Texas Property Code Chapter 209.
The quick answer
Plano registers short-term rentals under Code of Ordinances Chapter 6, Article XXIV, tightened in 2024 after reported criminal incidents at STR properties; violations are a Class C misdemeanor fined up to $500 per offense, with every day of continued violation a separate offense. The city's own Environmental Waste Services division — not a private hauler — runs Monday-through-Thursday zone-based collection.
Late fees (Texas): Must be 'reasonable' per dedicatory instruments. Confirm against your declaration and current statute.
Reviewed by the KindHOA Editorial Team · Last reviewed July 25, 2026
Local rules board members use
City-specific answers for Plano — sourced to municipal code and official city pages. Educational, not legal advice.
Plano's Article XXIV, Registration of Short-Term Rental Properties, added to Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 in 2024, requires every STR to register with the city and undergo self-inspection before operating; registration is a revocable privilege, not a right. After 2024 reports of a prostitution enterprise and a firearm discharge at STR properties, the City Council amended the ordinance's suspension and revocation triggers — one verified nuisance incident can bring a six-month suspension, and a serious incident or repeat nuisance incidents can bring a full year's denial. Violations are Class C misdemeanors punishable by a fine up to $500 per offense under Section 1-4(b) of the City Code, with every day a violation continues counted as a separate offense.
Primary source: Plano municipal code / city ordinances
Plano requires a permit to build or replace a fence — repairs affecting 25% or less of the fence area within a 12-month span are exempt — and caps residential fence height at 8 feet citywide, with front-yard fences limited to 40 inches and at least 50% open. Corner lots must comply with sight-visibility clips detailed in the city's fence permit packet; masonry or retaining sections require footing plans reviewed by the Building Inspections Department separately from any HOA design approval.
Primary source: Plano municipal code / city ordinances
Plano's own Environmental Waste Services (EWS) division — not a contracted private hauler — handles all residential solid waste, running collection Monday through Thursday only (no Friday residential routes) on a four-zone geographic system, with recycling every other week in an Orange or Purple rotation and bulky waste on a separately assigned monthly day. Confirm your exact zone and day at the interactive map on Plano.gov/EWS or by calling 972-769-4150 — covenant handbooks rarely track EWS's holiday slide-forward rule correctly.
Primary source: Plano municipal code / city ordinances
Plano's Building Inspections Department, at 1520 K Avenue, requires permits for additions, fence construction or replacement, swimming pools, irrigation systems, and most electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. Pool fences must independently satisfy International Swimming Pool and Spa Code barrier requirements even where an existing fence already has HOA approval — schedule inspections through eTRAKiT or by calling 972-941-7140 before assuming an ARC-approved plan is permit-ready.
Primary source: Plano municipal code / city ordinances
Plano's North Texas setting brings hailstorms, summer heat, and periodic drought that influence HOA roofing, irrigation, and landscape covenants across its tree-lined subdivisions, many of which mandate sod or shade-tree standards that must be reconciled with city watering restrictions during conservation alerts. Ice storms and power-outage episodes also drive covenant rules on generator placement and post-storm fence repairs.
Primary source: Plano municipal code / city ordinances
Summaries below are for board orientation. Verify requirements in the official Plano municipal code (opens in a new tab).
Plano municipal code
Plano's Article XXIV, Registration of Short-Term Rental Properties, added to Code of Ordinances Chapter 6 in 2024, requires every STR to register with the city and undergo self-inspection before operating; registration is a revocable privilege, not a right. After 2024 reports of a prostitution enterprise and a firearm discharge at STR properties, the City Council amended the ordinance's suspension and revocation triggers — one verified nuisance incident can bring a six-month suspension, and a serious incident or repeat nuisance incidents can bring a full year's denial. Violations are Class C misdemeanors punishable by a fine up to $500 per offense under Section 1-4(b) of the City Code, with every day a violation continues counted as a separate offense.
HOA governing documents
HOAs enforce recorded use restrictions (minimum lease terms, guest limits, parking) when consistent with applicable city licensure and state law. Covenant enforcement requires notice, cure periods, and uniform application.
Zoning & building code
Plano requires a permit to build or replace a fence — repairs affecting 25% or less of the fence area within a 12-month span are exempt — and caps residential fence height at 8 feet citywide, with front-yard fences limited to 40 inches and at least 50% open. Corner lots must comply with sight-visibility clips detailed in the city's fence permit packet; masonry or retaining sections require footing plans reviewed by the Building Inspections Department separately from any HOA design approval.
Permit thresholds
Plano's Building Inspections Department, at 1520 K Avenue, requires permits for additions, fence construction or replacement, swimming pools, irrigation systems, and most electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. Pool fences must independently satisfy International Swimming Pool and Spa Code barrier requirements even where an existing fence already has HOA approval — schedule inspections through eTRAKiT or by calling 972-941-7140 before assuming an ARC-approved plan is permit-ready.
HOA architectural control
HOAs review fences and additions through architectural committees under CC&Rs. Municipal compliance alone does not satisfy HOA design or notice requirements.
State / local protections
Texas Property Code §202.010 makes void any dedicatory provision that prohibits solar energy devices, subject to statutory location, color, roofline, and approval standards. Water-conserving landscaping may be protected from unreasonable HOA bans when compliant with municipal water restrictions. Boards must use the statute’s approval standards—not blanket denials.
What HOAs may still regulate
HOAs may adopt reasonable design rules that meet statutory tests (location, color, timeline). Associations cannot impose outright bans where state law voids them.
Summer heat affects roofing, pools, and mechanical systems. Plan preventive maintenance before peak demand.
Board checklist
Texas law limits unreasonable solar restrictions. Boards should publish clear, lawful ARC standards.
Board checklist
Texas owners may pursue association remedies under Chapter 209, mediation, or Justice Court / county courts depending on amount in controversy and location in Collin County. Verify current Justice Court jurisdictional limits with the county clerk. Texas Real Estate Commission publishes consumer guidance; consult association counsel for foreclosure and lien procedures.
Plano requires a permit to build or replace a fence — repairs affecting 25% or less of the fence area within a 12-month span are exempt — and caps residential fence height at 8 feet citywide, with front-yard fences limited to 40 inches and at least 50% open. Corner lots must comply with sight-visibility clips detailed in the city's fence permit packet; masonry or retaining sections require footing plans reviewed by the Building Inspections Department separately from any HOA design approval.
Plano's own Environmental Waste Services (EWS) division — not a contracted private hauler — handles all residential solid waste, running collection Monday through Thursday only (no Friday residential routes) on a four-zone geographic system, with recycling every other week in an Orange or Purple rotation and bulky waste on a separately assigned monthly day. Confirm your exact zone and day at the interactive map on Plano.gov/EWS or by calling 972-769-4150 — covenant handbooks rarely track EWS's holiday slide-forward rule correctly.
Plano's Building Inspections Department, at 1520 K Avenue, requires permits for additions, fence construction or replacement, swimming pools, irrigation systems, and most electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work. Pool fences must independently satisfy International Swimming Pool and Spa Code barrier requirements even where an existing fence already has HOA approval — schedule inspections through eTRAKiT or by calling 972-941-7140 before assuming an ARC-approved plan is permit-ready.
Texas Property Code §202.010 makes void any dedicatory provision that prohibits solar energy devices, subject to statutory location, color, roofline, and approval standards. Water-conserving landscaping may be protected from unreasonable HOA bans when compliant with municipal water restrictions. Boards must use the statute’s approval standards—not blanket denials.
Texas owners may pursue association remedies under Chapter 209, mediation, or Justice Court / county courts depending on amount in controversy and location in Collin County. Verify current Justice Court jurisdictional limits with the county clerk. Texas Real Estate Commission publishes consumer guidance; consult association counsel for foreclosure and lien procedures.
Sources
KindHOA is educational software for self-managed boards, not a law firm, and this guide is not legal advice. State statutes, local ordinances, and your community’s recorded CC&Rs control and change over time — confirm liens, amendments, and enforcement with association counsel and the official sources above.
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