DrawPermit

Collin County · Texas

McKinney site plans and permits.

McKinney exempts a detached structure under 120 sq ft with no electrical or plumbing work. Anything bigger, any attached patio cover, and every new fence needs a permit.

Start a site planSee a sample set
Building code
2021 International Residential Code with McKinney amendments.
Sheds
A detached structure under 120 sq ft with no electrical or plumbing work doesn't need a permit. A larger shed needs a site plan, foundation plan, floor plan, elevations with materials and height, and framing plans. A prebuilt shed can use a framing drawing or the maker's brochure.
Fences
A new fence needs a permit, and so does changing an existing fence's height, location or material. Rear fences can be up to 8 ft 6 in. Front fences can be up to 48 inches and must be at least half open.
Patio covers
Pergolas, arbors, patio covers and shade structures need a permit unless they're detached, under 120 sq ft and have no electrical or plumbing. A cover attached to the house meets the house's setbacks, and roof overhang is capped at 24 inches.
Owner-drawn plans
The city doesn't say who must draw plans for accessory structures. For a fence, a survey or a hand drawing works as the site plan.
Engineer
Framing plans need a Texas engineer's seal for a structure over 200 sq ft with a roof deck. Steel or aluminum structures, carports and garages must be engineered at any size. Open arbors and pergolas without a roof deck don't.
Setbacks
Structures attached to the house follow the house's setbacks. Patio cover posts near a pool keep a 1:1 distance from the water's edge, or need an engineer's letter. Other setbacks depend on your zoning district.
Fees
Fence permit $30. Accessory structure fees go by area, measured outside post to outside post; we couldn't read the dollar amounts.
Where to apply
McKinney Citizen Self Service portal

What McKinney asks the site plan to show.

  • Lot dimensions
  • Property lines
  • Easements
  • The new structure's footprint
  • The house's footprint
  • Distances from the structure to the property lines and to the house
  • For a fence: its location, height and material, and who is building it

Your DrawPermit site plan draws the lot lines, north arrow, scale, structures, setbacks, distances to each line and impervious cover. Add utility lines, meters and trees by hand if your city asks for them.

Worth knowing.

  • No building or structure may sit in an easement. Wood fences usually can.
  • The city doesn't enforce HOA or deed restrictions, so check them yourself.
  • A pool fence must be at least 4 ft tall with outward-opening, self-closing, self-latching gates and the latch at least 54 inches up.
  • Retaining walls need a permit at any height.

Checked against the city's own pages on November 2, 2026. Rules change, so confirm with McKinney before you submit.