Considering battery storage on your Collin County land?

Check the parcel rather than relying on its mailing address

A postal city name is a starting point for finding the property, but ask the company to identify the boundary that governs its proposal. Is the parcel within a city, within that city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, or outside both? The answer can affect which office reviews land division and construction.

An extraterritorial jurisdiction, usually called an ETJ, is an area outside a city’s incorporated limits. The county FAQ describes a city role in subdivision review there while county permitting still applies. For a real project, have the company confirm the current boundary and responsibilities with the relevant offices rather than relying on an old map or a general description.

The county FAQ points to an interactive map with city, ETJ and floodplain layers. Ask for a dated map identifying the actual parcel and the proposed work. Check the entrance and cable route as well as the battery area; a project discussion should not stop at the fence.

For new construction in an ETJ, the county FAQ describes an ETJ verification form signed by the city. Ask whether that verification is needed for this proposal, what it covers and who will obtain it. A city’s subdivision verification should not be presented as approval of every battery, fire or electrical requirement.

If the company reports that no zoning applies, ask what permitting remains. The county’s general FAQ says most unincorporated land has no zoning restrictions, with specified exceptions, but also requires permits for residential and non-residential projects that disturb ground or add a footprint. Those are different questions.

Reference: Collin County: development, ETJ and platting questions

Have the company explain which commercial application comes first

Collin County’s commercial FAQ describes more than one path. It directs certain proposals through the Fire Marshal’s office, including new commercial structures that house people, commercial parking surfaces and grading, clearing, utilities or other horizontal work in anticipation of a larger commercial project.

For work in that category, the FAQ says to apply for the Fire Marshal permit first. Development Services then sends associated commercial-development or septic applications through the same portal where needed. It cautions against submitting separate commercial-development or septic applications at the outset.

The FAQ describes a commercial-development permit for non-residential work that does not require the Fire Marshal permit described there. Have the company ask which route fits its battery proposal, including the construction work and any service building. A label such as “unoccupied equipment” does not explain whether the grading and utility work need review.

Ask for a short list naming the applications, responsible offices, preparer and payer. Include any city review, county commercial process, platting issue, entrance permission and utility connection. That list should explain dependencies rather than simply saying “permits will be handled.”

The Civic Access page lists different contacts for commercial permits, plans or plats, and culvert or right-of-way permits. Having one customer portal does not mean one approval covers all of those subjects. Ask the company to show what has actually been approved and what is still pending.

Reference: Collin County: development, ETJ and platting questions · Collin County: Citizen Self-Service guidance and department routing

Review the complete site drawing and the rights behind it

The Fire Marshal commercial page lists site plans and building plans for the structure categories it describes. Its new-structure list also includes an ETJ verification form and a lease agreement or warranty deed. Ask which documents apply to the battery layout and what property rights the applicant is claiming.

Look at the whole property on the drawing. Mark the batteries, transformers, service structures, entrance, delivery turning area, drainage features and electrical connection. Show your home, existing buildings and the parts of the land you want to keep using.

Ask whether the company wants a lease of the equipment area, an easement for the cable or road, temporary construction access, or a sale of part of the tract. Those arrangements can affect different areas. Make sure the proposed documents and drawings describe the same land.

If a lease or owner authorization is requested for an application, read the completed document before signing. Discuss its purpose, the named company, the scope of the application and whether it grants any right to start work. A request to support a permit should not leave you guessing about the rights granted on your property.

Keep the company responsible for explaining technical submissions and arranging the appropriate professionals. The county’s commercial lists are general guidance, not a complete battery-system design checklist. Confirm the actual equipment, fire-safety and inspection requirements with the reviewing authority.

Reference: Collin County: Fire Marshal commercial applications · Collin County: Development Services forms and documents

Do not treat a lease boundary as a settled platting answer

If the company proposes buying a piece of the property, dividing the tract or changing an existing plat, ask about that process early. The county’s Land Division Development page describes subdivision requirements for divisions and certain combinations or changes, subject to exemptions. Whether the proposed arrangement requires a plat needs its own answer.

The county FAQ directs ETJ platting questions to the city and other county platting questions to Engineering. Development Services has a separate role where lots need individual septic systems. Ask who has confirmed the authority for your tract, especially if the proposal affects only part of it.

The land-division page lists a surveyor’s plat, a drainage plan and supporting records. Depending on the proposal, it also calls for completed flood, traffic or septic suitability reviews, tax certification, ownership deeds, utility service letters and a TxDOT driveway approval. These are plat-package requirements described by the county, not a checklist imposed on every battery lease.

Discuss the land that would remain with you. Would it keep usable road access, drainage and room for the uses you care about? If a new parcel or easement is proposed, have your surveyor and adviser check how the boundaries and rights affect the remainder before you agree to the layout.

A utility service letter included in a plat package should not be described as proof that a battery project can export power. Ask for the project’s utility-connection status separately. Local land paperwork and the electrical connection address different parts of the development.

Reference: Collin County: Land Division Development and plat-package requirements · Collin County: development, ETJ and platting questions

Look closely at the entrance, water flow and retained uses

An entrance shown on a plan still needs a practical explanation. Ask where delivery trucks would turn and wait, which road they would use, and whether the entrance requires a new or larger culvert. Mark the gates and drives you use so construction does not cut off access to the rest of the property.

The county’s portal guidance lists Public Works for culvert and right-of-way permits. The land-division page separately describes TxDOT approvals for proposed or modified driveways onto TxDOT-maintained roads when part of the plat package. Have the company identify the actual road owner and process instead of assuming every entrance is a county-road matter.

Show ditches, ponds, low ground and existing drainage routes on the site drawing. Ask where runoff goes after the ground is graded and the entrance is built. The land-division page discusses drainage plans and flood studies in its own development context; it does not establish a universal battery-site elevation or exemption.

If the company says the parcel is outside the mapped floodplain, ask what site drainage review remains. If part of the land is mapped, find out how the design addresses it and which authority reviews the work. A useful answer includes the proposed grading and water flow, not only a colored map.

Discuss temporary impacts as well as the finished site. Who repairs a damaged private drive, clears sediment, restores a staging area or fixes a fence? Put the affected areas and responsibilities in the agreement. Road and drainage permits do not settle every private restoration obligation.

Reference: Collin County: Citizen Self-Service guidance and department routing · Collin County: Land Division Development and plat-package requirements

Separate application progress from permission to build

The county’s Civic Access page says new permit and plan applications go through Citizen Self-Service and paper applications are no longer accepted. The land-division page still includes older instructions about a plat application and paying in person or by phone. Have the company confirm the current procedure with the responsible office before preparing a submission.

The development FAQ distinguishes receiving and checking an application, issuing an invoice, conducting review and approving the permit. It says reviews do not begin until fees are paid. An uploaded application or an invoice is therefore not evidence that the project has permission to start construction.

Ask the company to explain the meaning of each status it reports. What was submitted? Are documents or payments outstanding? Has the authority issued approval, and what conditions remain? Request the actual approved plans and permit when the company says that stage is complete.

Do not base your payment dates or option period solely on a general review estimate. Survey work, revisions, city coordination, road review and utility connection can follow different schedules. Your agreement should explain deadlines, extensions and what happens if the company cannot secure the approvals it needs.

The FAQ also describes expiration after inactivity for commercial permits. Have the company check the terms of its issued permissions and any changes in company or layout. A past permit number does not show that the present proposal is approved and ready to build.

The commercial page says the county has adopted the 2021 International Fire Code and local amendments. That statement is useful context for asking about the applicable fire review; it does not establish the battery design, required tests or approval of any specific equipment.

Reference: Collin County: Citizen Self-Service guidance and department routing · Collin County: development, ETJ and platting questions · Collin County: Fire Marshal commercial applications

Start a property conversation without a permit package

Send your contact information and the property location through the form on this page. An acreage estimate or parcel number helps if available, but you do not need completed county paperwork to ask about your land.

Tell us what you want to keep using and any concern about access, nearby buildings or drainage. If you already have a company drawing, proposed lease or request for an owner signature, explain what has been provided and what you have been asked to do.

The first conversation can identify the information available and the questions that need further work. It does not establish project suitability, utility capacity, permit approval or commercial terms. Those need review for the actual property and proposal.

Submitting this inquiry does not file a county application, authorize site entry or commit you to a sale or lease. Any later access permission or project agreement should have a defined purpose and scope so you can decide what works for your property.