The five cities this guide covers

This guide covers five cities in and around Collin County, Texas. Each has its own page with its permit rules, soils, housing age and watering rules:

McKinney and Allen are in Collin County. Frisco, Plano and Prosper each extend west into Denton County: Frisco and Prosper publish separate Collin and Denton County tax rates (Frisco property tax rate, Prosper tax breakdown). Foundation repair permits are issued by your city, not the county, so the city's rules are the ones that matter.

Map of the Collin County Foundation Guide service areaThe guide covers McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Plano and Prosper. Prosper and Frisco are in the west, McKinney in the north and east, Allen in the middle and Plano in the south. Nearby places shown for context include Celina, Little Elm, The Colony, Carrollton, Richardson, Murphy, Wylie, Lucas, Fairview, Melissa, Princeton and Anna. Dashed lines mark the Collin, Denton and Dallas county lines: Frisco, Plano and Prosper extend into Denton County, and Plano and Richardson reach into Dallas County. Major roads: US 75 runs north to south through Plano, Allen and McKinney; SH 121 (Sam Rayburn Tollway) runs southwest to northeast through Frisco, Plano, Allen and McKinney; US 380 runs east to west through Prosper and McKinney; the Dallas North Tollway runs north through Plano, Frisco and Prosper; the President George Bush Turnpike crosses the south of Plano; SH 289 (Preston Road) runs north through Plano, Frisco and Prosper.COLLIN COUNTYDENTON COUNTYDALLAS COUNTYCelinaAnnaCarrolltonLittle ElmWylieDallasRichardsonLucasThe ColonyPrincetonMelissaGarlandParkerFairviewMurphy75121380DNTPGBT289McKinneyPlanoFriscoAllenProsper5 milesN
  • Cities this guide covers
  • Other nearby cities
  • Major highway or tollway
  • County line
City limits, county lines and roads from US Census Bureau TIGER data. Whether a company serves a particular address depends on that company.

Coverage depends on the company. This site is an information and referral service, not a foundation repair contractor. Each independent company sets its own travel area and prices, so whether one covers your street depends on that company. If no suitable match is found for your address, you'll be told rather than passed to someone who doesn't cover it. How it works and our referral disclosure explain the arrangement, including that we may be paid a referral fee.

The ground under all five cities

Collin County sits on the Blackland Prairie, and its soils are dominated by expansive clay. In the USDA's soil survey for the county, Houston Black clay covers about 37% of the survey area, more than any other soil (NRCS Soil Data Access, survey area TX085, our calculation). Houston Black has a plasticity index of about 44 to 55 and is rated very high for shrink-swell: it swells when it gets wet and shrinks and cracks when it dries.

How expansive clay moves a slab: edge lift and edge dropTwo cross-sections of the same slab house on expansive clay, with the movement exaggerated. Left, the wet season: clay at the edges of the house takes on water and swells, pushing the edges of the slab up while the soil under the middle stays more stable, so the edges lift. Right, the dry season: clay at the edges dries, shrinks and cracks, so the edges of the slab lose support and drop while the middle stays higher.Wet season: edge liftWet clay at the edges swellsand pushes the slab edges upMiddle stays more stableDry season: edge dropDry clay at the edges shrinksand cracks, and the edges dropMiddle stays more stable
Movement exaggerated for clarity. This shows the general mechanism only; what is happening under a particular house takes an engineer to assess.

The mix varies by city. Our calculation from the same USDA data, as a share of land inside each city's limits:

  • Plano: Houston Black 54%, Austin 18%, Heiden 9%
  • Allen: Houston Black 51%, Austin 25%, Heiden 7%
  • McKinney: Houston Black 40%, Austin 22%, Altoga 8%, Tinn 7%
  • Prosper: Houston Black 38%, Heiden 13%, Austin 13%, Branyon 7%
  • Frisco: Houston Black 34%, Heiden 18%, Branyon 12%, Austin 12%

Heiden and Branyon are very high shrink-swell clays too, so a lower Houston Black share doesn't mean gentler soil. Soil maps describe broad areas, not your lot: fill, grading and drainage around a particular house can matter as much as the mapped soil. Only a site investigation by an engineer tells you about your own lot.

Permit rules across the five cities

Texas doesn't license foundation repair contractors, so the cities regulate the work through permits. As of September 2026:

  • McKinney: a permit for any leveling, pier or footing replacement, shimming or floor-system replacement; an engineer's letter and drawings first; the permit closes only after a final engineer's report is uploaded (requirements, PDF).
  • Plano: foundation plans, pier details and an engineer's letter, all sealed and signed by a Texas registered engineer (requirements, PDF).
  • Frisco: a stamped engineer letter and stamped pier drawings, and an engineer's inspection report at completion (submittal requirements, PDF). Frisco's fee schedule lists a $75 foundation repair fee plus a $50 application fee; the schedule is labeled effective 06/19, so confirm it's current (fee schedule, PDF).
  • Prosper: the foundation company must be registered with the Town and pull a permit, with an original engineer-sealed design and a second sealed engineer letter at inspection (Prosper FAQ).
  • Allen: Foundation Repair is its own permit type ($75 fee), contractors register with the city with a Foundation classification, and the construction packet requires an Engineer's Final Letter of Acceptance to close the permit. Confirm the documents needed to apply with Building and Permitting.

The practical upshot: ask for the permit number before work starts and the engineer's final letter when it's done. Our contractor checklist explains why.

Watering rules and your foundation

North Texas cities limit sprinklers, but most allow foundations to be watered more often by hand, soaker hose or drip. Plano, for example, allows foundations to be watered for up to 2 hours any day by hand-held hose or soaker hose, and its water management plan defines the foundation as "the first 24 inches of soil from foundation slab" (Plano Water Management Plan). Frisco and Prosper publish similar allowances (Frisco Water Efficiency Plan, Prosper watering guidelines, PDF).

Where a soaker hose goes to water a foundationCross-section through the edge of a slab house and the soil beside it. A soaker hose lies on the soil about 12 to 18 inches out from the slab, not touching it. A bracket marks the first 24 inches of soil from the slab, which Plano's water management plan defines as the foundation zone. Water from the hose soaks into the clay near the slab. Right against the slab, a dark gap shows where dry clay has shrunk away from the concrete, and further from the house the dry surface soil is cracked.HouseFirst 24 inPlano's definedfoundation zone12 to 18 inSoaker hose on the soil,not touching the slabWater soaks slowly intothe clay near the slabDry clay can shrink awayfrom the slab, leaving a gapDry, cracked clayfurther from the houseSlab edge
Based on Plano's water management plan, which defines a foundation as the first 24 inches of soil from the slab. Rules differ by city and drought stage, so check your city's current watering schedule.

Drought stages change the rules, so check your city's current schedule before you set a timer. Our guide on how to water your foundation covers the details.

Drought and the dry-to-wet swing

McKinney's airport averages 38.3 inches of rain a year, but July and August are the driest months, at under 2 inches each (NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals). Clay dries and shrinks through late summer, then swells again with the fall and spring rains. In 2026 the swing was sharp: Collin County had no drought on the August 11 map, and by September 22, 79% of the county was in extreme drought (US Drought Monitor, Collin County).

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Frequently asked questions

Which cities does this guide cover?

McKinney, Frisco, Allen, Plano and Prosper. Parts of Frisco, Plano and Prosper are in Denton County. Foundation repair permits come from your city either way.

Does Texas license foundation repair contractors?

No. Bills to create a state license died in 2011 and 2013. Engineers are licensed by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, and the cities regulate repairs through permits.

Do I need a permit for foundation repair?

Yes, in the cities we cover. McKinney, Plano, Frisco and Prosper publish requirements for a permit and a Texas-licensed engineer's sealed documents, and Allen issues foundation repair permits too. The company doing the work normally pulls the permit; ask for the number.

Is the soil really that different from city to city?

The mix differs, but all five cities sit mostly on high or very high shrink-swell clays. Plano and Allen have the highest share of Houston Black clay, over half their land by our calculation from USDA data; Frisco and Prosper have more Heiden and Branyon, which are also very expansive.

Where can I complain about a foundation repair company in Texas?

Start with the company in writing, then the city if the permit wasn't closed out. File a consumer complaint with the Texas Attorney General and report it to the BBB. For advice on your own claim, talk to a lawyer.