Celina's growing faster than the grid can keep up. Your backup plan shouldn't wait for ERCOT's.
Median Home
$500K
Median Income
$124K
Home Sizes
2,500–5,000 sq ft
ZIP
75009
Celina is the new frontier. Five years ago, it was farmland and Friday night football. Now it's master-planned communities, Celina ISD building schools as fast as they can, and families streaming north from Frisco and Prosper looking for more house, more land, and fewer stoplights. Median homes around $500K buy you new construction on lots that actually have some breathing room.
Here's the trade-off nobody talks about in those glossy new-home brochures: Celina sits at the absolute edge of DFW's grid infrastructure. The transmission lines thin out. The substations are farther apart. When ERCOT has to shed load—and it does, more often than anyone's comfortable with—the outer reaches get curtailed first. Celina's gorgeous new neighborhoods are built on grid infrastructure that's still catching up to the population growth.
The upside: Celina's larger lots and new construction make this one of the easiest places in DFW to install backup power. You've got room for a generator pad without encroaching on setbacks. Modern 200-amp panels are standard in new builds. And if you're building now, pre-wiring for backup power during construction is the smartest money you'll spend. Half-acre lots don't care about generator noise the way a Highland Park lot does.
What's at stake during an outage:
New construction with smart home integration, home offices for remote workers commuting digitally instead of on 380, pool and outdoor living spaces, and the modern electronics package that comes standard in every new Celina home. Larger lots mean more flexibility for both generators and outdoor battery installations.
What's popular in Celina: Generators are the natural fit for Celina. Larger lots mean noise is less of a concern. Many homes have natural gas, and those that don't have ample space for propane storage. For homeowners adding solar to their new builds (and Celina's sun exposure is excellent), battery backup is the smart pairing. The key insight: if you're building new in Celina, pre-wire for whichever system you choose. It's pennies during construction versus dollars for retrofit.
Collin & Denton Counties • Celina ISD, Prosper ISD (portions)
Celina homes run 2,500 to 5,000 square feet. A 20–22kW generator handles most homes, with 24kW recommended for homes above 4,000 sq ft with pools. For battery backup, 2 units cover the average Celina home, 3 for larger homes. Celina's new construction and modern panels make installation straightforward. Larger lots give you more placement flexibility for generators—you can put the unit 25+ feet from the house without setback issues.
For homes in the $500K range, Celina homeowners typically invest $10,000 to $22,000 in backup power. New construction installations are the most cost-effective in the DFW area—clean electrical work, no panel upgrades, and easy equipment access. Pre-wiring during construction adds minimal cost and saves thousands on future installation.
A standby generator in Celina costs $8,500 to $19,000 installed. Most homes need a 20–22kW unit. Celina's new construction, larger lots, and typically modern electrical infrastructure keep installation costs at the lower end of the DFW range. If you're building new, pre-wiring and a poured pad during construction can reduce total costs by 20–30%.
Yes. The City of Celina requires permits for generator installations. The process is routine given the pace of new construction in the area. HOA requirements vary by development—newer communities like Light Farms and Mustang Lakes have architectural guidelines covering generator placement and screening. Your installer handles all permitting.
Celina sits at the northern edge of DFW's grid infrastructure, where transmission capacity is still catching up to population growth. During ERCOT load-shedding events, peripheral communities are typically curtailed before denser urban areas. That doesn't mean Celina loses power constantly—but it does mean backup power is a particularly smart investment here.
Yes—this is the single best time to add backup power infrastructure. Pre-wiring the transfer switch, running conduit, and pouring a generator pad during construction costs a fraction of retrofit pricing. Even if you're not ready to purchase the actual generator or batteries yet, the pre-wire ensures easy, cost-effective installation later. Tell your builder before framing begins.
Most Celina homes (2,500–4,000 sq ft) need a 20–22kW generator for whole-home coverage. Larger homes above 4,000 sq ft, especially those with pools and workshop spaces, should consider 24kW. Your installer will calculate exact requirements based on your electrical panel and the loads you want covered. Celina's modern home construction typically means straightforward sizing.
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