Utility Cost Calculators
Each calculator below prices one part of connecting a property to utilities. They share the same data: official fee schedules for 122 U.S. cities in 34 states, with source links and effective dates, plus labeled national estimates for construction work such as trenching and service lines. Start with the full calculator if you need the whole picture; use a single-service tool when you already know the rest.
Whole-project estimates
| Calculator | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Utility connection cost calculator | You’re building a house and want water, sewer, electric and gas in one total |
| Cost to bring utilities to land | You’re evaluating vacant land, including well, septic and a power line extension |
| Utility extension cost | The nearest main or power line doesn’t reach your property |
Water and sewer
| Calculator | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Water connection cost | You need the full water side: fees, tap, meter and line |
| Sewer connection cost | You need the full sewer side: fees, tap and lateral |
| Water tap fee | You only need the utility’s water charges for a meter size |
| Sewer tap fee | You only need the utility’s sewer charges |
| Water service line cost | You’re pricing the pipe from the meter to the house |
| Sewer lateral cost | You’re pricing the pipe from the house to the sewer main |
Power, trenching and off-grid
| Calculator | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Cost to run power to property | You need overhead or underground electric service, a line extension or a transformer |
| Appliance wattage and electricity cost calculator | You want to turn appliance watts and hours of use into kWh and electricity cost |
| Utility trenching cost | You’re pricing the trench itself, including rock and shared trenches |
| Well vs city water cost | You’re choosing between drilling a well and connecting to a public system |
| Septic vs sewer cost | You’re choosing between a septic system and public sewer, or converting |
Reading the results
Every result lists its components and labels each one as an official fee, your input, a national estimate or a calculated value. Official fees show the utility and effective date; check that they apply to your address and permit date. National estimates are planning figures, not local prices, so replace them with quotes before you commit money. To compare fee schedules across cities, see tap fees by city; for how the estimates are built, read the methodology.
What each calculator does
The three whole-project tools answer different questions. The utility connection cost calculator adds the public fees and typical private work for water, sewer, electric and gas, so you can see a first total for a house on a lot that already has service at the street. The cost to bring utilities to land tool is built for vacant parcels, where the choice between a well, a septic system and a long power line can matter more than any tap fee. The utility extension cost tool focuses on one problem: the main or line stops short of your property, and someone has to pay to extend it.
The water and sewer tools split the job into pieces. The water tap fee and sewer tap fee calculators show only what the utility charges for a given meter size, which is useful when you are comparing cities or checking a quote. The water connection cost and sewer connection cost tools add the tap, meter and pipe work on top of those charges. The water service line and sewer lateral tools price the private pipe on your side of the connection, and the guide on who is responsible for the sewer lateral explains where the utility’s responsibility ends and yours begins.
The power and off-grid tools cover work that is often quoted by contractors rather than published by utilities. Cost to run power to property covers overhead and underground service, line extensions and transformers; the transformer guide and the line extension guide explain terms you may hear from the electric company. Utility trenching cost prices the trench itself, and the well versus city water and septic versus sewer tools compare public service with a private system.
What the estimate includes and excludes
An estimate here is built from two kinds of numbers. Public fees are the amounts a utility publishes, such as tap, capacity and meter charges. Private work is everything a contractor does on your land: digging the trench, laying the service line or lateral, boring under a driveway, setting a pump or cleanout, and restoring the surface. Public fees come from a source document. Private work comes from labeled national planning figures that you can change.
The results do not include every cost of building. They leave out land purchase, design fees, financing, deposits and work inside the building. Rock, a long distance from the main, a road crossing, a shared trench or a required easement can move private costs a lot, and a calculator cannot see your site. Utility deposits and closing costs are covered in utility fees at closing for new construction. Treat the result as a range to plan around, not a bid.
How to get from estimate to real quote
- Confirm the provider. Water, sewer, electric and gas may each come from a different company or district. Use the guide to find your water and sewer provider if you are not sure.
- Ask the utility for a written fee schedule and a new-service application. Give them your address, the meter size on your plans and your expected permit date, and ask which schedule will apply to you.
- Ask what is not in the fee. Ask whether the utility installs the tap, whether you must hire a licensed contractor, who owns the pipe after it is installed, and whether a main extension or easement is required.
- Get two or three contractor quotes for the private work, using the same scope so the numbers can be compared.
- Replace the estimates with real figures in the calculator, and keep a written record of who quoted each amount and on what date.
To see why the numbers in your area are moving, read why tap fees are going up and who pays tap fees. The methodology page explains where each figure comes from.