Bend Water and Sewer System Development Charges (SDCs) for New Homes (2026)

The City of Bend provides water and sewer service in Bend, though the city notes that not everyone in Bend gets city water: some residents get water from private utilities such as Avion or Roats, or from local irrigation districts. A new single-family home of 1,601 to 2,200 sq ft on city water and sewer pays $13,757 in fiscal 2026-27 city water and sewer charges: a $6,775 water system development charge (SDC), a $6,157 sewer SDC and an $825 installation charge for a 3/4-inch meter. The biggest local caveat is house size. Bend prices residential SDCs by square-footage tier, not by meter size, so with a 3/4-inch meter the same lot can owe from $6,940 (under 600 sq ft) to $22,383 (over 3,001 sq ft) depending on how big the home is. The city’s separate transportation SDC ($10,230 for the same home) comes on top.

Bend connection fees at a glance

The table below lists every Bend row we verified, all from the City of Bend’s fiscal 2026-27 schedules, which took effect July 1, 2026. The water and sewer SDCs are one-time charges for growth-related infrastructure, and a house pays one tier’s amount per dwelling unit. The meter rows are what the city charges to supply and set a residential meter. The “other published fees” section holds charges a typical new home does not pay: the SE Area supplemental sewer SDC, the septic-to-sewer connection fee, irrigation-only meter SDCs and the transportation SDC.

What a new Bend house pays: worked example

Our assumptions: the home is in the Single Unit & Middle Housing category, gets city water and sewer, is outside the SE Area supplemental boundary, and uses a 3/4-inch meter. The only thing we change is the tier, taken from the 2026-2027 SDC fee schedule (Exhibit A).

City of Bend water and sewer charges, FY2026-27 (rates starting July 1, 2026)

Three changes move the total. A 1-inch meter with a backflow prevention device costs $1,015 instead of $825, which adds $190. A Tier 6 home (over 3,001 sq ft) pays a $14,438 water SDC and a $7,120 sewer SDC, so its water and sewer total is $22,383 with a 3/4-inch meter. A lot inside the SE Area supplemental boundary also pays a supplemental sewer SDC, which is $3,482 for a Tier 4 home. That would take case B to $17,239.

What Bend’s fees don’t cover

The city’s meter charge covers the meter, automated meter-reading equipment, a backflow prevention device and meter-setting materials for residential meters from 3/4 inch to 2 inches. Bend says any new service line, whether from the main to the meter or from the meter to the building, is the customer’s responsibility. The private sewer line, trenching and plumbing permit also cost extra. In Bend’s plumbing permit fees, water service is $167.09 for the first 100 ft and sewer service is $167.09 for the first 100 ft. The national estimates below are labeled as estimates (methodology):

• Water line from meter to house: $30–$150 per foot, typical $50. At 40 feet, about $2,000.
• Sewer line to the main: $50–$250 per foot, typical $100. At 60 feet, about $6,000.
• Trenching in normal soil: $4–$15 per foot. Get a local bid, because soil and rock conditions change the price.
• Main extension: if no water or sewer main fronts the lot, extending one is a separate developer cost that is not in the schedules above.

Paying Bend fees: timing and process

According to the city’s System Development Charges page, SDCs are typically due before a builder can get building permits. Since January 1, 2026, the SDC Deferral Program lets residential and commercial projects move that payment to when the Certificate of Occupancy is approved. You apply through the Online Permit Center. Bend Code 12.10.120 lists SDC exemptions, and the page highlights exemptions for childcare, affordable housing and temporary shelters.

You apply for the meter separately, also through the Online Permit Center. The city says installation can take up to 10 business days after it receives a complete application and payment. It recommends finishing the foundation before the meter goes in, and meter boxes cannot be placed in driveways. Until the building permit is finalized or landscaping is complete, the applicant pays for any damage to the meter or box. New water and sewer customers may also owe a refundable $125 account deposit and a $15 account setup fee.

Bend fee changes to watch

• The general fee schedule that holds the meter charges covers only July 1 to December 31, 2026. Check it again for a January 2027 version.
• The SDC amounts are for fiscal 2026-27 (starting July 1, 2026). The table shows a Year 4 transportation phase-in starting July 1, 2027, but it applies only to nonresidential categories, and the schedule notes that inflation adjustments still need council approval each year.
• The current SDCs follow the city’s 2024 methodology update, and the schedule cites a transportation phase-in adopted July 1, 2024 (Resolution 3378). Any future methodology update would change the tier amounts.

Bend tap fee FAQ

How Bend compares

Bend’s $13,757 for a mid-size home is below Portland, where our middle case for a new home with a 5/8-inch meter and a new service comes to about $21,000 before any SDC exemption. It is close to Seattle, where a 3/4-inch meter home pays $14,630 before the drainage SDC. It is well above Boise, where a 2,100 sq ft home pays $4,549.20 in city sewer connection fees and Veolia charges no water hookup fee where a main fronts the lot. The cities count different things. Portland’s figure includes a Water Bureau service installation and Seattle’s includes a $4,800 SPU water service installation, while Bend’s $825 covers only the meter and leaves the service line to the owner.

Where to go next from Bend

tap fees by city · Portland SDCs · Seattle SDCs and tap charges · Boise sewer connection fees · tap fee vs impact fee · sewer lateral cost · utility connection cost calculator

Official documents behind the Bend figures

• 2026-2027 System Development Charge (SDC) Fee Schedule, Exhibits A and B, City of Bend. Checked Sep 24, 2026.
• 2026-2027 Supplemental SDC Sewer Fee Schedule (SE Area) and map, City of Bend. Checked Sep 24, 2026.
• Fiscal Year 2026-27 Fee Schedule, Exhibit A (July 1 – December 31, 2026), City of Bend. Checked Sep 24, 2026.
• System Development Charges, City of Bend Community Development. Checked Sep 24, 2026.
• Water Meter Installations, City of Bend Water Services. Checked Sep 24, 2026.
• Drought Information (water providers in Bend), City of Bend Water Services. Checked Sep 24, 2026.