Utility Connection Costs in Texas (2026): Tap and Impact Fees by City
A new single-family home in a large Texas city typically pays between about $3,900 and $11,500 in official water and sewer connection charges, before any private plumbing work. The low end is McKinney’s $3,907 for a 3/4-inch meter where the taps already exist; the high end among the large cities is $11,528 in San Antonio’s most expensive combination of water elevation zone and sewer area. Fast-growing Georgetown, north of Austin, is far above that range: its phased impact fees bring a new home to $24,494 in water and wastewater charges for permits assessed from Aug. 31, 2026 (Georgetown tap fees). Most of that money is impact fees, which Texas cities adopt under Local Government Code Chapter 395 and which usually depend on the lot’s plat date and the size of the water meter. Tap and meter charges come on top and vary more by city than by house. Dallas is the exception to the range: since October 2024 the city no longer builds residential taps, so its official charges are just $931 in inspection fees and the owner’s contractor prices the construction.
How impact fees work in Texas
Texas water and wastewater impact fees are governed by Chapter 395 of the Local Government Code. Across the cities we checked, three features repeat, and each one changes what a buyer or builder owes.
Assessed at plat, collected later
The fee is usually assessed when the land is platted and collected when the building permit is issued or the connection is made. That is why plat dates keep appearing in fee tables. Austin Water picks its Capital Recovery Fee table by plat date; a 3/4-inch meter on a lot platted between October 2018 and September 2023 pays $750 less than the same meter on a lot platted after October 1, 2023. McKinney keeps five historical tables keyed to the final plat date. Fort Worth assesses at plat but sets the rate by the building permit date, so its fee for a 5/8-inch meter rose from $5,504 to $5,828 for permits issued on or after October 1, 2026.
Priced per service unit, multiplied by meter size
Fees are quoted per service unit (Austin, Houston), equivalent dwelling unit or EDU (San Antonio), or per meter size (Fort Worth, McKinney, El Paso). A 5/8-inch meter usually counts as one unit. In Austin and Fort Worth a 3/4-inch meter counts as 1.5 and a 1-inch meter as 2.5; SAWS also counts a 3/4-inch meter as 1.5 EDU. Upsizing the meter can add thousands of dollars. In Austin the step from 5/8 inch to 3/4 inch adds $3,850 in impact fees alone.
Collected rate vs. maximum rate
Cities can charge less than the maximum their studies support. Frisco’s 2019 table charges single-family homes 70 percent of the maximum: $2,120 instead of $3,028 for water and $2,344 instead of $3,348 for wastewater. Houston lists its rate as a “fee per service unit, collected” and adjusts it to the Producer Price Index every July 1. When you compare cities, compare the collected rate for your land use, not the headline maximum.
Texas fees by city
The table below is generated from our fee database and shows every verified Texas row with its source and effective date. Rows marked for review come from documents that are older, pending adoption or in conflict with another official page; the city pages explain each case.
| City | Provider | Water typical new home* | Sewer typical new home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | Austin Water | $5,111.52 | $2,900 |
| Cedar Park | City of Cedar Park Utility Billing | $3,260 | $3,170 |
| Celina | — | — | — |
| Conroe | City of Conroe (Water and Sewer) | $1,875 | $1,875 |
| Dallas | — | — | — |
| El Paso | El Paso Water | $5,888 | $1,262 |
| Fort Worth | Fort Worth Water | $2,824 | $2,680 |
| Frisco | — | — | — |
| Georgetown | Georgetown Utility Systems (City of Georgetown) | $12,698.50 | $10,550 |
| Houston | Houston Public Works (Houston Water) | $2,553.11 | $1,830.24 |
| Kyle | City of Kyle Water & Wastewater Utilities | $10,908 | $8,762 |
| Leander | City of Leander Utilities | $9,102 | $2,301 |
| McKinney | City of McKinney Water Utilities | $2,264 | $3,273 |
| New Braunfels | New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) | $19,849 | $6,244 |
| Pflugerville | — | — | — |
| Round Rock | City of Round Rock Utilities and Environmental Services | $5,232 | $2,921 |
| San Antonio | San Antonio Water System (SAWS) | $5,470 | $5,541 |
* Simplified sum of default official residential fees for a standard meter and one unit where applicable. Confirm your actual charges with the utility.
Typical official charges for one new single-family home, smallest standard meter. Totals are our arithmetic from the cited rows; see each city page for assumptions.
| City | Utility | Meter | What is included | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | Austin Water | 5/8″ | Impact fees (plat on/after 10/1/2023) + meter, tap, inspection | $8,119.42 | Impact verified; small items pending FY27 adoption |
| San Antonio | SAWS | 5/8″ | Water + sewer impact fees (plat on/after 7/1/2024) | $7,343–$11,528 | Verified |
| Houston | Houston Public Works | ≤2″ | Impact fees (1 service unit) + meter inspection + sewer permits | $4,572.27 | Verified (impact rates from 7/1/2026) |
| Fort Worth | Fort Worth Water | 5/8″ x 3/4″ | Impact fees only; city taps extra | $5,504 (to 9/30/2026); $5,828 (from 10/1/2026) | Verified |
| El Paso | El Paso Water | <1″ | Water + sewer connection charges (tap, line to curb, meter box); impact fees only in 3 areas | $5,270; $7,150–$7,340 in impact areas | Verified |
| Frisco | City of Frisco | 1″ | Meter fee (incl. $150 deposit) + impact fees; taps quoted | $5,299 | Impact fees from 2019 table, need review |
| McKinney | City of McKinney | 3/4″ | Impact fees + meter set; taps extra | $3,907 | Impact fees from 2020 table, need review |
| Georgetown | Georgetown Utility Systems | 3/4″ | Water + wastewater impact fees (Phase 2) + meter connection + engineering/inspection + 4″ sewer tap | $24,493.50 | Verified |
| Leander | Leander Utilities | 5/8″ | Water + wastewater impact fees (plats after Aug 17, 2023) + inspect-and-set taps | $11,503 | Verified |
| Kyle | Kyle Utilities | 5/8″ x 3/4″ | Water + wastewater impact fees (plats from Aug 27, 2025) + tap fees ($400 each plus cost) | $20,470 + costs | Verified |
| New Braunfels | New Braunfels Utilities | 5/8″ x 3/4″ | Water + wastewater impact fees (Schedule E, plats after Jan 31, 2023) + meter install + inspection | $26,218 | Confirm with utility (2023 schedules still posted) |
| Conroe | City of Conroe | 3/4″ | Water tap + 4-inch sewer tap (no impact fee adopted) | $3,750 | Verified |
| Cedar Park | City of Cedar Park | 3/4″ | Water + wastewater impact fees (flat 1.0 LUE, any meter size) + tap + sewer inspection | $6,480 | Verified |
| Pflugerville | City of Pflugerville | 5/8″ | Water + wastewater impact fees (by wastewater service area) + water tap + wastewater tap | $16,529–$30,349 | Confirm with utility (2023 schedule, confirmed current by 2026 audit) |
| Celina | Celina Utilities | 1″ | Water + wastewater impact fees (Ord. 2025-71) + 1″ meter | $17,528 | Verified |
| Round Rock | Round Rock Utilities | 5/8″ | Water + wastewater impact fees (plats after Jan 1, 2024) + meter + line fee | $8,353 | Verified |
| Dallas | Dallas Water Utilities | 3/4″ or 1″ | Water service + 6″ sewer lateral inspection fees; contractor-built taps extra | $931 | Verified |
City-by-city comparison
Austin
Austin Water’s Capital Recovery Fees are $4,800 water and $2,900 wastewater per service unit for lots platted on or after October 1, 2023, per the Austin Water rates and fees page. With the FY2026-27 meter, tap and inspection charges, a 5/8-inch meter totals $8,119.42 and a 3/4-inch meter $11,996.98. The city’s own example for a 3/4-inch meter on a 2018–2023 plat, $11,246.98, matches the same arithmetic. Austin Water tap and impact fees.
San Antonio
SAWS has the widest range among these cities for a single meter size because its water fee varies by elevation zone and its sewer fee by collection area. For a 5/8-inch meter the combined impact fees run from $7,343 to $11,528 under the July 2024 SAWS chart. SAWS publishes no residential tap fee because private contractors normally install connections under permit. SAWS impact fees and connection costs.
Houston
Houston’s impact fees are lower than those of Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth: $2,553.11 water and $1,830.24 wastewater per service unit for applications accepted after June 30, 2026, on the city fee schedule dated July 1, 2026, or $4,572.27 with permits. The rate is indexed each July 1, with the next adjustment on July 1, 2027, and the city publishes no tap or meter installation charge. Houston water and wastewater impact fees.
Fort Worth
Fort Worth sets impact fees by ordinance with a scheduled step: $5,504 for a 5/8-inch meter on permits through September 30, 2026 and $5,828 since October 1, 2026, per the city’s current fees page. When the city makes the taps, a 1-inch water tap is $3,000 to $3,700 and a 4-inch sewer tap $2,600 to $7,900, which can more than double the total. Fort Worth tap and impact fees.
El Paso
El Paso Water sells a flat, utility-installed connection: $4,380 for water (tap, line to behind the curb, meter box) and $890 for sewer, per Rules and Regulations No. 7 (July 8, 2026). Impact fees apply only in the Northeast, Westside and Eastside service areas. Because the physical tap is included, El Paso’s $5,270 is closer to an all-in number than most totals in the table. El Paso Water connection fees.
Frisco
Frisco’s smallest residential meter is 1 inch, at $835 including a $150 deposit (effective March 2, 2026, city fee schedule). Its impact fees of $2,120 water and $2,344 wastewater come from a 2019 table that we could not confirm is still current, and tap fees are quoted per lot. Frisco tap and impact fees.
McKinney
McKinney publishes both taps and impact fees. A 3/4-inch meter on a lot with existing taps is $3,907; a 1-inch meter with new city taps is $9,318, and $12,613 if the taps need a bore and pavement repair. Tap and meter-set prices are from the FY2026 fee schedule; the impact fees date from 2020. McKinney tap and impact fees.
Dallas
Dallas works differently from the other cities here. Since October 1, 2024, Dallas Water Utilities no longer installs residential water services or sewer laterals; the owner hires a registered, bonded contractor and the city inspects the work. The city’s charges are $465.50 to inspect a water service under 2 inches and $465.50 to inspect a 6-inch sewer lateral, $931 in total, per the Meter and Wastewater Fee Schedule (effective Oct 1, 2025). A lot fee of $0.018 per square foot for water and the same for sewer applies only on a first connection to a developer-built main with city participation ($785 per acre for unsubdivided land), and a refundable $100 deposit comes with a 3/4-inch meter account. The old city-contractor tap prices, last published in 2020 and 2023, are no longer offered. Dallas tap and connection fees.
What the totals leave out
Every figure above stops at the public main or the meter. The private work between the meter and the house is billed by your plumber or site contractor, and on a long lot it can match the city fees. National estimates from our benchmark set: a water service line runs $30–$150 per foot installed (typically about $50), a sewer lateral $50–$250 per foot (typically about $100), and a road bore or street cut $1,000–$10,000 per crossing. For a 60-foot setback at typical rates, that is 60 × $50 = $3,000 for water plus 60 × $100 = $6,000 for sewer. Where a city does not publish a tap fee (Houston, Dallas, Frisco, SAWS in most cases), you will also need a quote for the tap itself. The calculator combines the official Texas fees with your own line lengths and soil:
Estimate utility connection costs
Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.
Texas connection fee FAQ
How much are water and sewer tap fees in Texas?
In the larger cities we track, official charges for a new single-family home range from about $3,900 (McKinney, 3/4-inch meter, taps in place) to $11,528 (San Antonio’s highest zone combination, 5/8-inch meter) in the large cities, and $24,494 in Georgetown, whose impact fees are phasing up through 2027. Most of that is impact fees; physical tap charges, where published, add $5,600 to $11,600 in Fort Worth and $3,080 to $6,375 in McKinney. Dallas charges only $931 in inspection fees because owners hire their own bonded contractor to build the taps.
What is the difference between a tap fee and an impact fee in Texas?
An impact fee pays for your share of system capacity and is adopted under Local Government Code Chapter 395. A tap fee pays for the physical connection to the main. Fort Worth and McKinney charge both separately; El Paso bundles the tap into a flat connection charge. See tap fee vs. impact fee.
Why does my plat date matter?
Texas impact fees are usually assessed when the land is platted, and several cities keep a separate table for each plat period. In Austin, a 3/4-inch meter on a 2018–2023 plat pays $750 less than on a post-2023 plat; McKinney has five tables keyed to the final plat date.
Does a bigger water meter cost more?
Yes, because impact fees are multiplied by meter size. In Fort Worth a 1-inch meter is 2.5 times a 5/8-inch meter: $14,570 instead of $5,828 for permits from October 1, 2026.
Which Texas city has the lowest connection fees?
Among the cities here, Among cities that charge impact fees, McKinney is lowest for a lot with existing taps at $3,907 (3/4-inch meter), and El Paso’s impact fees ($1,880 to $2,070, only in three service areas) are the lowest where they apply. Houston’s $4,383.35 per service unit is lower than the impact fees in Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth. Houston does not publish its tap charges, so its full cost is less clear. Dallas has the smallest city bill, $931 in inspection fees, but only because the contractor-built taps are priced separately.
How much are Dallas tap fees?
Dallas Water Utilities stopped installing residential taps on October 1, 2024. The city now charges $465.50 to inspect the water service and $465.50 to inspect the 6-inch sewer lateral, $931 in total under the schedule effective October 1, 2025; your bonded contractor’s construction price is extra. See Dallas tap fees.
Related guides: tap fees by city (national) · water tap fees · sewer tap fees · tap fee vs. impact fee · new construction utility costs · cost to bring utilities to land · utility connection cost calculator
Sources
- Rates and Fees, Austin Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Utility Permitting Office, Austin Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Impact Fees Meter Size Chart, July 2024 (PDF), SAWS (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- City-Wide Fee Schedule: Houston Public Works, City of Houston (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Impact fee adjustment notice (PDF), Houston Public Works (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Water Impact Fees: Current Fees, City of Fort Worth (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- City Code Chapter 35 (tap fees), City of Fort Worth (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Rules and Regulations No. 7 (PDF), El Paso Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Rules and Regulations No. 16, Impact Fees (PDF), El Paso Water (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Fee Schedule, City of Frisco (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Water and Wastewater Impact Fee Table, City of Frisco (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Fee schedule (FY2026), City of McKinney (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Impact Fee Schedule 2, Table E, City of McKinney (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Meter and Wastewater Fee Schedule, effective Oct 1, 2025 (PDF), City of Dallas Planning & Development (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Dallas City Code Chapter 49, Sections 49-18.7 to 49-18.10, City of Dallas (checked Sep 24, 2026)