Columbus Water and Sewer Capacity Charges and Tap Fees (2026)

The City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities (Columbus Water and Power) provides water and sewer inside Columbus and water to a number of contract suburbs. For a new single-family home inside the city with a 3/4-inch tap, the published charges come to $5,780: a $1,406 water system capacity charge, a $397 meter, a $3,892 sewer system capacity charge and an $85 sewer permit. Two things can add thousands: front-footage charges, which Columbus assesses per foot of frontage, and a location outside the city, where the water capacity charge is higher.

Official fees at a glance

The table lists every Columbus row we verified. The water rows come from the Division of Water’s connection charge schedule effective April 1, 2026, and the sewer rows from the city’s “Obtaining Sanitary Sewer Service” page, which shows no effective date. Read them in three groups. The capacity charges (water and sewer) are priced by tap or meter size and are the core connection cost. The meter and meter-box yoke rows are the hardware the Division of Water installs; the yoke applies only when a meter-box setting is used. The front footage rows are priced per linear foot of frontage.

Worked example: a new single-family home

Assumptions: a detached home inside Columbus, city water and city sewer, and a standard disc meter installed by the Division of Water unless noted. We leave front footage out of the main cases and treat it separately below.

Estimated City of Columbus connection charges, single-family, inside the city (water schedule eff. Apr 1, 2026)

A meter-box setting needs pre-approval from the Division of Water, and it costs $388 more at 3/4 inch ($514 + $271 versus $397). Moving to a 1-inch tap adds $3,146, most of it in the sewer capacity charge ($6,116 − $3,892 = $2,224). The water capacity charge is the same $1,406 for a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch meter; a 5/8-inch meter costs $335 instead of $397.

Front footage charges

Columbus lists a water front footage charge of $22 per linear foot and a sewer front footage charge of $45 per linear foot. On a lot with 60 feet of frontage, that would be 60 × $22 = $1,320 for water and 60 × $45 = $2,700 for sewer, $4,020 in all, and case A would rise to $9,800. The rows we read give the rate but not the conditions under which it is assessed, so ask the city whether your lot owes them before counting them in or out.

Outside Columbus

The water capacity charge is higher outside the city. The Division of Water’s connection charge schedule sets three rates:

Columbus water system capacity charge by location, effective April 1, 2026

A 3/4-inch home in a contract area pays $422 more for water capacity than the same home inside Columbus, and one in a non-contract area $703 more. Suburban sewer service may come from another provider with its own charges, so do not assume the city’s sewer figures apply outside Columbus.

What these fees don’t include

The city’s charges cover capacity, the meter and the sewer permit. The service line from the tap to the house, the building sewer, excavation, and the plumbing permit are separate. National estimates (methodology):

• Water service line: $30–$150 per foot, typical $50. At 50 feet, about $2,500.
• Sewer service line: $50–$250 per foot, typical $100. At 50 feet, about $5,000.
• Street cut or bore: $1,000–$10,000 per crossing, typical $4,000.
• Plumbing permit: $100–$1,300, typical $300.

How and when you pay

Water charges are paid to the Division of Water, which installs the meter; a meter-box setting needs its pre-approval. Sewer charges are handled at the city’s Sewer Permit Desk at 111 N. Front St., according to the Obtaining Sanitary Sewer Service page. That page notes there is no sewer capacity charge for fire-suppression connections, so a separate fire line does not add a sewer capacity charge.

Changes to watch

• The water connection charge schedule took effect April 1, 2026. It is the current schedule as of our September 24, 2026 check; confirm it before paying.
• The sewer capacity charge page shows no effective date. Confirm the amount with the Sewer Permit Desk before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

Related pages

tap fees by city · water tap fee · sewer tap fee · utility extension cost · water meter installation cost · utility connection cost calculator

Sources

• Water Service Connection Charge Schedule (effective 4/1/2026), City of Columbus Division of Water. Checked Sep 24, 2026.
• Obtaining Sanitary Sewer Service, City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities. Checked Sep 24, 2026.