Cedar Park Water & Wastewater Tap and Impact Fees (2026)
Inside Cedar Park, the City of Cedar Park’s own utility department provides both water and wastewater service, and the connection charges are set in the city’s Code of Ordinances under Texas Local Government Code chapter 395. For a new single-family home with a 3/4-inch meter (Cedar Park does not offer a 5/8-inch meter) on a lot where the developer has already installed the service line and sewer lateral, the published charges come to $6,480: a $3,160 water impact fee, a $3,170 wastewater impact fee, a $100 water tap fee for the city to inspect the line and set the meter, and a $50 sewer tap inspection fee. The most important local fact for planning is that the impact fee does not scale with meter size for a single-family home: it is 1.0 living unit equivalent (LUE) whether the meter is 3/4 inch or 1 inch, so moving up a meter size adds only tens of dollars in tap fees, not thousands in impact fees, unlike some neighboring cities. For how this compares nationally, see our guide to the cost to connect to city water.
Official Cedar Park fees in one table
The table below lists every Cedar Park row in our database, each linked to the city code section it came from. Cedar Park states its impact fee per living unit equivalent (LUE), defined in Sec. 18.07.002 as 450 gallons per day of water and 300 gallons per day of wastewater. Sec. 18.07.006(a) sets a detached single-family home at 1.0 LUE, a duplex at 0.9, a triplex or fourplex at 0.7, and other multifamily at 0.5 per unit — the LUE count does not depend on meter size for residential uses. Each water tap fee and the sewer connection charge have two versions: a lower one when the developer already installed the service line or lateral and the city only inspects and sets the meter (the normal case in a new subdivision), and a higher one when city crews have to install it.
| Service | Category | Fee | Meter | Amount | Basis | Effective | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sewer — Inspection | ||||||||
| Sewer | Inspection | Sewer Tap Inspection Fee (service laterals installed, impact fees paid) Lateral installed, impact fee paid (inspection only) | — | $50 | flat fee | 2023-12-14 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Sewer — Tap | ||||||||
| Sewer | Tap | Sewer Connection Fee (City installs sewer tap and service lateral) City installs the tap and lateral | — | $750 | flat fee | 2023-12-14 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Deposit | ||||||||
| Water | Deposit | Residential Water/Sewer Service Deposit | — | $100 | flat fee | 2023-12-14 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Impact | ||||||||
| Water | Impact | Water Impact Fee | — | $3,160 | per equivalent residential unit | 2023-12-14 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Meter Set | ||||||||
| Water | Meter Set | Water Tap Fee, 1-inch meter (service line installed, City inspects connection and sets meter) Line installed; city inspects and sets meter | 1" | $175 | by meter size | 2023-12-14 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water | Meter Set | Water Tap Fee, 3/4-inch meter (service line installed, City inspects connection and sets meter) Line installed; city inspects and sets meter | 3/4" | $100 | by meter size | 2023-12-14 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water — Tap | ||||||||
| Water | Tap | Water Tap Fee, 1-inch meter (City installs service line and sets meter) City installs the line | 1" | $675 | by meter size | 2023-12-14 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
| Water | Tap | Water Tap Fee, 3/4-inch meter (City installs service line and sets meter) City installs the line | 3/4" | $425 | by meter size | 2023-12-14 | Official source | 2026-09-25 |
Worked example: a new home in Cedar Park
Assumptions: detached house inside city limits, 3/4-inch meter, service line and sewer lateral already installed by the developer so the city only inspects and sets the meter. The impact fees are from Sec. 8.800 and Sec. 8.900 of the Cedar Park Code of Ordinances, Appendix A Fee Schedule (Ordinance CO03.23.12.14.E1, adopted December 14, 2023). The tap and sewer fees are from the same appendix, Sec. 8.300(6) and Sec. 8.700. The rules defining a living unit equivalent and when the impact fee is due are in Article 18.07, Water and Wastewater Impact Fees.
Cedar Park water and wastewater charges for one home, 3/4-inch meter, by whether the service line is already installed.
| Line item | Line/lateral installed (typical new subdivision) | City installs line/lateral |
|---|---|---|
| Water impact fee (1.0 LUE) | $3,160.00 | $3,160.00 |
| Wastewater impact fee (1.0 LUE) | $3,170.00 | $3,170.00 |
| Water tap fee, 3/4-inch meter | $100.00 | $425.00 |
| Sewer connection / inspection fee | $50.00 | $750.00 |
| Total | $6,480.00 | $7,505.00 |
| Refundable water/sewer deposit | $100 flat | $100 flat |
Adjustments:
- 1-inch meter instead of 3/4 inch. The water tap fee rises to $175 (line already installed) or $675 (city installs), but the impact fees do not change, because Cedar Park counts a single-family home as 1.0 LUE regardless of meter size (Sec. 18.07.006(a)). With the line already installed, a 1-inch meter brings the total to $6,555.00 — only $75 more than the 3/4-inch total.
- City must install the service line. On a lot without stub-outs, the water tap rises from $100 to $425 and the sewer charge from the $50 inspection fee to the full $750 connection fee, because Sec. 8.700 only allows the lower sewer inspection fee once the community impact fees are paid and the city is not required to install the tap and lateral. That adds $1,025, for a total of $7,505.00.
- Properties outside the city limits or ETJ served under Cedar Park’s CCN. Since Ordinance CO25.24.05.09.E1 (adopted May 9, 2024), Sec. 18.07.006(c) caps such a lot or tract at one LUE regardless of the type or size of residential unit on it.
What is not included in Cedar Park fees
The city’s charges cover the impact fee, the tap and the meter or lateral connection. Work on your side of the connection is private:
- Water service line from the meter to the house. National estimate $30–$150 per foot installed, including trenching, typically about $50. A 60-foot run at $50 is $3,000. See water service line cost.
- Sewer lateral from the house to the city connection, if not already stubbed out by the developer. National estimate $50–$250 per foot, including trenching, typically about $100. A 60-foot lateral is about $6,000. See sewer lateral cost.
- Rock. Where a trench hits rock, excavation costs a multiple of normal soil (national estimate 2.5×–7×). See utility trenching cost.
- Building and plumbing permits. These are separate from utility fees and are not in our totals. National estimate for a plumbing permit is $100–$1,300.
- Electric service. Cedar Park’s own utility does not sell electricity; the city’s code addresses only water and wastewater fees. Confirm which electric utility (commonly Pedernales Electric Cooperative or Oncor) serves your address, and check with them directly for any line-extension or connection charge. We have not verified any electric line-extension charges for Cedar Park, so none are included here.
National figures are estimates from our benchmark set, not Cedar Park quotes. To combine Cedar Park’s official fees with your own line lengths:
Estimate utility connection costs
Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.
Paying Cedar Park fees: timing and process
- The impact fee is due at the building permit. Sec. 18.07.005 says the community impact fee is paid when the building permit is issued, unless the City Council requires payment of all or part of it at recording of the subdivision plat because the subdivision needs a capacity expansion of the water or wastewater system.
- The sewer charge depends on who installs the lateral. Sec. 8.700 sets a $750 connection fee for the city to install the sewer tap and service lateral, but drops that to a $50 inspection fee once the impact fees are paid and the city does not have to do the installation — the usual case for a house in a platted new subdivision.
- The refundable deposit is $100 for a residential account, held without interest (Sec. 8.400). If every bill is paid on time, the city refunds half of it on request one year after service starts; the rest is refunded when service ends, minus any damage to the meter and any unpaid charges, penalties, library fines, city property taxes or court fines with a final judgment.
- Subdividers who oversize lines for the benefit of other future development can be reimbursed from later impact fee collections, or credited against their own, under Sec. 18.07.012.
Cedar Park fee changes to watch
- No adopted fee increase found. The water and wastewater impact fee amounts ($3,160 and $3,170 per LUE) and the tap and sewer fees in Appendix A date to Ordinance CO03.23.12.14.E1 (December 14, 2023). The Cedar Park Code of Ordinances is currently codified through June 25, 2026, and shows no later amendment to those dollar amounts as of September 2026.
- CCN service-area LUE cap. Ordinance CO25.24.05.09.E1 (May 9, 2024) added Sec. 18.07.006(c), capping properties outside the city limits or extraterritorial jurisdiction that are served under Cedar Park’s water or wastewater certificate of convenience and necessity at one LUE per lot or tract, notwithstanding the residential-unit table.
- Texas impact fee law requires periodic updates. Local Government Code chapter 395 requires cities to update their capital improvements plan and impact fee study at least every five years; watch for a new study and possible rate change as Cedar Park’s next review comes due.
How Cedar Park compares with Leander, Georgetown and Austin
Cedar Park’s published charges are far lower than its neighbors’. For a 3/4-inch meter with the service line already installed, Cedar Park’s total is $6,480.00. Just north, Leander’s published charges for the same meter size come to $17,109.50, more than two and a half times as much, because Leander’s impact fee scales with meter size and starts from a much higher per-LUE rate ($8,762 water, $2,301 wastewater at 1 LUE). Georgetown is higher still at $24,493.50 for a 3/4-inch meter at its current Phase 2 rates ($12,000 water and $10,250 wastewater per service unit). Austin Water’s published charges for a 3/4-inch meter on a lot platted after October 1, 2023 come to about $11,997. Cedar Park shares one structural feature with Georgetown: both count a standard single-family home as a fixed unit of service (1.0 LUE or 1.0 SUE) regardless of meter size, while Leander and Austin scale the impact fee up with meter size.
Cedar Park tap fee FAQ
How much are Cedar Park’s water and wastewater impact fees in 2026?
Cedar Park charges $3,160 for water and $3,170 for wastewater per living unit equivalent (LUE). A standard single-family detached home is 1.0 LUE, so the combined impact fees are $6,330, before the separate tap and sewer inspection fees.
Does a bigger water meter cost more in Cedar Park?
The impact fee does not change: Sec. 18.07.006(a) counts a single-family home as 1.0 LUE regardless of meter size. Only the tap fee itself rises with meter size — from $100 to $175 (service line already installed) or from $425 to $675 (city installs the line) when moving from a 3/4-inch to a 1-inch meter.
Why don’t I see a 5/8-inch meter fee for Cedar Park?
The city’s tap fee schedule in Sec. 8.300(6) starts at 3/4 inch; it does not list a 5/8-inch meter option. Treat the 3/4-inch fee as the standard residential charge.
What’s the difference between the $50 and $750 sewer charges?
Under Sec. 8.700, a property owner pays a $750 sewer connection fee unless the community impact fees have already been paid and the city is not required to install the sewer tap and service lateral, in which case a $50 sewer tap inspection fee applies instead. A house in a new subdivision, where the developer typically installs the lateral, usually qualifies for the $50 fee.
When is the impact fee due?
Sec. 18.07.005 sets it due at issuance of the building permit, unless the City Council requires payment of all or part of it when the subdivision plat is recorded because the development needs a water or wastewater capacity expansion.
Is the $100 deposit refundable?
Yes. Sec. 8.400 makes it refundable, and it is held without interest. If every bill is paid on time, the city refunds half of it on request one year after service starts, and refunds the rest when service ends, minus any meter damage or unpaid charges.
Related: Texas utility connection costs by city · tap fee vs. impact fee · water tap fees · sewer tap fees · water meter installation cost · Leander fees · Georgetown fees · Austin fees · utility connection cost calculator
Official documents behind the Cedar Park figures
- Code of Ordinances, Appendix A Fee Schedule, Article 8.000, Utility Related Fees (Secs. 8.300, 8.400, 8.700, 8.800, 8.900), City of Cedar Park (Ordinance CO27-21-07-22-H10 adopted 7/22/21; CO14.22.02.10.E1 adopted 2/10/2022; CO03.23.12.14.E1 adopted 12/14/2023; code current through 6/25/2026; checked Sep 25, 2026)
- Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 Utilities, Article 18.07, Water and Wastewater Impact Fees, City of Cedar Park (Sec. 18.07.006(c) amended by Ordinance CO25.24.05.09.E1 adopted 5/9/2024; checked Sep 25, 2026)
- City of Cedar Park Utility Billing, Rates & Fees, City of Cedar Park (checked Sep 25, 2026)