Denver Water Tap Fees (SDC) and Denver Sewer Permit Costs (2026)
Inside the City and County of Denver, water comes from Denver Water and the sewer connection is permitted by the city’s Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI), which also collects the regional Metro Water Recovery charge. For a single-family home on a 7,000 sq ft lot whose application is paid on or after July 1, 2026, the two big official charges come to about $16,930: a Denver Water System Development Charge (SDC) of $10,450 plus a $6,480 sewer permit fee. The single most important variable is lot size, because Denver Water prices its SDC per square foot of lot, and 2026 is a phase-in year with two different rates.
Official fees at a glance
The table below lists every Denver fee row we verified, with its source document. Read it in three layers. The Denver Water SDC is the capacity charge that Denver Water itself calls a “tap fee”; it is a base amount plus a lot-size charge, and it is not tied to meter size for a single-family home. The small Denver Water rows (new meter, tap installation, meter inspection, stub-in) are service charges for physical work. The DOTI sewer permit is one per-unit amount made of two parts, a $410 city SAFE fee and a $6,070 Metro Water Recovery fee.
| Service | Category | Fee | Meter | Amount | Basis | Effective | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sewer — Capacity | ||||||||
| Sewer | Capacity | Metro Water Recovery (METRO) Fee - Residential per unit | — | $6,070 | per unit | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer — Connection | ||||||||
| Sewer | Connection | Sanitary Sewer Services Availability Fee (SAFE) - Residential per unit | — | $410 | per unit | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer | Connection | Sewer Permit Fee (SUDP) - Residential total (SAFE + METRO) per unit | — | $6,480 | per unit | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Impact | ||||||||
| Water | Impact | System Development Charge (SDC) - Accessory Dwelling Unit, Inside Denver (Step 2) Inside Denver, Step 2 accessory dwelling unit | — | $2,170 | per unit | 2026-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Impact | System Development Charge (SDC) - Single-family residential, Inside Denver (Step 1) Inside Denver, Step 1 single family | — | $3,205 | formula | 2026-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Impact | System Development Charge (SDC) - Single-family residential, Inside Denver (Step 2) Inside Denver, Step 2 single family | — | $3,380 | formula | 2026-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Impact | System Development Charge (SDC) - Single-family residential, Outside Denver (Step 2) Outside Denver, Step 2 single family | — | $4,740 | formula | 2026-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Inspection | ||||||||
| Water | Inspection | Meter Inspection Fee (no confined space) | — | $155 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Meter | ||||||||
| Water | Meter | New Meter Fee | 1" | $310 | by meter size | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Meter | New Meter Fee | 3/4" | $275 | by meter size | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Meter | New Meter Fee | 5/8" | $265 | by meter size | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Permit | ||||||||
| Water | Permit | Tap Stub-in Fee | — | $41 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Tap | ||||||||
| Water | Tap | Tap Installation Fee (taps under 2 inches) | — | $185 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
How the Denver Water SDC formula works
Denver Water’s Board voted on March 26, 2025 to change its system development charges for the first time since 2013, and it split the increase into two steps. Denver Water’s 2026 SDC page lists these single-family rates:
Denver Water single-family SDC formulas, 2026 (Denver Water, System Development Charges for 2026)
| Location and period | Base charge | First 22,000 sq ft of lot | Lot area over 22,000 sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inside Denver, Jan 1 – Jun 30, 2026 (Step 1) | $3,205 | $0.86 / sq ft | $0.43 / sq ft |
| Inside Denver, from Jul 1, 2026 (Step 2) | $3,380 | $1.01 / sq ft | $0.50 / sq ft |
| Outside Denver (Denver Water suburbs), from Jul 1, 2026 | $4,740 | $1.42 / sq ft | $0.71 / sq ft |
The Step 2 rate applies to complete applications paid on or after July 1, 2026. A detached accessory dwelling unit pays a flat SDC of $2,170 inside Denver and $3,030 outside. Denver Water also offers a 20% credit through its Water Efficiency Credit Program for projects that commit to at least a 20% reduction in water use.
Worked example: a new single-family home
Assumptions: a new detached home inside the City and County of Denver, application paid after July 1, 2026, a 5/8-inch meter bought from Denver Water, and Denver Water installing the tap on the main during business hours. The only unknown is lot size, so here are three cases.
Denver Water SDC by lot size, inside Denver, Step 2 (from July 1, 2026)
| Lot size | Arithmetic | SDC |
|---|---|---|
| 5,000 sq ft (small urban lot) | $3,380 + 5,000 × $1.01 | $8,430 |
| 8,000 sq ft (typical suburban-style lot) | $3,380 + 8,000 × $1.01 | $11,460 |
| 30,000 sq ft (large lot) | $3,380 + 22,000 × $1.01 + 8,000 × $0.50 | $29,600 |
The same three lots under the Step 1 rate that applied through June 30, 2026 would have paid $7,505, $10,085 and $25,565. In the Denver Water suburbs, Step 2 gives $11,840, $16,100 and $41,660.
Now add the other published charges for the 8,000 sq ft case:
Estimated official charges, 8,000 sq ft lot inside Denver, Step 2
| Charge | Agency | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| System Development Charge | Denver Water | $11,460 |
| Sewer permit (SAFE $410 + Metro Water Recovery $6,070) | Denver DOTI | $6,480 |
| New meter, 5/8″ | Denver Water | $265 |
| Tap installation (taps under 2″) | Denver Water | $185 |
| Meter inspection | Denver Water | $155 |
| Total | $18,545 |
With a 3/4-inch meter ($275) the total is $18,555; with a 1-inch meter ($310) it is $18,590. The meter size barely moves the Denver total because the SDC is driven by lot area. If the Water Efficiency Credit applied to the full SDC, 20% of $11,460 would save $2,292. Confirm with Denver Water how the credit is calculated before counting on it.
What these fees don’t include
None of the charges above pays for the pipe on your lot. You or your builder still pay a contractor for the water service line from the curb stop to the house, the sewer service line to the public main, trenching, any street cut, and the plumbing permit. Our planning figures, which are national estimates rather than Denver prices (how we built them):
- Water service line: $30–$150 per foot, typical $50. A 70-foot run is about $3,500 at the typical rate.
- Sewer service line: $50–$250 per foot, typical $100. A 70-foot run is about $7,000 at the typical rate.
- Street cut or bore: $1,000–$10,000 per crossing, typical $4,000, when the main is on the far side of the street.
- Plumbing permit: $100–$1,300, typical $300.
Enter your own lengths and lot size in the calculator:
Estimate utility connection costs
Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.
How and when you pay
The two big charges go to different agencies. Denver Water collects the SDC, meter and tap charges when the application is complete and paid; the payment date decides whether Step 1 or Step 2 applies. The sewer permit is issued through the city’s Sewer Use and Drainage Permit (SUDP) process, and the 2026 rate of $6,480 applies to permits issued or paid on or after January 1, 2026, according to the DOTI 2026 Sewer Permit Fees sheet. That per-unit amount covers single-family homes, duplexes and buildings of three or more units that have individual Denver Water taps.
Denver Water installs taps under 2 inches for $185 during business hours; after-hours work is $165 per additional hour with a four-hour minimum. A stub-in tap (2 inches or smaller) carries a $41 fee plus a $72 yearly monitoring fee until it is used, per the Denver Water Other Fees page, which shows no effective date.
Changes to watch
- The Step 2 SDC took effect July 1, 2026. It is the rate in force as of our September 24, 2026 check. Denver Water has not published a third step on its 2026 page.
- The DOTI sewer permit is set by calendar year. The 2026 sheet is effective January 1, 2026; expect a new sheet for 2027.
- The Denver Water service-fee table (meter, tap, inspection) carries no effective date, so re-check it before paying.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a water tap fee in Denver in 2026?
Denver Water’s “tap fee” is its System Development Charge. Inside Denver, for applications paid on or after July 1, 2026, it is $3,380 plus $1.01 per square foot of lot for the first 22,000 sq ft. A 7,000 sq ft lot pays $10,450 and an 8,000 sq ft lot pays $11,460.
Why do Denver suburbs pay more than homes inside Denver?
Denver Water charges customers outside the City and County of Denver a higher SDC: $4,740 plus $1.42 per sq ft from July 1, 2026. On a 7,000 sq ft lot that is $14,680, about $4,230 more than the same lot inside Denver.
What does a Denver sewer tap cost?
Inside Denver the sewer permit fee is $6,480 per dwelling unit for permits issued or paid on or after January 1, 2026. It is made up of the city’s $410 SAFE fee and $6,070 for Metro Water Recovery, the regional treatment district.
Does an ADU pay the full Denver Water SDC?
No. A detached accessory dwelling unit with its own sleeping, cooking and sanitation facilities pays a flat SDC of $2,170 inside Denver and $3,030 outside, from July 1, 2026.
Is there any way to lower the Denver Water SDC?
Denver Water offers a 20% credit through its Water Efficiency Credit Program for projects that commit to reducing water use by at least 20%. Lot size is the other lever: the per-square-foot rate halves above 22,000 sq ft, but a larger lot still pays more in total.
Related pages
Colorado utility connection costs · Colorado Springs Utilities development charges · Fort Collins plant investment fees · tap fee vs impact fee · water service line cost · sewer lateral cost · utility connection cost calculator
Sources
- System Development Charges (SDCs) for 2026, Denver Water. Checked Sep 24, 2026.
- Other Fees (Contractors), Denver Water. Checked Sep 24, 2026.
- 2026 Sewer Permit Fees, City and County of Denver, DOTI. Checked Sep 24, 2026.