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Fort Mill Water & Sewer Capacity Fees (2026)

Last reviewed: By Utility Cost Guide editor

Inside Fort Mill, the Town of Fort Mill Utilities Department provides both water and sewer, and it also serves some areas outside the town limits. For a new single-family home with the standard 3/4-inch tap, the Town’s FY2025-26 schedule adds up to a $2,420 water capacity/connection fee + $3,000 sewer capacity/connection fee + $50 account activation fee = $5,470 (Town of Fort Mill Fee Schedule FY 2025-26). The meter and its installation come on top at “cost + 10%,” and the Town prints no dollar amount for either. The first thing to check is your provider. The Town says the Springview Meadows, Carolina Orchards, Anniston Chase and Springfield subdivisions are served by York County Utilities, which has a different, older fee schedule. Timing matters too: the Town’s fiscal year ends September 30, 2026, and no FY2026-27 schedule was posted when we checked.

Official Fort Mill fees in one table

The Town prices water and sewer capacity by tap size, using equivalent residential units (ERUs). A 3/4-inch tap counts as 1.0 ERU, which works out to $2,420 for water and $3,000 for sewer. A 1-inch tap counts as 2.5 ERUs and costs 2.5 times as much. The “Additional Water & Sewer Fees” table covers the account and the meter. It lists a $50 activation fee, a $100 refundable deposit, and three items billed at cost plus 10%: the meter set, the meter tap and the meter itself. York County rows appear below marked for review and are not added into the Town total.

ServiceCategoryFeeMeterAmountBasisEffectiveSourceVerified
Sewer — Capacity
SewerCapacitySewer Capacity/Connection Fee1"$7,500by meter size2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
SewerCapacitySewer Capacity/Connection Fee3/4"$3,000by meter size2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
Sewer — Deposit
SewerDepositResidential Sewer Service Deposit—$50flat fee2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30
Sewer — Impact
SewerImpactSewer Service Capacity or Impact Fee3/4"$2,000by meter size2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30
Sewer — Tap
SewerTapSewer Tap Fee (gravity 4-inch or less / force main 2-inch or less)—$1,500flat fee2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30
Water — Account Setup
WaterAccount SetupAccount Activation Fee—$30flat fee2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30
WaterAccount SetupNew Account Activation Fee—$50flat fee2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
Water — Capacity
WaterCapacityWater Capacity/Connection Fee1"$6,050by meter size2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
WaterCapacityWater Capacity/Connection Fee3/4"$2,420by meter size2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
Water — Deposit
WaterDepositNew Account Deposit—$100flat fee2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
WaterDepositWater Service Deposit (3/4-inch standard residential)3/4"$50flat fee2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30
Water — Impact
WaterImpactWater Service Capacity or Impact Fee1"$2,881by meter size2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30
WaterImpactWater Service Capacity or Impact Fee3/4"$1,725.50by meter size2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30
Water — Inspection
WaterInspectionMeter Inspection / Testing Fee—$40formula2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
Water — Meter
WaterMeterCost to Purchase a Meter—See formulaformula2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
Water — Meter Set
WaterMeter SetMeter Set Fee—See formulaformula2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
WaterMeter SetWater Meter Set Fee (3/4-inch standard residential)3/4"$450by meter size2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30
Water — Tap
WaterTapMeter Tap Fee—See formulaformula2025-10-01Official source2026-09-25
WaterTapWater Tap Fee (3/4-inch standard residential)3/4"$1,250by meter size2006-12-18Official source2026-09-30

Worked example: a new home in Fort Mill

Assumptions: one detached house, one sewer connection, no irrigation meter.

One-time utility charges for one house (sources: Town of Fort Mill FY 2025-26 fee schedule; York County Code, Chapter 51).

Charge A. Town, 3/4″ tap B. Town, 1″ tap C. York County, 3/4″ meter*
Water capacity / impact fee $2,420 $6,050 $1,725.50
Sewer capacity / impact fee $3,000 $7,500 $2,000
Account activation $50 $50 $30
Water tap (utility installed) cost + 10%** cost + 10%** $1,250
Meter set cost + 10% cost + 10% $450
Meter purchase cost + 10% cost + 10% in tap fee
Total of published amounts $5,470 $13,600 $5,455.50
Refundable deposit (not a cost) $100 $100 $50 water + $50 sewer

* York County amounts date from a 2006 ordinance and are marked “Confirm with utility”. ** The Town schedule does not say when the “Meter Tap Fee” applies.

The arithmetic: A is $2,420 + $3,000 + $50 = $5,470. B is $6,050 + $7,500 + $50 = $13,600, so moving up to a 1-inch tap costs $8,130 more in capacity fees alone. C is $1,725.50 + $2,000 + $30 + $1,250 + $450 = $5,455.50. If York County also has to make the sewer tap, its $1,500 fee (gravity services 4 inches or smaller) brings C to $6,955.50. On a Town lot, treat $5,470 as a floor until the Town quotes the meter items.

Fort Mill vs. Charlotte across the state line

Charlotte Water charges a new home with a 5/8-inch meter $17,370 in FY2027. That covers a $4,407 water connection fee, a $1,453 water system development fee, a $5,066 sewer system development fee and $6,444 for a 4-inch sewer service connection. The comparison is not quite like for like. Charlotte’s connection fees pay the utility to tap the main and run the service to the property, and on a lot where the developer already did that work, Charlotte’s charges drop to about $6,727. Fort Mill’s $5,420 in capacity/connection fees does not include the meter work, which the Town bills separately at cost plus 10%, and the sewer lateral is the owner’s job. Compared on the same basis, the capacity charges come to $5,420 in Fort Mill and $6,519 in Charlotte ($1,453 + $5,066), about $1,100 apart.

What is not included in Fort Mill fees

The Town maintains water service lines from the main to the meter. Everything on the house side of the meter belongs to the property owner. For sewer, the Town maintains only the collection mains. The lateral from the house to the main is the owner’s responsibility (Town of Fort Mill, Water Distribution & Wastewater Collection). Budget for that private work separately:

Take a lot with a 50-foot water line and a 50-foot sewer lateral. At typical rates that is 50 × $50 = $2,500 plus 50 × $100 = $5,000, or $7,500 in private work, more than the Town’s own charges. Trenching is already included. Figures from our national benchmark set.

Estimate utility connection costs

Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.

Location and property
Services and site work

Many codes require horizontal separation between water and sewer. This estimate assumes separate water and sewer trenches unless you select a shared run where your utility allows it.

Quoted fees and comparison assumptions

Paying Fort Mill fees: timing and process

Under South Carolina’s Development Impact Fee Act, a “development impact fee” does not include connection or hookup charges. The Act defines those as the actual cost of labor and materials for pipe connections, meter installation and other actual costs (S.C. Code § 6-1-920). Capacity fees buy system capacity; tap and meter charges pay for the physical work.

Fort Mill fee changes to watch

A new Town fiscal year starts October 1, 2026. The Town posts each fiscal year’s adopted schedule. When we checked on September 25, 2026, only FY2025-26 was posted. If your connection happens on or after October 1, ask whether FY2026-27 amounts apply.

The York County figures are old. The county links a rate sheet “effective December 18, 2006” and a code compilation from 2023, and both carry the 2006 connection amounts. The county’s current online code, amended through June 2024, still lists the same amounts, but the county has posted no newer connection-fee schedule, so confirm them with York County before you budget.

Common questions about Fort Mill fees

How much are water and sewer tap fees in Fort Mill, SC?

For a Town of Fort Mill customer with a 3/4-inch tap, the FY2025-26 capacity/connection fees are $2,420 for water and $3,000 for sewer, $5,420 together. Add the $50 activation fee, and the meter set and meter purchase, each billed at cost plus 10%.

Does the Town of Fort Mill or York County serve my new home?

Most addresses inside the town limits are Town customers, and the Town also serves some areas outside them. The Town names Springview Meadows, Carolina Orchards, Anniston Chase and Springfield as York County Utilities areas. For any other address, call the Town at (803) 547-2034.

How much more does a 1-inch meter cost in Fort Mill?

A 1-inch tap counts as 2.5 ERUs, so the fees are $6,050 for water and $7,500 for sewer, $13,550 in all. That is $8,130 more than a 3/4-inch tap.

Who pays for the sewer lateral in Fort Mill?

The homeowner. The Town maintains sewer collection mains only, and the lateral from the house to the main is the owner’s responsibility. At a national estimate of about $100 per foot installed, a 50-foot lateral runs about $5,000.

Are York County water and sewer impact fees different?

Yes. The county code lists $1,725.50 for water and $2,000 for sewer per 3/4-inch residential connection, plus a $1,250 water tap fee and a $450 meter set fee when the county does the work. These amounts date from 2006, so confirm them with York County.

Is Fort Mill cheaper than Charlotte for a new home?

On published fees, yes: $5,470 in Town charges versus $17,370 at Charlotte Water for a utility-installed 5/8-inch connection. On capacity charges alone the gap is about $1,100.

Where to go next from Fort Mill

For the Upstate side of South Carolina, see Greenville Water and ReWa tap fees.

Compare Fort Mill with Charlotte, Concord and Charleston, or see the national tap fees by city table. Related guides: tap fee vs. impact fee, sewer lateral cost, water meter installation cost and the utility connection cost calculator.

Sources for Fort Mill figures