Water and Sewer Impact Fees by City (2026): What They Are and What Homes Pay

An impact fee is a one-time charge on new development that pays for the growth-related capacity the new building will use: water and sewer plants, roads, parks, schools. It is set by a city, county or utility, and it is paid by whoever is building, usually when the building permit is issued or the plat is recorded. For water plus sewer on a single-family home, the 44 cities in our 2026 table charge from $1,000 in Mobile, AL to $22,250 in Georgetown, TX, with a median of $5,702.50; 16 of the 44 come in under $5,000 and 7 are above $10,000.

This guide shows what water and sewer impact fees cost city by city, how the number is calculated (meter size, house size, fixture units), who pays and when, and what state law says. Click any amount in the table to open the official schedule it came from. For the difference between an impact fee, a tap fee and a connection fee, see tap fee vs. impact fee.

What is an impact fee?

A city cannot add a treatment plant or a trunk sewer line for every new house, so it builds capacity in advance and charges new development for its share.

The name varies. Water and sewer utilities call the same charge a system development charge (Charlotte, Seattle, Spring Hill), a capacity fee (Mobile, Tampa, Columbus), a plant investment fee (Boulder, Fort Collins), a capital facility fee (Raleigh, Durham) or a utility expansion charge (Albuquerque). The table leaves out tap fees, meter fees and deposits, which pay for the physical hookup and the account.

Water and sewer impact fees by city (2026)

Water plus sewer impact or capacity fees for one new single-family home, from official schedules in our database (fee category impact or capacity, status verified). We used the smallest standard residential meter (5/8″, 5/8″ x 3/4″ or 3/4″) or the schedule’s single-family default; where a city uses a different basis the city name says so (a 1-inch meter, a plat date, a house-size band). Totals are the sum of the two columns, with no rounding. Sorted low to high. Checked 2026-09-30.

The median of the 44 totals is $5,702.50. Some rows need a caution before you compare them:

• Two components per service. Port St. Lucie adds a plant charge and a line charge for each of water and sewer. Durham adds a sewer treatment fee and a sewer collection fee.
• Different utilities for water and sewer. Orlando’s water charge is OUC’s; its sewer impact fee is the City of Orlando’s. Where a schedule prints no effective date (Orlando’s sewer fee, Tampa’s sewer fee, Horry County, Frisco, Port St. Lucie, Austin), the date column says “not stated”.
• Charges we left out on purpose. Concord’s row is the city fee only; the regional wholesale sewer fee (WSACC) is separate. Albuquerque’s row is the Utility Expansion Charge only; the separate Water Resource Charge is not included.
• Rates that change by date. Ocala’s schedule rises every October 1 through 2028. Fort Worth’s FY2027 rates shown here apply to permits issued on or after October 1, 2026; permits issued by September 30, 2026 paid the FY2026 rates of $2,824 water and $2,680 sewer. McKinney’s row dates from 2020, so check it with the utility.
• Older lots pay less. Austin, Kyle, Leander and Georgetown charge by plat or assessment date, and the row shown is the newest tier.

Cities missing from the table are not free of impact fees. We left out cities whose fees depend on the lot’s location, a formula or several options, so that every row is one unambiguous number. Browse them all on tap fees by city.

Impact fee vs. tap fee vs. connection fee

An impact fee buys capacity in the system. A tap fee pays for cutting into the main and running the service line, and a connection fee can be either one, depending on the utility. The two are usually charged together on a new house, and the impact fee is the larger one in most of our data. Fort Worth’s water impact fee, for example, is $2,990 for the smallest meter.

Utilities do not use these words consistently. Denver Water calls its capacity charge a tap fee, and Las Vegas calls its capacity charge a connection charge. The full glossary, with every local term sorted into physical charges and capacity charges, is in tap fee vs. impact fee. For the physical side, see water tap fees and sewer tap fees.

How impact fees are calculated

Almost every schedule turns a per-unit rate into your bill with one of four measures.

Meter size

Because a bigger meter can draw more water, most utilities scale the fee by meter size. The common ratio is 1.0 for a 5/8-inch meter, 1.5 for 3/4 inch and 2.5 for 1 inch. Fort Worth’s FY2027 water impact fee is $2,990 for a 5/8″ x 3/4″ meter, $4,485 for 3/4″ and $7,475 for 1″, and Austin counts a 5/8″ meter as one service unit, 3/4″ as 1.5 and 1″ as 2.5. Charlotte’s FY2027 sewer system development fee is $5,066 for a 5/8″ meter and $12,664 for a 1″ meter.

Equivalent residential units (ERU, LUE, SUE)

Instead of meter size, some utilities charge per unit of demand, where one unit is one typical house. Kyle’s schedule counts a 5/8″ x 3/4″ meter as 1 living unit equivalent (LUE) and a 3/4″ meter as 1.5. Cedar Park keeps a single-family home at a flat 1.0 LUE ($3,160 water and $3,170 wastewater), and Georgetown counts a home up to 1,200 square feet without automatic irrigation as 0.667 service unit equivalents.

House size

Some cities skip the meter and charge by floor area. Ocala sets its water and sewer impact fees by air-conditioned square footage, in four bands, at the FY2026 rates:

Cary, NC also bands by area under roof: a house under 1,700 square feet pays $1,670 water and $2,258 sewer, and the top band pays $3,928 and $5,225. Bend, OR uses six size tiers, from $2,698 water and $3,417 sewer to $14,438 and $7,120 for homes over 3,000 square feet.

Fixture units

A few sewer schedules count plumbing fixtures. Portland’s sanitary SDC is $623 per drainage fixture unit, and homes pay 60 percent of that rate. Birmingham‘s Jefferson County sewer impact fee is $401.17 per fixture unit, so a house with more bathrooms pays more.

Who pays impact fees and when

The applicant who pulls the permit owes the fee. A builder of a spec or tract home passes the fee into the sale price, so a buyer of a new house pays it at closing without seeing a line for it. If you build on your own lot, it comes out of your budget. See new construction utility costs for where each charge falls.

Timing

• At the building permit is the most common trigger. Chandler will not issue the permit, a connection or a certificate of occupancy until its system development fees are paid. Cedar Park collects at permit unless the council requires payment at plat because the subdivision needs a capacity expansion. Nampa collects impact fees at permit issuance.
• At the certificate of occupancy in Ocala, where single-family impact fees are due at that point.
• At the plat in much of Texas, where the plat date picks the fee table. Kyle’s $10,908 water and $8,762 sewer impact fees apply to land with approved plat dates from August 27, 2025; land approved between January 17, 2017 and December 4, 2023 pays $3,535 and $2,826. Georgetown locks its rate at the preliminary plat application date.
• A permit date can lock a rate. Fort Worth charged $2,824 for water on permits issued by September 30, 2026 and charges $2,990 from October 1, 2026. Chandler lets builders lock the schedule for 24 months.

Credits

You may not owe the fee at all if the lot already had service. Bentonville gives a one-ERU credit on lots platted by January 22, 2026, which cancels its $7,867 wastewater development fee for one house. Lincoln credits the impact fee already paid when an owner upsizes a meter and charges only the $1,419 net increase. Boulder credits the old house at current fee rates when you replace it, and Lexington credits the earlier use against the sewer fee.

Deferrals and installments

Some utilities let you delay or spread the cost. Nampa defers its water and sewer hookup fees up to 180 days or until the certificate of occupancy, though impact fees stay due at permit. Fresno lets existing homes defer sewer and water connection charges for up to 15 years with interest. Albuquerque allows qualifying nonprofit community development projects to defer its Utility Expansion Charge until sale. Wichita allows hardship deferrals. These programs mostly target existing homes and hardship cases, not builders.

State rules for impact fees

Impact fee law is set by states, and it differs a lot. We checked the two statutes below against the official state sites on 2026-09-30. We left out other states whose statute sites we could not open.

Texas: Local Government Code Chapter 395

Chapter 395 is where Texas cities and utilities get the authority to charge impact fees. Under section 395.001 the fees can fund water supply, treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, storm water and roadway facilities. The statute’s definition of impact fee also covers “capital recovery fees” and “contributions in aid of construction”, and “any other fee that functions as described,” so a city that avoids the name can still fall under the chapter.

• The city must adopt a capital improvements plan with a table converting a service unit into house, commercial and industrial uses, and the plan looks ahead no more than 10 years (section 395.014).
• Fees are assessed at or before plat recordation for land platted after the fee is adopted, and collected at the building permit when capacity is available (section 395.016(d)).
• Fees go into accounts tied to the improvements they were charged for (section 395.024), and unspent fees must be refunded when they are not spent within 10 years of payment (section 395.025).

That is why Texas city pages sort fees by plat date. See Texas utility connection costs.

Florida: the Florida Impact Fee Act

Florida’s section 163.31801, Florida Statutes (the Florida Impact Fee Act) sets the rules for impact fees adopted by county or municipal ordinance or by a special district resolution. For fees adopted or increased after July 1, 2026, it requires a plan-based demonstrated-need study, separate accounting of the money, administrative charges limited to actual cost, and notice at least 90 days before a new or increased fee takes effect. Collection cannot be required earlier than issuance of the building permit. Increases are capped: up to 25 percent phases in over two equal annual increments, 25 to 50 percent over four, and no increase may exceed 50 percent or come more than once every four years, unless a new study shows extraordinary circumstances. Any land, money or construction a developer contributes must be credited dollar for dollar.

The catch for water and sewer: subsection (12) says the section “does not apply to water and sewer connection fees.” So the 90-day notice and the increase caps above do not govern a Florida utility’s water or sewer capacity charge. Those are set by the utility’s own ordinance or tariff, and a local government water or sewer utility must tell customers through the bill about the meeting at which it will consider a rate, charge or fee increase (section 180.136). Ask the utility how its fee was adopted.

Florida water and sewer impact fees

The seven Florida utilities in the main table, sorted by total:

Several other Florida utilities have more than one possible answer, so they are not ranked above:

• Hillsborough County charges by service area at its March 23, 2026 step: $2,037.50 water and $3,268.75 wastewater in the Northwest Service Area, or $3,449 and $4,884.75 in the South/Central Service Area. A separate Accrued Guaranteed Revenue Fee ($833 water, $989 wastewater) is charged in addition.
• Cape Coral charges a Utility Capital Expansion Fee for a 5/8″ meter of $1,520 for water with irrigation or $3,027 for water only, and $3,090 (District 1) or $4,188 (District 2) for sewer.
• Jacksonville (JEA) charges plant capacity by meter size: $1,170 for water without irrigation and $5,114 for sewer at 3/4″, plus separate line-extension charges.
• Orange County Utilities charges $2,790 per ERC for water and $5,270 per ERU for wastewater ($8,060 together, no effective date published).

For more, see Florida utility connection costs, and the city pages for Tampa, Orlando and Ocala.

Sources

• Florida Statutes section 163.31801, Florida Impact Fee Act, The Florida Legislature. Checked 2026-09-30.
• Florida Statutes section 180.136, Water or sewer utilities; notice, The Florida Legislature. Checked 2026-09-30.
• Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395, Financing Capital Improvements Required by New Development, Texas Constitution and Statutes. Checked 2026-09-30.
• Mobile Area Water and Sewer System Fee Schedule, Effective January 1, 2026 (Sec. II.A Capacity Fee) (Mobile, AL, Mobile Area Water and Sewer System (MAWSS)). Checked 2026-09-26.
• Fees – Water and Wastewater Impact Fees tab; rate set by Ordinance No. 6994 (File No. 2026-1386, adopted 5-5-26, effective 7-1-26) (Fayetteville, AR, City of Fayetteville Development Services Department). Checked 2026-09-25.
• System Development Fee Schedule (Impact Fees), Chandler City Code Chapter 38, effective July 1, 2024 (Chandler, AZ, City of Chandler). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Ordinance No. 5970 – Mesa City Code 8-10-13 Capacity Fee (Table 1), adopted December 1, 2025 (Mesa, AZ, City of Mesa). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Capacity Fee Schedule and Development Fee Schedule, effective January 5, 2026 (Queen Creek, AZ, Town of Queen Creek). Checked 2026-09-25.
• City of Fort Myers Impact Fee Schedule, rates valid May 4, 2026 to May 3, 2027 (Fort Myers, FL, City of Fort Myers). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Water Utilities Rates: Water & Wastewater Impact Fees (fees effective October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026) (Lakeland, FL, City of Lakeland Water Utilities). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Water & Sewer Impact Fees, Ordinance 2025-27 (schedule for Oct 1, 2025 through Oct 1, 2028) (Ocala, FL, City of Ocala Growth Management Department). Checked 2026-09-24.
• OUC Water Tariff Book (sheets E-5 to E-7), effective January 1, 2026 (Orlando, FL, Orlando Utilities Commission). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Request a Residential Sewer Connection (Orlando, FL, City of Orlando). Checked 2026-09-24.
• PSLUSD Fee Schedule (PSLUSD No. 85-100, Rev. 04/16/2026) (Port St. Lucie, FL, City of Port St. Lucie Utility Systems Department). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Resolution No. 2026-211, Water, Wastewater, Reclaimed Water and Other Utility Rates, Fees and Charges (adopted Aug. 25, 2026) (Sarasota County, FL, Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners / Public Utilities Department). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Water Connection and Service Fees (Updated March 2021) (Tampa, FL, City of Tampa Water Department). Checked 2026-09-30.
• Capacity Fees (page updated 08/07/2026) (Tampa, FL, City of Tampa Wastewater Department). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Bulletin GA-11-2025-35, Development Impact Fee Schedule (2026 schedule; utility fees in "2024 Fee (current)" column) (Nampa, ID, City of Nampa). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Wichita Code Sec. 17.12.080, Schedule of Fees for New Water Services (Ord. No. 52-576) (Wichita, KS, City of Wichita (Code of Ordinances via Municode)). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Wichita Code Sec. 16.04.055, Schedule of Fees for New Sewer Services (Ord. No. 52-575) (Wichita, KS, City of Wichita (Code of Ordinances via Municode)). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Cary Fiscal Year 2027 Fee Schedule (FY2027 Fees and Charges) (Cary, NC, Town of Cary). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Charlotte Water Rates & Fees (FY27, effective 07/01/2026-06/30/2027) (Charlotte, NC, City of Charlotte / Charlotte Water). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Fees, Rates, and Charges Schedule FY2027 (effective August 13, 2026) (Concord, NC, City of Concord). Checked 2026-09-24.
• City of Durham Reference Guide for Development (07-01-2026), Section 13: Development Fees (Durham, NC, City of Durham Public Works / Department of Water Management). Checked 2026-09-24.
• System Development Fees Effective July 1, 2026 (Greensboro, NC, City of Greensboro Water Resources). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Development Fee Guide – July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 (Raleigh Water section) (Raleigh, NC, City of Raleigh). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Rates and Fees Schedule FY 26-27 (effective 7/1/2026) (Wilmington, NC, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Utility Expansion Charges (UEC) as of July 1, 2026 (Albuquerque, NM, Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Water Development Impact Fees, Sheet D1-2024 (LCUB Resolution 25-LCU007), effective billing October 1, 2024 (Las Cruces, NM, Las Cruces Utilities). Checked 2026-09-26.
• City of Columbus Division of Water – Water Service Connection Charge Schedule (effective 4/1/2026) (Columbus, OH, City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Obtaining Sanitary Sewer Service (Columbus, OH, City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Tap & Impact Fees (Charleston, SC, Charleston Water System). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Town of Fort Mill Fee Schedule FY 2025-26 (Appendix A), Chapter 36 Utilities (Fort Mill, SC, Town of Fort Mill). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Rates: New Service Fees (Horry County, SC, Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Spring Hill Code of Ordinances Title 18 Ch. 1, Secs. 18-108 to 18-110 (American Legal, 2025 S-6) (Spring Hill, TN, City of Spring Hill). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Austin Water Rates and Fees – Impact Fees (Austin, TX, City of Austin (Austin Water)). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Code of Ordinances, Appendix A Fee Schedule, Article 8.000 Utility Related Fees, Sec. 8.800 Amount and assessment of water impact fee (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) (Cedar Park, TX, City of Cedar Park). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Ordinance No. 2025-71, Exhibit B Land Use Equivalency Tables (Appendix C of Water & Wastewater Impact Fee Report, July 2025) (Celina, TX, City of Celina). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Current Impact Fees (Ord. 27745-06-2025) (Fort Worth, TX, City of Fort Worth). Checked 2026-10-07.
• 2019 Impact Fee Ordinance, Exhibit B (Frisco, TX, City of Frisco). Checked 2026-09-30.
• Ordinance No. 2025-40, amending Chapter 13.32 (Water and Wastewater Impact Fees), Exhibits B and C (Georgetown, TX, City of Georgetown). Checked 2026-09-24.
• City of Houston City-Wide Fee Schedule (HPW) (Houston, TX, City of Houston). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Schedule of Rates, Fines, Fees, and Charges, Approved Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget (as of 09/17/2025) (Kyle, TX, City of Kyle). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Code of Ordinances Ch. 13, Art. 13.07 Water and Wastewater Impact Fees, Sec. 13.07.009 (Ord. No. 23-044-00) (Leander, TX, City of Leander). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Utility Impact Fee Schedule 2 (approved 2020) (McKinney, TX, City of McKinney). Checked 2026-09-30.
• New Residential Single Family Construction (Permit Fee section) (Round Rock, TX, City of Round Rock). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Provo City Consolidated Fee Schedule, Impact Fees – Water Impact Fee schedule (current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed June 9, 2026) (Provo, UT, City of Provo). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Connection Charges – Water & Wastewater – City Installed Services (effective July 1, 2026) (Richmond, VA, City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities). Checked 2026-09-24.
• Seattle Public Utilities – System Development Charge (Revised SDC 1/1/2026) (Seattle, WA, Seattle Public Utilities). Checked 2026-09-24.
• SMC 13.04.2044 Appendix A – Water General Facilities Charge Schedule (2026 ENR-adjusted) (Spokane, WA, City of Spokane). Checked 2026-09-25.
• SMC 13.03.0734 Appendix A – Wastewater General Facilities Charge Schedule (2026 ENR-adjusted) (Spokane, WA, City of Spokane). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Tacoma Municipal Code 12.10.310, System development charge ("SDC") – table effective 2/1/2026 (Tacoma, WA, City of Tacoma / Tacoma Water). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Wastewater System Development Charges (SDCs) – Frequently Asked Questions (Tacoma, WA, City of Tacoma Environmental Services). Checked 2026-09-25.
• Local guidance: tap fee vs. impact fee, new construction utility costs, methodology and fee database.