Wichita Water & Sewer Connection Fees (2026)
The City of Wichita’s Public Works & Utilities department provides water and sewer at a typical address inside the city. For a new single-family home on the standard 1-inch service, the published city charges come to $4,795: a $1,812 water connection fee, a $1,520 water plant equity fee, a $1,350 sewer equity fee, a $60 sewer connection permit and a $53 account origination fee. The big local caveat is the lot’s history. If the parcel never paid into the benefit district that built the water or sewer lines in front of it, the city adds front-foot and square-foot fees that can more than double that total. For how this compares nationally, see our guide to the cost to connect to city water.
Official Wichita fees in one table
The table lists every Wichita row in our database with its source. All amounts come from the City of Wichita Code of Ordinances: the water new-service schedule in Section 17.12.080 (effective July 1, 2025), the sewer new-service schedule in Section 16.04.055 (effective January 1, 2025) and the permit fees in Section 16.04.040. Rows marked as not typical apply only to 2-inch services or to lots with a particular assessment history, and the city decides that by location.
| Service | Category | Fee | Meter | Amount | Basis | Effective | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sewer — Capacity | ||||||||
| Sewer | Capacity | Sewer Equity Fee (1-inch tap, service line and meter) | 1" | $1,350 | by meter size | 2025-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer | Capacity | Sewer Equity Fee (2-inch tap, service line and meter) | 2" | $4,320 | by meter size | 2025-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer — Main Extension | ||||||||
| Sewer | Main Extension | In Lieu of Assessment Fee (sewer lines) | — | $56 | per linear foot | 2025-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer | Main Extension | Main Benefit Fee (sewer transmission mains) | — | $0.07 | per sq ft | 2025-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer — Permit | ||||||||
| Sewer | Permit | Sewer connection permit fee (connecting to the city sewer) | — | $60 | flat fee | — | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Sewer — Tap | ||||||||
| Sewer | Tap | Sewer Tap and Saddle Fee (when required) | — | $344 | flat fee | 2025-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Account Setup | ||||||||
| Water | Account Setup | Account Origination Fee | — | $53 | flat fee | 2025-01-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Capacity | ||||||||
| Water | Capacity | Water Plant Equity Fee (1-inch tap, service line and meter setting) | 1" | $1,520 | by meter size | 2025-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Capacity | Water Plant Equity Fee (2-inch tap, service line and meter setting) | 2" | $4,860 | by meter size | 2025-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Connection | ||||||||
| Water | Connection | Connection Fee: 1-inch tap, service line and meter setting (complete installation by City staff or City contractor) | 1" | $1,812 | by meter size | 2025-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Connection | Connection Fee: 2-inch tap, service line and meter setting | 2" | $5,068 | by meter size | 2025-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water — Main Extension | ||||||||
| Water | Main Extension | In Lieu of Assessment Fee (water lines) | — | $31 | per linear foot | 2025-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
| Water | Main Extension | Main Benefit Fee (water transmission mains) | — | $0.03 | per sq ft | 2025-07-01 | Official source | 2026-09-24 |
Worked example for a single-family home in Wichita
Wichita’s new-service price list has no separate 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch line. The smallest line in the new water service schedule, Code Section 17.12.080, is a “1-inch tap, service line and meter setting,” installed by City staff or a City contractor for a $1,812 connection fee plus a $1,520 water plant equity fee. The sewer schedule in Section 16.04.055 ties the sewer equity fee to the same water meter: $1,350 for a 1-inch service. The drain layer pulls a $60 permit to connect to the city sewer under Section 16.04.040, and opening the utility account costs $53.
The lot-history fees work differently. Section 17.12.080 sets a water “in lieu of assessment” fee of $31 per front foot and a water main benefit fee of $0.032 per square foot of land; Section 16.04.055 sets the sewer versions at $56 per front foot and $0.071 per square foot. Front footage is capped at 100 feet for residential property. The cases below use a 70-foot-wide, 8,400-square-foot lot as an illustration; your lot’s dimensions and history will differ.
Published City of Wichita charges for one new single-family home on a 1-inch service (plumber’s and drain layer’s work not included).
| Case | Water connection + equity | Sewer equity | Permit + account | Lot-history fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lot already assessed for its water and sewer lines | $3,332.00 | $1,350.00 | $113.00 | $0.00 | $4,795.00 |
| Same, sewer tap and saddle required | $3,332.00 | $1,350.00 | $113.00 | $344.00 | $5,139.00 |
| 70 ft x 120 ft lot never assessed for water or sewer lines or mains | $3,332.00 | $1,350.00 | $113.00 | $6,955.20 | $11,750.20 |
The third case adds the water in-lieu fee (70 x $31 = $2,170), the sewer in-lieu fee (70 x $56 = $3,920), the water main benefit fee (8,400 x $0.032 = $268.80) and the sewer main benefit fee (8,400 x $0.071 = $596.40), for $6,955.20. A lot might owe only some of these; the code says staff must know the specific location to decide which apply. The $344 sewer tap and saddle fee applies only “when required.” Under Section 16.04.110 the City’s sewer maintenance crew makes the tap and installs the saddle on clay tile sewer mains, and on PVC or ABS mains when the contractor chooses; a licensed contractor can tap a plastic main itself with its own saddle.
Costs outside the Wichita fee schedule
The City installs the tap, the department service line, the meter setting and the meter in the right-of-way. Section 17.12.040 makes everything from the meter to the house the owner’s job, done by a master plumber. On top of the city charges you will pay for:
- Private water service line from the meter setting at or near the curb to the house. National estimate $30–$150 per foot, typically about $50, with trenching in normal soil included. See water service line cost.
- Building sewer from the house to the city sewer, laid by a licensed master drain layer. National estimate $50–$250 per foot, typically about $100, trenching included. See sewer lateral cost.
- Street cuts and hard digging. National estimate $1,000–$10,000 per street crossing (see utility trenching cost).
- Building and plumbing permits, which are not part of the utility fee schedules.
- Electric service. We did not read a primary Evergy line extension document, so no electric figure is included; ask Evergy about your lot.
National figures are estimates from our benchmark set. The calculator below loads Wichita’s official fees; add your contractors’ quotes:
Estimate utility connection costs
Estimates are planning figures, not quotes. Confirm fees and trench rules with your utility.
How and when Wichita fees are paid
Under Section 17.12.040(h), the water connection fee is paid in advance, before the City installs the standard service. The water plant equity fee (Section 17.12.061) and the sewer equity fee (Section 16.14.041) are both due before connection, and the code describes them as a buy-in to the equity existing customers have built up in the systems. The department decides the meter size and the service line size from the information you give it, so don’t assume a size before you apply.
The sewer side runs through the building inspection office. Section 16.04.020 requires a licensed master drain layer to get the permit, and it is issued only after the building’s plumbing has passed inspection. Work must start within 120 days and finish within a year, or the permit is canceled and the fees are forfeited.
Owners who can show economic hardship may apply to defer the water and sewer equity fees under the rules in Sections 2.24.070 and 2.24.075, and the code allows deferral outside the city limits as well.
Wichita fee changes to watch
- July 2025 water increase. The current water connection and plant equity fees took effect July 1, 2025, under Ordinance No. 52-576 (December 10, 2024). The sewer new-service schedule has been in effect since January 1, 2025 (Ordinance No. 52-575).
- 2026 ordinances changed rates, not connection fees. The December 9, 2025 ordinances (52-846 and 52-847) amended the monthly sewer and water rate sections. According to the code’s amendment notes, neither changed the connection-fee schedules.
- Sewer equity unchanged since 2007. Section 16.14.041 still lists $1,350 under a “2007 & Beyond” column. Wichita has usually adopted its utility ordinances in December, so check for a new schedule before you build in 2027.
How Wichita compares
Wichita costs more than its regional neighbors because it charges plant equity fees for both water and sewer. In Oklahoma City, a new two-bath home with a 5/8-inch or 3/4-inch meter pays $1,283.28 in published city charges. Tulsa charges $703.64 for a 5/8 x 3/4-inch meter, and we found no impact fee there. KC Water charges $858.00 for a 3/4-inch tap on an iron main. Wichita’s $4,795 is higher than all three, but the $1,812 connection fee covers the tap, service line and meter setting done by the City. In Tulsa a licensed contractor makes the tap and bills for it separately, and in Kansas City the digging and pipe are on the plumber’s bill.
Wichita tap fee FAQ
How much does Wichita charge to connect a new house to water and sewer?
On a 1-inch service, the published city charges are $4,795: $1,812 connection fee, $1,520 water plant equity fee, $1,350 sewer equity fee, $60 sewer permit and $53 account origination fee. Lots that never paid into a water or sewer benefit district can owe front-foot and square-foot fees on top.
What is a plant equity fee?
It is Wichita’s system buy-in charge, the local version of an impact or capacity fee. The code sets it from an analysis of the equity existing customers have in the plant. It is $1,520 for water and $1,350 for sewer on a 1-inch service, and both are due before connection.
What is the in lieu of assessment fee?
Wichita usually pays for water and sewer lines through benefit districts, and property owners repay the cost as special assessments. A parcel that never took part is charged instead: $31 per front foot for water and $56 for sewer, capped at 100 feet for a residence. With 100 feet of frontage, that is $3,100 plus $5,600.
Does the City install the water meter?
Yes. For a standard 1-inch or 2-inch service, City staff or a City contractor makes the tap and installs the service line, meter setting and meter, and that work is included in the connection fee. Your master plumber installs the line from the meter to the house.
Can the fees be deferred?
Owners who show economic hardship can apply to defer the water and sewer plant equity fees under the criteria in Code Sections 2.24.070 and 2.24.075. Applicants connecting a 1-inch service to a main the City extended into a groundwater contamination area may be allowed to pay the water equity fee in five yearly installments, secured by a note and mortgage.
Related: water tap fees · sewer tap fees · tap fee vs. impact fee · sewer connection cost · cost to bring utilities to land · utility connection cost calculator
Wichita fee sources
- Wichita Code of Ordinances Sec. 17.12.080, Schedule of Fees for New Water Services and Utility Account Services, City of Wichita via Municode (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Wichita Code Secs. 17.12.040, 17.12.061 and 17.12.065, new service requirements, water plant equity fees and connections outside benefit districts, City of Wichita via Municode (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Wichita Code Sec. 16.04.055, Schedule of Fees for New Sewer Services and Miscellaneous Sewer Fees, City of Wichita via Municode (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Wichita Code Secs. 16.04.020 and 16.04.040, sewer permits and permit fees, City of Wichita via Municode (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Wichita Code Sec. 16.14.041, Payment of plant equity fees for connection of sewer service, City of Wichita via Municode (checked Sep 24, 2026)
- Rates & Fees (2026 water and sewer rate ordinances), City of Wichita Public Works & Utilities (checked Sep 24, 2026)