Tucson, AZ Development Impact Fees (2026)
Normalized development impact fees, water & sewer connection (tap/SDC) fees, and mitigation fees for Tucson, Arizona — per dwelling unit, by category, with links to every official source.
What a single-family home pays in Tucson
$15,719 total per unit across 7 fee categories.
- Sewer connection (tap / SDC)$4,314
- Transportation / roads$3,965
- Water connection (tap / SDC)$3,845
- Parks & recreation$2,533
- Police$542
- Fire / EMS$470
- General government / capital$50
Tucson’s $15,719 is close to the Arizona tracked median of $15,719.
Full fee schedule — single-family
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Transportation / roads Streets (Transportation) Impact Fee — current Year-1 phase-in — City of Tucson Streets impact fee, codified Sec. 23A-91 Table 1 (Phase-In). Representative ~2,000 sqft SFR tier (1,751-2,250 sqft), per residential unit. Current Year-1 rate (8/18/2025-6/30/2026). Year 2 (90%) Streets = $4,460; Full Adopted (7/1/2027) Streets = $4,956. Updated from superseded 2020 Ord. 11759 value of $3,397. | per dwelling unit | $3,965 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing Aug 18, 2025High |
Parks & recreation Parks & Recreation Impact Fee — current Year-1 phase-in — City of Tucson Parks & Recreation impact fee, Sec. 23A-91 Table 1 (Phase-In), 1,751-2,250 sqft tier. Current Year-1 rate. Year 2 P&R = $2,849; Full Adopted P&R = $3,166. Updated from superseded 2020 value of $2,357. | per dwelling unit | $2,533 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing Aug 18, 2025High |
Police Police Impact Fee — current Year-1 phase-in — City of Tucson Police impact fee, Sec. 23A-91 Table 1 (Phase-In), 1,751-2,250 sqft tier. Current Year-1 rate. Year 2 Police = $609; Full Adopted Police = $677. Updated from superseded 2020 value of $551. | per dwelling unit | $542 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing Aug 18, 2025High |
Fire / EMS Fire Impact Fee — current Year-1 phase-in — City of Tucson Fire impact fee, Sec. 23A-91 Table 1 (Phase-In), 1,751-2,250 sqft tier. Current Year-1 rate. Year 2 Fire = $528; Full Adopted Fire = $587. Updated from superseded 2020 value of $372. | per dwelling unit | $470 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing Aug 18, 2025High |
General government / capital Development Impact Fee Administrative Charge (per permit) — City of Tucson per-permit DIF admin charge, codified verbatim in Sec. 23A-81(A)(5); Sec. 23A-91 Note 2 confirms the fee schedule itself excludes this admin fee. Charged once per permit (modeled per dwelling unit for SFR). Upgraded from medium to high (now sourced to ordinance, not handout). | per dwelling unit | $50 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing Aug 18, 2025High |
Transportation / roads Tucson DIF total — 750 sqft or less SFR tier (alternate, all 4 categories, Year-1 phase-in) — TOTAL (all 4 categories) for smallest size tier, current Year-1 phase-in = $3,125 (P&R $1,033 + Police $221 + Fire $191 + Streets $1,680). Excluded alternate size tier; primary is 1,751-2,250 sqft. Updated from superseded 2020 total of $2,698. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $3,125 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing Aug 18, 2025High |
Transportation / roads Tucson DIF total — 3,751+ sqft SFR tier (alternate, all 4 categories, Year-1 phase-in) — TOTAL (all 4 categories) for largest size tier, current Year-1 phase-in = $10,295 (P&R $3,486 + Police $745 + Fire $647 + Streets $5,418). Excluded alternate size tier. Updated from superseded 2020 total of $9,203. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $10,295 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing Aug 18, 2025High |
Transportation / roads Pima County Roadway Development Impact Fee — SFR (NOT applicable in-city) — EXCLUDED from Tucson total: Pima County roadway impact fee applies ONLY in UNINCORPORATED Pima County, not inside City of Tucson (which levies its own Streets fee). Reference only. Eff. Oct 1, 2025; +$75 admin/permit. MF rate is $5,127/unit. Confirmed via pima.gov current rates. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $9,149 | Pima County Department of Transportation Oct 1, 2025High |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Service Connection Installation (5/8" meter, with pavement replacement) — Tucson Water Sec. 27-35(1). Base residential 5/8" meter. Additive with system equity + CAP fees. With-pavement variant (no-pavement variant is $1,454.68). Confirmed live on amlegal. | per meter | $2,334 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing —High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water System Equity Fee (capacity/SDF, 5/8" meter) — Tucson Water Sec. 27-36(a). The true water system development fee (capacity). Additive. 5/8" meter. Confirmed live. | per meter | $1,311 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing —High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) CAP Water Resource Fee (water-resources SDF, 5/8" meter) — Tucson Water Sec. 27-36(b). Separate water-resources charge, additive on top of system equity fee. 5/8" meter. Confirmed live. | per meter | $200 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing —High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Sewer Connection Fee (wastewater capacity, residential) — Pima County RWRD (separate district) Sec. 13.20.600, Ord. 2025-13, FY2025-26. Applies to builders INSIDE Tucson city limits (RWRD is regional provider). Residential 5/8"-1" meter. Escalates 3%/yr: FY26-27 $4,443, FY27-28 $4,576, FY28-29 $4,714. Confirmed live. | per meter | $4,314 | Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Dept / American Legal Publishing Jul 1, 2025High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Service Connection Installation — 3/4" meter (alternate) — Tucson Water Sec. 27-35(1) 3/4" meter alternate to the 5/8" primary. Excluded (mutually-exclusive meter size). Confirmed live. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $2,326 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing —High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water System Equity Fee — 3/4" meter (alternate) — Tucson Water Sec. 27-36(a) 3/4" meter alternate to 5/8" primary system equity fee. Excluded (mutually-exclusive meter size). Confirmed live. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $1,967 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing —High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) CAP Water Resource Fee — 3/4" meter (alternate) — Tucson Water Sec. 27-36(b) 3/4" meter alternate to 5/8" primary CAP fee. Excluded (mutually-exclusive meter size). Confirmed live. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $300 | City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing —High |
Coverage & caveats
SCOPE: Fees a residential builder pays inside City of Tucson limits (Pima County). All figures are one-time charges at building-permit/connection. WHAT EXISTS — City of Tucson Development Impact Fees (Arizona ARS 9-463.05), codified at Tucson Code Sec. 23A-91 (fee schedule tables), assessed PER RESIDENTIAL UNIT tiered by housing-unit square footage, with FOUR categories only: Streets (transportation), Parks & Recreation, Police, and Fire. The same size-based table applies to all residential per unit (single-family, condo/townhome, multifamily — Sec. 23A-91 Note 1). A $50 admin fee per permit applies separately (Sec. 23A-81(A)(5); Sec. 23A-91 Note 2 states the schedule itself excludes the admin fee). UPDATE STATUS: The 2025 DIF update was ADOPTED (Ord. 12169, eff. 6-3-25). Per Sec. 23A-90, a phase-in applies: Table 1 "Phase-In" rates are charged 8/18/2025-6/30/2027 (Year 1 = 80%, Year 2 = 90%); Table 2 "Full Adopted" (100%) rates start 7/1/2027. Representative 1,751-2,250 sqft tier: Year 1 (current as of verification date) = $7,509 (P&R $2,533 + Police $542 + Fire $470 + Streets $3,965); Full-adopted = $9,386. The prior draft's $6,677 figure (P&R $2,357 + Police $551 + Fire $372 + Streets $3,397) is the SUPERSEDED 2020 Ord. 11759 schedule and is no longer charged; rows updated to current Year-1 phase-in rates. Water (Tucson Water, City utility) — THREE additive one-time charges per new connection, priced by meter size; base residential 5/8" meter used as primary: (1) Sec. 27-35(1) service connection installation (service line+meter+AMR+pavement) $2,333.68; (2) Sec. 27-36(a) System Equity Fee (true capacity/SDF) $1,311.00; (3) Sec. 27-36(b) CAP Water Resource Fee (water-resources SDF) $200.00. Total water = $3,844.68 for 5/8". 3/4" meter variants included as excludeFromTotal alternates. Area-specific isolated-system fees (Peppertree Ranch $188, Santa Rita Bel Air $1,814, Diamond Bell $2,778 for 5/8") confirmed in Sec. 27-36(c) as mutually-exclusive special-area variants; correctly omitted from standard. Sewer — Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Dept (RWRD) is the regional wastewater provider for the entire Tucson metro INCLUDING inside city limits; a Tucson builder DOES pay this. Sewer Connection Fee (capacity charge), Pima County Code Sec. 13.20.600, Ord. 2025-13, FY2025-26: $4,314 per residential connection (5/8"/3/4"/1" meter); Commercial/Industrial/Multi-Family 5/8" or 3/4" = $4,313.64. Attributed to separate district (Pima County RWRD). WHAT DOES NOT EXIST: No school impact fee (not authorized in AZ). No standalone library, open-space, affordable-housing, drainage/stormwater, or general/capital impact fee in Tucson (only the 4 categories). No general 'mitigation' fee. SEPARATE-DISTRICT CAVEAT: Pima County Roadway Development Impact Fee ($9,149/SFR, $5,127/MF, +$75 admin/permit, eff. Oct 1, 2025) applies ONLY in UNINCORPORATED Pima County, NOT inside the City of Tucson (Tucson levies its own Streets impact fee). Included as a reference row marked excludeFromTotal. AZ STATE NOTE: AZ statutory term is 'System Development Fees'; utility SDFs are by meter size; Pima sewer connection fee has a published multi-year escalation (3%/yr through FY2028-29: $4,314 -> $4,443 -> $4,576 -> $4,714). VERIFY: confirmed 18 of 18 rows against live primary sources (Tucson Code Sec. 23A-91/23A-81/27-35/27-36 and Pima County Code Sec. 13.20.600 via amlegal.com; Pima roadway via pima.gov). MAJOR CORRECTION: the 4 Tucson DIF SFR component rows were updated from the superseded 2020 Ord. 11759 rates ($2,357/$551/$372/$3,397, total $6,677) to the currently-effective Year-1 phase-in rates ($2,533/$542/$470/$3,965, total $7,509) per adopted Ord. 12169 + Sec. 23A-90 phase-in; their effectiveDate set to 2025-08-18 and sourceQuote/sourceIndex repointed to codified Sec. 23A-91 Table 1. The alternate size-tier and multifamily rows (excludeFromTotal) likewise updated to current Year-1 phase-in totals (750-or-less $3,125; 3,751+ $10,295; MF 1,251-1,750 $6,374). Admin-fee row upgraded to high confidence (verbatim in Sec. 23A-81(A)(5)). Dropped 0 rows. excludeFromTotal corrections: none needed (water 3/4" alternates, alt size tiers, multifamily variants, and Pima County roadway all correctly flagged excludeFromTotal=true). Sources note: prior draft's DIF source was a draft fee study/handout that became Akamai-blocked; replaced with the codified, authoritative Tucson Code Sec. 23A-91 (current through 2-3-2026).
Primary single-family total (in-city, 5/8" meter, ~2,000 sqft home, permit pulled on/before 6/30/2026): Tucson DIF Year-1 phase-in for the 1,751-2,250 sqft tier $7,509 (P&R $2,533 + Police $542 + Fire $470 + Streets $3,965) + Tucson Water 3 charges $3,844.68 (service connection $2,333.68 + system equity $1,311 + CAP $200) + Pima RWRD sewer connection $4,314 + $50 city admin = approx $15,717.68 (excludes Pima County roadway fee, which does not apply in-city). IMPORTANT CORRECTION vs prior draft: the 2025 DIF update IS now adopted (Ord. 12169, eff. 6-3-25). Per Tucson Code Sec. 23A-90, permits pulled 8/18/2025-6/30/2027 are charged the Table 1 "Phase-In" rates (Year 1 = 80%, Aug 18 2025-Jun 30 2026; Year 2 = 90%, Jul 1 2026-Jun 30 2027), NOT the old 2020 Ord. 11759 schedule ($6,677 for the 1,751-2,250 tier). The "Full Adopted (100%)" rates (e.g. $9,386 for the 1,751-2,250 tier) take effect 7/1/2027. Tucson DIF tiers are by housing-unit sq ft; the 1,751-2,250 sqft tier is the representative SFR. Same size-based table applies per residential unit to single-family, condo/townhome, and multifamily (Sec. 23A-91 Note 1). Water charges scale up to 3/4" meter (alternates shown). RWRD sewer $4,314 per connection (per meter).
Sources
4 official sources · 17 high-confidence figures.
- 1Tucson City Code Sec. 23A-91 (Development Impact Fee schedule tables: Parks & Recreation, Police, Fire, Streets — Phase-In and Full Adopted rates) & Sec. 23A-81(A)(5) ($50 admin charge), Sec. 23A-90 (effective dates / phase-in)City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing · ordinance · effective Aug 18, 2025 · retrieved Jun 17, 2026
- 2Tucson City Code Sec. 27-35 (water service connection installation charges) & Sec. 27-36 (System Equity Fee, CAP Water Resource Fee, area-specific fees)City of Tucson / American Legal Publishing · ordinance · retrieved Jun 17, 2026
- 3Pima County Code Sec. 13.20.600 Fees (Sewer Connection Fee table, Ord. 2025-13, FY2025-26 through FY2028-29)Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Dept / American Legal Publishing · ordinance · effective Jul 1, 2025 · retrieved Jun 17, 2026
- 4Roadway Development Impact Fee Current Rates (unincorporated Pima County only; eff. Oct 1, 2025)Pima County Department of Transportation · fee schedule · effective Oct 1, 2025 · retrieved Jun 17, 2026
Tucson impact fees — FAQ
- How much are development impact fees in Tucson, AZ for a single-family home?
- As of 2026-06-17, total development fees for a single-family detached home in Tucson are about $15,719 per unit — roughly $7,560 in impact/development fees plus $8,159 in water/sewer connection fees. Figures are normalized from official sources; verify with the jurisdiction before relying on them.
- Are impact fees in Tucson the same as building permit fees?
- No. Impact fees (and water/sewer connection fees) fund off-site capital — roads, parks, schools, utilities — and are charged per new dwelling unit. Building permit and plan-review fees are separate and are not included here.
- How often do Tucson's impact fees change?
- Most jurisdictions adopt fees by ordinance and escalate them annually (often by a construction cost index), with occasional mid-year updates. Always confirm the current adopted schedule with the jurisdiction. ImpactFeeAtlas last verified Tucson on 2026-06-17.