Bellevue, WA vs Renton, WA: Development Impact Fees Compared (2026)
A single-family home pays about $12,913 in Bellevue vs $27,587 in Renton — Renton is $14,674 (114%) higher. Every figure below is normalized per dwelling unit by category, with links to each jurisdiction’s official sources.
City
Bellevue, WA
$12,913
Total per single-family home
impact + connection fees
$12,913
Impact / development fees
roads, parks, schools…
$0
Water & sewer connection
tap / capacity / SDC
$4,256
Per multifamily unit
total fees / unit
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee — Single-Family Detached — BCC Ch. 22.16, adopted by Ordinance 6888 effective 1/1/2026. Cost per trip end $8,185; ITE 210 single-family = 1.00 trip = $8,185. Applies to ALL new SFD in Bellevue. Rates auto-increase 3% each Jan 1 (2027 = $8,430). VERIFIED verbatim against the live official PDF at .../pdf_document/2026/2026-impact-fee-rates.pdf (researcher's /2025/ URL was a 404). | per dwelling unit | $8,185 | City of Bellevue Jan 1, 2026High |
Schools School Impact Fee — Issaquah School District No. 411 (Single-Family) — Levied by Issaquah SD No. 411, COLLECTED BY the City of Bellevue per BCC 22.18.100 (Ord. 6815, 2025 CFP). Applies ONLY to parcels in the Issaquah SD portion of Bellevue. Mutually exclusive with Renton SD fee and with the $0 Bellevue SD area. Treated as the primary (included) school row. Confidence medium: bellevue.municipal.codes was behind an unresolved Cloudflare challenge; $4,728 corroborated via search render of BCC 22.18.100 and the City's Permit Fee Estimator; Ord. 6815's amending of BCC 22.18.100 confirmed via Legistar. | per dwelling unit | $4,728 | City of Bellevue (Municipal Codes / Code Publishing) —Medium |
Schools School Impact Fee — Renton School District No. 403 (Single-Family) — Levied by Renton SD No. 403, collected by City of Bellevue (BCC 22.18.100). Mutually exclusive with Issaquah SD fee (excluded from total since Issaquah SFD is the primary school row); applies only to parcels in the Renton SD portion of Bellevue. Corroborated via search render. excludeFromTotal=true confirmed correct. Confidence medium (Cloudflare blocked primary page). alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $1,003 | City of Bellevue (Municipal Codes / Code Publishing) —Medium |
Drainage / stormwater Storm & Surface Water Capital Recovery Charge (bi-monthly, 10 yrs) — RECURRING storm capital recovery charge, $9.87 per 2,000 sq ft of chargeable area per month for 10 years. Ord. #6820, BCC 24.06.120(C). Verified verbatim against the official 2026 utility rate PDF. Not a one-time fee; excluded from total. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $9.87 | City of Bellevue Utilities Jan 1, 2026High |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Capital Recovery Charge (bi-monthly, 10 yrs) — Single Family Equivalent — Bellevue's substitute for a one-time water connection/SDC: a RECURRING capital recovery charge billed bi-monthly (stated per-month) for 10 years, not a lump-sum fee. Ord. #6819, BCC 24.02.275(E). Verified verbatim against the official 2026 utility rate PDF. Excluded from one-time total because it is recurring. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $47.98 | City of Bellevue Utilities Jan 1, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Sewer Capital Recovery Charge (bi-monthly, 10 yrs) — Single Family Equivalent — Bellevue's substitute for a one-time sewer connection/SDC: RECURRING capital recovery charge billed bi-monthly (stated per-month) for 10 years. Ord. #6818, BCC 24.04.275(E). Verified verbatim against the official 2026 utility rate PDF. Excluded from one-time total because it is recurring. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $25.60 | City of Bellevue Utilities Jan 1, 2026High |
City
Renton, WA
$27,587
Total per single-family home
impact + connection fees
$18,537
Impact / development fees
roads, parks, schools…
$9,050
Water & sewer connection
tap / capacity / SDC
$12,255
Per multifamily unit
total fees / unit
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee — Renton Transportation Impact Fee, ITE LUC 210 single family house. Unchanged 2025-2026. CD Zone uses reduced to 20%. VERIFIED verbatim in Fee Schedule PDF. | per dwelling unit | $11,486 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Parks & recreation Park Impact Fee — Single family park impact fee, per dwelling. Unchanged 2025-2026. VERIFIED verbatim. | per dwelling unit | $3,276 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Fire / EMS Fire Impact Fee (Renton Regional Fire Authority) — Fire impact fee levied for the Renton Regional Fire Authority (separate district), collected by the city. SFR detached & duplex. VERIFIED verbatim. | per dwelling unit | $422 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Schools School Impact Fee (Renton School District No. 403) — PRIMARY school district row. Renton SD No. 403 SFR fee. Set by the district's Capital Facilities Plan; collected by the city. A 5% administration fee is added on top. Renton's city limits are also served by Issaquah and Kent SDs (mutually exclusive by location). VERIFIED verbatim. | per dwelling unit | $1,003 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Schools School Impact Fee (Issaquah School District) — MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE variant: applies only to parcels in Renton served by Issaquah SD. Issaquah MF fee is $0. VERIFIED verbatim. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $4,728 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Drainage / stormwater Storm Water System Development Charge (SDC) — Storm/surface water SDC per new SFR/ADU. Other uses: $0.940 per sq ft of new impervious surface, min $2,350. VERIFIED verbatim. | per dwelling unit | $2,350 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Fire / EMS Fire Sprinkler Service SDC (5/8x3/4" & 1") — Optional/conditional: only charged when a SEPARATE fire sprinkler service is installed; otherwise SDC is based on the meter size and no separate sprinkler fee applies. Excluded from base SFR total. VERIFIED verbatim. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $671 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water System Development Charge (SDC) - 5/8x3/4" & 1" meter — Base residential water SDC for 5/8x3/4" and 1" meter. PRIMARY water connection figure. Credit available for existing connection. VERIFIED verbatim. | per meter | $5,025 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Wastewater (Sewer) System Development Charge (SDC) - 5/8x3/4" & 1" meter — Base residential sewer SDC for 5/8x3/4" and 1" meter. PRIMARY sewer connection figure. This is the CITY of Renton sewer SDC; separate King County regional capacity charge applies additionally (see informational row). VERIFIED verbatim. | per meter | $4,025 | City of Renton (hosted by Municipal Research and Services Center, MRSC) Jan 1, 2025High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) King County Regional Wastewater Capacity Charge (separate district) — SEPARATE DISTRICT charge, NOT a Renton city fee. New sewer connections (sewage flowing to King County treatment plants) owe this. It is $77.99 per RCE per MONTH billed quarterly for 15 years (with a discounted lump-sum prepayment option), so the figure here is a monthly amount, not a one-time tap fee — excluded from the connection total to avoid mixing units. 2025 monthly figure not separately published (only 2026 stated). VERIFIED $77.99/RCE/mo on King County page; medium confidence retained per data-availability caveat. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $77.99 | King County Wastewater Treatment Division Jan 1, 2026Medium |
What drives the difference
Renton’s $27,587 per single-family home is $14,674 (114%) above Bellevue’s $12,913. The largest single difference is in water connection (tap / sdc): Renton charges about $5,025 there versus nothing in Bellevue — a $5,025 swing that accounts for much of the overall gap. The two also differ in how much falls on water and sewer connection charges: $0 in Bellevue versus $9,050 in Renton.
Keep comparing
Bellevue vs Renton impact fees — FAQ
- Which has higher impact fees, Bellevue or Renton?
- Renton, WA is higher. A single-family home pays about $27,587 per unit in Renton versus $12,913 in Bellevue, WA — $14,674 (114%) more, as of 2026.
- How much more does it cost to build a home in Renton than in Bellevue?
- About $14,674 more per single-family home — $27,587 in Renton, WA versus $12,913 in Bellevue, WA, a difference of 114% in total development impact and connection fees.
- What's the difference between impact fees in Bellevue and Renton for a single-family home?
- Bellevue, WA charges about $12,913 per single-family home ($12,913 impact + $0 water/sewer connection), while Renton, WA charges about $27,587 ($18,537 impact + $9,050 connection). Figures are normalized from official sources for 2026.