Celina, TX vs Leander, TX: Development Impact Fees Compared (2026)

Roadway Impact Fee — Roadway impact fee per Texas LGC Ch. 395. VERIFIED 2026-06-17: Estimator Worksheet row 15 (Single-Family Detached Housing, 4.6 veh-mi, $3,043.48/veh-mi) and row 32 ROADWAY IMPACT FEE COST: 14000. The estimator's per-service-area collection-rate table (LUE Table 2025 Study, cells T5:U11) confirms $3,043.48/veh-mi is the UNIFORM adopted collection rate for Service Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 5, so the 'SA1-5' grouping is correct; 4.60 x $3,043.48 = $14,000.008 (rounddown 14,000). Jan 2025 RIF Study (Kimley-Horn) confirms 4.60 veh-mi/SFD and lists the higher MAXIMUM assessable fee ($18,359 SA1 to $18,382 SA5; max per-veh-mi $3,048-$3,996); the city collects at the reduced $3,043.48 rate. The collection rate and $14,000 figure are NOT in the RIF study itself — they come from the adopted estimator. Applies to plats dated on/after 3/12/2025.

Roadway Impact Fee (Service Area 6) — Mutually-exclusive service-area variant. VERIFIED 2026-06-17: Estimator LUE Table 2025 Study cell U10 confirms SA6 collection rate $1,934.78/veh-mi. 4.6 x $1,934.78 = $8,899.99 (rounds to ~$8,900). Correctly excluded; Service Areas 1-5 row ($14,000) is the representative primary. RIF max assessable for SA6 is $8,906/SF home.

Roadway Impact Fee (Service Area 7) — Mutually-exclusive service-area variant. VERIFIED 2026-06-17: Estimator LUE Table 2025 Study cell U11 confirms SA7 collection rate $1,565.22/veh-mi. 4.6 x $1,565.22 = $7,200.01 (rounddown 7,200). Correctly excluded; Service Areas 1-5 row is the representative primary. RIF study max assessable for SA7 is $7,277/SF home.

Park Improvement Fee (Single-Family) — Park improvement fee on new 1 & 2 family dwellings. VERIFIED 2026-06-17 verbatim in Master Fee Chart Nov 2025 residential building permit section (Park Improvement $1,500 per unit). NOTE: Texas LGC Ch. 395 does NOT authorize park impact fees; this is a parkland-dedication/development exaction levied under the city's subdivision/zoning authority, not a Ch. 395 impact fee. Builder pays it regardless.

Outdoor Warning Device Fee (Single-Family) — Outdoor warning (storm-siren) device fee charged per new single-family dwelling at building permit. VERIFIED 2026-06-17 verbatim in Master Fee Chart Nov 2025 (Outdoor Warning Device $40 per unit (SF); $14/unit for multi-family). Permit-time exaction, not a Ch. 395 impact fee.

Civil/Site Development Permit Fee (Residential, per lot) — Site development (civil) permit fee billed per residential lot at the subdivision/civil stage, typically paid by the developer rather than per home permit. VERIFIED 2026-06-17 verbatim in Master Fee Chart Nov 2025 Site Development Fees (Civil Permit) section (Civil Permit Fee - Residential $601 (per lot)). Correctly excluded from the per-dwelling-unit impact-fee total to avoid mixing process fees with capacity fees.

Water Impact Fee — Water impact fee per Texas LGC Ch. 395, for the standard 1-inch residential meter (1.0 service unit). VERIFIED 2026-06-17: confirmed verbatim in the 2025 Impact Fee Estimator 'Water-Sewer 2025' tab (Single-Family, 1", Displacement, SUE 1, Water Impact Fee 6815) and main Worksheet row 38. Independently corroborated by July 2025 W&W Impact Fee Report (Freese & Nichols) Tables ES-2 and 4-4: Maximum Water Impact Fee per SU $13,631, 50% credit, Maximum Allowable Water Impact Fee = $6,815. Replaced the 2021 rate of $4,400 (1-inch).

Water Impact Fee (3/4" meter variant) — Mutually-exclusive meter-size variant. VERIFIED 2026-06-17: 'Water-Sewer 2025' tab shows Single-Family 3/4" Displacement SUE 0.625 Water Impact Fee 4259 (= 6815 x 0.625 = 4259.4). City standardized residential to 1-inch meters, so the 1-inch row is the representative primary; this 3/4-inch row is correctly excluded from the total. (Note: W&W report Table 4-1 displays 3/4" SUE as 0.6 rounded, but the operative adopted estimator uses 0.625.)

Wastewater (Sewer) Impact Fee — Wastewater impact fee per Texas LGC Ch. 395, standard 1-inch residential meter (1.0 service unit). VERIFIED 2026-06-17: confirmed in the 2025 Impact Fee Estimator 'Water-Sewer 2025' tab (sewer column = 10233; row total 17048 = 6815 + 10233) and Worksheet row 38. Corroborated by W&W Impact Fee Report Tables ES-3 and 4-5: Maximum Wastewater Impact Fee per SU $20,467, 50% credit, Maximum Allowable Wastewater Impact Fee = $10,233. (The W&W report's narrative ES paragraph contains a typo '$10,496' but all controlling tables state $10,233.) Replaced the 2021 rate of $5,200 (1-inch).

Wastewater (Sewer) Impact Fee (3/4" meter variant) — Mutually-exclusive meter-size variant (0.625 SU). VERIFIED 2026-06-17: 'Water-Sewer 2025' tab shows 6395 (= 10233 x 0.625 = 6395.6). Correctly excluded; the 1-inch standard meter row is the representative primary.

Water Connection / Access (Tap) Fee - 1" — Water tap/connection ('access') fee for a 1-inch service (standard residential), separate from and additive to the water impact fee. VERIFIED 2026-06-17 verbatim in Master Fee Chart Nov 2025 (Water/Wastewater Connection Fees, Water: 1" Access $2,175). A separate boring fee of $1,200 may apply. This is the physical tap installation charge, not the Ch. 395 capacity/impact fee.

Water Meter Fee - 1" — Water meter fee for the 1-inch minimum residential meter. VERIFIED 2026-06-17 verbatim in Master Fee Chart Nov 2025 (Meter Fees: 1" $480 (minimum meter size); 3/4" $415 existing meters only). Additive to tap and impact fees.

Sewer Connection (Tap) Fee - 4" — Sewer tap/connection fee for a standard residential 4-inch service lateral, separate from and additive to the wastewater impact fee. VERIFIED 2026-06-17 verbatim in Master Fee Chart Nov 2025 (Sewer: 4" Tap $1,500; Boring Fee $1,000). A separate sewer boring fee of $1,000 may apply.

Roadway Impact Fee (collected, residential 50% of max; Service Area D representative) — REPRESENTATIVE value (Service Area D). VERIFIED: the study's sample calculation (Example 1) confirms SF detached = 4.04 veh-mi/DU x Service Area D $1,229 = $4,965.16 maximum assessable. Max fee per service unit by area VERIFIED from Table 8: A $2,179, B $842, C $929, D $1,229, E $287. The 50% residential collection rate (10% nonresidential) is NOT in the fee-study PDF; it is corroborated by a web search and the citizenportal council-workshop coverage (source 4 was HTTP 403 on direct fetch, confirmed via search-engine snippet). Shown amount = 50% of SA D max ($4,965.16 x 0.50 = $2,482.58). Collected by area at 50%: A $4,401.58, B $1,700.84, C $1,876.58, D $2,482.58, E $579.74. Confidence MEDIUM: collection rate from a secondary source and the city was actively considering raising it (to phase out the separate Roadway Adequacy Payment) as of mid-2025. Verify exact service area + current collection rate at building permit.

Roadway Impact Fee MAXIMUM assessable (Service Area D) — VERIFIED exactly against the study sample calculation (Example 1, Service Area D): 'Impact Fee = 1 * 4.04 * $1,229 ... Maximum Assessable Impact Fee = $4,965.16.' This is the MAXIMUM assessable (not what is collected); actual residential collection is 50% of this (see collected row). excludeFromTotal=true is correct to avoid double-counting with the collected roadway row.

Fee-in-Lieu of Parkland (Williamson County) — VERIFIED exactly against the downloaded Concept Plan Submittal Packet PDF (text extracted via pdftotext): 'Parkland is calculated as 7.5 acres per each 100 dwelling units. A payment of fee in lieu of parkland is an option at a rate of $1,676.60 for Williamson County or $2,355.13 for Travis County.' NOT a Chapter 395 impact fee - this is a parkland dedication / fee-in-lieu requirement under the city's subdivision/parks authority for residential developments (developer may dedicate 7.5 ac/100 DU OR pay this per-unit fee). Leander is primarily in Williamson County, so $1,676.60/DU is the applicable primary rate. Park improvements (up to 50%) may also be required separately.

Fee-in-Lieu of Parkland (Travis County portion) — VERIFIED exactly against the Concept Plan Submittal Packet PDF. Mutually exclusive county variant; applies only to the Travis County ETJ portion of Leander's jurisdiction. Williamson County rate ($1,676.60) used as primary since Leander is primarily in Williamson County. excludeFromTotal=true is correct.

Water Impact (Capital Recovery) Fee — VERIFIED directly against Municode Sec. 13.07.009 (browser-rendered): '(2) Water: $8,762.00.' Adopted by Ord. No. 23-044-00, sec. 4 (eff. 8/17/2023). Per LUE (living unit equivalent); one single-family detached residence of average size = 1.0 LUE, so $8,762 per home. The code expressly states the impact fee 'shall be charged in addition to all other fees... including... building permit fees and tap fees,' so this is additive to the water tap fee.

Wastewater Impact (Capital Recovery) Fee — VERIFIED directly against Municode Sec. 13.07.009 (browser-rendered): '(1) Wastewater: $2,301.00.' Per LUE; SF detached = 1.0 LUE = $2,301 per home. Combined code water+wastewater = $11,063 per LUE (note: a July 2023 Community Impact news article reported the combined figure as $11,064.73/LUE; the code itself lists exactly $8,762 + $2,301, so $11,063 is used). Adopted Ord. No. 23-044-00 (eff. 8/17/2023).

Water Tap Fee (full install, 3/4-inch meter) — VERIFIED directly against Municode Appendix A, Sec. A7.007 (browser-rendered): water tap where the city installs service lines and sets the meter (typical new construction) is 5/8 inch $840.00, 3/4 inch $940.00. Additive to the water impact fee. Excludes backflow device cost; street cut adds $1,000 for a two-lane roadway + $500 per additional lane. (Where lines already exist and the city only inspects + sets a meter, the lower 3/4-inch fee is $415 - a different scenario, not used here.)

Water Tap Fee (full install, 5/8-inch meter) — VERIFIED against Municode Sec. A7.007: 5/8 inch $840.00. Mutually exclusive meter-size variant of the water tap fee; the 3/4-inch ($940) row is used as the primary residential meter. excludeFromTotal=true is correct to avoid double-counting.

Wastewater Tap Fee (full install by city) — VERIFIED directly against Municode Appendix A, Sec. A7.007 wastewater tap schedule (browser-rendered): 'Where service lines must be installed set by the city, the tap fee shall be $750.00.' Flat fee. Street cut adds $850 for a two-lane roadway + $425 per additional lane. Additive to the wastewater impact fee. (Where lines already exist and the city only inspects, the fee is $100 - a different scenario.) Note: researcher's original quote prefixed 'Wastewater tap schedule ...'; corrected to the verbatim code sentence.