Erie, CO vs Kirkland, WA: Development Impact Fees Compared (2026)
A single-family home pays about $94,679 in Erie vs $47,431 in Kirkland — Erie is $47,248 (100%) higher. Every figure below is normalized per dwelling unit by category, with links to each jurisdiction’s official sources.
Town
Erie, CO
$94,679
Total per single-family home
impact + connection fees
$16,329
Impact / development fees
roads, parks, schools…
$78,350
Water & sewer connection
tap / capacity / SDC
$9,216
Per multifamily unit
total fees / unit
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Parks & recreation Parks & Recreation Impact Fee | per dwelling unit | $2,803 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Police Police Facilities Impact Fee | per dwelling unit | $686 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
General government / capital Public Facilities Impact Fee — General/municipal capital facilities impact fee. | per dwelling unit | $4,276 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Drainage / stormwater Storm Drainage System Impact Fee | per dwelling unit | $1,862 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Transportation / roads Transportation Facilities Impact Fee (standard area) — PRIMARY transportation rate; applies to property outside the Town Center PD and Historic Old Town (covers most new residential development). | per dwelling unit | $6,402 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Transportation / roads Transportation Facilities Impact Fee (Town Center / Old Town) — Mutually-exclusive geographic variant (Town Center PD / Historic Old Town OTR/NMU/DT/MR zones); excluded from total in favor of the townwide standard rate. Verified verbatim on live 2026 page. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $4,546 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Other Tree Impact Fee — Per-dwelling-unit tree/urban-forestry impact fee; same $300 for all dwelling types (page shows 'All other dwelling units $300'). | per dwelling unit | $300 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Potable Water Tap Fee (3/4 inch residential) — Base 3/4" residential meter (typical single-family). Fees double for parcels outside Town limits. Confirmed by Ordinance 039-2024 ($17,290). | per meter | $17,290 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Fee in Lieu of Water Dedication / Raw Water Fee (single-family residential) — SEPARATE, ADDITIVE one-time fee on top of the water tap fee (Ordinance 039-2024: 'separate and distinct fees'). Single largest residential charge. VERIFIED at $52,200 verbatim on the live 2026 fee schedule (sourceIndex 0). NOTE: Ordinance 039-2024 and the Water Dedication Guide state the 2025 fee-in-lieu was $31,400/SFE; the fee escalated to $52,200 for 2026. The 2026 amount is NOT supported by the Water Dedication Guide (which still shows $31,400) — confirmation rests on the live 2026 fee schedule only. | per dwelling unit | $52,200 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Wastewater (Sewer) Tap Fee (3/4 inch) — Base 3/4" residential. Fees double for parcels outside Town limits. Confirmed by Ordinance 039-2024 ('Wastewater tap fee: ¾ inch 8,860.00'). | per meter | $8,860 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Potable Water Tap Fee (1 inch) — Larger meter variant; excluded in favor of the base 3/4" residential meter. Confirmed by Ordinance 039-2024. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $28,820 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Wastewater (Sewer) Tap Fee (1 inch) — Larger meter variant; excluded in favor of the base 3/4" residential meter. Confirmed by Ordinance 039-2024 ('1 inch 14,767.00'). alternative · not added to total | per meter | $14,767 | Town of Erie, CO Jan 1, 2026High |
City
Kirkland, WA
$47,431
Total per single-family home
impact + connection fees
$28,182
Impact / development fees
roads, parks, schools…
$19,249
Water & sewer connection
tap / capacity / SDC
—
Per multifamily unit
total fees / unit
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee — Kirkland charges the transportation impact fee at $4.39/sq ft (2025) for Residential Non-Stacked, raised 2.7% CPI-W to ~$4.51/sf for Jan-Jun 2026, capped at a per-dwelling-unit max of $8,115.35. The max is reached at ~1,800 sq ft, so essentially every detached single-family home pays the $8,115.35 cap. Figure is the Jan-Jun 2026 maximum from the official fee-change notice. KMC Ch. 27.04, Ord. O-4904. VERIFIED via Jina proxy of source 1 and an independent search snippet. | per dwelling unit | $8,115 | City of Kirkland Jan 1, 2026High |
Parks & recreation Park Impact Fee — Charged at $5.04/sq ft (2025) Residential Non-Stacked, +2.7% CPI-W for Jan-Jun 2026, capped at per-dwelling-unit max of $9,316.94. Max reached at ~1,800 sq ft, so a typical detached single-family home pays the $9,316.94 cap. KMC Ch. 27.06, Ord. O-4901. VERIFIED via Jina proxy of source 1 and an independent search snippet. | per dwelling unit | $9,317 | City of Kirkland Jan 1, 2026High |
Fire / EMS Fire Impact Fee — Fire impact fee is per sq ft of conditioned floor area: $0.73/sf (2025), +2.7% CPI-W = ~$0.7497/sf for Jan-Jun 2026. Unlike park/transportation, the fire cap ($2,399.07 in 2026) is NOT reached until ~3,200 sq ft, so a representative ~2,500 sq ft home pays ~$1,874 (2,500 x $0.7497 = $1,874.27). Amount shown is COMPUTED for a 2,500 sq ft home; actual fee scales with home size up to the $2,399.07 max. KMC Ch. 27.10, Ord. O-4901. Per-sf rate and max VERIFIED in source 0 (Jina proxy); confidence downgraded high->medium because the exact dollar is a derived computation at an assumed home size, not a published figure. | per dwelling unit | $1,874 | City of Kirkland Jan 1, 2026Medium |
Fire / EMS Fire Impact Fee (maximum cap, large home) — Maximum per-dwelling-unit fire impact fee (Jan-Jun 2026), reached at ~3,200+ sq ft of conditioned floor area. Excluded from total as an alternative tier to the per-sqft primary row above. VERIFIED verbatim in source 1 (Jina proxy). alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $2,399 | City of Kirkland Jan 1, 2026High |
Schools School Impact Fee (Lake Washington SD No. 414) — Flat fee per detached single-family unit, set by Lake Washington School District No. 414 and collected by the City of Kirkland under RCW 82.02 / KMC Ch. 27.08 (Ord. O-4910 for 2026). 2025 was $5,972; Jan 2026 is $7,277. A separate $142 school impact fee administrative fee is also charged per the July-Dec 2025 schedule. VERIFIED verbatim in source 1 (Jina proxy) and corroborated by LWSD Impact Fees FAQ (SF $7,277 effective 1/1/2026). | per dwelling unit | $7,277 | City of Kirkland Jan 1, 2026High |
Schools School Impact Fee admin fee — Administrative fee charged in addition to the school impact fee. Value shown is from the 2025 schedule ($142); the 2026 admin amount may differ slightly with CPI but was not separately published in the Jan 2026 notice. Excluded from total to avoid double counting; add to school fee for an all-in figure. VERIFIED verbatim in source 0 (Jina proxy). alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $142 | City of Kirkland Jan 1, 2025Medium |
Drainage / stormwater Surface Water Capital Facility Charge (SWCFC), one new detached dwelling — Kirkland stormwater/surface water capital facility charge for one new detached dwelling on a single lot (Jan 2026). For other development types the charge = (impervious sq ft added / 2,600), rounded down, x $1,598. Alteration/expansion of an existing single dwelling on a single lot is exempt. VERIFIED verbatim by direct pdftotext of source 2. | per dwelling unit | $1,598 | City of Kirkland (hosted by MRSC) Jan 1, 2026High |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Capital Facility Charge (WCFC), 5/8" x 3/4" meter — City of Kirkland Water Capital Facility Charge for a new connection at the base residential 5/8"x3/4" meter (Jan 2026). This is the city portion. The additive Cascade Water Alliance RCFC ($8,852) is a separate row; combined total for a 3/4" connection is $13,724. VERIFIED verbatim by direct pdftotext of source 2. | per meter | $4,872 | City of Kirkland (hosted by MRSC) Jan 1, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Cascade Water Alliance Regional Capital Facility Charge (RCFC), 3/4" meter — Cascade Water Alliance regional wholesale capacity charge collected by Kirkland on all new water connections, ADDITIVE to the city WCFC (correctly NOT excluded; applies to the same connection alongside WCFC). 2026 = $8,852 for a 3/4" meter (Cascade Board Resolution 2024-13). No vesting; rate due is the rate in place at time of payment. Levied by a separate regional entity (Cascade Water Alliance) but mandatory for Kirkland builders. VERIFIED verbatim in source 1 (Jina proxy) and cross-checked against source 2 total ($13,724). | per meter | $8,852 | City of Kirkland Jan 1, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water meter installation (drop-in), 5/8" x 3/4" — One-time water meter drop-in (installation) fee for the base residential meter (Jan 2026). Separate from and additive to the WCFC/RCFC capacity charges. VERIFIED verbatim by direct pdftotext of source 2. | per meter | $401 | City of Kirkland (hosted by MRSC) Jan 1, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Sewer Capital Facility Charge (SCFC), single-family — City of Kirkland Sewer Capital Facility Charge for a single-family residential connection (Jan 2026). Multi-unit: 2-unit $8,301; 3-unit $12,451; 4-unit $16,602; 5+ units $3,228/unit. Does NOT include the separate King County sewer treatment capacity charge (see coverage notes). VERIFIED verbatim by direct pdftotext of source 2. | per dwelling unit | $5,124 | City of Kirkland (hosted by MRSC) Jan 1, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) King County Sewer Treatment Capacity Charge (monthly, separate district) — SEPARATE regional charge by King County Wastewater Treatment Division, billed in addition to Kirkland's SCFC on all newly connected sewer customers. NOT a one-time lump sum: $77.99/RCE/MONTH, billed quarterly for 15 years. A medium single-family house (1,500-2,999 sq ft) = 1.0 RCE = $77.99/month (~$936/yr; ~$14,038 nominal over 15 years before any early-payoff/interest discount). Excluded from the one-time SDC total because it is a financed monthly charge, not a connection lump sum. A builder/buyer should budget for it separately. VERIFIED verbatim via WebFetch of source 5 (billed quarterly for 15 years). alternative · not added to total | $77.99 | King County Wastewater Treatment Division Jan 1, 2026High |
What drives the difference
Erie’s $94,679 per single-family home is $47,248 (100%) above Kirkland’s $47,431. The largest single difference is in water connection (tap / sdc): Erie charges about $69,490 there versus $14,125 in Kirkland — a $55,365 swing that accounts for much of the overall gap. The two also differ in how much falls on water and sewer connection charges: $78,350 in Erie versus $19,249 in Kirkland.
Keep comparing
Erie vs Kirkland impact fees — FAQ
- Which has higher impact fees, Erie or Kirkland?
- Erie, CO is higher. A single-family home pays about $94,679 per unit in Erie versus $47,431 in Kirkland, WA — $47,248 (100%) more, as of 2026.
- How much more does it cost to build a home in Erie than in Kirkland?
- About $47,248 more per single-family home — $94,679 in Erie, CO versus $47,431 in Kirkland, WA, a difference of 100% in total development impact and connection fees.
- What's the difference between impact fees in Erie and Kirkland for a single-family home?
- Erie, CO charges about $94,679 per single-family home ($16,329 impact + $78,350 water/sewer connection), while Kirkland, WA charges about $47,431 ($28,182 impact + $19,249 connection). Figures are normalized from official sources for 2026.