Kirkland, WA vs St. George, UT: Development Impact Fees Compared (2026)
A single-family home pays about $47,431 in Kirkland vs $33,173 in St. George — Kirkland is $14,258 (43%) higher. Every figure below is normalized per dwelling unit by category, with links to each jurisdiction’s official sources.
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 |
City
St. George, UT
$33,173
Total per single-family home
impact + connection fees
$12,172
Impact / development fees
roads, parks, schools…
$21,001
Water & sewer connection
tap / capacity / SDC
—
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, single-family. Confirmed verbatim on 4/21/21 schedule. | per dwelling unit | $4,525 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee — Per dwelling unit, single-family. Confirmed verbatim. | per dwelling unit | $2,188 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Police Police Impact Fee (Residential) — Residential single-family per unit. Confirmed verbatim. | per dwelling unit | $95 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Fire / EMS Fire/EMS Impact Fee (Residential) — Residential single-family per unit (Fire/EMS column). Confirmed verbatim. | per dwelling unit | $320 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Drainage / stormwater Storm Drain (Drainage) Impact Fee (Residential) — Residential single-family per unit (Drainage column). Confirmed verbatim. | per dwelling unit | $781 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
General government / capital Electrical (Power) Impact Fee - Residential single-phase 100 AMP — St. George is a municipal power provider; residential single-phase 100 AMP service (typical SF) used as representative. Additive. Confirmed verbatim. | per meter | $3,893 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
General government / capital Electrical (Power) Impact Fee - Residential single-phase 200 AMP — 200 AMP residential single-phase tier, mutually exclusive with 100 AMP. Excluded. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $4,809 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
General government / capital Power Meter Fee - Underground — Power meter fee, underground service. Additive. Confirmed verbatim. | per meter | $370 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Culinary Water Impact Fee (City) - base 0.8" meter — City culinary water impact fee, smallest/base residential 0.8" meter. Separate from and additive to WCWCD regional water impact fee. | per meter | $1,996 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Culinary Water Impact Fee (City) - 1.0" meter — Larger meter tier, mutually exclusive with 0.8" base. Excluded. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $4,311 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Culinary Water Connection Fee (City) - 0.8" meter, water on lot — Additive water connection fee (on-lot), base 0.8" meter. If water not on lot it is $1,207. | per meter | $223 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Culinary Water Connection Fee (City) - 0.8" meter, water NOT on lot — Alternative to on-lot connection fee. Excluded (mutually exclusive with on-lot $223). alternative · not added to total | per meter | $1,207 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Local & Regional Wastewater Impact Fee (City) - base 0.8" meter — Total wastewater impact fee for base 0.8" meter = $137 local + $1,379 regional. Confirmed verbatim. | per meter | $1,516 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Local & Regional Wastewater Impact Fee (City) - 1.0" meter — Larger meter tier, mutually exclusive with 0.8" base. Excluded. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $3,274 | City of St. George, Utah Apr 21, 2021Highdated 2021 |
Water connection (tap / SDC) WCWCD Regional Water Impact Fee (separate district) — SEPARATE DISTRICT FEE: Washington County Water Conservancy District regional water impact fee, $17,266 per ERC for a 3/4"/5/8" residential meter. Confirmed verbatim on the WCWCD page. Paid by builders in St. George IN ADDITION to the city culinary water impact fee. Reduced fee available under Ultra Water Efficiency Standards (amount not published). Confidence medium and effectiveDate cleared because the district page publishes no specific effective date or resolution number. | per meter | $17,266 | Washington County Water Conservancy District —Medium |
What drives the difference
Kirkland’s $47,431 per single-family home is $14,258 (43%) above St. George’s $33,173. The largest single difference is in schools: Kirkland charges about $7,277 there versus nothing in St. George — a $7,277 swing that accounts for much of the overall gap. The two also differ in how much falls on water and sewer connection charges: $19,249 in Kirkland versus $21,001 in St. George.
Keep comparing
Kirkland vs St. George impact fees — FAQ
- Which has higher impact fees, Kirkland or St. George?
- Kirkland, WA is higher. A single-family home pays about $47,431 per unit in Kirkland versus $33,173 in St. George, UT — $14,258 (43%) more, as of 2026.
- How much more does it cost to build a home in Kirkland than in St. George?
- About $14,258 more per single-family home — $47,431 in Kirkland, WA versus $33,173 in St. George, UT, a difference of 43% in total development impact and connection fees.
- What's the difference between impact fees in Kirkland and St. George for a single-family home?
- Kirkland, WA charges about $47,431 per single-family home ($28,182 impact + $19,249 water/sewer connection), while St. George, UT charges about $33,173 ($12,172 impact + $21,001 connection). Figures are normalized from official sources for 2026.