Maricopa, AZ vs Tucson, AZ: Development Impact Fees Compared (2026)

Parks & Recreation Development Impact Fee — Per dwelling unit; identical in NORTH and SOUTH Maricopa service areas. Flat fee, not tiered by home size. Independently confirmed against PDF DIF table p.19 (NORTH MARICOPA residential).

Libraries Development Impact Fee — Per dwelling unit; identical in NORTH and SOUTH service areas. Confirmed against PDF table p.19.

Police Development Impact Fee — Per dwelling unit; identical in NORTH and SOUTH service areas. Confirmed against PDF table p.19.

Fire Development Impact Fee (NORTH Maricopa service area) — PRIMARY service area = NORTH MARICOPA. Fire is the ONLY category that differs between the two city service areas. SOUTH Maricopa single-family Fire fee is $2,650 (see separate excludeFromTotal row). Confirmed against PDF table p.19.

Streets / Transportation Development Impact Fee — Largest single category. Per dwelling unit; identical in NORTH and SOUTH service areas. NORTH single-family grand total = $8,540 (confirmed: 791+248+613+946+5,942=8,540). Confirmed against PDF table p.19.

Fire DIF — SOUTH Maricopa service area (single-family variant) — Mutually-exclusive service-area variant: SOUTH MARICOPA single-family Fire fee. Only the Fire category differs from NORTH; SOUTH single-family grand total = $10,244 vs NORTH $8,540. Excluded so primary total reflects the NORTH representative area. Confirmed against PDF table p.19 (SOUTH MARICOPA).

Global Water hook-up fee (water + wastewater, private ACC-regulated utility) — SEPARATE UTILITY DISTRICT, not a city fee. City of Maricopa has no municipal water/sewer. Global Water - Santa Cruz Water Co. (water) and Palo Verde Utilities Co. (wastewater) are investor-owned utilities regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Per ACC settlement, legacy ICFAs were converted to per-house hook-up fees. Quote confirmed verbatim in InMaricopa article, but that article describes a ~2012-era settlement (rates frozen until May 2017), so the $1,250 figure is likely STALE for current tariffs; also ambiguous whether per-utility or combined water+wastewater (WebFetch read suggests per-utility). Builder owes this in ADDITION to city DIFs. Excluded from city total and flagged low confidence; exact current ACC tariff not confirmed on a primary tariff doc.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.