Redmond, WA vs Renton, WA: Development Impact Fees Compared (2026)
A single-family home pays about $42,061 in Redmond vs $27,587 in Renton — Redmond is $14,474 (52%) higher. Every figure below is normalized per dwelling unit by category, with links to each jurisdiction’s official sources.
City
Redmond, WA
$42,061
Total per single-family home
impact + connection fees
$24,513
Impact / development fees
roads, parks, schools…
$17,548
Water & sewer connection
tap / capacity / SDC
—
Per multifamily unit
total fees / unit
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Schools School Impact Fee (Lake Washington School District) — Collected by the City of Redmond on behalf of Lake Washington School District (LWSD) per its 2025-30 Six-Year Capital Facilities Plan. A separate $65.00 school admin fee is added (see separate row). VERIFIED against 2026 PDF. | per dwelling unit | $7,277 | City of Redmond Jan 1, 2026High |
Schools School Impact Fee admin charge — Flat administrative charge added on top of the LWSD school impact fee for every dwelling unit. VERIFIED verbatim against 2026 PDF Miscellaneous Notes. | per dwelling unit | $65 | City of Redmond Jan 1, 2026High |
Fire / EMS Fire Impact Fee — 2026 fire impact fee is unchanged from 2025 ('same as 2025 rates'). VERIFIED against 2026 PDF. | per dwelling unit | $149 | City of Redmond Jan 1, 2026High |
Parks & recreation Parks Impact Fee — VERIFIED against 2026 PDF. | per dwelling unit | $6,915 | City of Redmond Jan 1, 2026High |
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee (Single Family Detached, base) — Base 'Impact Fee per Development Unit' rate (outside designated Centers) — used as the primary residential rate. A lower 'in Centers' rate of $7,668.97 applies in Overlake Metro Center, Downtown Redmond Urban Center, and Marymoor Village Center (see separate excluded row). VERIFIED against 2026 PDF. | per dwelling unit | $10,108 | City of Redmond Jan 1, 2026High |
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee (Single Family Detached, in Centers) — Mutually-exclusive variant: reduced rate applicable only within designated Centers (Overlake Metro Center, Downtown Redmond Urban Center, Marymoor Village Center). Base/outside-Centers rate is primary. VERIFIED against 2026 PDF. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $7,669 | City of Redmond Jan 1, 2026High |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water System Connection Charge (Medium Home, Redmond Service Area) — City connection charge tiered by home size; representative ~2,000-2,500 SF medium home selected as primary. Assumes a 1" meter for domestic use. The $9,118 Regional Water Connection Charge (CWA) is an ADDITIVE charge (separate row). The -$1,590 'Water System Distribution Credit' is a MAXIMUM credit granted only if the developer constructs qualifying City-owned mains/hydrants/pumps; not netted into a typical infill builder's cost. VERIFIED against 2026 Water PDF. | per dwelling unit | $5,380 | City of Redmond, Development Engineering Division Jan 1, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Regional Water Connection Charge (CWA, incl. 3% admin) — ADDITIVE regional connection charge imposed on every property connecting to the City water system, on top of the size-based connection charge. Not a mutually-exclusive variant. VERIFIED against 2026 Water PDF (source contains the typo 'EFFECIVE'). | per dwelling unit | $9,118 | City of Redmond, Development Engineering Division Jan 1, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water connection — Small Home (<1,500 SF) variant — Lower home-size tier; medium home is the primary representative tier. VERIFIED against 2026 Water PDF. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $4,230 | City of Redmond, Development Engineering Division Jan 1, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water connection — Large Home (3,300+ SF) variant — Upper home-size tier; medium home is the primary representative tier. VERIFIED against 2026 Water PDF. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $7,130 | City of Redmond, Development Engineering Division Jan 1, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Sewer System Connection Charge (Medium Home, Redmond Service Area) — City sewer connection charge tiered by home size; representative ~2,000-2,500 SF medium home selected as primary. The listed credit is a maximum distribution credit granted only if the developer builds qualifying City-owned sewer mains/manholes/pump stations. Separate from the King County capacity charge. VERIFIED against 2026 Sewer PDF. | per dwelling unit | $3,050 | City of Redmond, Development Engineering Division Jan 1, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Side Sewer new-connection inspection fee — Inspection/permit fee (RMC 13.04.180), not a capacity charge; a 4% technology surcharge is added. Included for completeness; excluded from the impact/connection total. VERIFIED against 2026 Sewer PDF. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $1,723 | City of Redmond, Development Engineering Division Jan 1, 2026Medium |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) King County Wastewater Capacity Charge (separate district) — SEPARATE DISTRICT: levied by King County (not the City) on every newly-connecting parcel. $77.99 per RCE per MONTH for 2026, billed for 15 years (payable as a discounted lump sum). Unit basis is per-RCE-per-month, so it cannot be summed with one-time fees; included as informational. A Redmond builder/buyer does pay this. VERIFIED via King County WTD page (June 2026). alternative · not added to total | $77.99 | King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Wastewater Treatment Division 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
Redmond’s $42,061 per single-family home is $14,474 (52%) above Renton’s $27,587. The largest single difference is in water connection (tap / sdc): Redmond charges about $14,498 there versus $5,025 in Renton — a $9,473 swing that accounts for much of the overall gap. The two also differ in how much falls on water and sewer connection charges: $17,548 in Redmond versus $9,050 in Renton.
Keep comparing
Redmond vs Renton impact fees — FAQ
- Which has higher impact fees, Redmond or Renton?
- Redmond, WA is higher. A single-family home pays about $42,061 per unit in Redmond versus $27,587 in Renton, WA — $14,474 (52%) more, as of 2026.
- How much more does it cost to build a home in Redmond than in Renton?
- About $14,474 more per single-family home — $42,061 in Redmond, WA versus $27,587 in Renton, WA, a difference of 52% in total development impact and connection fees.
- What's the difference between impact fees in Redmond and Renton for a single-family home?
- Redmond, WA charges about $42,061 per single-family home ($24,513 impact + $17,548 water/sewer connection), while Renton, WA charges about $27,587 ($18,537 impact + $9,050 connection). Figures are normalized from official sources for 2026.