Salt Lake City, UT vs St. George, UT: Development Impact Fees Compared (2026)
A single-family home pays about $8,248 in Salt Lake City vs $33,173 in St. George — St. George is $24,925 (302%) higher. Every figure below is normalized per dwelling unit by category, with links to each jurisdiction’s official sources.
City
Salt Lake City, UT
$8,248
Total per single-family home
impact + connection fees
$5,832
Impact / development fees
roads, parks, schools…
$2,416
Water & sewer connection
tap / capacity / SDC
$3,959
Per multifamily unit
total fees / unit
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Fire / EMS Fire impact fee — Impact Fees table, Single Family column. City Code 18.98.160. Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF and 2016 General Fund IFFP/IFA. | per dwelling unit | $171 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 2026High |
Parks & recreation Parks & Public Lands impact fee — Single Family column. Parks impact fee applies to residential only ($0 for office/industrial/commercial). Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF and 2016 IFFP/IFA. | per dwelling unit | $5,173 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 2026High |
Police Police impact fee — Single Family column. City Code 18.98.160. Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF and 2016 IFFP/IFA. | per dwelling unit | $59 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 2026High |
Transportation / roads Transportation/roads impact fee — Single Family column. City Code 18.98.090. Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF and in the 2020 Transportation IFFP/IFA ('Single family house ... dwelling $429'). | per dwelling unit | $429 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 2026High |
Drainage / stormwater Storm water / drainage impact fee — One-time drainage/storm-water impact fee: $374 per 1/4 acre, rounded up (§17.81.400). A typical single-family lot under 1/4 acre rounds up to one increment = $374. Parcel/area-based, not strictly per unit. Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF (Impact Fees table and Storm Water section). unitBasis per_acre is the closest enum to the actual per-1/4-acre basis. | per acre | $374 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 2026High |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water connection fee (single-family, 3/4-inch meter, City rate) — City Connection Fee for a residential single-family 3/4-inch meter (base residential meter), §17.16.040. County Connection Fee for the same is $1,952. Meter hardware & installation billed separately at actual cost (not included). Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF Water Connection Fees table. | per meter | $1,871 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water connection fee (single-family, 3/4-inch, County rate) — alternate — County Connection Fee variant for the 3/4-inch SF meter; applies to SLC Public Utilities customers in unincorporated/county service area, not inside city limits. Excluded as mutually-exclusive alternate to the City rate. Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $1,952 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water connection fee (single-family, 1-inch meter, City rate) — alternate tier — City Connection Fee for a 1-inch single-family meter; larger-meter alternate to the base 3/4-inch. County rate $3,494. Excluded as alternate meter-size tier. Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $3,297 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Sanitary sewer connection fee (single dwelling) — Sanitary sewer connection fee on new development, residential single dwelling, §17.72.030. Includes condominiums and twin homes. Confirmed in adopted CFS PDF, 'Connection fees on new development property'. | per dwelling unit | $545 | Salt Lake City Corporation Jan 29, 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
St. George’s $33,173 per single-family home is $24,925 (302%) above Salt Lake City’s $8,248. The largest single difference is in water connection (tap / sdc): St. George charges about $19,485 there versus $1,871 in Salt Lake City — a $17,614 swing that accounts for much of the overall gap. The two also differ in how much falls on water and sewer connection charges: $2,416 in Salt Lake City versus $21,001 in St. George.
Keep comparing
Salt Lake City vs St. George impact fees — FAQ
- Which has higher impact fees, Salt Lake City or St. George?
- St. George, UT is higher. A single-family home pays about $33,173 per unit in St. George versus $8,248 in Salt Lake City, UT — $24,925 (302%) more, as of 2026.
- How much more does it cost to build a home in St. George than in Salt Lake City?
- About $24,925 more per single-family home — $33,173 in St. George, UT versus $8,248 in Salt Lake City, UT, a difference of 302% in total development impact and connection fees.
- What's the difference between impact fees in Salt Lake City and St. George for a single-family home?
- Salt Lake City, UT charges about $8,248 per single-family home ($5,832 impact + $2,416 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.