Austin, TX Development Impact Fees (2026)
Normalized development impact fees, water & sewer connection (tap/SDC) fees, and mitigation fees for Austin, Texas — per dwelling unit, by category, with links to every official source.
What a single-family home pays in Austin
$7,700 total per unit across 2 fee categories.
- Water connection (tap / SDC)$4,800
- Sewer connection (tap / SDC)$2,900
At $7,700, Austin is below the Texas tracked median of $12,871 — relatively affordable to build in.
Full fee schedule — single-family
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Capital Recovery Fee (Impact Fee) - lots platted after Oct 1, 2023 — Austin Water Capital Recovery Fee (the Texas term for impact fee). Assessed per Service Unit; a 5/8-inch positive-displacement meter = 1.0 Service Unit (base residential). A 3/4-inch meter = 1.5 Service Units, raising the amount 1.5x. Applies to all zones for lots platted after Oct 1, 2023. | per dwelling unit | $4,800 | City of Austin - Austin Water Oct 1, 2023High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Wastewater Capital Recovery Fee (Impact Fee) - lots platted after Oct 1, 2023 — Austin Water wastewater Capital Recovery (impact) fee. Same per-Service-Unit basis as water (5/8-inch meter = 1 service unit). Combined water+wastewater = $7,700 for lots platted after Oct 1, 2023. | per dwelling unit | $2,900 | City of Austin - Austin Water Oct 1, 2023High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Capital Recovery Fee - lots platted Oct 1, 2018 to Sep 30, 2023 (grandfathered) — Grandfathered prior tier. New development uses the post-Oct-2023 rate ($4,800). Excluded to avoid double-counting; shown for reference. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $4,700 | City of Austin - Austin Water Oct 1, 2018Highdated 2018 |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Wastewater Capital Recovery Fee - lots platted Oct 1, 2018 to Sep 30, 2023 (grandfathered) — Grandfathered prior tier (combined $7,200). New development uses the post-Oct-2023 rate ($2,900). Excluded to avoid double-counting. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $2,500 | City of Austin - Austin Water Oct 1, 2018Highdated 2018 |
Coverage & caveats
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT FEES, CITY OF AUSTIN (Austin Water service area), Travis County, TX. Verified 2026-06-16. CAPTURED: Water and Wastewater Capital Recovery Fees (the Texas term for impact fees, Local Gov't Code Ch. 395). Current schedule for lots platted AFTER Oct 1, 2023: Water $4,800 + Wastewater $2,900 = $7,700 combined. These are the primary one-time fees a single-family builder pays. Basis: assessed per Service Unit, where a 5/8-inch positive-displacement meter = 1.0 Service Unit (per the City's adopted fee-schedule methodology). The Austin Water rates page presents $4,800/$2,900/$7,700 as residential per-unit figures. A 3/4-inch meter = 1.5 Service Units, so a home metered at 3/4-inch would pay 1.5x these rates (caveat). Combined $7,700 is the primary single-family-detached total. Older platted lots pay LOWER grandfathered amounts (Oct 2018-Sep 2023: $4,700/$2,500 = $7,200; Jan 2014-Sep 2018: $5,400/$2,200; pre-2014 vary by zone $700-$2,500 water); prior tiers included as excludeFromTotal rows for reference, new development pays the post-Oct-2023 rate. DOES NOT EXIST: NO school, park, police, fire, library, open-space, or affordable-housing impact fees. Texas Local Government Code Ch. 395 limits impact fees to water, wastewater, roadway, and drainage ONLY; none of the prohibited categories exist in Austin. STREET (ROADWAY) IMPACT FEE: Austin HAS a Street Impact Fee program (adopted Dec 2020, collection began June 2022, 17 service areas), but it does NOT apply to single-family detached homes. Triggered only by developments generating 10+ PM-peak-hour trips (effectively mid-rise multifamily of ~23+ units and commercial). A stand-alone single-family home pays $0; captured as a $0/exclude row. DRAINAGE: Austin charges a recurring MONTHLY drainage (Watershed Protection) charge of $0.00593/sq ft impervious cover x adjustment factor, an ongoing utility charge NOT a one-time development/impact fee, so not included as a development-fee row. CAVEATS: Current impact-fee amounts are from the live Austin Water Rates and Fees webpage (high confidence on amounts; per-unit/service-unit basis corroborated from the City's adopted fee-schedule methodology that defines Service Units by meter size). Texas re-studies impact fees every 5 years; current schedule stems from the 2023 update ordinance effective Oct 2023, in effect mid-2026. Minor meter/tap/inspection charges apply but are cost-based/site-specific, not flat published amounts. Within the City of Austin proper, Austin Water is the retail provider, so no separate water/sewer district fee is attributed; MUD/separate-district properties could owe additional district fees.
Primary single-family-detached total = water capital recovery fee ($4,800) + wastewater capital recovery fee ($2,900) = $7,700 for lots platted after Oct 1, 2023, at the base residential service unit (5/8-inch meter = 1 service unit). Street/roadway impact fee = $0 for single-family detached (not subject; only developments generating 10+ PM-peak-hour trips pay). No school/park/fire/police/library impact fees exist in Texas (Local Gov't Code Ch. 395).
Sources
7 official sources · 5 high-confidence figures.
- 1Rates and Fees - Austin Water (Capital Recovery / Impact Fees)City of Austin - Austin Water · fee schedule · effective Oct 1, 2023 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 2Exhibit A - City of Austin FY2022-23 Fee Schedule (Capital Recovery Fee methodology and Service Unit table; Street Impact Fee references)City of Austin (hosted by RECA) · fee schedule · effective Oct 1, 2022 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 3Street Impact Fee ProgramCity of Austin - Transportation and Public Works · municipal webpage · effective Jun 21, 2022 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 4Across Austin, Street Impact Fees are being collected but not yet spentAustin Monitor · news article · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 5How does the new Street Impact Fee (SIF) affect my project in Austin?WGI Inc. · other · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 6Austin Water Utility FY2025-2026 Proposed Rate Changes (Council Meeting Backup, Aug 2025)City of Austin · government report · effective Nov 1, 2025 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 7City of Austin's population surpasses 1 million, new estimates showKXAN Austin · news article · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
Austin impact fees — FAQ
- How much are development impact fees in Austin, TX for a single-family home?
- As of 2026-06-16, total development fees for a single-family detached home in Austin are about $7,700 per unit — roughly $0 in impact/development fees plus $7,700 in water/sewer connection fees. Figures are normalized from official sources; verify with the jurisdiction before relying on them.
- Are impact fees in Austin the same as building permit fees?
- No. Impact fees (and water/sewer connection fees) fund off-site capital — roads, parks, schools, utilities — and are charged per new dwelling unit. Building permit and plan-review fees are separate and are not included here.
- How often do Austin's impact fees change?
- Most jurisdictions adopt fees by ordinance and escalate them annually (often by a construction cost index), with occasional mid-year updates. Always confirm the current adopted schedule with the jurisdiction. ImpactFeeAtlas last verified Austin on 2026-06-16.