Fort Worth, TX Development Impact Fees (2026)
Normalized development impact fees, water & sewer connection (tap/SDC) fees, and mitigation fees for Fort Worth, Texas — per dwelling unit, by category, with links to every official source.
What a single-family home pays in Fort Worth
$18,041 total per unit across 3 fee categories.
- Sewer connection (tap / SDC)$6,880
- Water connection (tap / SDC)$5,824
- Transportation / roads$5,337
Fort Worth’s $18,041 is about 1.4× the Texas tracked median of $12,871 — among the higher-cost places to build in the state.
Full fee schedule — single-family
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Transportation / roads Transportation (Roadway) Impact Fee - SF detached, Service Area C (representative) — Computed per the official city fee estimator methodology: 4.61 veh-mi/unit x $1,781/veh-mi (Service Area C, 11/1/2022 Schedule 1 column for new plats) x 65% residential collection rate (effective 6/1/2026) = $5,336.77. Max assessable (100%) = $8,210/unit. Area C chosen as a mid-range representative; the citywide SF range is ~$1,064-$19,079 depending on service area. No single citywide number exists. | per dwelling unit | $5,337 | City of Fort Worth Jun 1, 2026Medium |
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee - SF detached, Service Area A (example) — Service Area A example: 4.61 x $1,642 x 65% = $4,920.25/unit (max assessable $7,570). Excluded from total (one representative area, C, kept). alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $4,920 | City of Fort Worth Jun 1, 2026Medium |
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee - SF detached, Service Area M (high-end example) — Highest service area: 4.61 x $6,367 x 65% = $19,078.72/unit (max assessable $29,352). Excluded from total; shows top of the range. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $19,079 | City of Fort Worth Jun 1, 2026Medium |
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee - SF detached, Service Area AA (low-end example) — Among lowest populated areas: 4.61 x $355 x 65% = $1,063.51/unit. Excluded from total; shows bottom of the range. (Areas L and W are $0 in the newest column.) alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $1,064 | City of Fort Worth Jun 1, 2026Medium |
Water & sewer connection fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Impact Fee — Base residential 5/8" meter (equivalency factor 1.0). Water portion of the water/wastewater impact fee. Set by building-permit date for plats recorded on/after 4/1/2017; this Oct 1 2025-Sept 30 2026 column is in effect on 6/16/2026. Adopted by Ord. 27745-06-2025 (6/10/2025). | per dwelling unit | $2,824 | City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2025High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Wastewater (Sewer) Impact Fee — Base residential 5/8" meter (factor 1.0). Wastewater portion. In effect 6/16/2026 (Oct 1 2025-Sept 30 2026 column). | per dwelling unit | $2,680 | City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2025High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Impact Fee (3/4" meter variant) — Mutually-exclusive larger-meter variant (3/4" meter, equivalency factor 1.5). Excluded from total; 5/8" is the primary residential meter. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $4,236 | City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2025High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Wastewater Impact Fee (3/4" meter variant) — Mutually-exclusive 3/4" meter variant (factor 1.5). Excluded from total. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $4,020 | City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2025High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Impact Fee (effective Oct 1 2026, future) — Future-dated 5/8" water fee taking effect 10/1/2026 (after today). Excluded from current total. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $2,990 | City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2026High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Wastewater Impact Fee (effective Oct 1 2026, future) — Future-dated 5/8" wastewater fee effective 10/1/2026. Excluded from current total. alternative · not added to total | per dwelling unit | $2,838 | City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2026High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Tap (Connection) Fee - 1" asphalt, short side — City-installed water tap, City Code Sec. 35-57.4(a), eff. 10/1/2023. 1" is the smallest residential tap size listed. Representative: asphalt pavement, short side. In addition to impact fees per Sec. 35-57.4(g). In new developments developers may instead pay full tap cost via a Community Facilities Agreement. | per meter | $3,000 | American Legal Publishing / City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2023High |
Water connection (tap / SDC) Water Tap Fee - 1" unpaved, short (variant) — Mutually-exclusive pavement/length variant (1" unpaved short). Code prints '$2,5000' (OCR typo for $2,500). Excluded from total. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $2,500 | American Legal Publishing / City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2023Medium |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Sewer Tap (Connection) Fee - 4" asphalt, short side — City-installed sewer tap, City Code Sec. 35-57.5(a), eff. 10/1/2023. 4" is the smallest residential tap size listed. Representative: asphalt pavement, short side. In addition to impact fees per Sec. 35-57.5(h). In new developments developers may pay full tap cost via a Community Facilities Agreement. | per meter | $4,200 | American Legal Publishing / City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2023High |
Sewer connection (tap / SDC) Sewer Tap Fee - 4" unpaved, short (variant) — Mutually-exclusive pavement/length variant (4" unpaved short). Excluded from total. alternative · not added to total | per meter | $2,600 | American Legal Publishing / City of Fort Worth Oct 1, 2023Medium |
Full fee schedule — multifamily
Impact / development fees
| Fee (local term) | Basis | Amount | Source · effective |
|---|---|---|---|
Transportation / roads Transportation Impact Fee - Multifamily low-rise, Service Area C (representative) — Multifamily low-rise (ITE 220) = 2.5 veh-mi/unit. 2.5 x $1,781 x 65% = $2,894.13/unit in Service Area C (max assessable $4,453). Citywide MF range ~$577-$10,346/unit by service area. | per dwelling unit | $2,894 | City of Fort Worth Jun 1, 2026Medium |
Coverage & caveats
Fort Worth levies development IMPACT fees only in the categories Texas Local Government Code Ch. 395 allows: WATER, WASTEWATER, and ROADWAY (transportation). The city has NO drainage impact fee, NO park/open-space impact fee, NO police impact fee, NO fire impact fee, NO school impact fee, NO library impact fee, and NO affordable-housing or general/capital impact fee — none of these exist for Fort Worth because Texas law (Ch. 395) bars municipal impact fees outside water/wastewater/roadway/drainage. (Texas school districts also do not levy school impact fees; school facilities are funded by bonds/property tax, not per-unit developer impact fees.) Fort Worth's roadway category IS captured here as the Transportation Impact Fee. Fort Worth does NOT levy a drainage/stormwater IMPACT fee; it has an ongoing monthly Stormwater Utility Fee (a recurring utility charge, not a one-time development fee), so that is omitted. WATER & WASTEWATER IMPACT FEES (high confidence, exact official schedule): Adopted by City Council 6/10/2025, Ordinance 27745-06-2025, as a stepped schedule. For plats recorded on/after 4/1/2017, the fee is set by the building-permit-issuance date. Today (6/16/2026) the schedule in effect is the "Oct. 1, 2025 to Sept. 30, 2026" column: 5/8" residential meter (equivalency factor 1.0) = $2,824 water + $2,680 wastewater. A higher 3/4" meter (factor 1.5) = $4,236 water + $4,020 wastewater (included as excludeFromTotal variant). A further increase takes effect 10/1/2026 (5/8": $2,990 water / $2,838 wastewater) — included as excludeFromTotal future-dated rows. The 5/8" meter is the primary because it is the standard base residential meter. TRANSPORTATION (ROADWAY) IMPACT FEE (medium-high confidence; methodology fully verified from the city's official fee estimator): NOT a single flat per-unit number. Fort Worth divides the city into ~21 transportation service areas (A, AA, B, C, D, E, F, G, L, M, N, O, PI, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z), each with a different "maximum assessable fee per vehicle-mile" (Schedule 1). Per-dwelling-unit fee = (vehicle-miles per dwelling unit) x (Schedule 1 $/vehicle-mile for the service area) x (collection rate %). Single-Family Detached (ITE 210) = 4.61 veh-mi/unit; Multifamily Low-Rise (ITE 220) = 2.5 veh-mi/unit (official LUVMET table in the city estimator). For a NEW plat (recorded on/after 11/1/2022) the newest Schedule 1 column applies ($355 to $6,367 per vehicle-mile depending on area; Areas L and W are $0). The residential collection rate phased up over time and is 65% of maximum for building permits accepted on/after 6/1/2026 (was 60% from 6/1/2025; 55% from 6/1/2024; 50% prior). Today the 65% rate is in effect. Result: collected SF-detached transportation impact fee ranges ~$1,064 (Area AA) to ~$19,079 (Area M) per unit, median across populated areas ~$8,258. I used Service Area C as the representative primary row (max assessable $8,210/unit; collected at 65% = $5,336.77/unit) and included Areas A, M, and AA as excludeFromTotal examples to show the range. Multifamily low-rise Area C = $2,894.13/unit collected. WATER & SEWER TAP (CONNECTION) FEES (high confidence, City Code §35-57.4 and §35-57.5, eff. 10/1/2023, Ord. 26452-09-2023): Separate from and IN ADDITION TO impact fees (the code says so explicitly). City-installed water tap, smallest residential size 1": Unpaved $2,500 short/$3,000 long; Asphalt $3,000 short/$3,200 long; Concrete $3,000 short/$3,700 long. (Code prints "$2,5000", a typo for $2,500.) City-installed sewer tap, smallest size 4": Unpaved $2,600 short/$3,200 long; Asphalt $4,200 short/$5,300 long; Concrete $3,500 short/$7,900 long. I used the 1" asphalt-short water tap ($3,000) and 4" asphalt-short sewer tap ($4,200) as representative primary rows; other pavement/length/size combinations are mutually-exclusive variants (excludeFromTotal). In new developments developers actually pay the full cost of taps via a Community Facilities Agreement (CFA); these published tap fees apply to city-installed taps. CAVEATS: Transportation fee is location-specific; any given lot depends on its service area — no single citywide SF number exists. Water/wastewater impact fees scale by meter size (equivalency factor), 5/8" base used. All impact figures are one-time charges collected at building permit issuance. Tap fees are construction-cost-recovery charges, not Ch. 395 impact fees. Population is the 2020 Census count for the City of Fort Worth.</coverageNotes> <parameter name="feeNotes">Representative single-family-detached one-time development charges in effect 6/16/2026, summed across the primary (non-excluded) rows: Water impact $2,824 + Wastewater impact $2,680 + Transportation impact (Service Area C example, 65% collection) $5,336.77 + Water tap (1" asphalt short) $3,000 + Sewer tap (4" asphalt short) $4,200. Transportation varies dramatically by service area (~$1,064–$19,079/unit); the Area C value is a mid-range representative, not a citywide figure.
Sources
9 official sources · 8 high-confidence figures.
- 1Current Impact Fees (Water & Wastewater) - City of Fort WorthCity of Fort Worth · fee schedule · effective Oct 1, 2025 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 2Collection rates for water and wastewater impact fees - City of Fort WorthCity of Fort Worth · municipal webpage · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 3Transportation Impact Fees - City of Fort WorthCity of Fort Worth · municipal webpage · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 4Transportation Impact Fee Calculation (collection rates; residential phase-in to 65% on 6/1/2026) - City of Fort WorthCity of Fort Worth · municipal webpage · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 5Schedule 1 - Transportation Impact Fee Maximum Assessable Rate Per Vehicle-Mile (by service area)City of Fort Worth · fee schedule · effective Nov 1, 2022 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 6Transportation Impact Fee Estimator (official) - LUVMET land-use vehicle-mile table & collection-rate logicCity of Fort Worth · fee study · effective Sep 17, 2025 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 7City Code Ch. 30, Art. VIII: Transportation Impact Fee Ordinance (updated 9/1/2025)City of Fort Worth · ordinance · effective Sep 1, 2025 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 8Fort Worth City Code Sec. 35-57.4 Water Tap ConnectionsAmerican Legal Publishing / City of Fort Worth · ordinance · effective Oct 1, 2023 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
- 9Fort Worth City Code Sec. 35-57.5 Sewer Tap ConnectionsAmerican Legal Publishing / City of Fort Worth · ordinance · effective Oct 1, 2023 · retrieved Jun 16, 2026
Fort Worth impact fees — FAQ
- How much are development impact fees in Fort Worth, TX for a single-family home?
- As of 2026-06-16, total development fees for a single-family detached home in Fort Worth are about $18,041 per unit — roughly $5,337 in impact/development fees plus $12,704 in water/sewer connection fees. Figures are normalized from official sources; verify with the jurisdiction before relying on them.
- What are the impact fees per multifamily unit in Fort Worth, TX?
- Total development fees for a multifamily unit in Fort Worth are about $2,894 per unit as of 2026-06-16.
- Are impact fees in Fort Worth 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 Fort Worth'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 Fort Worth on 2026-06-16.