Brighton, Colorado - City Development Fees
City of Brighton | Adams County (county seat), straddling the Adams / Weld County line | Denver metro north | I-76 / US-85 corridor
Brighton is the county seat of Adams County, straddling the Adams / Weld County line north of Denver on the I-76 / US-85 corridor in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO metro. Unlike most North Carolina jurisdictions, Colorado home-rule cities such as Brighton do levy development impact fees, and Brighton charges a full set collected at building permit. Brighton also owns its water utility and recovers water-system capacity through a water impact (tap) fee tied to water-rights dedication, along with the planning, subdivision, and metropolitan-district review fees typical of a Front Range city. Colorado does not use Virginia-style cash proffers; exactions run through impact fees, subdivision and annexation agreements, and water-rights dedication. All amounts below are drawn from the 2026 City of Brighton Fees (All Departments) schedule, effective January 1, 2026, and were reconciled against amending Resolution 2025-87. Verify current amounts with the City of Brighton before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Impact Fees (collected at building permit) | Confirmed | About $8,860 per single-family home: Community Park $2,063 + Neighborhood Park $2,063 + Transportation & Multimodal $3,638 + General Services $1,096; nonresidential Transportation/Multimodal $0.43-$1.03 per sq ft by use | 2026-01-01 |
| Utility Tap Fees (water impact fee + water meter fee, by tap size) | Confirmed | 3/4-inch tap water impact fee $18,403 (water rights dedicated) or $15,227 (fee-in-lieu), plus $287.93 water meter fee; scales to $98,148 at 2-inch; multi-unit $18,403 first unit + $11,041 each additional | 2026-01-01 |
| Zoning, Subdivision, and Development Review Fees | Confirmed | Rezoning $1,500; Planned Development $1,500 + $20/acre; Conditional Use $2,000-$4,700; Site Plan $2,000-$4,700; Subdivision Plan $2,500 + $30/acre; Final Plat $2,000 + $40/acre; Annexation $1,350 + $10/acre; Variance $900 | 2026-01-01 |
| Special District Fees (Colorado Title 32 metropolitan district) | Confirmed | Metropolitan District Service Plan (Ordinance 1852) $5,000 + $20,000 fee-escrow deposit; Amendment $2,500 + $10,000 escrow | 2026-01-01 |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Colorado does not use Virginia-style cash proffers; exactions run through impact fees, subdivision and annexation agreements, and water-rights dedication | - |
Development Impact Fees
Source: 2026 City of Brighton Fees (All Departments), Attachment 14 - Development Impact Fees, effective January 1, 2026. This is the highest-value block on the page for a developer. Brighton collects these impact fees at building permit on all new development to fund parks, transportation, and general municipal facilities. They are separate from the water impact fee below and from any metropolitan-district fee.
| Impact Fee | Residential (per unit) | Multi-Unit (per unit) |
|---|---|---|
| Community Park | $2,063.00 | $2,063.00 |
| Neighborhood Park | $2,063.00 | $2,063.00 |
| Transportation & Multimodal | $3,638.00 | $3,105.00 |
| General Services | $1,096.00 | $898.00 |
| Single-family detached total | About $8,860.00 | - |
A standard single-family detached home therefore pays approximately $8,860 in City development impact fees, plus the water impact fee shown below. Nonresidential Transportation and Multimodal impact fees are charged per square foot of building area: office $1.03, commercial / retail $0.68, and industrial / warehouse $0.43. These City impact fees exclude the water impact fee and any separate metropolitan-district or Brighton Fire Rescue District fee.
Water Impact and Meter Fees
Source: 2026 City of Brighton Fees (All Departments), Attachment 14 - Water Meter and Water Impact Fees, effective January 1, 2026. Brighton owns its water utility and requires water-rights dedication for new service, or a fee-in-lieu where rights are not dedicated. The water impact fee is charged by tap size and is separate from the development impact fees above.
| Tap Size | Water Impact Fee (rights dedicated) | Water Impact Fee (fee-in-lieu) | Water Meter Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/4 inch | $18,403.00 | $15,227.00 | $287.93 |
| 1 inch | $30,671.00 | $25,379.00 | $363.76 |
| 1 1/2 inch | $61,343.00 | $50,757.00 | $820.58 |
| 2 inch | $98,148.00 | $81,212.00 | $1,007.75 |
For a standard 3/4-inch residential tap, the water impact fee is $18,403 where water rights are dedicated, or $15,227 as a fee-in-lieu, plus a $287.93 water meter fee. For multi-unit development the water impact fee is $18,403 for the first unit and $11,041 for each additional unit. A sewer inspection fee and a water meter / tap inspection fee are each $50. Fee authority: City of Brighton Public Works / Utilities.
Zoning, Subdivision, and Development Review Fees
Source: 2026 City of Brighton Fees (All Departments), Attachment 3 - Community Development (Planning), effective January 1, 2026, reconciled against amending Resolution 2025-87. Application fees include one initial and two staff reviews; additional reviews are billed at 25% of the original fee.
Zoning and planned development
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Rezoning ("Zoning") | $1,500.00 |
| Planned Development | $1,500.00 + $20.00/acre |
| Planned Development - Major Amendment | $1,250.00 + $15.00/acre |
| Planned Development - Minor Amendment | $250.00 + $10.00/acre |
| Conditional Use - Full DRC (under 5 acres) | $2,000.00 |
| Conditional Use - Full DRC (5 to 10 acres) | $3,350.00 |
| Conditional Use - Full DRC (over 10 acres) | $4,700.00 |
| Conditional Use - Administrative | $1,000.00 |
Site plans and plats
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Site Plan (under 5 acres) | $2,000.00 |
| Site Plan (5 to 10 acres) | $3,350.00 |
| Site Plan (over 10 acres) | $4,700.00 |
| Administrative Plat | $1,000.00 |
| Subdivision Plan | $2,500.00 + $30.00/acre |
| Final Plat | $2,000.00 + $40.00/acre |
Annexation and other petitions
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Annexation (first 100 acres) | $1,350.00 + $10.00/acre |
| Variance | $900.00 |
| Site Improvement Permit | $800.00 |
| Right-of-Way / Easement Vacation | $900.00 |
Fee authority: City of Brighton Community Development (Planning).
Metropolitan District Fees
Source: 2026 City of Brighton Fees (All Departments), Attachment 3 - Special District Service Plan, effective January 1, 2026. Colorado Title 32 metropolitan districts are the standard Adams / Weld subdivision-infrastructure financing vehicle, and Brighton charges a review fee for a district service plan and its amendments under Ordinance 1852.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Special District Service Plan (new) | $5,000.00 + $20,000.00 fee-escrow deposit |
| Special District Service Plan Amendment | $2,500.00 + $10,000.00 fee-escrow deposit |
Fee authority: City of Brighton, under Ordinance 1852. The fee-escrow deposit funds the City's third-party review of the proposed district and is separate from the flat review fee.
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were either closed by official-source review as not applicable, or noted as administered by a separate authority rather than estimated or omitted silently. These items remain under limited-coverage review until these gaps are closed.
Proffers
Colorado does not use Virginia-style cash proffers. Cash proffers are a Virginia and Maryland conditional-zoning instrument (Virginia Code Section 15.2-2303.4) with no Colorado counterpart. In Colorado, developer exactions run through the impact fees, the subdivision and annexation agreements, and the water-rights dedication captured above rather than through a proffer. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Brighton Fire Rescue District impact fee
Brighton Fire Rescue District levies its own development impact fee, which is administered by the fire district rather than by the City of Brighton and is published on a separate district schedule. It is not included in the City impact fees above. Confirm the current district fee directly with Brighton Fire Rescue District for a specific parcel.
Amendment reconciliation
The figures on this page were reconciled against amending Resolution 2025-87 (which corrects and clarifies certain 2026 fees). The amendment re-adopts the Attachment 3 planning fees and the Attachment 14 development impact fees at the same amounts shown here. Verify the current adopted schedule with the City before relying on these figures.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Brighton - Community Development (Planning) | Rezoning, planned development, conditional use, site plan, subdivision plan, final plat, administrative plat, annexation, variance, site improvement, right-of-way / easement vacation, and metropolitan district service plan review fees | brightonco.gov |
| City of Brighton - Public Works / Utilities | Development impact fees (parks, transportation and multimodal, general services), water impact fees, and water meter fees by tap size | brightonco.gov |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 City of Brighton Fees (All Departments) - Attachment 3 (Community Development / Planning), Attachment 14 (Development Impact and Water Fees), and Special District Service Plan (57 pp) | City of Brighton Community Development and Public Works / Utilities | 2026-08-01 |
| Resolution 2025-87 - Amendment to the 2026 Fees and Charges (correcting and clarifying certain fees; reconciled at build) | City of Brighton City Council | 2026-08-04 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-08-01. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Brighton Community Development or Public Works / Utilities before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the 2026 City of Brighton Fees (All Departments) schedule, effective January 1, 2026, and reconciled against amending Resolution 2025-87, as of the last-verified date above. ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. Development impact fees are collected at building permit and the roughly $8,860 single-family total applies to a single-family detached unit; the water impact fee is charged separately by tap size and depends on whether water rights are dedicated ($18,403 for a 3/4-inch tap) or paid as a fee-in-lieu ($15,227). Colorado does not use Virginia-style cash proffers, and Brighton Fire Rescue District's impact fee is administered separately by the fire district, not by the City. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Brighton before relying on this data for land acquisition, project budgeting, or any financial decision. This page is for research and due-diligence reference only - it is not legal or financial advice.