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 wastewater connection fees and 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 checked against amending Resolution 2025-87 (re-verified 2026-11-04). 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; plus Storm Drainage $5,488 per unit outside South Beebe Draw Metropolitan District; nonresidential Transportation/Multimodal $0.43-$1.03 per sq ft of building area by use, Storm Drainage $1.03 per sq ft of impervious area | 2026-01-01 |
| Utility Tap Fees (water impact, water meter, and wastewater fees, 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. Wastewater: Metro Water Recovery $6,070 per single-family unit; City Wastewater Connection $837 (3/4-inch tap) | 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), Resolution 2025-76, Attachment 14 - Development Impact Fees, effective January 1, 2026, as amended by Resolution 2025-87. 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 subtotal (park, transportation, general services) | About $8,860.00 | - |
| Storm Drainage (outside South Beebe Draw Metropolitan District only) | $5,488.00 | $2,744.00 (apartment buildings) |
A standard single-family detached home therefore pays approximately $8,860 in park, transportation and general services impact fees, plus the $5,488 Storm Drainage Impact Fee where the lot is outside the South Beebe Draw Metropolitan District, plus the water and wastewater fees shown below. Nonresidential Transportation and Multimodal impact fees are charged per square foot of gross building area: office $1.03, commercial / retail $0.68, and industrial / warehouse $0.43. Nonresidential Storm Drainage is charged on a different basis: $1.03 per square foot of impervious surface area, including all additions of 1,000 square feet or greater. Park and General Services fees have no nonresidential rate. Accessory dwelling units are not charged park, transportation or general services impact fees (Resolution 2025-87). These City impact fees exclude the water and wastewater fees 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 |
| 3 inch | $214,699.00 | $177,653.00 | $3,435.06 |
| 4 inch | $368,056.00 | $304,547.00 | $3,800.89 |
| 6 inch | By special review | By special review | $5,954.51 |
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. Where the fee-in-lieu exception applies, a separate density-based fee-in-lieu of water dedication is charged in addition to the water impact fee; see Attachment 14 of the official schedule. A sewer inspection fee and a water meter / tap inspection fee are each $50 (water meter / tap re-inspection $100). Fee authority: City of Brighton Public Works / Utilities.
Wastewater fees (by water tap size)
| Tap Size | Metro Water Recovery (non-single-family) | City Wastewater Connection Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4 inch | $12,140.00 | $837.00 |
| 1 inch | $29,136.00 | $1,395.00 |
| 1 1/2 inch | $66,770.00 | $2,790.00 |
| 2 inch | $121,400.00 | $4,464.00 |
| 3 inch | $261,010.00 | $8,928.00 |
| 4 inch | $522,020.00 | $13,950.00 |
Metro Water Recovery (MWR) fees are set by the MWR District and collected by the City where MWR provides wastewater treatment. MWR "single-family units" pay $6,070.00 per unit; non-single-family units pay by tap size as above (see MWR Rules and Regulations for the definitions). The City Wastewater Connection Fee applies in addition; apartment buildings served by one meter pay $837.00 for the first unit and $543.00 for each additional unit. Areas served by the Town of Lochbuie pay Lochbuie's wastewater fee instead of the MWR fee, and South Brighton Infrastructure (SBI) water and wastewater development fees apply in mapped zones; those amounts are published in Attachment 14 and are not reproduced here. Source: 2026 City of Brighton Fees, Attachment 14, pages 53-54.
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. This is a one-time formation or amendment review fee paid to the City, not an ongoing district fee; each district's own development fees are not part of the City schedule.
| 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 checked on 2026-11-04 against amending Resolution 2025-87 (adopted December 2, 2025, effective January 1, 2026), which amends Attachments 3, 4 and 14. The amendment restates the Attachment 3 planning fees and the Attachment 14 development impact fees at the same amounts shown here and adds that accessory dwelling units are not charged park, transportation or general services impact fees. 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, storm drainage), water impact fees, water meter fees, wastewater connection fees, and Metro Water Recovery fees collected on behalf of MWR | brightonco.gov |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 City of Brighton Fees (All Departments) - Resolution 2025-76, Attachment 3 (Community Development / Planning), Attachment 14 (Development Impact, Water and Wastewater Fees), and Special District Service Plan (57 pp) | City of Brighton Community Development and Public Works / Utilities | 2026-11-04 |
| Resolution 2025-87 - Amendment to Attachments 3, 4 and 14 of the 2026 Fees and Charges (adopted December 2, 2025; effective January 1, 2026) | City of Brighton City Council | 2026-11-04 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-11-04. 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; the roughly $8,860 park, transportation and general services subtotal applies to a single-family detached unit, and the $5,488 storm drainage impact fee applies in addition outside the South Beebe Draw Metropolitan District; 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.