Parker, Colorado - Town Development Fees
Town of Parker | Home-rule Town | Douglas County | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO MSA | Parker Road / E-470 corridor
Parker is a fast-growing home-rule Town in Douglas County, southeast of Denver on the Parker Road and E-470 corridor, within the Colorado Front Range. It is distinctive in the ZoneFee inventory because its growth-infrastructure funding runs through a voter-approved Development Excise Tax (Municipal Code Chapter 4.07), collected once at building-permit issuance, rather than a conventional Colorado C.R.S. 29-20-104.5 development impact fee - a different mechanism from neighboring Castle Rock, which stacks a formal impact fee on top of its system development fees. The Development Excise Tax is $10,178 per single-family home. The Town also publishes a consolidated Development-Related User Fee Schedule for planning, subdivision, site plan, building-permit-review, and engineering fees, and charges a Metropolitan District Service Plan review fee. Water and sewer service is provided by the separate Parker Water and Sanitation District, not the Town, so no Town water or sewer tap fee applies. All amounts below are drawn from the Town of Parker Development-Related User Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2025) and the codified Municipal Code Chapter 4.07. Verify current amounts with the Town of Parker before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact Fees (Development Excise Tax - Municipal Code Ch. 4.07) | Confirmed | Residential $10,178 per single-family dwelling / $6,337 per attached dwelling / $5,567 per apartment unit; nonresidential $0.25 per square foot of usable space; collected once at building permit; recomputed annually by the Colorado Construction Cost Index | Current codified (see note) |
| Zoning and Development Review Fees | Confirmed | New Planned Development $11,421; Straight Rezoning $801; New Annexation Application & Agreement $1,042; Variance $315; tiered subdivision plat and site plan fees; parallel Engineering / Public Works land-use, study, construction-plan-review, grading, and right-of-way permit fees | 2025-01-01 |
| Special District Fees (Colorado Title 32 metropolitan district) | Confirmed | Metropolitan District Service Plan review $1,190; Service Plan Amendment $595; Intergovernmental Agreement $546 | 2025-01-01 |
| Utility Tap Fees | Not administered | Water and sewer service in Parker is provided by the Parker Water and Sanitation District, a separate C.R.S. Title 32 special district with its own board and its own tap and system development fee schedule; the Town charges no water or sewer tap fee (only a $422 engineering utility-plans review fee) | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Colorado has no proffer regime; Colorado exactions run through the development excise tax, subdivision improvement agreements, and annexation and development agreements | - |
Development Excise Tax
Source: Town of Parker Municipal Code Chapter 4.07 (Development Excise Tax), codified and current per the Municode version dated May 7, 2026. Parker does not levy a separate Colorado C.R.S. 29-20-104.5 development impact fee. Instead, a voter-approved Development Excise Tax is collected on one occasion only, at building-permit issuance - the Building Official may not issue a building permit until the applicable tax is paid in full. The Development Excise Tax Fund covers the same categories a conventional impact fee funds: major streets and transportation, parks and recreation, municipal and administrative facilities, law enforcement, and payments to South Metro Fire Rescue for public safety services.
Residential development excise tax (per dwelling)
| Dwelling type | Development Excise Tax |
|---|---|
| Single-family dwelling | $10,178.00 |
| Attached dwelling | $6,337.00 |
| Apartment building dwelling unit | $5,567.00 |
Nonresidential development excise tax
| Development type | Development Excise Tax |
|---|---|
| Nonresidential development | $0.25 per square foot of usable space |
These are the current codified rates per the May 7, 2026 Municipal Code version. Under Section 4.07.070, the tax is recomputed in each year by the percentage change in the Colorado Construction Cost Index set by CDOT (or an equivalent), unless the Town Council waives that year's increase, so the amount actually collected in a given year may exceed the codified figures shown. A per-dwelling credit is available under Section 4.07.035 for developer-constructed recreational facilities, trails, and community parks. Authority: Town of Parker (collected by the Building Division at permit issuance).
Development Review and Zoning Fees
Source: Town of Parker Development-Related User Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2025. Parker is a home-rule Town; its land-use entitlement, subdivision, site-plan, building-permit-review, and engineering / construction-plan-review fees all run through this single consolidated schedule.
Community Development - Planning Division
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| New Annexation Application & Agreement | $1,042 |
| Rezoning - Straight | $801 |
| New Planned Development | $11,421 |
| Planned Development Amendment | $3,521 |
| Variance | $315 |
| Use by Special Review - General | $2,480 |
| Use by Special Review - Wireless Communication Facilities | $651 |
| Sign Permit - New | $91 |
| Planned Sign Program | $248 |
Subdivision and platting (by acreage tier)
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Framework Plan | $2,410.56 (0-10 ac) / $3,215.32 (10-100 ac) / $4,020.08 (over 100 ac) |
| Preliminary Plan | $3,375.90 (0-10 ac) / $4,501.20 (10-100 ac) / $5,626.50 (over 100 ac) |
| Final Plat | $1,128 (0-10 ac) / $1,507 (10-100 ac) / $1,885 (over 100 ac) |
| Minor Development Plat | $1,407 (0-10 ac) / $1,876 (10-100 ac) / $2,344 (over 100 ac) |
| Replat | $384 |
| Subdivision / Development Agreement | $701 (Amendment $453) |
Site plan review
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential Site Plan | $3,761.85 (1-2 buildings) to $11,285.55 (over 10 buildings) |
| Nonresidential Site Plan | $514.60 (1-2 buildings) to $1,543.80 (over 10 buildings) |
| Site Plan Amendment | $570.40 |
Engineering / Public Works
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Land Use - Annexation review | $756 |
| Land Use - Zoning review | $794 |
| Subdivision Improvement Agreement / Development Agreement | $1,004 each |
| Right-of-Way Dedication or Vacation | $484 |
| Drainage Report | $694 (0-5 ac) to $7,142 (over 50 ac) |
| Traffic Impact Study | $868 (0-5 ac) to $5,146 (over 50 ac) |
| Construction Plan Review - Street / Storm | $1,141 (0-5 ac) to $7,800 (over 50 ac) |
| Utility Plans review | $422 |
| Grading Permit (Application / Administration) | $1,300 (0-5 ac) to $2,500 (over 50 ac) + $25/acre |
| Right-of-Way Use Permit | $400 + Traffic Control Plan Review $300 |
Building permit fees themselves are valuation-based per the Town's separate Fee / Valuation Schedule; the amounts above capture the planning, inspection, and engineering review components. Authority: Town of Parker Community Development Department and Engineering / Public Works Department.
Metropolitan District Service Plan Fee
Source: Town of Parker Development-Related User Fee Schedule (Engineering / Public Works - Agreements), effective January 1, 2025. Unlike some Colorado jurisdictions, the Town of Parker does charge a developer-side fee to review the formation or amendment of a Colorado C.R.S. Title 32 metropolitan district service plan - the standard financing vehicle for new Douglas County subdivision infrastructure.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan District Service Plan review | $1,190 |
| Service Plan Amendment | $595 |
| Intergovernmental Agreement | $546 |
Authority: Town of Parker Engineering / Public Works Department. This fee is for the Town's review of the service plan; the metropolitan district, once formed, levies its own assessments and fees through its own board.
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 administered, or deferred to the cited source rather than estimated or omitted silently. These items remain under limited-coverage review until these gaps are closed.
Annual adjustment of the Development Excise Tax
The Development Excise Tax rates shown ($10,178 / $6,337 / $5,567 residential per dwelling and $0.25 per square foot nonresidential) are the current codified amounts per the May 7, 2026 Municipal Code version. Under Section 4.07.070 the tax is recomputed each year by the Colorado Construction Cost Index unless the Town Council waives the increase. ZoneFee presents the codified rates and discloses the annual adjustment mechanism rather than estimating a current-year computed figure the Town has not separately published.
Utility Tap Fees
Water and wastewater service in Parker is provided by the Parker Water and Sanitation District, a separate Colorado C.R.S. Title 32 special district with its own board and its own tap and system development fee schedule. The Town of Parker does not levy water or sewer tap or connection fees; its consolidated development fee schedule contains no water or sewer tap fee, only a $422 engineering utility-plans review fee. Three substitute paths were checked on 2026-07-31 (the Development-Related User Fee Schedule, the Fee Schedules landing page, and the Building Permit Fees page), none of which showed a Town-administered water or sewer tap fee. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction; it is set by the Parker Water and Sanitation District.
Proffers
Colorado has no proffer regime. Cash proffers are a Virginia and Maryland conditional-zoning instrument (Virginia Code Section 15.2-2303.4) with no Colorado counterpart. Colorado developer exactions run through the C.R.S. Title 29 home-rule development excise tax (captured in the Development Excise Tax section above), subdivision improvement agreements, and annexation and development agreements (captured under Development Review and Zoning Fees). Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Parker - Community Development Department (Planning and Building Divisions) and Engineering / Public Works Department | Development Excise Tax; zoning, planned development, annexation, variance, subdivision, site plan, and building-permit-review fees; engineering land-use, study, construction-plan-review, grading, and right-of-way permit fees; metropolitan district service plan review fees | parkerco.gov |
| Parker Water and Sanitation District (separate C.R.S. Title 32 special district) | Water and sewer tap, connection, and system development fees (administered by the District, not the Town) | pwsd.org |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Development-Related User Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2025, 14 pp) | Town of Parker Community Development / Engineering | 2026-07-31 |
| Municipal Code Chapter 4.07 - Development Excise Tax (Municode version May 7, 2026) | Town of Parker (Municipal Code) | 2026-07-31 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-07-31. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the Town of Parker (Community Development and Engineering / Public Works) and, for water and sewer, the Parker Water and Sanitation District before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the Town of Parker Development-Related User Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2025) and the codified Municipal Code Chapter 4.07 (Development Excise Tax, Municode version May 7, 2026), 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. Parker funds growth infrastructure through a Development Excise Tax collected at building permit, recomputed annually by the Colorado Construction Cost Index, so the amount collected in a given year may exceed the codified figures shown. Water and sewer service is provided by the separate Parker Water and Sanitation District, which administers its own tap and system development fees, and Colorado jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers. Verify all current rates directly with the Town of Parker 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.