Frederick (City), Maryland - Development Fees
Frederick | City (Frederick County seat) | Frederick County / DC-Baltimore I-270 corridor | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV MSA | Own water and sewer utility
This page covers the City of Frederick, the independent municipality (roughly 80,000 residents) that serves as the Frederick County seat. It is a distinct government from unincorporated Frederick County, which ZoneFee publishes as a separate county-master record; the two levy different development charges, so confirm which jurisdiction your parcel sits in. The City administers development charges through three channels: the Downtown Frederick Mobility Fee, a transportation impact fee limited to the Downtown Mobility Fee District; zoning and land-development application fees in the FY2027 Planning Department Fee Schedule; and its own municipal water and sewer utility, which levies a Water & Sewer Allocation and Impact Fee. Verify current amounts with the City of Frederick before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Mobility (Impact) Fee - Downtown Mobility Fee District only | Confirmed | Base (2022): Residential $311.07 per dwelling unit; Retail $3.94 per gross sq ft; Office/Other $1.72 per gross sq ft; Industrial $0.96 per gross sq ft. Base escalates annually each July 1 (since 7/1/2023) by 100% of CPI-U (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria) | Effective 2022-09-01 (base; CPI-escalated) |
| Zoning & Development Application Fees (FY2027 Planning Department Fee Schedule) | Confirmed | Zoning Map Amendment $4,400.00 + $10/acre; Major Final Site Plan $2,000.00 + $10/unit; Preliminary Plat $3,700.00 + $5/acre + $20/lot; Conditional Use $650.00 | 2026-07-01 (FY2027) |
| Water & Sewer Impact Fees (own utility; per EDU) | Confirmed | Water Impact Fee $7,547.64 per EDU; Sewer Impact Fee $6,624.76 per EDU (1 EDU = 250 gal/day) | 2026-07-01 (FY27) |
| Special District Fees | Not administered | The City levies no separate per-application special-district developer fee; its only overlay is the Downtown Mobility Fee District, captured above | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Maryland has no cash proffer regime; growth cost is recovered through the APFO / Downtown Mobility Fee and the Water & Sewer Impact Fee | - |
Downtown Mobility Fee (Transportation Impact Fee)
Source: City of Frederick Resolution 22-15 (adopted 8/18/2022), which establishes the Downtown Mobility Fee rate table. Ordinance G-22-10 amended the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO, City Code Chapter 4, Section 4-23) to create the Downtown Frederick Mobility Fee District, effective 9/1/2022. This transportation impact fee applies only within the Downtown Mobility Fee District - it is not a citywide charge.
Adopted Base Rate Table (Resolution 22-15, 2022)
| Type of Development | Base Fee (2022) |
|---|---|
| Residential | $311.07 per dwelling unit |
| Retail | $3.94 per gross square foot |
| Office | $1.72 per gross square foot |
| Industrial | $0.96 per gross square foot |
| Other | $1.72 per gross square foot |
Currency note: the figures above are the adopted 2022 base, subject to annual CPI escalation. Resolution 22-15 provides for an automatic annual increase as of July 1, 2023 and every July 1 thereafter, equal to 100% of the annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV). The currently payable amount is therefore the base above escalated by the accumulated annual CPI factors. The escalated dollar amount is not published in the base resolution and is computed by the City; confirm the current-year figure with the City of Frederick before relying on it. Authority: City of Frederick Resolution 22-15; APFO Ordinance G-22-10.
Zoning and Development Application Fees
Source: City of Frederick FY2027 Fee Schedule - Planning Department (Exhibit A), effective 7/1/2026. The schedule covers zoning map and text amendments, master plans, site plans, subdivision and plats, conditional use, variances, appeals, temporary use, and sign permits.
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Zoning Map Amendment (all other) | $4,400.00 + $10/acre |
| Floating Zone Map Amendment | $1,000.00 |
| Text Amendment | $4,400.00 |
| Annexation Request | $4,400.00 + $10/acre (de-annexation $1,000.00) |
| Master Plan (25 acres or larger) | $3,500.00 + $20/acre (nonres) / $20/unit (res) |
| Master Plan (less than 25 acres) | $2,500.00 + $20/acre or $20/unit |
| Major Final Site Plan | $2,000.00 + $10/unit (res) or +$30/1,000 sf (nonres) |
| Minor Final Site Plan (Staff Level) | $1,600.00 |
| Preliminary Plat | $3,700.00 + $5/acre + $20/lot |
| Combined Preliminary Plat + Final Site Plan | $5,700 + $10/unit or $30/1,000 sf + $5/acre + $20/lot |
| Final Plat (Planning Commission approval) | $900.00 + $10/lot (administrative $800.00 + $10/lot) |
| Conditional Use | $650.00 (home occupation $100.00) |
| Variance | Residential $300 base + $25/standard; Nonresidential $650 base |
| Zoning Administrator Appeal / Board & Commission Appeal | $300.00 / $600.00 |
| Temporary Use | $650.00 |
| Zoning Administrator Written Determinations | $200.00 |
| Sign Permit | $25.00 |
Authority: City of Frederick Planning Department. The source PDF is titled "FY 2027 FEE SCHEDULE" (effective 7/1/2026) though it is hosted at a DocumentCenter path labeled FY2026. The schedule also carries legal-review and Historic Preservation Commission fees not reproduced here.
Water and Sewer Impact Fees
Source: City of Frederick Water & Sewer Allocation & Impact Fee page (Engineering / Utilities), governed by Frederick City Code Article 9, Section 25. The City of Frederick operates its own water and wastewater utility. The Water & Sewer Allocation and Impact Fee is this jurisdiction's utility capacity / connection charge, granted at building-permit application and charged per EDU (Equivalent Dwelling Unit), where 1 EDU = 250 gallons per day.
| Impact Fee (FY27) | Fee |
|---|---|
| Water Impact Fee | $7,547.64 per EDU (1 EDU = 250 gal/day) |
| Sewer Impact Fee | $6,624.76 per EDU (1 EDU = 250 gal/day) |
Authority: City of Frederick Engineering - Utilities / Water & Sewer Service Committee. FY27 per-EDU amounts are stated directly on the City's official Water & Sewer Allocation & Impact Fee page.
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were not closed on this page with a fixed fee amount traceable to a dated or byte-stable official source document. They are disclosed here rather than estimated, paraphrased from a non-official source, or omitted silently. These items remain under limited-coverage review until these gaps are closed from official sources.
Downtown Mobility Fee - current escalated amount
The Downtown Mobility Fee rates published above are the adopted 2022 base. Since 7/1/2023 they increase automatically each July 1 by 100% of the annual CPI-U change (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV). The current-year escalated dollar figure is computed by the City and is not published in the base resolution, so it is not reproduced here; the fee also applies only within the Downtown Mobility Fee District. Confirm the current escalated amount and the district boundary with the City of Frederick before budgeting.
Special district fees
The City of Frederick's only special-district-style overlay is the Downtown Frederick Mobility Fee District, an APFO transportation-impact overlay captured under the impact fee section above. Maryland municipal special taxing and community-benefit districts are property-tax and benefit-assessment mechanisms, not developer-facing per-application fees, and no separate special-district developer application fee appears in the Planning fee schedule, the Water & Sewer impact fee page, or the Applications & Fees index. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Proffers
Cash proffers are a Virginia conditional-zoning instrument (Va. Code Sections 15.2-2303 and 15.2-2303.4) with no Maryland counterpart. Maryland has no proffer regime; the City of Frederick recovers growth cost through the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance / Downtown Mobility Fee and the Water & Sewer Impact Fee. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Frederick Planning Department | Zoning and land-development application fees (FY2027 Planning Department Fee Schedule) | cityoffrederickmd.gov |
| City of Frederick Engineering - Utilities / Water & Sewer Service Committee | Water & Sewer Allocation and Impact Fee (per EDU), granted at building-permit application | cityoffrederickmd.gov |
| City of Frederick Mayor & Board of Aldermen | Downtown Mobility Fee rate table (Resolution 22-15) and the Downtown Mobility Fee District (APFO Ordinance G-22-10) | cityoffrederickmd.gov |
Other Maryland jurisdictions covered by ZoneFee: Frederick County (the surrounding county-master, distinct from this City record), Montgomery County, and Howard County. See also the impact fees guide for how development impact fees work.
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| FY2027 Fee Schedule - Planning Department (Exhibit A; zoning application fees) | City of Frederick Planning Department | 2026-08-06 |
| Resolution 22-15 - Establishing Downtown Mobility Fees (base rate table) | City of Frederick Mayor & Board of Aldermen | 2026-08-06 |
| Water & Sewer Allocation & Impact Fee page (FY27 per-EDU amounts) | City of Frederick Engineering - Utilities | 2026-08-06 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-08-08. Fee schedules are subject to change, and the Downtown Mobility Fee escalates annually by CPI. Verify current rates directly with the City of Frederick (Planning Department, Engineering / Utilities) before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City of Frederick FY2027 Planning Department Fee Schedule, Resolution 22-15 (Downtown Mobility Fees), and the City's Water & Sewer Allocation & Impact Fee page. It covers the City of Frederick, an independent municipality that is distinct from unincorporated Frederick County (published separately by ZoneFee); confirm which jurisdiction governs your parcel. ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. The Downtown Mobility Fee figures shown are the adopted 2022 base and escalate automatically each July 1 by 100% of the annual CPI-U change (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria); the current escalated amount is computed by the City and is not reproduced here, and the fee applies only within the Downtown Mobility Fee District. Maryland has no Virginia-style cash proffer regime (Va. Code 15.2-2303 has no Maryland counterpart), and the City levies no separate per-application special-district developer fee. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Frederick 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.