Apex, North Carolina - Town Development Fees
Town of Apex | Wake County | Research Triangle | Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA
Apex is a fast-growing town in southwestern Wake County, adjacent to Cary and part of the Research Triangle near Raleigh. The Town administers development submittal, rezoning, and plat fees through its Planning Department, building permit fees through Building Inspections and Permitting, and operates its own municipal water and sewer utility that charges North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 162A capital reimbursement (system development) fees and water and sewer tap fees. All amounts below are drawn from the single consolidated Town of Apex Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 (FY 2026/2027). Verify current amounts with the Town of Apex before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water and Sewer Capital Reimbursement Fees (NC G.S. 162A Art. 8 system development fees) | Confirmed | 3/4-inch meter $6,078 total (water $1,788 + sewer $4,290); 1-inch $10,130; 2-inch $32,416; 6-inch $202,600 | 2026-07-01 (FY 2026/2027) |
| Development Submittal, Rezoning, Plat, and Building Permit Fees | Confirmed | Rezoning / Conditional Zoning $700 + $25 per acre; Planned Development $2,000 + $25 per acre; Site Plan Major $1,500 + $10 per acre; Special Use Permit $700 | 2026-07-01 (FY 2026/2027) |
| Water and Sewer Tap (Connection) Fees | Confirmed | 3/4-inch water tap base $2,300 (+$1,000 bore, +$1,500 street cut), meter only $315; 4-inch sewer tap base $2,500 (+$1,500 street cut) | 2026-07-01 (FY 2026/2027) |
| Proffers | Not applicable | North Carolina does not use Virginia-style cash proffers | - |
| Special District Fees | Not administered | Apex operates its own municipal utility; no development-finance district developer application fee | - |
Water and Sewer Capital Reimbursement (System Development) Fees
North Carolina does not authorize classic impact fees absent a local act, and Apex has none. The Town's developer-side capital-recovery charge is the Water and Sewer Capital Reimbursement Fee, which is a system development fee under North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 162A, Article 8. It is a one-time capital charge assessed against new development, calculated and collected by Inspections and Permitting and by Planning. Rates are set by meter size. A 75 percent grant may be available in the Central Business District.
Capital Reimbursement Fees by Meter Size
| Meter Size | Water | Sewer | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/4-inch | $1,788 | $4,290 | $6,078 |
| 1-inch | $2,980 | $7,150 | $10,130 |
| 1.5-inch | $5,960 | $14,300 | $20,260 |
| 2-inch | $9,536 | $22,880 | $32,416 |
| 3-inch | $19,072 | $45,760 | $64,832 |
| 4-inch | $29,800 | $71,500 | $101,300 |
| 6-inch | $59,600 | $143,000 | $202,600 |
| 8-inch | $95,360 | $228,800 | $324,160 |
| 10-inch | $250,320 | $600,600 | $850,920 |
| 12-inch | $315,880 | $757,900 | $1,073,780 |
Unlike neighboring Cary, which also levies a transportation development fee under its Land Development Ordinance, Apex assesses no separate transportation or parks capital charge on new development. Fee authority: Town of Apex municipal water and sewer utility, with collection by Inspections and Permitting and Planning.
Development Submittal, Rezoning, and Permit Fees
Source: Town of Apex Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, DEVELOPMENT SUBMITTAL FEES (for zoning, subdivision, and site activity, calculated and collected by the Planning Department) and the building permit fee sections administered by Building Inspections and Permitting.
Zoning and Development Submittal Fees
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Rezoning / Conditional Zoning | $700 + $25 per acre |
| Sustainable Development Conditional Zoning (SD-CZ) | $1,600 + $10 per acre |
| Planned Development conditional zoning (PUD-CZ, TND-CZ, MEC-CZ, SD-CZ) | $2,000 + $25 per acre |
| Site Plan - Major | $1,500 + $10 per acre |
| Site Plan - Minor | $1,100 + $30 per acre |
| Master Subdivision Plan | $1,000 + $10 per lot |
| Special Use Permit | $700 |
| Variance Permit | $650 |
| Appeal (Board of Adjustment) | $650 |
| Certificate of Zoning Compliance (CZC) | $125 |
| Zoning Verification Letter | $125 |
| Text Amendment (Unified Development Ordinance) | $600 |
| Annexation Petition | $300 |
| Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Review | $1,000 + $10 per acre |
Plat Fees
| Plat Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Master Subdivision Final Plat | $300 + $10 per lot |
| Site Plan Final Plat | $300 |
| Easement and Exempt Plat | $200 |
| Recombination Plat | $200 |
Commercial Building Permit Fees (per square foot by occupancy)
Commercial building permit fees are computed as total gross floor area multiplied by the fee per square foot for the applicable occupancy classification.
| Occupancy Classification | Fee Per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| Assembly | $0.55 |
| Business | $0.60 |
| Educational | $0.60 |
| Factory / Industrial | $0.40 |
| Hazardous | $0.50 |
| Institutional | $0.60 |
| Mercantile | $0.50 |
| Residential | $0.55 |
| Storage / Utility | $0.30 |
Single Trade Fee Schedule: Building $150; Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, and Grading $75 each. The One and Two Family Dwelling Permit Fees table is enumerated on page 5 of the source fee schedule and is not reproduced in full here. Fee authority: Town of Apex Planning Department and Building Inspections and Permitting.
Water and Sewer Tap (Connection) Fees
Source: Town of Apex Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026, page 6. Tap fees are based on a 60-foot right of way with a lateral of less than 100 feet. These charges are separate from and in addition to the capital reimbursement (system development) fees above.
Water Taps and Meter Fees
| Tap Size | Base | Bore | Street Cut | Meter Only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/4-inch | $2,300 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $315 |
| 1-inch | $2,600 | $1,000 | $1,500 | Cost + 10% |
| 1.5-inch and larger | Not installed by Town | - | - | Cost + 10% |
Sewer Taps and Related Charges
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| 4-inch Sewer Tap - Base (bore not available) | $2,500 |
| 4-inch Sewer Tap - Street Cut | $1,500 |
| Water Bacteriological Sample Fee | $250 |
| Sewer / Storm Drain Re-inspection | $325 + $0.25 per linear foot over 1,000 feet |
| Irrigation Meter Permit | $75 |
| Irrigation Meter Tap | $800 |
The Town of Apex does not install water or sewer taps for commercial development or new residential construction. In those cases the developer or a private contractor installs the tap and the Town inspects it. Utility fee authority: Town of Apex Water Resources Department (municipal water and sewer utility).
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
This page is published under ZoneFee's partial-verified standard while additional confirmation is pending (the record remains under limited-coverage review). The items below were closed by official-source review or deferred to the cited source document rather than estimated or omitted silently.
Full Permit Fee Tables
The complete two-column DEVELOPMENT SUBMITTAL FEES layout (page 1), the full commercial building permit computation and occupancy tables (page 3), and the One and Two Family Dwelling Permit Fees table (page 5) are enumerated in the Town of Apex Fee Schedule listed under Sources. The key confirmed amounts are presented above; the remaining rows should be read from the source document.
Transportation and Parks Capital Charges
North Carolina municipalities may not levy general transportation or parks impact fees absent a local act, and Apex holds none. Apex's only developer-side capital-recovery charge is the water and sewer capital reimbursement (system development) fee shown above.
Proffers
North Carolina does not use Virginia-style cash proffers. NC zoning authority (General Statutes Chapter 160D) enables conditional zoning and development agreements but has no cash-proffer mechanism equivalent to Virginia Code 15.2-2303. The Apex Unified Development Ordinance and Fee Schedule contain no proffer fee. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Special District Fees
Apex operates its own municipally owned water and sewer utility rather than drawing service from a separate authority. No special assessment district, public improvement district, or development-finance district charging developer-facing development-phase fees was identified for Apex. North Carolina municipal service districts (General Statutes 160A-536) are property-tax districts, not development-fee districts, and Wake County assesses no county-level development fee that passes through the Town. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Apex - Planning Department | Rezoning, conditional zoning, site plan, subdivision, plat, special use, and variance application fees | apexnc.org |
| Town of Apex - Building Inspections and Permitting | Commercial and residential building permit fees, single trade permit fees, and collection of capital reimbursement fees | apexnc.org |
| Town of Apex - Water Resources Department (municipal water and sewer utility) | Water and sewer capital reimbursement (system development) fees and water and sewer tap / connection fees | apexnc.org |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Apex Fee Schedule - Effective 7/1/2026 (FY 2026/2027) | Town of Apex - adopted with the FY 2026/2027 budget | 2026-07-22 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-07-22. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the Town of Apex Planning Department, Building Inspections and Permitting, or Water Resources Department before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the official Town of Apex Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026 (FY 2026/2027) 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. The full development submittal, commercial building permit, and one and two family dwelling permit tables are enumerated in the cited source document and are not reproduced in full here. Apex levies no Virginia-style cash proffer (North Carolina has no such mechanism), no general transportation or parks impact fee (not authorized for Apex under North Carolina law), and no Town-administered special-district developer fee surfaced in the located official sources. Verify all current rates directly with the Town of Apex 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.