Cary, North Carolina - Town Development Fees
Town of Cary | Wake County (and Chatham County) | Research Triangle | Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA
Cary is a large town in Wake County (extending into Chatham County), the second-largest municipality in the county and part of the Research Triangle near Raleigh. The Town administers development plan, rezoning, and plat fees through Planning and Development Services, and operates its own municipal water and sewer utility that charges North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 162A utility system development fees, transportation development fees, and water and sewer connection fees. All amounts below are drawn from the Town of Cary FY 2027 fee documents (effective July 1, 2026, adopted by Town Council on June 25, 2026). Verify current amounts with the Town of Cary before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility System Development Fees (NC G.S. 162A Art. 8) + Transportation Development Fees | Confirmed | Residential sewer development fee $3,683 per ERU (by size $2,258-$5,225); residential water development fee scales by size; transportation development fee $910-$2,093 per dwelling (Central / Base zone) | 2026-07-01 (FY 2027) |
| Development Plan, Rezoning, and Plat Fees | Confirmed | Development Plan Major $4,000 / Minor $2,500; General rezoning $2,000; Planned Development District $4,000; Subdivision plat $600; Special Use $600 | 2026-07-01 (FY 2027) |
| Water and Sewer Connection (Tap) Fees | Confirmed | Water and sewer taps $100 each; water system extension $150; gravity sewer extension $480; water service connection without meter $480 / $800 bored; 4-inch sewer service lateral $1,000 | 2026-07-01 (FY 2027) |
| Proffers | Not applicable | North Carolina does not use Virginia-style cash proffers | - |
| Special District Fees | Not administered | Cary operates its own municipal utility; no CDA or service-district developer application fee | - |
System Development and Transportation Development Fees
North Carolina does not authorize classic impact fees, but the Town of Cary charges utility system development fees under North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 162A, Article 8 (codified authorization Cary Code Sec. 36-6), plus transportation development fees under Land Development Ordinance Sec. 7.11. Both are collected at building-permit issuance. The FY 2027 Recommended Fee Schedule lists each rate in FY 2026 and FY 2027 columns; the FY 2027 figures below are the operative (effective July 1, 2026) values.
Residential Sewer Development Fee (by structure size)
| Structure Size | FY 2027 Fee |
|---|---|
| Single Family under 1,700 sq ft | $2,258 |
| Single Family 1,701 - 2,400 sq ft | $3,162 |
| Single Family 2,401 - 3,100 sq ft (equivalent residential unit basis, 280 gal/day) | $3,683 |
| Single Family 3,101 - 3,800 sq ft | $4,108 |
| Single Family over 3,800 sq ft | $5,225 |
| Apartments (per unit) | $2,466 |
Residential Water Development Fee (by structure size)
| Structure Size | FY 2027 Fee |
|---|---|
| Single Family 3,101 - 3,800 sq ft | $3,067 |
| Single Family over 3,800 sq ft | $3,928 |
| Apartments (per unit) | $1,643 |
| Irrigation (potable, per lot) | $1,639 |
The smaller square-foot residential water development fee brackets and the full non-residential water and sewer development fee tables (based on $7.79 per gallon-per-day potable water and $11.96 per gallon-per-day sewer, with per-use categories) are enumerated in the FY 2027 Annual Operating Budget Fee and Charges Schedule (see Sources) and are not reproduced in full here.
Transportation Development Fees (per dwelling)
| Development Type | Central Zone | Base Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Family Detached Dwelling | $1,468 | $2,093 |
| Single-Family Attached (townhome) | $764 | $1,089 |
| Multi-Family (apartments and condos) | $910 | $1,298 |
Commercial and other nonresidential transportation development fee types are itemized on the FY 2027 Budget Fee Schedule. Fee authority: Town of Cary (municipal utility; Inspections and Permits / Planning and Development Services).
Development Plan, Rezoning, and Plat Fees
Source: Town of Cary FY 2027 Development Plan Fee Schedule (Development Plan Filing Fees), effective July 1, 2026, authorized by Land Development Ordinance Sec. 3.1.3.
Development Plans and Revisions
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Development Plan - Major (≥ 20,000 sq ft gross floor area, or ≥ 5 acres) | $4,000 |
| Development Plan - Minor (< 20,000 sq ft, or < 5 acres) | $2,500 |
| Development Plan - Small Projects | $500 |
| Reuse / Redevelopment Plan | $2,250 |
| Sketch Plan | $2,500 |
| Application processing fee (non-refundable, initial submittal) | $150 |
| Major Revision / Minor Revision filing fee | $1,750 / $400 |
Rezoning and Plat Fees
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| General rezoning | $2,000 |
| Conditional use rezoning (per change of classification) | $3,000 |
| Mixed Use District (MXD) rezoning | $4,500 |
| Planned Development District rezoning (new or amendment) | $4,000 |
| Minor Planned Development District | $3,500 |
| Initial zoning with owner-initiated annexation (≥ 5 acres / < 5 acres) | $1,500 / $500 |
| Final Plat - Subdivision Plat (other than exempt) | $600 |
| Recombination / Easement or exempt subdivision | $400 / $200 |
Special Use, Variance, and Other Fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Special Use - uses other than telecommunication tower | $600 |
| Special Use - telecommunication tower | $6,500 |
| Variance - existing single-dwelling / duplex lot | $800 |
| Variance - all other requests | $1,600 |
| Quasi-Judicial Case Fee (each request, in addition to application/plan fee) | $2,750 |
| Comprehensive Plan Amendment | $3,000 |
| Zoning Compliance Permit / Zoning Verification Letter | $150 each |
| Sign Permit - Time-Limited / New or modified / Master Sign Plan | $50 / $125 / $250 |
| Site Inspection - single-family residential / non-residential or multi-family denuded site | $125 per lot / $550 per acre |
Fee authority: Town of Cary Planning and Development Services.
Water and Sewer Connection (Tap) Fees
Source: Town of Cary FY 2027 Annual Operating Budget Fee and Charges Schedule, Utility Infrastructure section (effective July 1, 2026; codified authorization Cary Code Sec. 36-5). These developer-side tap, connection, and extension charges are separate from and in addition to the utility system development fees above.
Taps and Extension Permits
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Water and Sewer Taps / Reclaimed Water and Sewer Taps | $100 per tap |
| Water System Extension (Public) | $150 each |
| Gravity Sewer Extension, Pump Station, and Force Mains (Public) | $480 each |
| Inspection - Water / Reclaimed / Sewer Lines | $1.25 per linear foot |
| Pump Station Construction | $1,500 per pump station |
| Abandonment procedures / Re-inspection | $250 per occurrence / $100 |
Flat Fee Water/Sewer Assessment Rates
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Water Main - unpaved area / shoulder | $20 per linear foot |
| Water Main - paved area | $34 per linear foot |
| Water Service Connection without Meter - standard / bored under roadway | $480 / $800 |
| Sewer Main - unpaved / unpaved easement required / paved area | $32.50 / $42.50 / $46.50 per linear foot |
| 4-inch Sewer Service Lateral (bored under roadway) | $1,000 |
Utility fee authority: Town of Cary municipal water and sewer utility (Public Works and Utilities).
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 Development-Fee Bracket and Non-Residential Tables
The complete residential water development fee bracket table (including the smaller square-foot brackets) and the full non-residential water and sewer development fee per-use tables are enumerated in the FY 2027 Annual Operating Budget Fee and Charges Schedule. This page presents the verbatim sewer development fee brackets, the larger residential water brackets, and the transportation development fees; the remaining rows should be read from the source document listed under Sources.
Dual-Year Fee Presentation
The FY 2027 Recommended Fee Schedule prints each utility system development fee and transportation development fee in FY 2026 and FY 2027 columns. The FY 2027 column (effective July 1, 2026) is the operative value shown on this page.
Building Permit Fees
North Carolina State Building Code inspection and permit fees are enumerated in the Inspections and Permits Fees section of the FY 2027 budget fee schedule and are not reproduced on this page; consult the source document for those amounts.
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. Cary's Land Development Ordinance and Code of Ordinances contain no proffer ordinance. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Special District Fees
Cary operates its own municipally owned water and sewer utility (not a separate authority). No special assessment district, public improvement district, or development-finance district charging developer-facing development-phase fees was identified for Cary, 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 Cary - Planning and Development Services | Development plan, rezoning, plat, special use, variance, and administrative application fees | carync.gov |
| Town of Cary - Public Works and Utilities (municipal water and sewer utility) | Utility system development fees, transportation development fees, and water and sewer connection / extension fees | carync.gov |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| FY 2027 Development Plan Fee Schedule (Development Plan Filing Fees, Effective 7/1/2026) | Town of Cary - Planning and Development Services | 2026-07-11 |
| FY 2027 Annual Operating Budget - Fee and Charges Schedule (adopted 6/25/2026, Effective 7/1/2026) | Town of Cary - Finance / Town Council | 2026-07-11 |
| Code of Ordinances Chapter 36 (Utilities) - Sec. 36-5 / 36-6 (fee authorization) | Town of Cary - Code of Ordinances (American Legal Publishing) | 2026-07-11 |
| Land Development Ordinance Chapter 3 - Sec. 3.1.3 Processing Fees (fee authorization) | Town of Cary - Land Development Ordinance (American Legal Publishing) | 2026-07-11 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-07-11. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the Town of Cary Planning and Development Services or Public Works and Utilities before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from official Town of Cary FY 2027 documents as of the last-verified date above: the FY 2027 Development Plan Fee Schedule and the FY 2027 Annual Operating Budget Fee and Charges Schedule (both effective July 1, 2026, budget adopted June 25, 2026), with fee authorization codified in Cary Code Chapter 36 and Land Development Ordinance Sec. 3.1.3. ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. The FY 2027 fee schedule lists many utility system development and transportation development fees in FY 2026 and FY 2027 columns; the FY 2027 (operative) figures are shown here, and the full residential water bracket, non-residential per-use, and building permit tables are enumerated in the cited source documents. Cary levies no Virginia-style cash proffer (North Carolina has no such mechanism), and no City-administered special-district developer fee surfaced in the located official sources (Cary operates its own municipal utility). Verify all current rates directly with the Town of Cary 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.