Knightdale, North Carolina - Town Development Fees
Town of Knightdale | Wake County | Research Triangle | Raleigh-Cary, NC MSA (eastern Wake County)
Knightdale is a fast-growing Raleigh suburb in eastern Wake County, on the US-64/I-540 corridor in the Raleigh-Cary MSA. It is unusual among North Carolina municipalities: it still administers development impact fees, running two programs - a Recreation payment-in-lieu fee and a land-use-based schedule of Transportation Development Fees - alongside the standard schedule of rezoning, subdivision, and plan review fees. Water and sewer are not the Town's to charge, because the Town merged its water and sewer system with the City of Raleigh; Raleigh Water owns and operates the system, and the capacity fees for a Knightdale project are Raleigh's NCGS 162A-205 System Development Fees. Building and trade permit inspections are performed by Wake County. North Carolina does not authorize Virginia-style cash proffers. All amounts below are drawn from the Town of Knightdale FY 2026-2027 Rate and Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2026). Verify current amounts with the Town of Knightdale before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Impact Fees (recreation payment-in-lieu, transportation development) | Confirmed | Recreation payment-in-lieu $2,500.00 per dwelling unit; Transportation Development Fee $400.00 per single-family unit and $300.00 per multi-family unit (land-use schedule for non-residential) | 2026-07-01 |
| Zoning, Subdivision, and Plan Review Fees | Confirmed | Flat $600.00 for most petitions (rezoning, UDO/comp-plan amendment, SUP/PUD, variances); SUP/PUD residential + $50/acre; Major Subdivision final plat $300 + $10/lot; Construction Plan review $700; Land Disturbance $250/acre | 2026-07-01 (FY 2026-2027) |
| Utility Tap Fees (water and sewer) | Not administered | The City of Raleigh (Raleigh Water) operates the water and sewer system in Knightdale under the utility merger; capacity fees are Raleigh's NCGS 162A-205 System Development Fees, not a Knightdale charge | - |
| Special District Fees | Not administered | North Carolina municipal service districts (NCGS 160A Art. 23) are funded by a district property-tax levy, not a developer application fee | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | North Carolina does not use Virginia-style cash proffers; NC conditional zoning is governed by NCGS 160D-703 | - |
Development Impact Fees
Source: Town of Knightdale FY 2026-2027 Rate and Fee Schedule, Development Services section (pp.22-23). This is the block that most distinguishes Knightdale from its North Carolina peers, which generally do not levy impact fees. Knightdale runs two impact-fee programs, both due upon final plat approval for a new residential subdivision or upon application for a building permit, whichever occurs first, for all lots within the Knightdale Planning Jurisdiction.
Payments In Lieu of Recreation Fees
Recreation payment-in-lieu fees apply to lots recorded on or after July 1, 2000. Unit fees are due upon plat approval for new residential subdivisions or upon application for a building permit, whichever occurs first.
| Basis | Fee |
|---|---|
| Lots recorded on or after July 1, 2000 (per dwelling unit) | $2,500.00 |
Transportation Development Fees
Transportation Development Fees are consistent with the Town's Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), calculated per square foot, and due upon final plat approval for new subdivisions or upon application for a building permit, whichever occurs first, for all lots within the Knightdale Planning Jurisdiction. The land-use schedule below is presented verbatim; no project total is computed here because the amount depends on the applicant's square footage.
Residential and lodging
| Land Use | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single Family (per unit) | $400.00 |
| Multi-Family and Attached Residential (per unit) | $300.00 |
| Hotel / Motel (per room) | $313.00 |
Industrial (charged based on greater fee of per 1,000 sq ft versus per acre)
| Land Use | Fee |
|---|---|
| Industrial / Manufacturing / Agricultural Processing | $181.00 per 1,000 sq ft or $1,835.00 per acre |
| Warehouse / Wholesale / Distribution / Transfer / Storage | $302.00 per 1,000 sq ft |
| Mini warehousing | $80.00 per 1,000 sq ft |
Office, retail, and institutional
| Land Use | Fee |
|---|---|
| Office, Hospitals and Medical Care Facilities (per 1,000 sq ft) | $543.00 (less than 100,000 sf) / $438.00 (100,000-199,999 sf) / $334.00 (greater than 200,000 sf) |
| Retail (per 1,000 sq ft) | $1,092.00 (less than 50,000 sf) / $982.00 (50,000-99,999 sf) / $1,247.00 (100,000-199,999 sf) / $1,148.00 (200,000-299,999 sf) / $950.00 (greater than 300,000 sf) |
| Outdoor Retail Display Areas as Primary Use (per acre) | $1,939.00 |
| Retail Delivery Pumps (per pump) | $190.00 |
| Group Quarters (per bed) | $80.00 |
| Churches (per 1,000 sq ft) | $135.00 |
| Day Care (per licensed enrollee) | $83.00 |
| Elementary & Middle Schools (per student) | $32.00 |
| High Schools (per student) | $43.00 |
| Cemetery (per acre) | $127.00 |
| Parking, In-Town Center Overlay District | $500.00 |
A separate Payments In Lieu of Street Construction charge applies at Actual Costs, as approved by the Town's Engineering consultant, rather than a fixed amount.
Fee authority: Town of Knightdale Development Services (Planning, Engineering).
Zoning, Subdivision, and Plan Review Fees
Source: Town of Knightdale FY 2026-2027 Rate and Fee Schedule, Development Services section (pp.19-24, 28), effective the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026. All fees are due upon submission of application unless otherwise noted. Public notice is charged at actual postage cost.
Amendment petitions
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Amendment to Zoning Map - General Use District | $600.00 |
| Amendment to Zoning Map - Conditional Use District | $600.00 |
| Amendment to Unified Development Ordinance | $600.00 |
| Amendment to Comprehensive Plan | $600.00 |
Special Use / PUD, master plan, and board of adjustment
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Special Use / PUD Permit - Residential Use | $600.00 + $50.00 per acre |
| Special Use / PUD Permit - Nonresidential | $600.00 |
| Special Use Permit Modification | $600.00 |
| Master Plan Application (with site plan review) | $600.00 + $50.00 per acre |
| Board of Adjustment - Variances | $600.00 |
| Board of Adjustment - Appeals or Interpretations | $600.00 |
Development permits
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Public Notice | Actual Postage Cost |
| Annexation Petition | $350.00 |
| Developer Agreement | $350.00 |
| Zoning Compliance Permit - New Business Without Site Plan Review | $100.00 |
| Home Occupation | $50.00 |
| Zoning Verification Letter | $100.00 (plus up to one hour research; additional $50.00 per hour) |
| Sign Permit | $75.00 |
| Banner Permits | $25.00 per application |
Final plats and subdivision
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Final Plat - Exempt / Recombination / Right-of-Way Dedication / Boundary Survey | $200.00 each |
| Final Plat - Minor Subdivision / Family | $200.00 + per-lot fee |
| Final Plat - Major Subdivision | $300.00 + per-lot fee |
| Additional Lot Fee | $10.00 |
| Bond Administration | $100.00 per Surety Bond / Letter of Credit |
| Petition to Close a Right-of-Way | $100.00 |
Plan review and land disturbance
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Sketch Plan Review - Submittal Fee | $300.00 (Engineer $170/hr, Senior Planner $80/hr as needed) |
| Construction Plan Review - Submittal Fee | $700.00 (Engineer $170/hr, Senior Planner $80/hr) |
| Engineer Review / Legal Review | Actual Costs |
| Land Disturbance Permit | $250.00 per acre (includes plan review, permit issuance, and inspections for a 2-year period) |
| Plan Review Fee | $250.00 per disturbed acre |
| Individual Lot Plan Review | $100.00 per lot / $250.00 per acre |
| SCM As-Built Review & Inspection | $350.00 |
Fee authority: Town of Knightdale Development Services (Planning, Engineering).
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.
Water and sewer capacity fees (administered by the City of Raleigh)
The Town of Knightdale merged its water and sewer system with the City of Raleigh; Raleigh Water owns and operates all public water and sewer utilities in Knightdale. The developer-facing water and sewer capacity fees for a Knightdale project are Raleigh's NCGS 162A-205 Water and Sewer System Development Fees, charged by meter size; see the Raleigh page for those amounts. Knightdale itself administers no water or sewer tap or capacity fee. Closed-search outcome: utility tap fees are not administered by this jurisdiction.
Building and trade permit inspections (performed by Wake County)
Building and trade permit inspections in Knightdale are performed by Wake County, and the building permit fees listed on the Town's schedule (pp.27-28) are collected on behalf of Wake County. Those inspection and permit fees are administered by Wake County, not by the Town of Knightdale, and are shown on the Town schedule for information only.
Impact fee effective date
The Recreation payment-in-lieu and Transportation Development Fees above are drawn from the adopted FY 2026-2027 Rate and Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2026. The Transportation Development Fee is calculated per square foot consistent with the Town's Capital Improvement Plan; the land-use schedule is presented verbatim and no project total is computed without the applicant's square footage.
Special District Fees
Knightdale publishes no per-application special-district fee. North Carolina municipal service districts (NCGS Chapter 160A, Article 23) are established by council resolution and funded by a district property-tax levy, not a developer application fee. The Town's "Parking, In-Town Center Overlay District" $500.00 fee is a parking-provision fee within an overlay, not a district-formation fee. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Proffers
North Carolina 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 North Carolina counterpart; NC conditional zoning is governed by NCGS Section 160D-703 and does not support that kind of monetary exaction. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Knightdale Development Services (Planning, Engineering) | Zoning, subdivision, and plan review fees; development impact fees (recreation payment-in-lieu, transportation development); land disturbance fees | knightdalenc.gov |
| City of Raleigh Public Utilities (Raleigh Water) | Water and sewer System Development Fees (NCGS 162A-205) and utility tap fees for the Knightdale service area under the utility merger | raleighnc.gov |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Rate and Fee Schedule, Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (effective July 1, 2026) | Town of Knightdale (adopted FY 2026-2027 budget fee schedule) | 2026-07-28 |
| Utilities (establishes Raleigh Water operates the water and sewer system) | Town of Knightdale Public Works - Utilities | 2026-07-28 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-07-29. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the Town of Knightdale Development Services or Finance, water and sewer capacity fees with the City of Raleigh Public Utilities, and building and trade permit fees with Wake County, before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the Town of Knightdale FY 2026-2027 Rate and Fee Schedule (Development Services fees effective July 1, 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. Water and sewer capacity fees for a Knightdale project are administered by the City of Raleigh under the utility merger, not by the Town, and are published on the Raleigh page. Building and trade permit inspections are performed by Wake County. The Transportation Development Fee is calculated per square foot consistent with the Town's Capital Improvement Plan, so the land-use schedule is presented verbatim without a computed project total, and North Carolina charges no Virginia-style cash proffer and no per-application special-district fee. Verify all current rates directly with the Town of Knightdale 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.