Winston-Salem, North Carolina - City Development Fees
City of Winston-Salem | Forsyth County seat | Piedmont Triad | Winston-Salem, NC MSA
Winston-Salem is the seat of Forsyth County and the fifth-largest city in North Carolina, anchoring the Piedmont Triad alongside Greensboro and High Point. Land-use and building fees are administered through the combined Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning & Development Services department (its Planning Division and Inspections Division), and water and sewer capacity is recovered by Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities. North Carolina repealed local impact-fee authority: under S.L. 2017-138 (NCGS Chapter 162A, Article 8), water and sewer impact fees were replaced with System Development Fees charged by meter size, and the state has no general municipal impact-fee statute. This page presents the utility System Development Fees and the zoning and building permit fee families captured from official Winston-Salem/Forsyth County sources. Verify current amounts with the City of Winston-Salem before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility Tap Fees (WSFC Utilities System Development Fees, NCGS 162A-205) | Confirmed | FY 2026-27 System Development Fee for a 5/8 or 3/4 inch connection: Water $816 + Wastewater $2,861 = $3,677, scaling to 12 inch Water $216,274 / Wastewater $758,182; plus meter fee (iPerl $79 or Ally $325) and $75 endpoint | 2025-07 (FY 2026-27 operative) |
| Zoning, Subdivision, and Building Permit Fees (Planning + Inspections Divisions) | Confirmed | Rezoning $1,000-$3,500 by acreage tier; Final Plat Approval $125-$750; single-family building $0.15 per sq ft; nonresidential value-tiered building permit $100 rising to $1,425 + $2.40 per $1,000 | 2026-04 (revised) |
| Impact Fees | Not administered | NC S.L. 2017-138 (NCGS Ch. 162A Art. 8) replaced water and sewer impact fees with System Development Fees; NC has no general municipal impact-fee authority | - |
| Special District Fees | Not administered | NC municipal service districts (NCGS 160A Art. 23) are council-established, property-tax-levy districts, not a developer application fee | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | North Carolina has no cash-proffer regime; conditional zoning is governed by NCGS 160D-703 | - |
Water and Sewer System Development Fees
Source: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities System Development Fee Schedule (Meter & System Development Fees, effective July 2025). North Carolina recovers water and sewer capacity through System Development Fees under NCGS 162A-205 (the statutory replacement for water and sewer impact fees enacted by S.L. 2017-138), charged by meter size with a per-fiscal-year phase-in schedule. The fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The figures below are the operative FY 2026-27 column (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) as of the July 28, 2026 capture; the schedule also publishes forward-dated FY 2027-28 rates that are identical to FY 2026-27. The cost of a new connection equals the System Development Fees plus the Meter Fee plus the Endpoint charge.
System Development Fee by meter size (FY 2026-27)
| Meter Size | Water | Wastewater |
|---|---|---|
| 5/8 inch or 3/4 inch | $816 | $2,861 |
| 1 inch | $2,040 | $7,153 |
| 1 1/2 inch | $4,081 | $14,305 |
| 2 inch | $6,529 | $22,889 |
| 3 inch | $12,242 | $42,916 |
| 4 inch | $20,403 | $71,527 |
| 6 inch | $40,806 | $143,053 |
| 8 inch | $65,290 | $228,885 |
| 10 inch | $97,935 | $343,328 |
| 12 inch | $216,274 | $758,182 |
A standard single-family 3/4 inch connection at the operative FY 2026-27 rate is $816 water + $2,861 wastewater = $3,677 in System Development Fees, before the meter fee and endpoint. The prior year (FY 2025-26, July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026) 5/8 or 3/4 inch rate was $811 water / $2,707 wastewater.
Meter fees and endpoint charge
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| 5/8 inch or 3/4 inch meter (iPerl) | $79.00 |
| 5/8 inch or 3/4 inch meter (Ally) | $325.00 |
| 1 inch meter | $101.00 |
| 1 1/2 inch meter | $985.00 |
| 2 inch meter | $1,139.00 |
| 3 inch meter | $1,959.00 |
| 4 inch meter | $3,313.00 |
| 6 inch meter | $5,731.00 |
| 8 inch meter | $9,223.00 |
| 10 inch meter | $11,954.00 |
| Endpoint | $75.00 |
Meter fees are reviewed and updated annually on July 1. Fee authority: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities; System Development Fees are governed by NCGS Chapter 162A, Article 8.
Zoning, Subdivision, and Building Permit Fees
Source: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning Division Fee Schedule (revised April 2026), adopted under the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Unified Development Ordinances (UDO), and the Winston-Salem Inspections Division Fee Schedule (revised April 2026). Both schedules carry an April 2026 revision date printed at the bottom of each page.
Rezoning and special use fees (by acreage tier)
| Application Type | 2 ac or less | 2.1-10 ac | 10.1-25 ac | 25.1-50 ac | 50.1-100 ac | Over 100 ac |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Use Zoning (except MU-S or MRB-S) or Special Use Permit | $1,000 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $3,000 | $3,500 | $3,500 + $25/acre |
| Special Use Limited Zoning | $1,000 | $1,600 | $1,900 | $2,200 | $2,500 | + $25/acre |
| General Use Zoning (except C) | $1,000 | $1,200 | $1,300 | $1,400 | $1,500 | + $25/acre |
| Site Plan Amendment | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $3,000 | + $25/acre |
| Subdivision or Multifamily | $1,000 | $1,500 | $1,750 | $2,000 | $2,250 | + $100/acre |
Larger and specialized rezoning categories: MU-S or C (Campus) $2,500 / $3,500 / $4,500 / $6,000 by tier, plus $100 per acre; MRB-S $20,000 (10.1-50 acres) or $25,000 (50.1-100 acres), plus $250 per acre over 100; UDO 118 (Design) $7,500 / $10,000 / $15,000 / $20,000, plus $250 per acre; NCO $1,500 / $2,000 / $2,500, plus $100 per acre; Final Development Plan $1,000 / $1,500 / $2,000 / $2,500, plus $50 per acre; Planning Board Review or SIDA $500 / $750 / $1,000 / $1,250, plus $50 per acre.
Subdivision, plat, and amendment fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Zoning Text Amendment - Tier 1 / Tier 2 | $1,000 / $2,000 |
| Zoning Text Amendment - Planning Board sign-off | $250 |
| Final Plat Approval (1-5 lots / 6-10 / 21-50 / 51+) | $125 / $250 / $500 / $750 |
| Minor Subdivision Exception (per property per year: 1 / 2 / 3+) | $500 / $750 / $1,000 |
| Name Change (Subdivisions); Naming/Renaming Private Easement or Street | $125 each |
| Filing of Bonding / Surety ($0-$10,000 / next tiers / $150,001+) | $50 / $100 / $150 / 0.1% |
| Certificate of Appropriateness - After-the-fact | $500 |
| Demolition of Local Historic Landmark - Primary / Secondary | $1,000 / $250 |
| Local Historic Landmark Application (or in NRSA area) | $1,500 / $100 |
Building and trade permit fees (Inspections Division)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single-family new residential - Building (per sq ft) | $0.15 |
| Single-family new residential - Electrical / Plumbing / Mechanical (per sq ft) | $0.09 each |
| Single-family new residential - Gas Appliances | $100.00 |
| Building permit fee | Not less than $100 |
| Homeowner's Recovery Fund fee (G.S. 87-15.6) | $10 |
| Townhouse/condo/twin/urban home (per unit) - Building / Electrical / Plumbing | $206 / $138 / $162 |
| Townhouse/condo/twin/urban home - Mechanical Electrical / Mechanical Fossil Fuel | $86 / $100 |
| Apartment first unit - Building / Electrical / Plumbing | $206 / $90 / $71 |
| Apartment each additional unit - Building | $53 |
| Minimum plumbing or mechanical permit | $75 |
Nonresidential building permit fees (by construction value)
| Construction Value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 - $5,000 | $100 |
| $5,000.01 - $50,000 | $100 + $4 per $1,000 over $5,000 |
| $50,000.01 - $100,000 | $232 + $3 per $1,000 over $50,000 |
| $100,000.01 - $500,000 | $388 + $2.60 per $1,000 over $100,000 |
| $500,000.01 and above | $1,425 + $2.40 per $1,000 over $500,000 |
Commercial Plan Review is tiered by floor area: under 4,000 sq ft $100; 4,000 to 15,000 sq ft $125; 15,001 to 40,000 sq ft $325; 40,001 sq ft and above $800; condominium or apartment $500; Sign Plan Review $50. Fee authority: Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning & Development Services (Planning Division and Inspections Division).
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were closed by official-source review or by statutory scope determination rather than estimated, paraphrased from a non-official source, or omitted silently. These items remain under limited-coverage review until these gaps are closed.
Forward-dated System Development Fee rates
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities System Development Fee Schedule publishes per-fiscal-year rates through FY 2027-28. This page presents the FY 2026-27 column (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) as the operative rate as of the July 28, 2026 capture. The FY 2027-28 rates published in the same schedule are identical to FY 2026-27 and are not presented as current.
Outside-city utility service
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities also serves several surrounding towns by contract. The System Development Fee Schedule captured here is the city/county schedule. Any developer-facing outside-city System Development Fee differential is outside the scope of this page.
Impact Fees
North Carolina repealed local impact-fee authority. S.L. 2017-138 (the Public Water and Sewer System Development Fee Act, NCGS Chapter 162A, Article 8) replaced water and sewer impact fees with statutorily governed System Development Fees, which are captured above under the utility fee family. North Carolina has no general-purpose municipal impact-fee enabling statute, so there is no separate roadway, parks, or general impact fee absent a local act. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction as a distinct impact fee. Consistent with the Holly Springs, Cary, and Apex North Carolina precedent.
Special District Fees
Winston-Salem 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. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Proffers
North Carolina does not use Virginia-style cash proffers (a conditional-zoning instrument under Virginia Code 15.2-2303.4). North Carolina conditional zoning is governed by NCGS 160D-703, and voluntary conditions cannot be a monetary exaction of that kind. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning & Development Services - Planning Division | Rezoning, special use, general use, subdivision, site plan, final plat, zoning text amendment, and historic Certificate of Appropriateness fees | cityofws.org |
| Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning & Development Services - Inspections Division | Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and commercial plan review permit fees | cityofws.org |
| Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities | Water and sewer System Development Fees (NCGS 162A-205), meter fees, and endpoint charges | cityofws.org |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Planning Division Fee Schedule (revised April 2026) | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning & Development Services - Planning Division | 2026-07-28 |
| Inspections Division Fee Schedule (revised April 2026) | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning & Development Services - Inspections Division | 2026-07-28 |
| Meter & System Development Fees (effective July 2025) | Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities | 2026-07-28 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-07-28. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Planning & Development Services or Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from official Winston-Salem/Forsyth County documents as of the last-verified date above: the Planning Division Fee Schedule and the Inspections Division Fee Schedule (both revised April 2026) and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Utilities System Development Fee Schedule (Meter & System Development Fees, effective July 2025). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. The System Development Fee Schedule publishes per-fiscal-year rates; the FY 2026-27 column (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) is the operative rate shown here, and rezoning and building permit fees are tiered by acreage or construction value, so the totals shown apply only to the stated configurations. North Carolina replaced water and sewer impact fees with System Development Fees under S.L. 2017-138 (NCGS Chapter 162A, Article 8), levies no general municipal impact fee, and has no cash-proffer regime. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Winston-Salem 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.