Abilene, Texas - City Development Fees
Abilene | City | Taylor County / West Texas (Big Country; I-20 corridor) | Abilene, TX MSA | County seat of Taylor County | FIPS 4801000
Abilene is the commercial center of West Texas's Big Country region along the Interstate 20 corridor, the seat of Taylor County (the city also extends into Jones County) and the core of the Abilene, TX MSA. The City of Abilene Planning and Development Services and Water Utilities departments publish a single comprehensive consolidated city-wide Fee Schedule covering zoning, subdivision, building permit, and water and sewer connection fees. Abilene operates its own municipal water and wastewater utility and has not adopted a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee program; development-side water and sewer cost recovery runs through tap fees and frontage-foot pro rata charges. Verify current amounts with the City of Abilene before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Application Fees | Confirmed | Zone change $1,500; Planned Development District $2,000 (amendment $1,000); Site plan $500 / Minor $250; Board of Adjustment $400; Annexation $600 | Current |
| Subdivision / Plat Fees | Confirmed | Plats $350 for the first 4 lots + $15 per lot thereafter (maximum review fee $2,500); easement release $400; thoroughfare abandonment $1,500 minimum | Current |
| Building Permit Fees | Confirmed | By valuation, $75 minimum tiered to $4,008.50 + $2.50 per $1,000 over $1,000,000; new single-family residential $0.50/sq ft ($550 minimum); plan review 25% | Current |
| Water / Sewer Tap and Frontage Fees | Confirmed | Water taps 3/4 inch $500; 1 inch $550; 1.5 inch $775; 2 inch and larger actual cost; frontage-foot pro rata $3.25 to $5.00 (water) and $2.25 to $4.00 (sewer) | Current |
| Impact Fees | Not administered by this jurisdiction | Abilene has not adopted a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee program; the consolidated Fee Schedule contains zero impact-fee line items | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers | - |
| Special District Fees (PID / TIRZ) | Not administered by this city | The city's TIRZ finances through tax-increment on the tax roll; no City special-district developer fee | - |
Zoning, Subdivision, and Building Permit Fees
Source: City of Abilene consolidated city-wide Fee Schedule (Planning, Zoning, and Building Inspections sections; SHA-256 b44d52f3...), captured verbatim. The schedule is the current published version on the official site and carries no page-wide effective date. Projects within the designated infill area receive a 50 percent Infill Development Incentive fee reduction.
Zoning and Subdivision Application Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Zone change request | $1,500 |
| Planned Development District | $2,000 (amendment $1,000) |
| Historic Overlay request | $50 |
| Site plan / Minor site plan | $500 / $250 |
| Zoning determination / verification letter | $100 |
| Voluntary annexation | $600 |
| Appeal to City Council | $250 |
| Board of Adjustment filing / application | $400 |
| Plat (preliminary / final / minor / replat) | $350 first 4 lots + $15 per lot thereafter (maximum review fee $2,500) |
| Preliminary development plan | No charge |
| Easement release | $400 |
| Thoroughfare abandonment | $1,500 minimum (10% of calculated land value) |
| Street name change | $800 |
| Proportionality appeal | $500 |
Building Permit Fees by Valuation
| Total Valuation | Permit Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $500 | $75 (minimum) |
| $501 to $2,000 | $75 + $1.50 per $100 over $500 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $97.50 + $7 per $1,000 over $2,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $258.50 + $6 per $1,000 over $25,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $408.50 + $5 per $1,000 over $50,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $658.50 + $4 per $1,000 over $100,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $2,258.50 + $3.50 per $1,000 over $500,000 |
| $1,000,001 and up | $4,008.50 + $2.50 per $1,000 over $1,000,000 |
| New single-family residential construction | $0.50 per sq ft ($550 minimum) |
| Plan review (non-refundable) | 25% of permit fee |
| Commercial demolition (single-story / multi-story) | $200 / $500 |
| Certificate of Occupancy (Temporary) | $100 ($300) |
| Grading permit | $250 |
Water and Sewer Tap and Frontage Fees (Water Utilities)
Source: City of Abilene consolidated city-wide Fee Schedule (Water Utilities section; SHA-256 b44d52f3...), with the frontage-foot pro rata basis described in Chapter 32 of the Municipal Code. Abilene operates its own municipal water and wastewater utility, so these are the City's development-side water and sewer connection charges. A plumbing permit must be issued by Building Inspections before the tap fee is paid.
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Water tap - 3/4 inch | $500 |
| Water tap - 1 inch | $550 |
| Water tap - 1 1/2 inch | $775 |
| Water tap - 2 inch and larger | Actual cost of installation |
| Replacement tap credit (3/4 inch / 1 inch / 1.5 inch) | $20 / $40 / $100 |
| Water frontage-foot pro rata (installed before / after June 20, 1981) | $3.25 / $5.00 per frontage foot |
| Sewer frontage-foot pro rata (installed before / after June 20, 1981) | $2.25 / $4.00 per frontage foot |
| New or replacement water/sewer service building permit | $75 |
| New service / transfer / temporary service | $50 |
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were not closed via confirmed fee amounts on this page. They are disclosed here rather than estimated or omitted silently.
Impact Fees
The City of Abilene has not adopted a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee program for roadway, water, or wastewater facilities. A full-text review of the comprehensive consolidated city-wide Fee Schedule returned zero impact-fee, capital-recovery, Chapter 395, or per-service-unit line items, and neither the Planning Services page nor the Land Use Regulations and Development Standards page publishes any impact-fee program. As a built-out West Texas city, Abilene recovers development-side water and wastewater cost through the water and sewer tap fees and frontage-foot pro rata charges captured above rather than a Chapter 395 regime. Closed-search outcome: not administered.
Special District Fees (PID / TIRZ)
Abilene has a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) - the Planning Services page publishes TIRZ boundary, zoning, and project-plan maps - but the TIRZ finances through tax-increment on the tax roll rather than a City-administered developer special-district fee. No City special-district developer application or assessment fee appears in the comprehensive consolidated Fee Schedule. Closed-search outcome: not administered.
Proffers
Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers (Virginia Code Section 15.2-2303 has no Texas counterpart). Developer-side contributions in Abilene occur through the zoning, subdivision, building permit, and water and sewer connection fees captured above. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Abilene - Planning and Development Services (Planning + Building Inspections) | Zoning application fees, subdivision and plat fees, and building permit fees | abilenetx.gov |
| City of Abilene - Water Utilities | Water and sewer tap fees and frontage-foot pro rata charges | abilenetx.gov |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| City of Abilene Fee Schedule - consolidated city-wide schedule (Planning / Zoning / Building Inspections / Water Utilities) (SHA-256 b44d52f3...) | City of Abilene, TX - Planning and Development Services / Water Utilities | 2026-06-13 |
| Planning Services (applications, plat and zoning schedules, TIRZ maps) | City of Abilene, TX - Planning Services | 2026-06-13 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-13. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Abilene Planning and Development Services Department before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City of Abilene consolidated city-wide Fee Schedule (SHA-256 b44d52f3...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. The consolidated schedule carries no page-wide effective date and is presented as the City's current published schedule. Fee schedules change. The City of Abilene has not adopted a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee program; developer-side water and wastewater cost recovery runs through the City's water and sewer tap fees and frontage-foot pro rata charges. Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers, and Abilene administers no special-district developer fee schedule (the city's TIRZ finances through tax-increment on the tax roll). Verify all current rates directly with the City of Abilene 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.