Amarillo, Texas - City Development Fees
Amarillo | City | Potter County (seat) and Randall County | Amarillo, TX MSA
Amarillo is the regional center of the Texas Panhandle, the seat of Potter County (extending south into Randall County), at the I-40 and I-27 crossroads with roughly 200,000 residents. The City of Amarillo Department of Building Safety and Community Development administers building, plan review, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and sign permit fees plus contractor registration, codified in the City's Code of Ordinances at Title IV, Chapter 4-1 (Fees, Permits, and Contractor Registrations). The City also operates its own water and sewer utility, with water service connection (tap) and meter fees codified at Title XVIII, Chapter 18-2. Amarillo does not administer a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact-fee program. All Chapter 4-1 fees escalate annually by 3 percent or CPI, whichever is greater, per Section 4-1-3(h). Verify current amounts with the City of Amarillo before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building and Permit Fees | Confirmed | New single-family $0.52/sq ft; nonresidential value x 0.0038; minimum permit $139.00 + $70.00 per other permit; plan review nonresidential value x 0.0015 (min $83.00); electrical $0.40/ampere; HVAC $70.00 first unit; plumbing $9.00/fixture | 2025-09-16 |
| Water Service Connection and Tap Fees | Confirmed | Water service connection administrative fee $450.00 (up to 1 inch) / $600.00 (above 1 inch up to 2 inches); meter set and installation at actual cost; sewer lateral/tap at actual cost | 2025-09-16 |
| Impact Fees (TLGC Chapter 395) | Not administered | Amarillo does not administer a Chapter 395 impact-fee program (no impact-fee or capital-recovery chapter anywhere in the codified Code of Ordinances) | - |
| Special District Fees (PID / TIRZ / MUD) | Not administered | No City-levied special-district developer application fee on the codified development-fee surface | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers | - |
Building and Permit Fees
Source: City of Amarillo Code of Ordinances, Title IV, Chapter 4-1 (Fees, Permits, and Contractor Registrations), Article I Permit and Inspection Fees, current through Ord. No. 8218 (9-16-2025), captured verbatim (SHA-256 7a50770e...). All Chapter 4-1 fees escalate annually by 3 percent or CPI, whichever is greater, rounded up to a whole dollar (Section 4-1-3(h)). The City does not consolidate fees into a single appendix; subdivision/platting and zoning-application fees are codified in separate Title IV chapters and are not included on this page.
Plan Review and Building Permit Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plan review - all non-residential projects | Value x 0.0015, rounded to whole dollars; minimum $83.00 |
| Plan review - residential dwelling | $81.00 minimum |
| Building permit - new single-family dwelling / townhome / duplex | $0.52 per square foot of floor area under roof |
| Building permit - residential alterations / detached garages / carport / fire repair / storage over 200 sq ft | $0.33 per square foot; minimum $139.00 |
| Building permit - all nonresidential projects | Value x 0.0038, rounded to whole dollars |
| Minimum permit fee (new construction; remodels/additions) | $139.00 plus $70.00 times the number of other permits |
| Swimming pool permit | Residential $312.00 / Commercial $437.00 |
| Certificate of occupancy review and inspection (standalone) | $151.00 |
| Wrecking / moving permit | $114.00 |
| Residential re-roofing permit | $178.00 |
| Manufactured home installation | $226.00 |
| Inspection (not otherwise noted / after hours), 2-hour minimum per hour | $111.00 |
| Re-inspection | $70.00 |
| Expedited review fee | $623.00 |
| Sign permit | $114.00 |
| Technology fee | $13.00 |
Trade Permit Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Electrical permit - per ampere (120V-480V single/three-phase service) | $0.40 per ampere; minimum $70.00 |
| HVAC permit - equipment first unit / each additional | $70.00 first unit + $14.00 each additional; minimum $70.00 |
| Plumbing permit - new fixture installations | $9.00 per fixture; minimum $70.00 |
Late Fees and Contractor Registration
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Late fee (work begun before permit) - first occasion in 24 months | $298.00 plus triple the required permit fee |
| Late fee (work begun before permit) - second occasion in 24 months | $593.00 plus triple the required permit fee |
| Contractor annual City registration fee (most categories) | $66.00 |
Building and permit fee authority: City of Amarillo Department of Building Safety / Community Development.
Water Service Connection and Tap Fees
Source: City of Amarillo Code of Ordinances, Title XVIII (Utilities), Chapter 18-2 (Water Utility System), Article III Meters; Rates and Charges, Section 18-2-56 (Water meter and service fees), most recently amended by Ord. No. 8004 (9-8-2022), code current through Ord. No. 8218 (9-16-2025), captured verbatim (SHA-256 6a2e673d...). Amarillo operates its own water and sewer utility; connection and tap charges are codified in Title XVIII, separate from the Title IV development-fee chapter. These are distinct from any impact or capacity fee (Amarillo administers no impact-fee program).
Water Service Connection and Meter Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Water service connection - administrative fee (connections up to and including 1 inch) | $450.00 |
| Water service connection - administrative fee (above 1 inch up to 2 inches) | $600.00 |
| Water meter set | At actual cost to the City (cost of the meter and labor) |
| Water service connection installation (City performs the work) | Estimated cost collected up front by service size; trued to actual cost (labor, materials, administrative fees, equipment, surface restoration) after completion |
Wastewater (Sewer) Tap Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wastewater (sewer) service lateral / tap installation (Title XVIII, Ch 18-3, Art IV) | At actual cost, paid by the customer (no fixed codified dollar figure) |
Water and sewer service fee authority: City of Amarillo (city-administered water and sewer utility).
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were not closed via confirmed standalone fee amounts on this page. They are disclosed here rather than estimated or omitted silently.
Subdivision and Zoning Application Fees
Amarillo codifies building, plan review, and trade permit fees in Title IV, Chapter 4-1 (captured above). Subdivision/platting application fees (Chapter 4-6) and zoning-application fees (Chapter 4-10) are codified in separate Title IV chapters and are not yet captured on this page. They are disclosed as an open coverage item rather than estimated.
Impact Fees (TLGC Chapter 395)
Amarillo does not administer a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact-fee program. Chapter 395 capital-recovery fees are opt-in and require an adopting ordinance, a Capital Improvements Advisory Committee, and a land-use assumptions study. The complete, fully accessible Amarillo Code of Ordinances (codified through Ord. No. 8218, 9-16-2025) contains no impact-fee or capital-recovery title, chapter, or section. Closed-search probed the full top-level code table of contents (18 titles), the Title IV chapter enumeration (Chapters 4-1 through 4-12), and Chapter 4-1 itself. This is consistent with Panhandle and slow-growth peer precedent. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Special District Fees (PID / TIRZ / MUD)
The full Amarillo code contains no City-levied public improvement district, reinvestment-zone, or municipal utility district developer-application fee on the codified development-fee surface. Amarillo has reinvestment-zone/TIRZ activity, but those zones administer their own internal arrangements; the City itself does not levy a developer-facing special-district application fee. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Proffers
Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers (Virginia Code Section 15.2-2303 has no Texas counterpart). Developer-side contributions in Amarillo occur through the building, permit, and water service fees captured above. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Amarillo - Department of Building Safety / Community Development | Plan review, building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and sign permit fees; contractor registration | amarillo.gov |
| City of Amarillo - Water and Sewer Utility | Water service connection (tap) and meter fees; wastewater service lateral / tap (at actual cost) | amarillo.gov |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| City of Amarillo Code of Ordinances - Title IV, Chapter 4-1 Fees, Permits, and Contractor Registrations (SHA-256 7a50770e...) | City of Amarillo, TX - Code of Ordinances (Municode, official codifier) | 2026-06-24 |
| City of Amarillo Code of Ordinances - Title XVIII, Chapter 18-2, Article III Meters; Rates and Charges (Sec. 18-2-56) (SHA-256 6a2e673d...) | City of Amarillo, TX - Code of Ordinances (Municode, official codifier) | 2026-06-24 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-24. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Amarillo Department of Building Safety and the City water and sewer utility before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City of Amarillo codified Code of Ordinances (Title IV Chapter 4-1 SHA-256 7a50770e...; Title XVIII Chapter 18-2 SHA-256 6a2e673d...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change, and all Chapter 4-1 fees escalate annually by 3 percent or CPI per Section 4-1-3(h). Amarillo does not administer a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact-fee program; its codified Code of Ordinances contains no impact-fee or capital-recovery chapter. The City operates its own water and sewer utility and codifies water service connection and meter fees, distinct from any capacity fee. Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Amarillo 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.