Kemah, Texas - City Development Fees
City of Kemah | Galveston County | Houston-Gulf Coast | SH-146 at Clear Lake and Galveston Bay
Kemah is a small waterfront city in northern Galveston County on SH-146 at Clear Lake and Galveston Bay. The City administers building permits, platting, plan review and right-of-way permits; water and wastewater service is provided by Galveston County Water Control and Improvement District No. 12 (WCID 12). The fees below are captured from the City of Kemah Fee Schedule adopted September 2, 2026 under Resolution No. 2026-34. Verify current amounts with the City of Kemah before relying on them.
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plat and Development Review Fees | Confirmed | Preliminary plat $2,000; final plat $1,500; replat $1,000; ordinance variance $500 | Res. 2026-34, 2026-09-02 |
| Utility Tap / Connection Fees (water, sewer) | Not administered by this jurisdiction | Water and wastewater provided by Galveston County WCID 12 | - |
| Impact Fees (TLGC Ch. 395) | Unavailable via official sources | No impact fee in the City fee schedule | - |
| Special District Fees | Not administered by this jurisdiction | WCID 12 sets its own rates and fees; no City PID or TIRZ assessment schedule | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Texas has no cash proffer regime; exactions run through TLGC Ch. 212 and Ch. 395 | - |
Plat and Development Review Fees
Source: City of Kemah Fee Schedule, posted as "City of Kemah Fee Schedule - Adopted 9/2/26". City Council approved Resolution No. 2026-34, "A Resolution to Update the City of Kemah, Texas Fee Schedule", on September 2, 2026 (official minutes, item 12.C); the resolution updates fees under the procedure established by Ordinance 1141. The schedule lists plat and variance fees but no zoning change, specific use permit or PUD application fee.
| Plat Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Preliminary plat | $2,000 |
| Final plat | $1,500 |
| Replat | $1,000 |
Plat fees do not include filing fees with Galveston County.
Variance, site and right-of-way permits
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Ordinance variance | $500 |
| Site grading / fill permit | $200 |
| Culvert permit | $1,500 |
| Bulkhead permit | $1,000 |
| Right of way permit - all other ROW work | $200 |
| Certificate of occupancy | $200 |
New commercial and multi-family construction review
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Civil / drainage / SWPPP review | $1,000 per acre |
| 1X assessment fee for new residential / commercial construction | $1,500 |
| Three or more plan resubmittals | Additional $500 review fee per plan set |
The $1,500 one-time assessment fee is a City assessment listed with plan review fees; it is not a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee.
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were either not published by this jurisdiction as a dated fee schedule, not administered by it, or do not apply. They are disclosed here rather than estimated, paraphrased from a non-official source, or omitted silently. These items remain under limited-coverage review until any remaining gaps are closed from official sources.
Zoning change and specific use permit fees
The City fee schedule prints no zoning change, specific use permit or PUD application fee. Those amounts, if set, were not found in a dated City fee document and are not reported here.
Utility tap fees
Water and wastewater service in Kemah is provided by Galveston County Water Control and Improvement District No. 12 (WCID 12), per the City Public Works page, and the City fee schedule has no tap or connection lines. WCID 12 connection charges were not captured. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction.
Impact fees
The Resolution 2026-34 fee schedule has no Chapter 395 water, wastewater or roadway impact fee, and the City does not operate the water and wastewater utility. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via official sources.
Special district fees
The only overlapping district identified is Galveston County WCID 12, whose own board sets its rates and fees. No City public improvement district (PID) or TIRZ assessment schedule was found. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction.
Building permit fees
Valuation-based plan review and inspection fees also appear in the schedule. Building trade permit fees are outside the scope of this page.
Proffers
Cash proffers are a Virginia statutory instrument under Virginia Code Section 15.2-2303.4 with no Texas counterpart. Texas exactions run through Local Government Code Chapter 212 (subdivision and development) and Chapter 395 (impact fees). Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Kemah Building Department | Plat, variance, plan review, site, culvert, bulkhead and right-of-way permit fees | kemahtx.gov |
| Galveston County Water Control and Improvement District No. 12 (WCID 12) | Water and wastewater service and connections (not captured) | galvcowcid12.com |
See the impact fees guide for how Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 works, and the Texas hub for other jurisdictions covered by ZoneFee. Nearby covered jurisdictions include League City, Webster and Friendswood.
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| City of Kemah Fee Schedule - Adopted 9/2/26 (Resolution No. 2026-34) - SHA-256 9e1df849… | City of Kemah | 2026-10-18 |
| City Council regular meeting minutes, September 2, 2026 (item 12.C, Resolution 2026-34 approved) - SHA-256 871711dc… | City of Kemah | 2026-10-18 |
| City Council agenda packet, September 2, 2026 (item 12.C, Resolution No. 2026-34 with fee schedule) - SHA-256 15978f36… | City of Kemah | 2026-10-18 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-10-18. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Kemah before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City of Kemah Fee Schedule adopted September 2, 2026 under Resolution No. 2026-34. As noted above, water and wastewater connections are handled by Galveston County WCID 12, the City schedule carries no impact fee or zoning change fee, and Texas has no cash proffer regime. ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Kemah 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.