San Benito, Texas - City Development Fees
City of San Benito | Cameron County | Lower Rio Grande Valley | I-69E / US 77 between Harlingen and Brownsville
San Benito is a city in Cameron County on I-69E and US 77 between Harlingen and Brownsville, in the Brownsville-Harlingen metro area. The City operates its own water and wastewater utilities and sets water and sewer tap fees by ordinance in Code Sec. 13.03.006 (Deposits and Fees). The fees below are captured from Ordinance Number 2409-H-B, which the City links from its Utility Billing page as the 2024 fees ordinance. Verify current amounts with the City of San Benito before relying on them.
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility Tap / Connection Fees (water and sewer taps) | Confirmed | Inside city: 3/4" water tap $700.00; 4" sewer tap $1,500.00 | Ord. 2409-H-B, adopted 2024-02-20 |
| Zoning and Plat Fees | Unavailable via official sources | No dated fee schedule or adopting ordinance posted on the City website | - |
| Impact Fees (TLGC Ch. 395) | Unavailable via official sources | No adopted impact fee schedule published by the City | - |
| Special District Fees (PID / MUD) | Not administered by the City | No City-administered special-district fee found | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Texas has no cash proffer regime; exactions run through TLGC Ch. 212 and Ch. 395 | - |
Utility Tap Fees
Source: City of San Benito Ordinance Number 2409-H-B, amending Code Sec. 13.03.006 Deposits and Fees, subsections (e) Tap Fees within City Limits and (f) Tap Fees Outside City Limits. First reading December 19, 2023; passed, approved and adopted on second and final reading February 20, 2024; effective immediately upon passage. The ordinance states that developers are required to pay all associated fees before recording plats during the construction phase.
Inside city limits
| Tap Size | New Water Tap Fee | Service Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 3/4" or 5/8" | $700.00 | $100.00 |
| 1" | $800.00 | $100.00 |
| 1-1/2" | $900.00 | $300.00 |
| 2" | $1,200.00 (estimated) | $400.00 |
| 4" | $2,250.00 (estimated) | $500.00 |
| 6" | $3,375.00 (estimated) | $600.00 |
| 8" subdivision | $4,500.00 (estimated) | $700.00 |
| 10" subdivision | $5,500.00 (estimated) | $800.00 |
| 12" subdivision | $7,500.00 (estimated) | $900.00 |
| Tap Size | Sewer Tap Fee | Service Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 4" | $1,500.00 | $100.00 |
| 6" | $2,500.00 | $200.00 |
| 8" | $3,500.00 | $500.00 |
| 10" | $4,500.00 | $600.00 |
| 12" | $5,500.00 | $800.00 |
Outside city limits
| Tap Size | Fee |
|---|---|
| Water tap, 3/4" or 5/8" | $800.00 |
| Water tap, 1" | $900.00 |
| Water tap, 1-1/2" | $1,000.00 |
| Sewer tap, 4" | $1,700.00 |
| Sewer tap, 6" | $2,700.00 |
| Sewer tap, 8" | $3,800.00 |
The ordinance prints larger water and sewer tap sizes outside city limits as well; see the source document. Notes printed with both tables: the cost of a street crossing is charged in addition to the tap fees, and amounts marked estimated are estimated fees, with the final cost based on the actual cost of materials and labor.
Boring permit
Boring permits must be obtained by a registered contractor. The permit and inspection fee is $65.00 inside city limits and $81.00 outside city limits for residential, and $90.00 inside and $112.00 outside city limits for multi-family.
The City Water / Sewer Tap Application (updated November 4, 2025) prints inside-city water and sewer tap amounts that match the ordinance.
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 and plat fees
Planning application fees appear only as an undated inline table on the City Applications and Permits page and on undated application forms (rezoning and subdivision). No dated fee schedule or adopting ordinance for zoning, plat, or site plan fees is posted on the City website, so those amounts are not shown here. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via official sources.
Impact fees
Ordinance Number 2409-H-B has no impact fee section, the Utilities pages list rates only, and the City sitemap has no impact fee page. No adopted Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee could be verified from official City sources. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via official sources.
Special district fees
The City sitemap has no public improvement district (PID), municipal utility district (MUD), or tax increment reinvestment zone page, and no developer-paid special-district fee administered by the City was found in the fees ordinance or on the Planning and Development page. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction.
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 San Benito Utilities / Utility Billing | Water and sewer taps; boring permits | cityofsanbenito.com |
| City of San Benito Planning and Development | Zoning, subdivision, and plat applications (no dated fee schedule published) | cityofsanbenito.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 Rio Grande Valley jurisdictions include Brownsville, McAllen, and Edinburg.
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinance Number 2409-H-B, Code Sec. 13.03.006 Deposits and Fees (7 pages, adopted 2024-02-20) - SHA-256 f162042b… | City of San Benito | 2026-10-07 |
| Water / Sewer Tap Application (updated 11/4/2025) - SHA-256 c2a1fa78… | City of San Benito | 2026-10-07 |
| Utility Billing page (links the 2024 fees ordinance) | City of San Benito | 2026-10-15 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-10-07. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of San Benito (Utilities) before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from City of San Benito Ordinance Number 2409-H-B (Code Sec. 13.03.006, adopted February 20, 2024). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change, taps of 2 inches and larger are estimated fees with the final cost based on actual materials and labor, and street crossings are charged in addition. As noted above, the City publishes no dated zoning or plat fee schedule and no impact fee schedule, no City-administered special-district fee was found, and Texas has no cash proffer regime. Verify all current rates directly with the City of San Benito 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.