Waco, Texas - City Development Fees
Waco | City | McLennan County / Central Texas (I-35 corridor between DFW and Austin; Brazos River) | Waco, TX MSA | County seat of McLennan County | FIPS 4876000
Waco sits on the Brazos River along the Interstate 35 corridor between Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin, the seat of McLennan County and the core of the Waco, TX MSA. The City of Waco Development Services Department administers an adopted Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee program (Ordinance 2020-793, Code of Ordinances Appendix C, effective June 1, 2021) covering roadway, water, and wastewater facilities, plus zoning, subdivision, and building permit application fees through its Planning Services and Inspection Services divisions. Waco operates its own water and wastewater utility; the development-side capacity charge is the Chapter 395 impact fee. Verify current amounts with the City of Waco before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact Fees (Water / Wastewater / Roadway) | Confirmed | TLGC Chapter 395 program; water $1,000 (5/8-3/4 inch) to $253,330 (10 inch); wastewater $2,000 to $320,000 (8 inch); roadway by service area, single-family detached $0 to $1,500 per dwelling | 2021-06-01 |
| Zoning and Subdivision Application Fees | Confirmed | Zone Change $500; Special Permit $500; ZBA $300; Preliminary Plat $300; Final / Replat $500 + $5/lot; Minor Plat $400; PUD Concept $400 / Final $350 | 2022-10-01 |
| Building Permit Fees | Confirmed | Commercial $0.28/sq ft (first 100,000 sq ft) + $0.14/sq ft additional; Residential $0.35/sq ft; ADU $0.50/sq ft; commercial plan review 25% (minimum $100) | Current |
| Utility Tap / Connection Fees | Unavailable via official sources | The development-side water and wastewater capacity charge is the Chapter 395 impact fee; the codified water service fee schedule (Section 26-151) is set by annual budget or resolution | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers | - |
| Special District Fees (PID / TIRZ) | Not administered by this city | PIDs and TIRZ finance through tax-increment / assessment-roll instruments; no City special-district developer fee | - |
Impact Fees (TLGC Chapter 395 Program)
Source: City of Waco Impact Fee Ordinance 2020-793 (Code of Ordinances Appendix C, effective June 1, 2021; ordinance caption SHA-256 7e8906f0...), with the adopted water and wastewater rate tables (SHA-256 7e2efa6b...) and roadway rate table (SHA-256 2f4b6d5a...) captured verbatim. The program follows a Freese and Nichols impact fee study and a Capital Improvement Advisory Committee per Texas Local Government Code Section 395.058.
The amounts below are the adopted Maximum after Application of General Credit (the collected rate). The Maximum Assessed fee is the statutory ceiling and is roughly double the collected rate. Roadway impact fees apply within the city limits; water and wastewater impact fees apply in the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction service area. Consult the City's Impact Fee Ordinance Guide for phasing, exemptions, and reductions.
Water and Wastewater Impact Fees by Meter Size (Collected Rate)
| Meter Size | Water Impact Fee | Wastewater Impact Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 5/8 inch to 3/4 inch | $1,000 | $2,000 |
| 1 inch | $2,670 | $5,340 |
| 1.5 inch | $6,670 | $13,340 |
| 2 inch | $10,670 | $21,340 |
| 3 inch | $23,330 | $46,660 |
| 4 inch | $42,000 | $84,000 |
| 6 inch | $93,330 | $186,660 |
| 8 inch | $160,000 | $320,000 |
| 10 inch | $253,330 | - |
Roadway Impact Fees by Service Area (Maximum after General Credit)
The roadway impact fee is set by 11 service areas in Table 2 of the adopted schedule, calculated per land-use category. For single-family detached housing the maximum-after-credit amount ranges from $0.00 to $1,500.00 per dwelling unit depending on the service area (for example, $1,500.00 in service areas 1, 2, and 6; $828.80 in service area 3; $755.20 in service area 5; and $0.00 in service area 4). The maximum-after-credit ranges across service areas for other common land uses are shown below.
| Land Use | Maximum after General Credit (range across service areas) |
|---|---|
| Single-Family Detached Housing (per dwelling) | $0.00 to $1,500.00 |
| Multifamily Low-Rise (per dwelling) | $0.00 to $848.44 |
| General Office (per 1,000 sq ft) | $0.00 to $2,320.31 |
| Shopping Center (per 1,000 sq ft) | $0.00 to $1,739.06 |
| Fast-Food with Drive-Through (per 1,000 sq ft) | $0.00 to $5,001.56 |
The full roadway impact fee schedule lists all land-use categories across the 11 service areas. Consult the City of Waco roadway impact fee schedule for the specific service area and land-use combination that applies to a given project.
Zoning, Subdivision, and Building Permit Fees
Source: City of Waco Planning Services Fee Schedule, Fiscal Year 2022-2023, effective October 1, 2022 (SHA-256 16f05931...), the schedule currently published on the official site, plus the Inspection Services Permit Fee Schedules for building permit amounts.
Planning and Zoning Application Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Zone Change Application | $500.00 |
| Special Permit | $500.00 |
| Zoning Board of Adjustment Application | $300.00 |
| Administrative Appeal | $300.00 |
| Preliminary Subdivision Plat | $300.00 |
| Final / Replat / Amended Subdivision Plat | $500.00 plus $5 per lot |
| Minor Plat (4 lots or less without improvements) | $400.00 |
| Subdivision Plat Vacation | $100.00 |
| PUD Concept Plan (Zoning) | $400.00 |
| Final PUD Plan | $350.00 |
| Land Use Change | $150.00 |
| Abandonment Fee | $300.00 |
| Encroachment | $500.00 |
| Street Name Change | $300.00 |
| Historic District Designation | $200.00 |
Building Permit Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Commercial Buildings - first 100,000 sq ft | $0.28 per sq ft |
| Commercial Buildings - each additional sq ft | $0.14 per sq ft |
| Residential Structures | $0.35 per sq ft |
| Accessory Dwelling Unit | $0.50 per sq ft (waived for City pre-approved plans) |
| Commercial Plan Review (non-refundable) | 25% of building permit fee (minimum $100) |
| Site Grading | $50 plus $60 plan review |
| Demolition | $50 to $500 |
Work started without a permit is subject to a double fee penalty. Building permit amounts are published on the City's Inspection Services Permit Fee Schedules page.
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.
Utility Tap / Connection Fees
Waco operates its own municipal water and wastewater utility, but the operative development-side water and wastewater capacity charge is the adopted Chapter 395 water and wastewater impact fee captured above. The codified water service fee schedule (Code of Ordinances Section 26-151) states the city council establishes the schedule of fees, charges, and deposits for water service as part of the city's annual budget or by resolution, so it is not published as a standalone codified developer tap or meter-set fee schedule. The consumer Utility Rates page publishes only recurring monthly service charges and consumption tiers, not a one-time developer tap fee. Closed-search outcome: unavailable via official sources.
Special District Fees (PID / TIRZ)
No City-administered special-district developer fee surfaced across the Planning Services Fee Schedule, the codified Code of Ordinances (Chapter 26 and Appendix C), or the Development Services and Planning Services surfaces. Waco's Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) and Public Improvement District (PID) instruments finance through tax-increment and special assessments on the tax roll rather than a developer application fee. 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 Waco occur through the impact fees, zoning, subdivision, and building permit fees captured above. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Waco - Development Services (Planning Services + Inspection Services) | Roadway, water, and wastewater impact fees; zoning and subdivision application fees; building permit fees | waco-texas.com |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Impact Fee Ordinance 2020-793, Code of Ordinances Appendix C, effective June 1, 2021 (SHA-256 7e8906f0...) | City of Waco, TX - City Council | 2026-06-13 |
| Water and Wastewater Impact Fees by meter size (SHA-256 7e2efa6b...) | City of Waco, TX - Development Services / Planning Services | 2026-06-13 |
| Roadway Impact Fees by service area (SHA-256 2f4b6d5a...) | City of Waco, TX - Development Services / Planning Services | 2026-06-13 |
| Planning Services Fee Schedule, FY 2022-2023, effective October 1, 2022 (SHA-256 16f05931...) | City of Waco, TX - Development Services / Planning Services | 2026-06-13 |
| Inspection Services Permit Fee Schedules (building permit fees) | City of Waco, TX - Development Services / Inspection 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 Waco Development Services Department before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City of Waco Impact Fee Ordinance 2020-793 (Code of Ordinances Appendix C, effective June 1, 2021; SHA-256 7e8906f0...), the adopted water and wastewater impact fee tables (SHA-256 7e2efa6b...), the roadway impact fee table (SHA-256 2f4b6d5a...), and the Planning Services Fee Schedule effective October 1, 2022 (SHA-256 16f05931...). The impact fee amounts shown are the adopted Maximum after Application of General Credit (collected) rate; the Maximum Assessed fee is the statutory ceiling. ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. The development-side water and wastewater capacity charge in Waco is the Chapter 395 impact fee; the codified water service fee schedule is set by annual budget or resolution. Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers, and Waco administers no special-district developer fee schedule (TIRZ and PID overlays finance through tax-increment and assessment-roll instruments). Verify all current rates directly with the City of Waco 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.