DevFeeFinder
WaterSet by city fee ordinance

Water Development Fee

Levied by City of Sacramento, Department of Utilities on new development in Sacramento. Authorized under the Mitigation Fee Act - Gov. Code Sec. 66000 et seq.

What one house pays

$10,954

For a typical home: a 2,000 sq ft detached house on a 0.13 acre lot, on a new subdivision lot.

Share of Sacramento's total
18%
Total one-time fees here
$60,437
Adjustment
Adjusts only when the board sets a new amount
what the document says

by resolution - dated phase-in adopted 2023-10-24, stepping annually each January (22 January 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027) to full cost; no index after the final step

Next expected change
1 Jan 2027

The record

Why it exists

“The purpose of the fee is to fund capital capacity requirements to accommodate projected new residential and non-residential development.”

Resolution, Oct. 24, 2023, Background ¶A · source document ↗
What it pays for

“The Water System Development Fee is used to fund water facilities needed to secure, treat, store and transmit water for demand generated by development in the service area.”

Resolution, Oct. 24, 2023, Background ¶A · source document ↗
Where it applies

“The Water Development Fee is assessed on all projects that require a new water tap or increase in size of an existing tap.”

City of Sacramento DOU Development Fees Report, Fiscal Year 2024, adopted by City Council February 11, 2025, Executive Summary p. 3 · source document ↗
When it was adopted

1979

“Established in 1979, by ordinance 4268, the City's Water System Development Fee imposes a fee on residential and non-residential development projects.”

City Council Supplemental Material, meeting of Tuesday, October 24, 2023, Public Hearing Item 20, File ID 2023-01248; Attachment 2, "RESOLUTION NO. 2023- ... ADOPTING THE UPDATED UTILITY DEVELOPMENT FEES NEXUS STUDIES RELATING TO THE WATER SYSTEM, SEWER, AND COMBINED SEWER DEVELOPMENT FEES, AND ESTABLISHING THE AMOUNT OF WATER SYSTEM, SEWER, AND COMBINED SEWER DEVELOPMENT FEES," Background ¶A · source document ↗
Who adopted it

“Established in 1979, by ordinance 4268, the City's Water System Development Fee imposes a fee on residential and non-residential development projects.”

City Council Supplemental Material, meeting of Tuesday, October 24, 2023, Public Hearing Item 20, File ID 2023-01248; Attachment 2, "RESOLUTION NO. 2023- ... ADOPTING THE UPDATED UTILITY DEVELOPMENT FEES NEXUS STUDIES RELATING TO THE WATER SYSTEM, SEWER, AND COMBINED SEWER DEVELOPMENT FEES, AND ESTABLISHING THE AMOUNT OF WATER SYSTEM, SEWER, AND COMBINED SEWER DEVELOPMENT FEES," Background ¶A · source document ↗
Who collects it

City of Sacramento, Department of Utilities, the agency that levies it

“Call (916) 808-7890 for Dept. of Utilities Development Related Fee Questions. ... For current fees visit:”

Who is exempt

“Section 3. Exemptions — A. Projects with a building permit application that has been accepted for processing by the City and has paid application fees prior to January 22, 2024, are not subject to the adjusted fee amounts shown in Exhibit B, provided that this exemption does not apply to building permits that have expired. B. Housing development projects that are covered by valid SB 330 applications submitted prior to January 22, 2024, are not subject to the adjusted fee amounts shown in Exhibit B for five years after January 22, 2024. C. Projects with submitted grading permit applications or subdivision improvement plan applications that have been accepted for processing by the City and have paid application fees prior to January 22, 2024, or grading permit applications or subdivision improvement plans approved prior to January 22, 2024, are not subject to the adjusted fee amounts shown in Exhibit B for five years after January 22, 2024.”

Resolution, Oct. 24, 2023, §3 · source document ↗
Credits and offsets

“* Water Development Fee credit is given for existing water service connections.”

CDD-0404, note to item 4 "Water Development Fee," rev. 07-01-2026 · source document ↗
How it changes

“Section 4. Authorization of Phased Adjustment — The City Council hereby authorizes and directs that, subject to the exemptions set forth in Section 3, the percentage of the increase in the adjusted fee amounts shown in Exhibit B above the Water System, Sewer and Combined Sewer Development Fees currently in effect and as adjusted annually (Existing Fee) will be automatically imposed on a development project as follows: A. Implemented at 25% of increase plus Existing Fee, on January 22, 2024; and B. 50% of increase plus Existing Fee, imposed on January 22, 2025; and C. 75% of increase plus Existing Fee, imposed on January 22, 2026; and D. 100% of increase plus Existing Fee, imposed on January 22, 2027.”

Resolution, Oct. 24, 2023, §4; §5 adds "annual adjustments shall occur as provided: for the Water System Development Fee by Sacramento City Code section 13.04.820"; §6: "The resolution takes effect January 22, 2024." · source document ↗

Every published rate

Every rate below applies to single-family detached.

RateBasisEffectiveAmount
this home per DU 12 Jul 2026 $10,954

About these figures

Quoted, not summarized. Every amount and fact on this page is copied from the official document it links to. If we couldn’t find something in a document, we leave it blank instead of guessing.

Before any discounts. Some fees offer credits, waivers or phase-ins. They’re listed above but not subtracted, because whether you qualify depends on your project.

Check the date. Fees change. This page shows what was in force on the date at the top, with a link to the document that set it, so you can confirm the current amount yourself. How all of this is put together.

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