Durham, North Carolina - City Development Fees
Durham | City | Research Triangle (Durham County, NC)
Durham is the county seat of Durham County and anchors the western Research Triangle. Development fees are administered through a consolidated City-County structure: the City-County Planning & Development Department (rezoning, special use permits, site plans, subdivision plats, historic COA, floodplain, stormwater, and sign fees), the City-County Building & Safety Department (building and trade permit fees), and the City of Durham Department of Water Management (water and sewer capital facility fees and connection charges). North Carolina municipalities lack general impact-fee authority, so Durham does not administer a per-unit impact-fee schedule; its water and sewer Capital Facility Fees are the NC GS 162A Article 8 system development charges captured below. All amounts on this page are captured verbatim from the cited official sources - the 2025 Planning & Development Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2025) and the Reference Guide for Development Section 13 (capital facility fees effective January 1, 2024). Verify current amounts with the City of Durham before relying on them.
On this page
- Fee summary
- Zoning and planning application fees
- Durham Water capital facility and connection fees
- Coverage notes
- Fee authorities
- Sources
Fee Summary
| Fee Type |
Status |
Top-Line Figure |
Effective Date |
| Impact Fees |
Not administered |
NC municipalities lack general impact-fee authority; the only City Impact Fee Ordinance document (revised July 10, 2009) is an image-based PDF with non-extractable amounts and is superseded - no current per-unit impact-fee schedule is administered |
- |
| Zoning and Planning Application Fees |
Confirmed |
General Rezoning $3,562 to $5,343 + Processing Fee; Major Special Use Permit $2,653; Level 1 to Level 4 Site Plans $468 to $11,752; Historic District Designation $22,750; a 4% technology surcharge is included in listed amounts |
2025-07-01 |
| Durham Water Capital Facility and Connection Fees |
Confirmed |
Capital Facility Fee $5,619 (5/8-inch meter) to $1,489,072 (12-inch meter); frontage charges $27.00 to $56.00/LF; meter set $285 to $10,500; basin surcharges $557.18 to $6,939.08/unit |
2024-01-01 |
| Special District Fees |
Not administered |
No developer-facing special/municipal-service-district application fee found in official sources; the Downtown Durham BID and transit overlay districts are not developer application fees |
- |
| Proffers |
Not applicable |
North Carolina is not a proffer state and does not authorize Virginia-style cash proffers |
- |
Zoning and Planning Application Fees
Source: 2025 Planning & Development Fee Schedule (Form 34642), City-County Planning & Development Department, effective July 1, 2025 (SHA-256 92e827a9...), and the Building Permit Fee Schedule (Schedules A-I), City-County Building & Safety, effective July 1, 2018 (SHA-256 84dc8a02...), captured verbatim. A 4% technology surcharge is embedded in most listed Planning fee amounts, and most Planning fees carry an additional "+ Processing Fee" added at checkout for the payment method. Planning application fees are paid through the Development Services Center (DSC) portal; building permit fees are paid through the Land Development Office (LDO) portal.
Rezoning and Special Use Permit Fees
| Application Type | Fee (Effective 2025-07-01) |
|---|
| General Rezoning, no Development Plan, 5 acres or less - CONSISTENT with Comp Plan Maps | $3,562 + Processing Fee |
| General Rezoning, no Development Plan, more than 5 acres - CONSISTENT with Comp Plan Maps | $5,343 + Processing Fee |
| Major Special Use Permit (all except WCF) | $2,653 + Processing Fee (includes letter notice, 1 sign, in-person recordation, technology) |
| Transportation Special Use Permit | $2,887 + Processing Fee |
Site Plan Review Fees
| Site Plan Type | Fee (Effective 2025-07-01) |
|---|
| Level 1 Site Plan (no new impervious, no new habitable area, <12,000 SF disturbance) | $468 + Processing Fee |
| Level 2 Site Plan (max 500 SF new impervious) | $936 + Processing Fee |
| Level 4 Site Plan Tier 1 (0-5,000 SF new habitable building area on single lot) | $4,992 + Processing Fee |
| Level 4 Site Plan Tier 2 (5,001-10,000 SF) | $6,032 + Processing Fee |
| Level 4 Site Plan Tier 3 (10,001-50,000 SF) | $8,632 + Processing Fee |
| Level 4 Site Plan Tier 4 (50,001-100,000 SF) | $11,752 + Processing Fee |
| Level 4 Site Plan Tier 5 (>100,000 SF) | $4,992 + $52/1,000 SF + Processing Fee |
| Level 4 Site Plan Tier 6 (new residential lots, no more than 5,000 SF incidental nonres) | $4,992 + $52/new lot + Processing Fee |
| Major Site Plan (base fee + higher of $78/lot or $78/1,000 SF new habitable area) | $6,370 + higher of $78/new lot or $78/1,000 SF + Processing Fee |
Subdivision Plat Fees
| Plat Type | Fee (Effective 2025-07-01) |
|---|
| Major Preliminary Plat (base + per lot) | $5,122 + $52/new lot + Processing Fee |
| Minor Preliminary Plat (base + per lot) | $4,784 + $52/new lot + Processing Fee |
| Major Final Plat | $1,248 + $52/new lot + Processing Fee |
| Minor Final Plat | $624 + Processing Fee |
Historic Preservation (Certificate of Appropriateness) Fees
| Application Type | Fee (Effective 2025-07-01) |
|---|
| Minor COA (Certificate of Appropriateness - staff approval) | $42 + Processing Fee |
| Major COA (HPC review, except demolition/new construction/large addition) | $297 + Processing Fee (includes letter notice, 1 sign, technology) |
| Major COA with New Construction or Large Addition | $505 + Processing Fee |
| Major COA with Demolition of Primary Structure | $713 + Processing Fee |
| Historic District Designation or Repeal | $22,750 + Processing Fee |
| Historic Landmark Designation or Repeal | $1,735 + Processing Fee |
Floodplain and Stormwater Review Fees
| Review Type | Fee (Effective 2025-07-01) |
|---|
| Stormwater SCM As-Built Plan Review | $520 per SCM + Processing Fee |
| Small Floodplain Development Permit | $208 + Processing Fee |
| Medium Floodplain Development Permit | $390 + Processing Fee |
| Large Floodplain Development Permit | $780 + Processing Fee |
Sign Permit Fees
| Sign Type | Fee (Effective 2025-07-01) |
|---|
| Banner Plan per banner | $182/banner + Processing Fee |
| Permanent Sign Permit per sign | $182/sign + Processing Fee (includes 1 inspection) |
| Temporary Sign Permit per sign | $104/sign + Processing Fee |
Miscellaneous Planning and Inspection Fees
| Fee Type | Fee (Effective 2025-07-01) |
|---|
| Formal Letter of Interpretation (UDO) | $208 + Processing Fee |
| Business Verification Letter | $52/address + Processing Fee |
| Home Occupation Permit | $52 + Processing Fee |
| Landscape Extension Residential | $78/permit + Processing Fee |
| Site Compliance Inspection 1st and 2nd (all except attached units) | $104 each/permit + Processing Fee |
| Right-of-Way Temporary Closure Administrative Fee per week | $130 admin fee/week + daily lane/sidewalk/parking fees |
| Technology surcharge on most Planning fees | 4% included in listed fee amounts |
Building Permit Fees
| Permit Type | Fee (Effective 2018-07-01) |
|---|
| Building Permit - New Residential Dwelling up to 1,200 SF gross | $146 permit + $146 plan review |
Authority: City-County Planning & Development Department (planning/zoning application fees, paid through the Development Services Center portal) and City-County Building & Safety Department (building and trade permit fees, paid through the Land Development Office portal). The 2025 Planning & Development Fee Schedule (Form 34642) is the current authority for planning/zoning application fees.
Durham Water Capital Facility and Connection Fees
Source: Reference Guide for Development, City of Durham, Section 13 (Development Fees), 2026-04-27 revision (SHA-256 81bd94c7...), captured verbatim. Capital Facility Fees are the Durham NC equivalent of NC GS 162A Article 8 System Development Fees for water and sewer, set per Section 70.50 of the City Ordinance and effective January 1, 2024. Fees are due prior to connection, typically with the service connection application. Frontage charges, extension permits, meter set fees, and sewer basin surcharges apply in addition.
Water and Sewer Capital Facility Fees (per meter size)
| Meter Size | Total Capital Facility Fee | Water | Sewer Treatment | Sewer Collection |
|---|
| 5/8-inch meter | $5,619 | $2,591 | $2,015 | $1,013 |
| 1-inch meter | $14,049 | $6,478 | $5,038 | $2,533 |
| 1.5-inch meter | $28,096 | $12,956 | $10,075 | $5,065 |
| 2-inch meter | $44,953 | $20,729 | $16,120 | $8,104 |
| 3-inch meter | $89,906 | $41,458 | $32,240 | $16,208 |
| 4-inch meter | $140,478 | $64,778 | $50,375 | $25,325 |
| 6-inch meter | $280,957 | $129,555 | $100,751 | $50,651 |
| 8-inch meter | $449,532 | $207,288 | $161,202 | $81,042 |
| 10-inch meter | $1,180,020 | $544,132 | $423,154 | $212,734 |
| 12-inch meter | $1,489,072 | $686,642 | $533,980 | $268,450 |
Frontage Charges
| Charge | Amount |
|---|
| Frontage charge - water main (inside city limits) | $27.00/linear foot |
| Frontage charge - sanitary sewer main (inside city limits) | $50.00/linear foot |
| Frontage charge - water main (outside city limits) | $29.50/linear foot |
| Frontage charge - sanitary sewer main (outside city limits) | $56.00/linear foot |
Extension Permits and Agreements
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|
| Water Extension Permit Fee | $450 |
| Sewer Extension Permit Fee | $450 |
| Utility Extension Agreement Fee (development projects) | $520 (includes technology fee) |
| Utility Extension Agreement Fee (one single-family residence) | $104 (includes technology fee) |
Water Meter Set Fees (City-installed)
| Meter Size | Amount |
|---|
| Water meter set - 5/8-inch (City installed, existing service/meter box) | $285 |
| Water meter set - 1-inch | $420 |
| Water meter set - 1.5-inch | $656 |
| Water meter set - 2-inch | $2,100 |
| Water meter set - 3-inch | $2,625 |
| Water meter set - 4-inch | $3,675 |
| Water meter set - 6-inch | $10,500 |
Other Utility Charges
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|
| Summary Utility Development Statement (SUDS) fee | $500 (effective September 1, 2021) |
| Due Diligence Property Information (water/sewer service info) | $20 |
| Service initiation fee (new account setup) | $50 |
Sewer Basin and Pump Station Surcharges
| Basin / Pump Station | Amount |
|---|
| Basin fee - Fayetteville Road Pump Station (single-family) | $1,700/unit |
| Basin fee - Del Webb Pump Station (single-family) | $2,500/unit |
| Basin fee - Southeast Regional Pump Station (single-family) | $6,939.08/unit (increases 5% annually effective July 1) |
| Basin fee - Farrington Road Waterline (residential unit, as of July 2023) | $557.18/unit (increases 5% annually effective July 1) |
| Basin fee - Copley Farms Sewer Outfall (residential unit, as of July 2023) | $1,234.22/unit (increases 5% annually effective July 1) |
Authority: City of Durham Department of Water Management, which administers the municipal water and sewer utility. Basin fees are supplemental pump station and infrastructure surcharges for properties in specific sewer service basins, charged in addition to capital facility fees. Durham County sewer customers served by Durham County's Triangle Wastewater Treatment Plant have rates set separately by the Durham County Commissioners.
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
The items below are disclosed rather than estimated or omitted silently. These items remain under limited-coverage review until the additive gaps noted below are captured from official, hash-verified sources.
Impact Fees
North Carolina municipalities lack general impact-fee authority. The only document found titled "City Impact Fee Ordinance" is at DocumentCenter/View/1007 (revised July 10, 2009, reflecting city council actions through June 24, 2009). It is an image-based PDF: only the text header is extractable, and the fee tables on pages 2-3 are embedded images from which no dollar amounts can be extracted. No updated or current-version impact-fee schedule was found in the 2025 Planning Fee Schedule, the Reference Guide for Development Section 13, or any other official durhamnc.gov source. Durham's NC GS 162A Article 8 system development fees for water and sewer are captured above under Durham Water capital facility and connection fees. Closed-search outcome: no current impact-fee schedule is administered by this jurisdiction; no impact-fee table is shown.
Proffers
North Carolina is not a proffer state and does not authorize cash proffers as a condition of rezoning the way Virginia Code 15.2-2303 and 15.2-2303.4 do. Durham's development contribution mechanisms are payment-in-lieu for open space (UDO 7.2.2), payment-in-lieu for sidewalks, and utility capital facility fees - captured above under zoning application fees and Durham Water connection fees. None of these are cash proffers in the Virginia statutory sense. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Special District Fees
No standard special improvement district, municipal service district (MSD), or special taxing district developer-application fee was found in official durhamnc.gov sources after exhausting the source ladder. Durham has a Downtown Durham BID and some transit overlay districts, but no developer-facing special district application fee schedule was identified at the durhamnc.gov fee pages, the 2025 Planning Fee Schedule, or the Reference Guide for Development. Utility basin pump station surcharges captured above are utility infrastructure charges, not special taxing districts. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Additive coverage gaps
The Building Permit Fee Schedule captured for the residential building permit row (DocumentCenter/View/2706) was last revised July 1, 2018; a newer version may exist and will be re-checked. Board of Adjustment (BOA) variance fees are included in the 2025 Planning Fee Schedule (Form 34642) but were not individually captured in the categories above. These will be added when captured from the official, hash-verified sources.
Fee Authorities
| Authority |
Fee Types |
Official Website |
| City-County Planning & Development Department (Durham) |
Rezoning, site plan review, special use permit, subdivision plat, certificate of appropriateness, sign permit, floodplain review, and stormwater review fees |
durhamnc.gov |
| City-County Building & Safety Department (Durham) |
Building permit, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and plan review fees |
durhamnc.gov |
| City of Durham Department of Water Management |
Water and sewer capital facility fees, water meter set fees, utility extension permit fees, and frontage charges |
durhamnc.gov |
Sources
| Document |
Agency |
Accessed |
| Planning & Development Fees and Payment Menu (Form 34642, July 2025) - 2025 Planning & Development Fee Schedule, effective July 1, 2025 (SHA-256 92e827a9...) |
City-County Planning & Development Department, Durham, NC |
2026-06-25 |
| Building Permit Fee Schedule (Schedules A-I), effective July 1, 2018 (SHA-256 84dc8a02...) |
City-County Building & Safety Department, Durham, NC |
2026-06-25 |
| Reference Guide for Development, Section 13: Development Fees, 2026-04-27 revision (capital facility fees effective January 1, 2024) (SHA-256 81bd94c7...) |
City of Durham Public Works / Engineering Division |
2026-06-26 |
| City Impact Fee Ordinance (excerpt as revised July 10, 2009; image-based, amounts non-extractable, superseded) (SHA-256 85cd851f...) |
City-County Building & Safety Department, Durham, NC |
2026-06-25 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-26. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City-County Planning & Development Department, the City-County Building & Safety Department, and the City of Durham Department of Water Management before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data captured verbatim from the 2025 Durham Planning & Development Fee Schedule (Form 34642, effective July 1, 2025; SHA-256 92e827a9...), the Building Permit Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2018; SHA-256 84dc8a02...), and the Reference Guide for Development Section 13 (2026-04-27 revision; capital facility fees effective January 1, 2024; SHA-256 81bd94c7...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. North Carolina municipalities lack general impact-fee authority, so Durham does not administer a per-unit impact-fee schedule; the only City Impact Fee Ordinance document is an image-based, non-extractable 2009 PDF and is superseded. North Carolina does not use Virginia-style cash proffers, and Durham does not levy a developer-facing special-district application fee. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Durham 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.