Raleigh, North Carolina - City Development Fees
Raleigh | City | Research Triangle (Wake County, NC)
Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina and the county seat of Wake County, anchoring the Research Triangle. Development fees are administered by the City of Raleigh Planning and Development Department (building permits, plan review, rezoning, and open space fees), the Transportation Department (Thoroughfare Facility Fees), and Raleigh Water (water and sewer capital facility, tap, and meter fees). Raleigh is notable among North Carolina cities for levying Thoroughfare Facility Fees and Open Space Facility Fees - development exactions authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly under NC GS 160D-804 and NC GS 160D-805 - in place of classic NC GS 160D-802 impact fees. All amounts on this page are captured verbatim from the FY26 City of Raleigh Development Fee Guide (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026), adopted by City Council June 9, 2025. Verify current amounts with the City of Raleigh before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impact Fees (Open Space and Thoroughfare Facility Fees) | Confirmed | Open Space Facility Fees $1,147.00 to $1,871.00 per unit by zone/type; Thoroughfare Facility Fees $662.00 to $2,867.00 per unit by dwelling type/size | 2025-07-01 |
| Development Application and Building Permit Fees | Confirmed | General Use Rezoning $880.00 to Master Plan $4,400.00 per application; new residential building permit 0.35% of construction value; commercial tiered from 0.20% | 2025-07-01 |
| Raleigh Water Connection Fees (WCF/SCF, tap, meter) | Confirmed | Water Capital Facility $1,447.00 to $36,175.00 per tap; Sewer Capital Facility $2,223.00 to $55,575.00 per tap; physical taps $5,033.00 to $5,889.00; meter install $275.00 to $3,945.00 | 2025-07-01 |
| Special District Fees (PID / TIRZ / MUD developer fee) | Not administered | The 51-page FY26 Development Fee Guide contains no city-levied special district developer application fee; Raleigh does not levy a developer-facing special district fee | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | North Carolina does not authorize Virginia-style cash proffers | - |
Impact Fees - Open Space and Thoroughfare Facility Fees
Source: City of Raleigh Development Fee Guide, FY26 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026), adopted by Raleigh City Council June 9, 2025 (SHA-256 6673ab39...), captured verbatim. Raleigh does not levy classic NC GS 160D-802 impact fees. Instead it charges Open Space Facility Fees (Raleigh UDO Article 8.9; NC GS 160D-805 park and open space exaction authority) and Thoroughfare Facility Fees (Raleigh UDO Article 8.9; Raleigh Municipal Code Sec. 10-8004; NC GS 160D-804 thoroughfare nexus fee authority; Duncan Study nexus documentation). Both are per-unit fees assessed at permitting and updated annually each July 1.
Open Space Facility Fees (per dwelling unit)
| Zone and Dwelling Type | Amount per Unit (FY26) |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 & 2 - Single-family dwelling | $1,871.00 |
| Zone 1 & 2 - Multi-family dwelling | $1,358.00 |
| Zone 3 - Single-family dwelling | $1,577.00 |
| Zone 3 - Multi-family dwelling | $1,147.00 |
| Zone 4 - Single-family dwelling | $1,583.00 |
| Zone 4 - Multi-family dwelling | $1,162.00 |
Thoroughfare Facility Fees (per dwelling unit)
| Land Use / Dwelling Type | Amount per Unit (FY26) |
|---|---|
| Single-family dwelling less than 1,000 sq. ft. | $1,790.00 |
| Single-family dwelling 1,000-1,999 sq. ft. | $2,128.00 |
| Single-family dwelling 2,000-2,999 sq. ft. | $2,360.00 |
| Single-family dwelling 3,000-3,999 sq. ft. | $2,539.00 |
| Single-family dwelling 4,000-4,999 sq. ft. | $2,680.00 |
| Single-family dwelling 5,000 sq. ft. and above | $2,867.00 |
| Multi-family dwellings | $1,578.00 |
| Retirement community | $662.00 |
Authority: City of Raleigh Planning and Development Department (Open Space Facility Fees) and Transportation Department (Thoroughfare Facility Fees). Rate schedules are updated annually at the beginning of the fiscal year and published in the Development Fee Guide.
Development Application and Building Permit Fees
Source: City of Raleigh Development Fee Guide, FY26 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026), adopted by Raleigh City Council (SHA-256 6673ab39...), captured verbatim. Rezoning application fees are flat per-application charges; building permit fees are percentage-based on calculated construction value. Authority: Raleigh UDO Sec. 11.4.8 (Permit Fees); NC GS 160D series (development regulation authority).
Rezoning and Land-Use Application Fees
| Application Type | Fee (FY26) |
|---|---|
| General Use Rezoning Request | $880.00 per application |
| Conditional Use Rezoning Request | $1,760.00 per application |
| Text Change to Zoning Conditions | $1,760.00 per application |
| Master Plan (for Planned Development or Campus rezoning) | $4,400.00 per application |
| Comprehensive Plan Amendment | $880.00 per application |
| Master Plan Amendment (review without rezoning per UDO Sec 4.7.6) | $1,075.00 per application |
| Waiver of 24-Month Waiting Period (rezoning re-petition) | $265.00 per application |
| Annexation (general) | $850.00 per petition |
| Annexation (1 or 2 family lot, single lot less than 1 acre) | $425.00 per petition |
Building Permit, Plan Review, and Related Fees
| Permit / Review | Fee (FY26) |
|---|---|
| New Residential Building Permit | 0.35% of calculated construction value |
| New Residential Plan Review Fee | 57% of calculated building permit fee |
| New Residential Electrical Permit | 54% of calculated building permit fee |
| New Residential Mechanical Permit | 28% of calculated building permit fee |
| New Residential Plumbing Permit | 34% of calculated building permit fee |
| New Commercial Building Permit - Tier 1 ($0-$500,000 construction value) | 0.20% of construction value |
| New Commercial Building Permit - Tier 2 ($500,001-$10,000,000) | $1,000.00 base + 0.06% of construction value |
| New Commercial Building Permit - Tier 3 ($10,000,001 and above) | $6,900.00 base + 0.01% of construction value |
| Demolition Permit Fee | $136.00 |
| Commercial and Residential Re-Review Fee (3rd review and beyond) | $128.00 per cycle |
| Express Site Permit Review | $980.00 |
Raleigh Water Connection Fees
Source: City of Raleigh Development Fee Guide, FY26 (SHA-256 6673ab39...), captured verbatim, and cross-verified for the Water and Sewer Capital Facility fees against the Raleigh Water FY25 Fee Schedule (SHA-256 1864a4df...), which reports identical WCF/SCF values ("No Change"). Water Capital Facility (WCF) fees under Raleigh City Code Sec. 8-2092.1 and Sewer Capital Facility (SCF) fees under Sec. 8-2092 are NC GS 162A Article 8 System Development Fees. Physical tap installation fees are under Sec. 8-2039 (ENR Construction Cost Index adjusted) and water meter installation charges are under Sec. 8-2005.
Water and Sewer Capital Facility Fees (per tap, by meter size)
| Meter Size | Water Capital Facility (WCF) - Code 8-2092.1 | Sewer Capital Facility (SCF) - Code 8-2092 |
|---|---|---|
| 5/8-inch meter | $1,447.00 | $2,223.00 |
| 3/4-inch meter | $2,171.00 | $3,335.00 |
| 1-inch meter | $3,618.00 | $5,558.00 |
| 1.5-inch meter | $7,235.00 | $11,115.00 |
| 2-inch meter | $11,576.00 | $17,784.00 |
| 3-inch meter | $23,152.00 | $35,568.00 |
| 4-inch meter | $36,175.00 | $55,575.00 |
| Sewer Capital Facilities Connection Fee (sewer-only, 4-inch service) | - | $2,223.00 per 4-inch sewer service connection |
Physical Tap Installation Fees (City-installed, Ordinance 8-2039)
| Tap | Amount (FY26) |
|---|---|
| Physical Water Tap - 3/4-inch water | $5,619.00 lump sum |
| Physical Water Tap - 1-inch water | $5,889.00 lump sum |
| Physical Sewer Tap - 4-inch sewer | $5,033.00 lump sum |
Water Meter Installation Fees (Code 8-2005)
| Meter Size | Amount (FY26) |
|---|---|
| 5/8-inch meter | $275.00 per meter |
| 1-inch meter | $400.00 per meter |
| 1.5-inch meter | $680.00 per meter |
| 2-inch meter | $800.00 per meter |
| 4-inch meter | $3,945.00 per meter |
Authority: Raleigh Water, which administers the municipal water and sewer utility serving Raleigh and six merger communities (Garner, Rolesville, Knightdale, Wake Forest, Wendell, and Zebulon). All FY26 amounts are published in the annual Development Fee Guide.
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.
Proffers
North Carolina does not authorize Virginia-style cash proffers (which arise under Virginia Code Sections 15.2-2303 and 15.2-2303.4 as part of conditional rezoning). NC GS 160D-702 permits conditions on rezonings (conditional zoning) but does not create a statutory framework for cash proffers as a development exaction. NC municipalities use developer contribution agreements and exaction fees (open space, thoroughfare) instead. There is no proffer schedule or cash proffer program in Raleigh's adopted fee schedule, UDO, or city code. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Special District Fees
The FY26 Development Fee Guide (51-page official fee schedule adopted by Raleigh City Council) contains no city-levied special district developer application fee, PID assessment, TIRZ development fee, or MUD developer fee. Raleigh does not levy a developer-facing special district fee as part of the development approval process. Raleigh has a TIRZ / reinvestment zone, but that is a post-development tax increment mechanism, not a developer-application fee. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by this jurisdiction.
Stormwater and commercial thoroughfare fee coverage (additive)
Two additive coverage items in the FY26 Development Fee Guide were not captured in full this pass and are disclosed here rather than presented incompletely. Stormwater Control Permit Fees (a sub-category of development fees, e.g., a minimum fee plus a per-acre fee, and a Stormwater Control 2 fee for small residential lots) were not itemized in detail. Commercial Thoroughfare Facility Fees for non-residential land uses (office, retail, industrial, hotel) on pages 26-28 of the guide were not captured in full; the residential thoroughfare fee surface above is complete. These will be added when captured from the official, hash-verified fee guide.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Raleigh - Planning and Development Department | Building permit fees, plan review, rezoning application fees, open space facility fees, stormwater permit fees | raleighnc.gov |
| City of Raleigh - Transportation Department | Thoroughfare Facility Fees | raleighnc.gov |
| City of Raleigh - Raleigh Water | Water and sewer capital facility fees, water and sewer tap fees, water meter installation | raleighnc.gov |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Development Fee Guide - July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 (FY26), City of Raleigh (SHA-256 6673ab39...) | City of Raleigh, NC - Planning and Development / Raleigh Water | 2026-06-25 |
| Raleigh Water Fee Schedule - FY24 to FY25 comparison (effective July 1, FY25; cross-verification for WCF/SCF) (SHA-256 1864a4df...) | City of Raleigh - Raleigh Water | 2026-06-25 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-26. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Raleigh (Planning and Development, Transportation) and Raleigh Water before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data captured verbatim from the FY26 City of Raleigh Development Fee Guide (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026; SHA-256 6673ab39...), cross-verified for water and sewer capital facility fees against the Raleigh Water FY25 Fee Schedule (SHA-256 1864a4df...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change annually each July 1. Raleigh's Stormwater Control Permit Fees and commercial (non-residential) Thoroughfare Facility Fees are disclosed as additive coverage gaps pending full capture from the official fee guide. North Carolina does not use Virginia-style cash proffers, and Raleigh does not levy a distinct city-administered special-district developer application fee. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Raleigh and Raleigh Water 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.