Sugar Land, Texas - City Development Fees
Sugar Land | City | Greater Houston / Fort Bend County | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX MSA (US-59/I-69 and Grand Parkway SH 99 corridor) | Fort Bend County (small portion in Harris County) | FIPS 4870808
Sugar Land is a master-planned city in Fort Bend County on the US-59/I-69 and Grand Parkway (SH 99) corridor in the southwest Houston metro. The City of Sugar Land Planning and Development Services Department publishes its development-side application fees in the 2026 Development Application Handbook, a multi-section set of PDFs covering zoning, planned development, plats, and site plans. Citywide water connection and sewer tap fees are codified separately in the Code of Ordinances (Chapter 5, Article VIII, Division 3). Because Sugar Land was developed largely under Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), some site-specific developer capacity charges are set in individual MUD development agreements rather than on a citywide schedule. Verify current amounts with the City of Sugar Land Planning and Development Services Department before relying on them.
Recent Fee Changes
Water and wastewater connection fees increased effective January 1, 2026 (Ord. No. 2382). The codified water connection meter-set fees rose to $915.00 (3/4-inch), $1,265.00 (1-inch), $1,570.00 (1.5-inch), and $1,670.00 (2-inch), up from the FY25 amounts of $815.00 / $1,165.00 / $1,470.00 / $1,570.00 under Ord. No. 2355. The development application fees in this page are drawn from the City's current 2026 Development Application Handbook. Verify current amounts with the City of Sugar Land before relying on them.
On this page
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning, Planned Development, Special Permit, and Plat Application Fees | Confirmed | Rezoning $1,443; PD $2,303.25 + $25.75/acre (max $3,364.50); Special Permit $2,148.75; preliminary/final plat $1,392.25 + $3.50/lot + $19.25/acre | 2026 |
| Site Plan and DRC Review Fees | Confirmed | Site Plan application $792.25 (resubmittal $233.25); pre-application / DRC review $223.25 | 2026 |
| Water Connection and Sewer Tap Fees | Confirmed | Water meter set $915 (3/4") to $1,670 (2"); sewer tap $200 (4" res) / $300 (6") / $400 (8") | 2026-01-01 |
| Impact Fees | Not administered by this jurisdiction | No citywide Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee in the consolidated codified fee schedule; developer infrastructure offset runs through individual MUD development agreements | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers | - |
| Special District Fees (TIRZ / MUD / PID) | Not administered by this city | The Lake Pointe Redevelopment District (TIRZ) and Fort Bend MUD overlaps finance through tax-increment capture and development agreements; no City developer application fee in the consolidated code | - |
Zoning, Planned Development, Plat, and Site Plan Fees - Current Operative Schedule
Source: City of Sugar Land 2026 Development Application Handbook, Sections 1 (Introduction/DRC), 2 (Zoning), 4 (Plats, March revision), and 5 (Site Plans), published by the Planning and Development Services Department and captured verbatim from the sugarlandtx.gov DocumentCenter section PDFs (SHA-256 90b965dc... / 0e34caf7... / bd15a036...). These are the development-side application fees; the handbook is split across section PDFs rather than a single consolidated schedule.
Zoning and Planned Development Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Rezoning / Zone Change - Submittal Fee | $1,443.00 |
| Planned Development (PD) | $2,303.25 + $25.75 per acre or portion (maximum $3,364.50) |
| PD Administrative Amendment | $259.75 |
| Special Permit / Special Use - Submittal Fee | $2,148.75 |
| Pre-application / DRC Review Fee | $223.25 |
Plat and Replat Application Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Plat | $1,392.25 + $3.50 per lot + $19.25 per acre or fraction |
| Preliminary Replat | $1,294.00 + $3.50 per lot + $19.25 per acre or fraction |
| Final Plat | $1,392.25 + $3.50 per lot + $19.25 per acre or fraction |
| Final Replat | $1,294.00 + $3.50 per lot + $19.25 per acre or fraction |
| Amending and Minor Plat and Replat | $615.25 |
Site Plan Application Fees
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Site Plan - Application Fee | $792.25 |
| Site Plan - Resubmittal Fee | $233.25 |
Water Connection and Sewer Tap Fees
Source: City of Sugar Land Code of Ordinances, Chapter 5, Article VIII, Division 3 (Rates and Charges), Sec. 5-250 (Schedule of service fees and charges) and Sec. 5-310 (Water connections), as amended by Ord. No. 2382 (water and wastewater rate increase effective January 1, 2026). These are the citywide developer and builder-side utility connection charges, codified in the Municode codification (current; latest amending ordinance Ord. No. 2382). The meter-set amounts reflect the January 1, 2026 increase.
| Fee Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Water Connection - Meter Set 3/4" | $915.00 |
| Water Connection - Meter Set 1" | $1,265.00 |
| Water Connection - Meter Set 1.5" | $1,570.00 |
| Water Connection - Meter Set 2" | $1,670.00 |
| Meter Downsizing | $125.00 |
| Sewer Tap - 4" Residential | $200.00 |
| Sewer Tap - 6" Commercial | $300.00 |
| Sewer Tap - 8" Commercial | $400.00 |
| Temporary Water Service Charge (30 days or less) | $10.00 |
Note: site-specific developer connection and capacity charges levied under individual Municipal Utility District (MUD) development agreements (for example, the Ry Hill development agreement connection fee of $12,700 per connection) are negotiated contract amounts and are not part of this citywide schedule. See the coverage notes below for how Sugar Land's MUD framework handles developer infrastructure cost recovery.
Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover
Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were not closed via confirmed fee amounts on this page. They are disclosed here rather than estimated or omitted silently.
Impact Fees
The City of Sugar Land does not levy a citywide Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact fee (roadway, water, wastewater, or drainage). A review of the City's consolidated codified fee schedule - Code of Ordinances Chapter 2, Article V, Division 4 (fees for various city services, including building permit and community-development/planning fees) and Chapter 5, Article VIII, Division 3 (water and wastewater Rates and Charges) plus Division 12 (drainage utility), as restated by the FY25 Fee Ordinance (Ord. No. 2355) and the current Municode codification - returned no Chapter 395 impact fee. The City's official Water and Wastewater Rates page explains that developer infrastructure cost recovery is handled through utility connection fees stipulated in individual Municipal Utility District (MUD) development agreements (negotiated, contract-specific amounts). Sugar Land is a substantially built-out master-planned Fort Bend County city developed largely under MUDs. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction.
Special District Fees (TIRZ / MUD / PID)
Sugar Land contains the Lake Pointe Redevelopment District (a tax increment reinvestment zone, or TIRZ) and overlaps numerous Fort Bend County Municipal Utility Districts. TIRZ and MUD financing operates through ad valorem tax-increment capture and tax-roll assessments (and, for MUDs, capacity charges set in development agreements), not through a developer-facing special-district application or assessment fee administered by the City. The consolidated codified fee schedule - the City's authoritative enumeration of all City-administered fees - contains no special-district developer application or assessment fee. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this city.
Proffers
Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers (Virginia Code Section 15.2-2303 has no Texas counterpart). Sugar Land's developer-side contributions occur through the zoning, planned development, plat, and site plan application fees and the water connection and sewer tap fees captured above. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| City of Sugar Land - Planning and Development Services Department (development application fees in the 2026 Development Application Handbook) | Rezoning, planned development, special permit, preliminary and final plat and replat, amending and minor plat, site plan, and DRC review fees | sugarlandtx.gov |
| City of Sugar Land - Utilities (water and wastewater connection charges in Code of Ordinances Ch 5 Art VIII Div 3) | Water connection meter-set fees, meter downsizing, sewer tap fees, temporary water service | sugarlandtx.gov |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Development Application Handbook - Section 2 Zoning (SHA-256 90b965dc...) | City of Sugar Land, TX - Planning and Development Services | 2026-06-10 |
| 2026 Development Application Handbook - Section 4 Plats, March Revision (SHA-256 0e34caf7...) | City of Sugar Land, TX - Planning and Development Services | 2026-06-10 |
| 2026 Development Application Handbook - Section 5 Site Plans (SHA-256 bd15a036...) | City of Sugar Land, TX - Planning and Development Services | 2026-06-10 |
| Code of Ordinances - Ch 5 Art VIII Div 3 Sec. 5-250 / 5-310 (current; latest amending Ord. No. 2382, eff. 2026-01-01) | City of Sugar Land, TX - Code of Ordinances (Municode) | 2026-06-10 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-10. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Sugar Land Planning and Development Services Department before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the City of Sugar Land 2026 Development Application Handbook (Sections 1, 2, 4, and 5; SHA-256 90b965dc... / 0e34caf7... / bd15a036...) and the Code of Ordinances Chapter 5, Article VIII, Division 3, Sec. 5-250 / 5-310 (current Municode codification; latest amending Ord. No. 2382, effective January 1, 2026). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. The City of Sugar Land has not adopted a Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 impact-fee program and administers no special-district development fee schedule; closure of those two families rests on the authoritative consolidated codified fee schedule. Developer infrastructure cost recovery in Sugar Land's master-planned, MUD-developed areas runs through utility connection fees set in individual MUD development agreements. Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Sugar Land 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.