El Paso charges water and wastewater impact fees on new ADUs under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 and El Paso Water tariffs. 2025 rates run approximately $1,500 to $4,000 for water and wastewater combined per dwelling unit. The city also charges building permit and plan review fees of roughly $300 to $1,000. Texas has no sub-750 sq ft fee waiver.
El Paso's impact fee program is adopted under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395, with the fee schedule administered by El Paso Water and codified in the city tariff. New dwelling units pay water capital recovery (capacity buy-in) fees and wastewater capital recovery fees per Equivalent Service Unit (ESU). 2025 typical rates: water impact fee approximately $1,200 to $2,500 per ESU, wastewater impact fee approximately $800 to $1,800 per ESU. Roadway impact fees are NOT charged in El Paso (the city has not adopted a roadway impact-fee program under LGC 395, unlike Fort Worth or San Antonio). Building permit fees scale with project valuation through the Planning and Inspections Department, typically $300 to $1,000 for an ADU including plan review, plus separate plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and gas permits. Texas does NOT have a sub-750 sq ft ADU fee exemption analogous to California's Gov. Code 65852.2(f)(3); El Paso applies full schedules regardless of ADU size. School impact fees are not charged in Texas (school districts use bond financing). ADUs that share the primary dwelling's water and sewer connections may avoid new tap fees but generally still owe full impact fees because impact fees are charged per dwelling unit added.
Failure to pay impact fees blocks issuance of building permits and Certificate of Occupancy. LGC Chapter 395 does not authorize daily penalties for nonpayment, but the permit cannot proceed. Connecting to water or sewer without paying tap fees: service disconnection and back-charges by El Paso Water.
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See how El Paso's adu impact fees rules stack up against other locations.
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