Waco charges standard water/wastewater impact fees on ADUs requiring new connections under authority of Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395. Building permit fees are based on construction valuation through Planning Services. Texas has no statewide ADU fee waiver. Sharing the principal dwelling's existing water/sewer tap is the most common cost-reduction strategy for Waco property owners.
Waco does not offer ADU-specific impact fee waivers. Standard development fees apply through Planning Services and Waco Water Utility Services: building permit fees based on construction valuation (typically $400-$1,200 for small ADUs), plan-check fees (about 65% of permit), and trade permit fees (electrical, plumbing, mechanical). Waco Water Utility Services charges Water and Wastewater Impact Fees under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 when a new water or sewer service is required — typically $2,000-$4,000 for water and $1,800-$3,500 for wastewater based on single-family equivalent rates. ADUs sharing the principal dwelling's existing tap typically pay no additional impact fee. Electric service is provided by Oncor; gas by Atmos Energy or CenterPoint depending on service territory; both charge separate service-extension fees. There is no Waco Roadway Impact Fee program at present. Texas has no statewide ADU impact-fee waiver analogous to California Gov. Code § 65852.2(f). The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District may require septic permits in unincorporated transition areas not served by city sewer. Properties in the Brazos River floodplain face additional review fees under Waco's Floodplain Administration.
Failure to pay impact fees results in permit denial or Certificate of Occupancy delay. Building or occupying an ADU on an unauthorized utility connection is a building code violation. Texas Local Government Code § 54.001 authorizes civil penalties up to $500 per day for zoning violations and $2,000 per day for building/fire violations.
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