ZoneFee Methodology

How We Select Jurisdictions

ZoneFee prioritizes jurisdictions based on four criteria.

Statutory fee programs with published schedules

Jurisdictions operating under a state statutory framework - such as Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395 (impact fees) or Virginia Code § 15.2-2318 et seq. (proffers) - where fee amounts are published on official .gov permit or development services pages. The statutory structure creates a repeatable sourcing template and makes fee data independently verifiable.

High-activity development markets

Cities and counties with active residential and commercial permitting volume where fee exposure is a material cost variable in underwriting. Impact fees, zoning application fees, and utility connection fees in active markets are the primary research target.

Accessible, current official documents

Jurisdictions where the fee schedule is published as a current, accessible document - a PDF fee schedule, an HTML fee table, or a referenced municipal code section - are prioritized over jurisdictions where fees require per-request records access or are only available by contacting a department directly.

Geographic clusters

Adjacent jurisdictions within the same MSA or development corridor are prioritized together to enable side-by-side comparison. Clustering also allows ZoneFee to confirm fee program differences and similarities across markets in the same regulatory environment.

ZoneFee's first published jurisdiction is Georgetown, TX - selected under all four of the criteria above. Jurisdictions not yet covered are listed on the ZoneFee coverage page. Users may request coverage for a specific jurisdiction via the contact page.

Source Hierarchy

ZoneFee uses only official government sources. Sources are used in this order of preference:

1. Current .gov fee schedule documents - PDFs, HTML fee tables, or adopted rate sheets published directly on a jurisdiction's official website (.gov domain). These are the primary source type. Each source is cited with a direct URL and access date.
2. Adopted ordinances and municipal code - adopted fee ordinances, municipal code sections (e.g., Municode or official city code repositories), or city council resolutions that establish a specific fee amount. Used to confirm the ordinance basis for amounts found in a fee schedule, or when a separate fee schedule document is not available.
3. Official meeting minutes and staff reports - used to confirm adoption dates, effective dates, or fee program existence when other sources are silent. Never used as the sole source for a specific fee amount.

Not used: Third-party fee aggregators, real estate industry publications, developer community websites, or estimated and projected fee amounts from any non-official source.

How Fee Types Are Confirmed

A fee type is marked confirmed in ZoneFee's data system when all of the following conditions are met:

• At least one primary source has been directly accessed - meaning ZoneFee staff retrieved the source, confirmed the URL resolves to the correct official document, and recorded the access date.
• The source URL is a live .gov domain URL or an official municipal document repository.
• The fee amount or fee program existence is explicitly stated in the source document, not inferred.
• The effective date is confirmed - either stated in the document or confirmed from an accompanying ordinance.

Documented limitations are noted when a program is confirmed to exist but specific fee amounts are not accessible as a public-facing document - for example, when amounts are only available in a locked file or require a records request. In those cases, the program existence and effective date may be confirmed while the specific amounts are noted as unavailable from public sources.

Data confidence levels

Each ZoneFee record carries a data confidence level indicating the quality of its sourcing:

Data Freshness

ZoneFee aims for a 12-month review cycle on published records as a maintenance workflow target, not a guaranteed update schedule. Records are re-verified as workflow capacity and source availability allow.

Each jurisdiction record carries a last-reviewed date - the date ZoneFee last verified the fee data against official sources. Records not reviewed within 365 days of the current build date are flagged as stale. Stale pages display a last-verified disclosure noting that data has not been re-confirmed within the past year.

Fee schedules change. Jurisdictions adopt new rates, repeal programs, or restructure fee categories. ZoneFee's data reflects what official sources published as of the last-reviewed date - not necessarily the current rate. Always verify binding fee amounts directly with the jurisdiction before relying on this data for a financial decision.

Users who identify outdated fee data may submit a correction via the ZoneFee contact page. ZoneFee reviews submitted corrections and re-sources data when a valid official source is provided.

What ZoneFee Does Not Publish

• Estimated or projected fee amounts. Future fees that have been authorized by ordinance but are not yet in effect are noted with their scheduled effective date. They are not presented as current fees.
• Non-official fee data. No third-party summaries, industry publications, or developer guides are used as data sources.
• Legal advice. ZoneFee provides fee data for research and due diligence purposes. It is not a substitute for legal or entitlement counsel.
• Financial projections. ZoneFee does not calculate return on investment, IRR effects, or pro forma outputs from its data.
• Tax advice. Development fees are distinct from property taxes and income taxes. ZoneFee makes no representations about the tax treatment of development fees.
• Opinions on fee policy. ZoneFee does not editorialize on whether fees are appropriate, high, or competitive relative to other jurisdictions. Data is presented as-is from official sources.