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Mesa, Arizona - City Development Fees

Mesa | City | Maricopa County | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA

Mesa is the third-largest city in Arizona and the largest city in the East Valley submarket of Maricopa County, located east of Phoenix in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metropolitan area. The City of Mesa Development Services Department administers building permit, plan review, civil engineering, and sign permit fees through its Schedule of Fees and Charges (updated December 2025, authorized under Mesa City Code Section 4-1-8). The Planning Division administers zoning, rezoning, site plan, subdivision, and Board of Adjustment fees through a separate Planning Schedule of Fees and Charges (updated July 2025). Mesa also maintains an active ARS 9-463.05 development impact fee program covering Water, Fire, and Public Safety (Police) categories, and adopted a new Water and Wastewater Capacity Fee (Ordinance No. 5970, effective January 1, 2026) under ARS 9-511 and 9-511.01. Utility Service fees are governed by Ordinance No. 5902 (effective February 1, 2025). Verify current amounts with the City of Mesa before relying on them. For East Valley peer jurisdictions see Gilbert and Scottsdale, or return to the Arizona fee coverage index.

On this page
  1. Fee summary
  2. Impact fees (ARS 9-463.05)
  3. Building permit and development services fees
  4. Planning and zoning application fees
  5. Utility connection and meter fees
  6. Coverage notes
  7. Fee authorities
  8. Sources

Fee Summary

Fee Type Status Top-Line Figure Effective Date
Development Impact Fees (ARS 9-463.05) - Water, Fire, Public Safety Confirmed Water: SF Detached $2,220/DU; Commercial by meter (5/8"x3/4" $2,220 to 10" $255,300). Fire: SF Detached $272/DU; Non-Residential $0.215/sq ft. Police: SF Detached $402/DU; Non-Residential $0.318/sq ft 2025-06-30
Building Permit and Development Services Fees Confirmed Residential: $220 flat (up to $8,333 valuation) to $13,250 + $3/per $1,000 over $2M. Commercial: $220 flat to $33,750 + $1/per $1,000 over $10M. Civil engineering $710/sheet (standard). Technology improvement fee 4% of permit fee (max $800) 2025-12-01
Planning and Zoning Application Fees Confirmed Rezoning (non-downtown) $1,944 + $65/acre; Rezoning to PCD $25,000 + $25/acre; Site Plan Review $2,400 + $195/acre (first 100 acres); Final Plat $1,296 + $26/lot; General Plan Major Amendment $15,000; Board of Adjustment Variance $1,037 2025-07-01
Utility Meter Installation Fees Confirmed 0.75" and 1" meter $460; 1.5" meter $790; 2" meter $910; 3" meter quote; 4" and larger customer-installed. $50 transaction processing charge included in each Land Management fee. No fixed city wastewater connection fee 2025-02-01
Water and Wastewater Capacity Fees (Ord. 5970, eff. Jan 1 2026) - Secondary Source Open item Water Capacity Fee: $7,719 (0.75" full rate; 50% discount Jan-Jun 2026) to $1,400,000 (10"). Wastewater Capacity Fee: $1,809 to $331,673 by meter size. Amounts from secondary news source - official ordinance PDF unreachable this verification pass; verify before relying on these figures 2026-01-01
Special District Fees (CFDs) Not administered Mesa has active Community Facility Districts (CFDs - e.g., Eastmark CFD No. 1, Cadence CFD) but no city-levied CFD developer application fee; CFDs are assessment mechanisms under ARS Title 48 Ch. 4 administered independently by each district -
Proffers Not applicable Arizona jurisdictions do not use cash proffers (a Virginia conditional-zoning mechanism); developer capital contributions in Mesa captured under ARS 9-463.05 impact fees and ARS 9-511/9-511.01 capacity fees -

Impact Fees (ARS 9-463.05)

Source: City of Mesa Impact Fee State Report - Development Impact Fee Report Form, Statement of Revenue, Expenditures, and Change in Fund Balances, Preliminary Fiscal Year End, For Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2025 (SHA-256 fe96453a...; 95,207 bytes), Page 2: CITY OF MESA IMPACT FEE SCHEDULE 6/30/2025. Impact fees authorized under ARS 9-463.05 and codified in Mesa City Code Title 5 Chapter 17 (DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES). Three categories are currently active: Water, Fire, and Public Safety (Police). Parks, Cultural/Library, and Storm Sewer fund balances remain from prior-year collections but show $0 FY2025 revenue (satisfied or suspended pending pledged-debt repayment per the April 2013 Pledged Debt Analysis). Wastewater impact fees show $22,602 FY2025 revenue but no current per-rate figure appears in the June 30, 2025 schedule.

Water Impact Fees

Land Use / Meter Size Rate Basis Fee
Single-Residence (detached, on platted lot) / Manufactured Home (on platted lot)Per dwelling unit$2,220.00
Single-Residence (attached) / Multiple-ResidencePer dwelling unit$1,265.00
Manufactured Home or Recreational Vehicle (space or lot)Per space or lot$577.00
Commercial/Industrial - 5/8-inch x 3/4-inch meterPer meter$2,220.00
Commercial/Industrial - 1-inch meterPer meter$5,550.00
Commercial/Industrial - 1.5-inch meterPer meter$11,100.00
Commercial/Industrial - 2-inch meterPer meter$17,760.00
Commercial/Industrial - 3-inch meterPer meter$35,520.00
Commercial/Industrial - 4-inch meterPer meter$55,500.00
Commercial/Industrial - 6-inch meterPer meter$111,000.00
Commercial/Industrial - 8-inch meterPer meter$177,600.00
Commercial/Industrial - 10-inch meterPer meter$255,300.00

Fire Impact Fees

Land Use Rate Basis Fee
Single-Residence (detached) / Manufactured Home (on platted lot)Per dwelling unit$272.00
Single-Residence (attached) / Multi-ResidencePer dwelling unit$230.00
Manufactured Home or Recreational VehiclePer space or lot$146.00
Non-ResidentialPer square foot$0.215
Hotel/MotelPer room$108.00

Public Safety (Police) Impact Fees

Land Use Rate Basis Fee
Single-Residence (detached) / Manufactured Home (on platted lot)Per dwelling unit$402.00
Single-Residence (attached) / Multi-ResidencePer dwelling unit$388.00
Manufactured Home or Recreational VehiclePer space or lot$84.00
Non-ResidentialPer square foot$0.318
Hotel/MotelPer room$159.00

Impact fee authority: City of Mesa, Office of Management and Budget. Fees authorized under ARS 9-463.05 and codified in Mesa City Code Title 5 Chapter 17 (amended by Ord. Nos. 1471, 1790, 1838, 2100, 2241, 2356, 2596, 2658, 2786, 2909, 3003, 3041, 3100, 4706, 5071, 5189). Annual Impact Fee Report submitted to the State per ARS 9-463.05(G). Pledged Debt Analysis for Continuation of Impact Fees (Duncan Associates, April 2013) authorizes continuation of Water, Wastewater, Parks, Library, Fire, Public Safety, and Storm Water impact fees until pledged debt is repaid.

Building Permit and Development Services Fees

Source: City of Mesa Schedule of Fees and Charges - Development Services (v/6, updated December 2025; SHA-256 325b1176...; 396,314 bytes), extracted verbatim. Fees authorized under Mesa City Code Section 4-1-8. A technology improvement fee of 4% of all permit and service fees (maximum $800 per permit or service fee transaction) is added to all permit fees listed below.

Residential Building Permit Fees

Project Valuation Fee
$0 to $8,333$220.00 flat
$8,334 to $16,667$330.00 flat
$16,668 to $24,999$440.00 flat
$25,000 to $200,000$500.00 plus $6.00 per $1,000 or portion thereof over $25,000
$200,000.01 to $500,000$1,550.00 plus $9.00 per $1,000 or portion over $200,000
$500,000.01 to $2,000,000$4,250.00 plus $6.00 per $1,000 or portion over $500,000
Over $2,000,000$13,250.00 plus $3.00 per $1,000 or portion over $2,000,000

Commercial Building Permit Fees

Project Valuation Fee
$0 to $8,333$220.00 flat
$25,000 to $500,000$500.00 plus $10.00 per $1,000 or portion over $25,000
$500,000.01 to $1,000,000$5,250.00 plus $5.00 per $1,000 or portion over $500,000
$1,000,000.01 to $5,000,000$7,750.00 plus $4.00 per $1,000 or portion over $1,000,000
$5,000,000.01 to $10,000,000$23,750.00 plus $2.00 per $1,000 or portion over $5,000,000
Over $10,000,000$33,750.00 plus $1.00 per $1,000 or portion over $10,000,000

Civil Engineering and Other Development Services Fees

Fee Item Amount
Technology improvement fee (applied to all permit and service fees)4% of permit/service fee total; maximum $800.00 per permit or service fee transaction
Civil engineering review - standard sheet (up to 24x36 inches)$710.00 per sheet
Civil engineering review - combination street improvement and utility plan$1,840.00 per sheet
Permit deposit - residential civil engineering$390.00 per sheet
Re-inspection fee$120.00 per inspection trip
After-hours inspection (2-hour minimum)$120.00 per hour
Sign permit base fee$102.40 base + 3% of sign valuation + $0.30 per sq ft of sign area

Building permit and development services fee authority: City of Mesa Development Services Department.

Planning and Zoning Application Fees

Source: City of Mesa Schedule of Fees and Charges - Planning (v/4, updated July 2025; SHA-256 745b899c...; 205,092 bytes), extracted verbatim. Planning application fees are administered by the City of Mesa Planning Division within Development Services.

Zoning Verification and Pre-Application Fees

Application Amount
Zoning verification letter (one parcel)$240.00 per letter
Form-Based Code Review$648.00
Planning - Pre-Submittal Conference$400.00
Administrative Review Fee$648.00

Rezoning and Annexation Application Fees

Application Type Amount
Rezoning application fee (all non-downtown districts)$1,944.00 plus $65.00 per acre
Rezoning to Downtown Districts$2,400.00 plus $78 per acre (first 100 acres); $38 per acre (101-250 acres); $20 per acre (251-500 acres); $13 per acre (501+ acres)
Rezoning to Planned Community District$25,000.00 plus $25.00 per acre
Annexation Application Fee$1,300.00 plus $130.00 per additional lot or parcel

Site Plan Review and Design Review Fees

Application Type Amount
Site Plan Review / Site Plan Modification (all other districts)$2,400.00 plus $195 per acre (first 100 acres); $95 per acre (101-250 acres); $60 per acre (251-500 acres); $25 per acre (501+ acres)
Design Review Application$1,800.00
Design Review concurrent with Rezoning or Site Plan$1,000.00

Plat and Subdivision Fees

Application Type Amount
Preliminary Plat Approval / Subdivision Review$2,991.00 plus $130.00 per acre, lot, unit, or parcel
Final Plat$1,296.00 plus $26.00 per lot, unit, tract, or parcel

General Plan Amendment and Board of Adjustment Fees

Application Amount
General Plan Major Amendment$15,000.00
General Plan Minor Amendment$3,000.00
Board of Adjustment Special Use Permit (all others)$1,250.00
Board of Adjustment Variance (all others)$1,037.00
Board of Adjustment Special Use Permit (single residence or manufactured home)$310.00

Planning application fee authority: City of Mesa Planning Division (Development Services Department).

Utility Connection and Meter Fees

Source: City of Mesa Utility Service Fee Schedule (Ordinance No. 5902, effective February 1, 2025, supersedes schedule effective February 1, 2024), as published in the City of Mesa Utility Rates and Fees FY 2025/2026 book (SHA-256 eb4aa1dc...; 2,632,749 bytes); Section II Land Management, Item 5 Water, extracted verbatim. These are physical meter installation charges; water and wastewater system capacity is recovered separately through the impact fees (ARS 9-463.05) above and, for new connections from January 1, 2026, through the Capacity Fee (Ord. 5970, secondary source note below).

Water Meter Installation Fees (Ordinance No. 5902, eff. February 1, 2025)

Meter Size Amount Notes
0.75 inch$460.00City-installed
1.00 inch$460.00City-installed
1.50 inch$790.00City-installed
2.00 inch$910.00City-installed
3.00 inchQuote (project-specific)Requires City quote
4.00 inch and largerN/A - meter installed by customerCustomer provides and installs meter
Water main extension and service lineCustomer responsible for all costsCustomer pays all costs to extend public mains adjacent to property; service lines installed by customer
Wastewater (sewer) connectionNo fixed city feeCustomer responsible for all costs of extending public mains; service lines installed by customer
Transaction processing charge (all Land Management fees)$50.00Included in each Land Management fee

Water and Wastewater Capacity Fees (Ord. 5970, eff. January 1, 2026) - Secondary Source Note

City of Mesa Ordinance No. 5970 (introduced November 17, 2025; adopted December 1, 2025; effective January 1, 2026) established a new Water and Wastewater Capacity Fee authorized under ARS 9-511 and 9-511.01, separate from impact fees under ARS 9-463.05. A 50% discount applies to 0.75-inch and 1-inch water meters from January 1, 2026 through June 30, 2026; full rates apply from July 1, 2026. The ordinance PDF at apps.mesaaz.gov was unreachable during the verification pass for this record (connection timeout). The amounts in the table below are from a secondary news source and must be verified from the official Ordinance No. 5970 PDF before relying on these figures for any financial or development decision.

Capacity Fee Type / Meter Size Amount - Secondary Source (not yet verified from official ordinance PDF)
Water Capacity Fee - 0.75 inch meter (full rate; effective July 1, 2026)$7,719.00 [secondary source]
Water Capacity Fee - 0.75 inch meter (50% discount period; Jan 1 - Jun 30, 2026)approximately $3,860 [secondary source]
Water Capacity Fee - all meter sizes (0.75 inch to 10 inch)$7,719 to $1,400,000 range [secondary source]
Wastewater Capacity Fee - all meter sizes$1,809 to $331,673 range [secondary source]

Utility connection fee authority: City of Mesa Utilities Department and Office of Management and Budget.

Coverage Notes - What This Page Does Not Cover

Per ZoneFee's Partial-Verified Publication Standard, the items below were not closed via confirmed standalone fee amounts on this page. They are disclosed here rather than estimated or omitted silently.

Special District Fees (Community Facility Districts)

Mesa has active Community Facility Districts (CFDs) - including Eastmark CFD No. 1, Cadence CFD, and others - which are assessment-based financing mechanisms used by developers to fund infrastructure (parks, roads, water, sewer, street lights, landscaping) in specific development projects. However, these are district-level assessment mechanisms on property owners within the district boundary, not city-administered developer application fees assessed at the time of permit or approval. No city-levied CFD developer application fee schedule surfaced in the Development Services fees PDF, Planning fees PDF, or Citywide Schedule of Fees and Charges. CFDs in Arizona are formed by petition under ARS Title 48 Chapter 4 (Community Facilities District law) and administer their own assessments independently of the City fee schedule. Closed-search outcome: this fee family is not administered by the City of Mesa as a city-levied developer application fee.

Proffers

Arizona jurisdictions do not use cash proffers (a Virginia conditional-zoning mechanism codified under Virginia Code Section 15.2-2303/2303.4; it has no Arizona counterpart). Developer-side capital contributions in Mesa occur through the impact fees (ARS 9-463.05), the Water and Wastewater Capacity Fees (ARS 9-511/9-511.01, Ord. 5970), and the platting, zoning, site plan, building permit, and utility connection fees captured above. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.

Fee Authorities

Authority Fee Types Official Website
City of Mesa - Development Services Department (building permits, plan review, civil engineering, sign permits) Building permit fees, plan review fees, civil engineering review fees, sign permit fees, technology improvement fee, re-inspection fees (Mesa City Code Section 4-1-8; December 2025 schedule) mesaaz.gov
City of Mesa - Planning Division (zoning and planning application fees) Rezoning fees, site plan review fees, plat fees, Board of Adjustment fees, General Plan amendment fees, Design Review fees, annexation fees (Planning fees schedule July 2025) mesaaz.gov
City of Mesa - Office of Management and Budget (impact fees, capacity fees) Development impact fees (ARS 9-463.05): Water, Fire, Public Safety (Police); Water and Wastewater Capacity Fees (ARS 9-511/9-511.01, Ord. 5970) mesaaz.gov
City of Mesa - Utilities Department (utility service fees) Water meter installation fees, transaction processing charges (Ord. 5902, eff. February 1, 2025) mesaaz.gov

Sources

Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-25. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the City of Mesa before relying on this data for any financial decision.

This page reflects fee data sourced from official City of Mesa fee schedule documents: the Impact Fee Schedule (June 30, 2025; SHA-256 fe96453a...), Development Services Schedule of Fees and Charges (December 2025; SHA-256 325b1176...), Planning Schedule of Fees and Charges (July 2025; SHA-256 745b899c...), and Utility Service Fee Schedule (Ordinance No. 5902, effective February 1, 2025; SHA-256 eb4aa1dc...). ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. Water and Wastewater Capacity Fee amounts (Ordinance No. 5970, effective January 1, 2026) are from secondary news sources only and must be verified from the official ordinance PDF before relying on them. Arizona jurisdictions do not use cash proffers, and no city-levied CFD developer application fee surfaced in the located official sources. Verify all current rates directly with the City of Mesa 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.