Hays County, Texas - County Development Fees
Hays County | County | Central Texas / I-35 Corridor | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX MSA | County seat: San Marcos | FIPS 48209
Hays County is a Central Texas county along the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. Its three incorporated city seats inside the county - San Marcos (county seat), Buda, and Kyle - each have their own ZoneFee jurisdiction records. The Hays County Development Services Department administers developer-side fees for unincorporated areas of the county through the 2026 Development Services Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026. The county program covers floodplain development permits, On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF, septic) permits, subdivision and plat applications, construction plans, variance requests, and development agreements. The Hays County Transportation Department charges a separate Construction Plan Review and Inspection fee of $2 per linear foot for public-improvement construction. All applications must be submitted online via the county's MGOConnect portal (paper submittals are not accepted). The Development Services Department is located at 2171 Yarrington Road, Kyle TX 78640.
Recent Fee Changes
Hays County 2026 Development Services Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026. The two-page schedule covers Floodplain, OSSF, Planning / Subdivision, Health Inspection, Food Establishment Permits, Construction Plans, and Variance / Development Agreement scopes. New 2026 line items captured include OSSF Permit Application $610 SFR / $910 Non-SFR plus the $10 TCEQ OSSF Grant Program state fee, Floodplain Class A $100 / Class B and Class C $300 / Without-a-Permit Penalty $600, Subdivision Administrative Review $500, Final Plat $500 per part/tract/unit/lot/space, Construction Plan Administrative $500, Variance Type I $100 / Type II $500, and Development Agreement $2,000. All applications must be filed through MGOConnect.org per the published schedule.
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floodplain Development Permit | Confirmed | $100 Class A (outside SFHA); $300 Class B / Class C (inside SFHA); $600 Penalty (no permit); $30 Base Flood Elevation Request | January 1, 2026 |
| On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permit | Confirmed | $610 SFR / $910 Non-SFR + $10 TCEQ state fee; $150 Reinspection / Resubmission; $310 Minor Alteration / $510 Major Alteration; $600 Renewal SFR / $900 Renewal Non-SFR | January 1, 2026 |
| Subdivision Plat and Planning Application | Confirmed | $500 Administrative Review (flat); Voluntary Preliminary $50 per lot/tract; Final Plat $500 per lot/tract; Revised Plat $300; Manufactured Home Rental Community $300 | January 1, 2026 |
| Construction Plan Review | Confirmed | $500 Administrative (Development Services); $2 per linear foot (Transportation Department, separate) | January 1, 2026 |
| Variance / Development Agreement | Confirmed | $100 Type I (Administrative); $500 Type II (Commissioners Court); $2,000 Development Agreement | January 1, 2026 |
| Impact Fees (water / wastewater / roadway) | Not applicable at county level | Texas counties generally lack impact-fee authority under TLGC Chapter 395; developer-side capital recovery occurs through plat, OSSF, floodplain, construction plan, and development agreement fees | - |
| Utility Tap Fees (water / wastewater connection) | Not administered by Hays County | County does not operate a water/sewer utility; unincorporated-area service is via private wells (OSSF) or in-county WCIDs / MUDs / PIDs, each with separate developer-side schedules | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Texas does not use proffer agreements (Virginia statutory framework only) | - |
| Special District Fees (WCID / MUD / PID) | Authority-record material | In-county WCIDs, MUDs, and PIDs are separate political subdivisions with their own developer-side fee schedules; not captured on the county jurisdiction record | - |
Hays County 2026 Development Services Fee Schedule
Statutory authority: county police-power and platting authority under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 232 (county subdivision), TCEQ Chapter 285 OSSF rules (administered locally), and Texas Water Code provisions governing floodplain administration. Administered by: Hays County Development Services Department (Director: Marcus Pacheco; 2171 Yarrington Rd, Kyle TX 78640; 512-393-2150). Online application via MGOConnect.org is required; paper submittals are not accepted. The Hays County Transportation Department administers a separate Construction Plan Review and Inspection fee at $2 per linear foot for public-improvement construction.
Floodplain Permits (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Permit Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Floodplain Development - Outside Special Flood Hazard Area (Class A) | $100 |
| Floodplain Development - Inside Special Flood Hazard Area, Habitable Structure (Class B) | $300 |
| Floodplain Development - Inside Special Flood Hazard Area, Non-Habitable (Class C) | $300 |
| Development Without a Permit Penalty (Inside Floodplain) | $600 |
| Base Flood Elevation Request | $30 |
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permits (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Permit Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| OSSF Permit Application - Single Family Residence | $610 |
| OSSF Permit Application - Non-Single Family Residence | $910 |
| OSSF Reinspection / Tie-In Inspection | $150 |
| OSSF Design Resubmission | $150 |
| OSSF Minor System Alteration | $310 |
| OSSF Major System Alteration | $510 |
| OSSF Maintenance Contract Late Fee | $50 |
| OSSF Renewal Fee - Single Family Residence | $600 |
| OSSF Renewal Fee - Non-Single Family Residence | $900 |
| TCEQ OSSF Grant Program Fee (state fee on all OSSF applications) | $10 |
Planning / Subdivision Applications (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Planning / Subdivision Application Administrative Review (flat) | $500 |
| Voluntary Preliminary Plan Application | $50 per part/tract/unit/lot/space |
| Final Plat Application | $500 per part/tract/unit/lot/space |
| Manufactured Home Rental Community | $300 per part/tract/unit/lot/space |
| Revised Plat | $300 per part/tract/unit/lot/space |
Construction Plans and Misc. Fees (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Fee Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Construction Plan Administrative Fee (Development Services) | $500 |
| Construction Plan Review and Inspection (Transportation Department, separate) | $2 per linear foot |
| Variance Request - Type I (Administrative) | $100 |
| Variance Request - Type II (Commissioners Court Determination) | $500 |
| Development Agreement | $2,000 |
Source: Hays County 2026 Development Services Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026), 2-page official PDF published on the Hays County Development Services Documents and Forms page (Munissions CMS asset, SHA-256 5377bced...). Health Inspection, Food Establishment, and Mobile Food Unit line items present in the source PDF are omitted here because they are out of ZoneFee's developer-fee scope.
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 (Water, Wastewater, Roadway)
Texas counties generally lack impact-fee authority under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395, which conditions the imposition of statutory water, wastewater, and roadway impact fees on political subdivisions meeting specific criteria. Hays County's developer-side capital recovery occurs through the subdivision plat program, the OSSF septic program, floodplain permits, construction plan administrative and per-linear-foot fees, and development agreement charges captured above. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Utility Tap Fees (Water and Wastewater Connection)
Hays County does not operate a water or wastewater utility. In unincorporated Hays County, service is provided either by private wells (regulated through the captured OSSF program) or by a network of Water Control and Improvement Districts (WCIDs), Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), and Public Improvement Districts (PIDs). Tap and meter installation fees are administered by those special-district authorities, not by Hays County government. ZoneFee probed three substitute paths during source review (the Development Services landing page, the Munissions CMS Documents and Forms page, and the irp.cdn-website.com asset directory) and none surfaced a county-level water or sewer tap fee schedule because Hays County does not administer one. Closed-search outcome: not administered by this jurisdiction.
Proffers
Cash proffers are a Virginia statutory framework only (Va. Code 15.2-2303). Texas jurisdictions do not use cash proffers. Hays County's developer-side capital contribution occurs through subdivision plat fees, OSSF permits, floodplain permits, construction plan fees, and Development Agreement charges (all captured above). Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Special District Fees (WCID / MUD / PID)
Hays County contains multiple Water Control and Improvement Districts, Municipal Utility Districts, and Public Improvement Districts (representative examples include Driftwood Economic Development MUD and a network of Buda-area and Kyle-area MUDs). Each is a separate political subdivision with its own developer-side fee schedule. These belong on dedicated authority records under ZoneFee's Texas authority directory rather than the Hays County jurisdiction record. The county schedule contains a Development Agreement line ($2,000) under Miscellaneous Fees - captured above - but does not enumerate sub-district WCID / MUD / PID rate schedules. Closed-search outcome: authority-record material; not administered by Hays County.
Hays County Transportation Department Detailed Schedule
The Hays County 2026 Development Services Fee Schedule references a separate Transportation Department $2 per linear foot Construction Plan Review and Inspection charge but does not enumerate other Transportation Department line items. A future ZoneFee source review will target the Hays County Transportation Department schedule directly for any additional public-improvement, driveway, or right-of-way-cut fees not surfaced through the Development Services Department.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| Hays County Development Services Department | Floodplain permits, OSSF septic permits, subdivision and plat applications, construction plan administrative fees, variance requests, development agreements (2026 Development Services Fee Schedule) | hayscountytx.com/development-services |
| Hays County Transportation Department | Construction Plan Review and Inspection $2 per linear foot for public-improvement construction (separate schedule referenced in Development Services Fee Schedule) | hayscountytx.com |
| In-County City Records (separate ZoneFee pages) | San Marcos (county seat), Buda, and Kyle administer their own municipal developer-side fees - see in-county city links below | See San Marcos, TX, Buda, TX, Kyle, TX |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Hays County 2026 Development Services Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026) - 2-page official PDF | Hays County Development Services Department | 2026-05-14 |
| Hays County Development Services landing page | Hays County Development Services Department | 2026-05-14 |
| Hays County Development Services Documents and Forms (Munissions CMS asset-index page) | Hays County Development Services Department | 2026-05-14 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-05-14. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with the Hays County Development Services Department before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the Hays County 2026 Development Services Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2026) published on the Munissions CMS Documents and Forms page operated by the Hays County Development Services Department. ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. The Hays County Transportation Department $2 per linear foot Construction Plan Review and Inspection charge is referenced in the Development Services schedule but the Transportation Department's complete fee schedule is not yet enumerated on this page; a future ZoneFee source review will target it directly. Hays County is not a water or sewer utility provider for unincorporated areas of the county; tap, meter, and capital recovery fees for water and wastewater connections are administered by the Water Control and Improvement Districts, Municipal Utility Districts, and Public Improvement Districts that overlap individual unincorporated tracts, each as a separate political subdivision with its own developer-side schedule. Texas counties do not generally impose statutory impact fees under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 395, and Texas jurisdictions do not use Virginia-style cash proffers. Three city records inside Hays County publish their own ZoneFee pages: San Marcos (the county seat), Buda, and Kyle. Verify all current rates directly with Hays County Development Services and the Hays County Transportation Department 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.