Travis County, Texas - County Development Fees
Travis County | County | Central Texas / I-35 Corridor (Austin metro core county) | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX MSA | County seat: Austin | FIPS 48453
Travis County is the core county of the Austin metropolitan area along the I-35 corridor. The City of Austin (the county seat) and Pflugerville have their own ZoneFee jurisdiction records, and the county overlaps water districts including Travis County WCID No. 17 and the Austin Water service area. Travis County administers developer-side fees through its Transportation and Natural Resources (TNR) Development Services division under the FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule effective January 1, 2026. The schedule covers floodplain permits, driveway and utility (right-of-way) permits, subdivision and plat review, construction review and inspection, on-site sewage facility (OSSF, septic) permits, environmental and water-quality reviews, transportation assessment fees, and variance and exception fees. Fees vary by whether a project is outside or inside the City of Austin ETJ and by environmental zone (Desired Development Zone vs Drinking Water Protection Zone, with or without Regional Stormwater Management Plan participation). As a Texas county, Travis County does not levy municipal-style impact fees and does not operate a water or wastewater utility.
Recent Fee Changes
Travis County TNR FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule effective January 1, 2026. The schedule is the county's annual consolidated developer fee document, updated for fiscal year 2026 (effective January 1, 2026). It enumerates floodplain, driveway and utility-cut, subdivision and plat, construction review and inspection, OSSF (septic), environmental, transportation assessment, and variance fees. Most subdivision review fees are stated as a base rate that scales per acre or per lot and additionally vary by environmental zone and by ETJ column (Outside vs In City of Austin ETJ). Developers should confirm the applicable column and zone with Travis County TNR before budgeting.
Fee Summary
| Fee Type | Status | Top-Line Figure | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subdivision and Plat Review | Confirmed | Preliminary Plan $102/acre ($815 min); Final Plat (Long Form) $107/acre ($815 min); Residential Lot Review $147/lot; Basic Plat (Short Form) $7,655/plat; Construction Inspection $3.09/linear ft | January 1, 2026 |
| Floodplain and Driveway / Utility Permits | Confirmed | Floodplain 'A' Residential $149; 'B' Residential $287; Non-Residential $137 + $1.99/$1,000 valuation; Driveway $165; Road Cut $340; ROW Cut $407 | January 1, 2026 |
| OSSF (Septic) Permits | Confirmed | State Fee $10; Private Sewage Permit (≤500 gpd) $712; Engineered Construction Permit (≤500 gpd) $1,262; Septic Subdivision Review $524/plat + $63/lot over 4 lots | January 1, 2026 |
| Transportation Assessment and Variance Fees | Confirmed | Transportation Assessment $6,895 (2,000-3,000 trips/day) to $13,262 (10,001+ trips/day); Variance $478-$1,301 by type; PWQC $999 | 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, construction, and transportation assessment fees | - |
| Utility Tap Fees (water / wastewater connection) | Not administered by Travis County | County does not operate a water/sewer utility; service is via Austin Water, MUDs, WCIDs, and LCRA, each with separate developer-side schedules. The county's "Utility Permits" are road / ROW-cut permits, not tap fees | - |
| Proffers | Not applicable | Texas does not use proffer agreements (Virginia statutory framework only) | - |
| Special District Fees (MUD / WCID / PID) | Authority-record material | In-county MUDs, WCIDs, and PIDs are separate political subdivisions with their own developer-side fee schedules; not captured on the county jurisdiction record | - |
Travis County TNR FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule
Statutory authority: county subdivision and platting authority under Texas Local Government Code Chapters 232 and 212, floodplain administration under the Texas Water Code, and OSSF authority delegated under TCEQ Chapter 285. Administered by: Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources (TNR) - Development Services. The FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule (effective January 1, 2026) is the county's authoritative consolidated developer fee document. The source schedule has two columns - "Outside City of Austin ETJ" and "In City of Austin ETJ" - and subdivision review fees additionally vary by environmental zone (Desired Development Zone vs Drinking Water Protection Zone) and Regional Stormwater Management Plan (RSMP) participation. The figures below are the Outside-Austin-ETJ or base / Long-Form rates unless noted; confirm the applicable column and zone with Travis County TNR.
Floodplain Permits (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Permit Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Floodplain Permit - "A" Residential (less than or greater than 1 acre) | $149 per application |
| Floodplain Permit - "B" Residential (less than or greater than 1 acre) | $287 per application |
| Floodplain Permit - Non-Residential (Outside Austin ETJ) | $137 per application + $1.99 per $1,000 of construction valuation |
Driveway and Utility (Right-of-Way) Permits (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Permit Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Driveway Permit (Curb/Gutter or Rural) | $165 per application |
| Utility Permit - Road Cut | $340 per application |
| Utility Permit - ROW Cut | $407 per application |
Subdivision and Plat Review (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Application Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Preliminary Plan Review (base; zone rates $53-$145/acre) | $102 per acre ($815 minimum) |
| Final Plat Review (Long Form; zone rates $53-$160/acre) | $107 per acre ($815 minimum) |
| Residential Lot Review (Long Form; zone rates $70-$207/lot) | $147 per lot |
| Construction Review (Long Form) | $102 per acre + $147 per lot |
| Construction Inspection (Long Form) | $3.09 per linear foot |
| Basic Plat Review (Short Form) | $7,655 per plat |
| Commercial Lot Review | $4,344 per plat |
| Re-Subdivisions / Re-Plats / Plat-Revisions | $1,894 per lot |
| Final Plat Modification | $1,087 per application |
| Construction Plan Revisions | $245 per application |
| Public Notice Fee | $10.30 per lot |
| Road Name Changes | $1,304 per application |
| Easement Vacation - Public Utility | $854 per application |
| Easement Vacation - Drainage / ROW | $1,846 per application |
| Platting Exemption / 245 Status Determination / Subdivision Exemption Letter | $414 per required code exception request |
| Pre-Development Meeting | $472 per meeting |
| Project Assessment (HB3167) | $1,073 per assessment |
| Total Plat Vacation / Cancellation Fee | $485 per application |
On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Permits (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Permit Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| OSSF (Septic) State Fee (TCEQ) | $10 per application |
| OSSF Private Sewage Permit (up to 500 gpd) | $712 per application |
| OSSF Engineered Construction Permit (up to 500 gpd) | $1,262 per application |
| OSSF Septic Subdivision Review | $524 per plat + $63 per lot over 4 lots |
Environmental, Transportation Assessment, and Variance Fees (Effective January 1, 2026)
| Fee Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Permanent Water Quality Controls (PWQC) - Initial and Renewals | $999 per application/renewal |
| Transportation Assessment Review (2,000-3,000 trips/day) | $6,895 per application |
| Transportation Assessment Review (10,001+ trips/day) | $13,262 per application |
| Variance Review / Appeal - Subdivision / Site Plan | $1,301 per required code variance request |
| Variance Review / Appeal - OSSF (Septic) | $575 per required code variance request |
| Variance Review / Appeal - Environmental | $478 per required code variance request |
| Variance Review / Appeal - Floodplain | $908 per required code variance request |
Source: Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources (TNR) FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule, effective January 1, 2026 (3-page official PDF, SHA-256 10d1ddaf...), published on the Travis County TNR Development Services page. The schedule additionally enumerates remediation fees (curb ramp, driveway, sidewalk, crosswalk), Short Form per-lot tiers by zone, plat amendment per-lot tiers, transportation assessment scoping and waiver fees, and residential environmental reviews; representative developer-side line items across all sections are captured above with zone and ETJ ranges noted.
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, a municipal-style power. The authoritative Travis County TNR FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule contains zero impact-fee line items. The county's developer-side road and drainage capital recovery occurs through the per-acre and per-lot subdivision plat, construction review and inspection, and transportation assessment fees captured above. Water and wastewater impact (capital recovery) fees in the Travis County area are administered by Austin Water and other utilities - see the Austin Water authority page. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Utility Tap Fees (Water and Wastewater Connection)
Travis County does not operate a water or wastewater utility. Service is provided by the City of Austin (Austin Water), other cities, Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), Water Control and Improvement Districts (WCIDs, e.g. Travis County WCID No. 17), and regional supplier LCRA. The "Utility Permits" line items in the Travis County TNR schedule are road-cut and right-of-way-cut permit fees for working in county right-of-way, not water or sewer tap or connection charges. The FY2026 schedule contains no tap, meter, or connection fee line items. 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. Travis County's developer-side capital contribution occurs through the TNR subdivision plat, construction, floodplain, OSSF, transportation assessment, and easement and right-of-way fees captured above. Closed-search outcome: this fee family does not apply to this jurisdiction.
Special District Fees (MUD / WCID / PID)
Travis County contains numerous Municipal Utility Districts, Water Control and Improvement Districts, and Public Improvement Districts (for example Travis County WCID No. 17), each a separate political subdivision with its own developer-side fee schedule. These belong on dedicated authority records under ZoneFee's Texas authority directory - see the Travis County WCID No. 17 authority page - rather than the county jurisdiction record. The Travis County TNR FY2026 schedule does not enumerate sub-district MUD, WCID, or PID rate schedules. Closed-search outcome: authority-record material; not administered by Travis County.
Per-Zone and Per-ETJ Fee Variation
Travis County TNR subdivision review fees scale per acre or per lot and vary by environmental zone (Desired Development Zone vs Drinking Water Protection Zone, with or without Regional Stormwater Management Plan participation) and by ETJ column (Outside vs In City of Austin ETJ). The figures on this page are the base or Outside-Austin-ETJ / Long-Form rates with zone ranges noted; a project's actual fee depends on its acreage, lot count, linear feet of road, zone, and ETJ status. Confirm the applicable rate directly with Travis County TNR.
Fee Authorities
| Authority | Fee Types | Official Website |
|---|---|---|
| Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources (TNR) - Development Services | Subdivision and plat review, construction review and inspection, floodplain permits, driveway and utility (ROW) permits, OSSF septic permits, environmental and water-quality reviews, transportation assessment fees, and variance and exception fees (FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule) | traviscountytx.gov/tnr/development-services |
| Water Districts and Utilities (separate ZoneFee authority pages) | Water and wastewater capital recovery and connection fees are administered by utilities and water districts, not by Travis County | See Austin Water, Travis County WCID No. 17 |
| In-County City Records (separate ZoneFee pages) | The City of Austin (county seat) and Pflugerville administer their own municipal developer-side fees - see in-county city links below | See Austin, TX, Pflugerville, TX |
Sources
| Document | Agency | Accessed |
|---|---|---|
| Travis County TNR FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule (effective January 1, 2026) - 3-page official PDF | Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources (TNR) | 2026-06-08 |
| Travis County TNR Development Services landing page | Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources (TNR) | 2026-06-08 |
Last verified by ZoneFee: 2026-06-08. Fee schedules are subject to change. Verify current rates directly with Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources before relying on this data for any financial decision.
This page reflects fee data sourced from the Travis County TNR FY2026 Development Related Fees Schedule (effective January 1, 2026), published on the Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources Development Services page. ZoneFee does not guarantee that fee amounts are current at the time you read this page. Fee schedules change. Travis County TNR subdivision review fees scale per acre or per lot and vary by environmental zone (Desired Development Zone vs Drinking Water Protection Zone, with or without Regional Stormwater Management Plan participation) and by ETJ column (Outside vs In City of Austin ETJ); the figures shown are the base or Outside-Austin-ETJ / Long-Form rates. Travis County is not a water or sewer utility provider; tap, meter, and capital recovery fees for water and wastewater connections are administered by Austin Water, Municipal Utility Districts, Water Control and Improvement Districts, and regional supplier LCRA, each as a separate political subdivision or utility 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. The City of Austin (the county seat) and Pflugerville publish their own ZoneFee pages. Verify all current rates directly with Travis County TNR 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.