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Construction Utilities Tap Fee Calculator

Utility connections are major fixed costs in growth markets.

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Total tap fees

$40,500

Wet utilities

$23,500

Dry utilities

$9,000

How the math works

Total = water + sewer + gas + electric + stormwater + capacity.

$8.5k + $12k + $3.5k + $5.5k + $3k + $8k = $40,500 utility tap fees.

How to Use

  1. Enter water tap.
  2. Enter sewer tap.
  3. Enter gas service.
  4. Enter electric service.
  5. Enter stormwater.
  6. Enter capacity charges.
  7. Read total tap fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tap fee benchmarks?

Water tap: $2–25k+ per unit (urban infill cheaper, exurban expensive). Sewer tap: $3–35k. Gas service: $1–8k. Electric service: $1–12k. Stormwater: $1–8k. Reuse/reclaimed: $5–15k. Capacity charge (impact-style): $5–50k for higher-demand uses. Western US (CA, CO, AZ, NV): tap fees 2–4x national average due to water scarcity. Plan ahead — 'will-serve' letter from utility 30–90 days lead time, formal capacity reservation 60–180 days.

How does this impact project budget?

Construction budgets layer hard costs (50–65%), soft costs (15–25%), financing (5–10%), contingency (5–10%), and developer fee (3–5%). Schedule risk often equals or exceeds cost risk — every month delay carries carry cost (interest, real estate tax, insurance, opportunity cost) of 0.5–1.5% of project budget. This calculator quantifies one cost component.

Owner-controlled vs GMP vs CM-at-risk?

Lump sum/GMP: contractor takes risk above guaranteed maximum price, owner pays for change orders. CM-at-risk: open book, fee + GMP, more transparent. Construction management: agent for owner, GC subcontracted directly. Design-build: single accountability, faster but less price competition. Match delivery method to project complexity and owner sophistication.

Schedule and cost contingency?

Standard contingency: 10% of hard cost for entitlement, 5–8% for construction. Schedule contingency: 60–90 days buffer past target completion. Force majeure provisions: weather, material lead time, labor strike, permit delay. Track via critical path method (CPM) schedule. Major lender draws contingent on schedule + cost variance to budget remaining within 5%.

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