Highlands County Impact Fees by Project Type
Where in Highlands County Are You Building?
Each jurisdiction applies its own fee schedule. Pick yours. = one or more fees are unconfirmed or have no published amount; the figure shown may not be the complete cost.
Unincorporated Highlands County: Single-Family Impact Fees
A new single-family home in unincorporated Highlands County pays at least $4,296.59 per unit in impact fees (rates sourced October 18, 2026). Every line item is levied at the municipal or utility level.
Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) — City of Sebring, 5/8" or 3/4" meter, $1,348.32 connection + $819.75 meter setting and Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) — City of Sebring, 5/8" or 3/4" meter are shown at the last published amount but have not been confirmed with the jurisdiction; they are included in the totals here. Verify before budgeting.
County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) is set by the county and has no published standard rate. Contact the levying jurisdiction or utility to verify before budgeting; it is not included as a dollar figure here.
Some fees are tiered by unit size or building type; amounts reflect the representative tier noted in the schedule below.
View the Full Highlands County Impact Fee Schedule
- Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) — City of Sebring, 5/8" or 3/4" meter, $1,348.32 connection + $819.75 meter setting$2,168.07Requires confirmationCity of Sebring, outside cityCity of Sebring UtilitiesCity of Sebring outside-city charges for a new home on the Sebring water system, the largest water provider in unincorporated Highlands County: a $1,348.32 single-family connection charge plus an $819.75 meter setting charge for a 5/8 or 3/4 inch meter, under Resolution 2025-23 (rates beginning November 1, 2025). Homes on the Avon Park system or a private well pay different amounts.
- Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) — City of Sebring, 5/8" or 3/4" meter$2,128.52Requires confirmationCity of Sebring, outside cityCity of Sebring UtilitiesCity of Sebring outside-city sewer connection charge for a new home with a 5/8 or 3/4 inch meter, under Resolution 2025-23 (rates beginning November 1, 2025). Homes on septic pay no sewer connection fee.
- City Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated — N/A)$0.00Unincorporated Highlands County has no municipal government, so no city impact fees apply. County impact fees are tracked separately.
- County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated)Requires confirmationHighlands CountyHighlands County collects no impact fee. Its Code Chapter 13 fees have gone uncollected since 2009; the last suspension ran through June 30, 2026, and on June 30, 2026 the Board of County Commissioners declined to adopt a new impact fee ordinance based on its 2026 study. The County's FY 2026-27 budget and fee schedule (effective October 1, 2026) include no impact fees. If fees are reinstated, they would apply countywide, including the unincorporated area.
Where in Highlands County Are You Building?
Each jurisdiction applies its own fee schedule. Pick yours. = one or more fees are unconfirmed or have no published amount; the figure shown may not be the complete cost.
Unincorporated Highlands County: Multifamily Impact Fees
A new multifamily unit in unincorporated Highlands County pays at least $1,984.82 per unit in impact fees (rates sourced October 18, 2026). Every line item is levied at the municipal or utility level.
Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, MF) — City of Sebring, master meter, per unit and Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, MF) — City of Sebring, master meter, 125% × $969.83 per unit are shown at the last published amount but have not been confirmed with the jurisdiction; they are included in the totals here. Verify before budgeting.
County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, MF) is set by the county and has no published standard rate. Contact the levying jurisdiction or utility to verify before budgeting; it is not included as a dollar figure here.
Some fees are tiered by unit size or building type; amounts reflect the representative tier noted in the schedule below.
View the Full Highlands County Impact Fee Schedule
- Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, MF) — City of Sebring, master meter, per unit$772.53Requires confirmationCity of Sebring, outside cityCity of Sebring UtilitiesCity of Sebring outside-city water connection charge for a master-metered multifamily building, $772.53 per unit (or the meter-size charge if greater), under Resolution 2025-23 (rates beginning November 1, 2025). The building's meter setting charge is separate.
- Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, MF) — City of Sebring, master meter, 125% × $969.83 per unit$1,212.29Requires confirmationCity of Sebring, outside cityCity of Sebring UtilitiesCity of Sebring outside-city sewer connection charge for a master-metered multifamily building: 125 percent of the $969.83 inside-city charge, $1,212.29 per unit, or the meter-size charge if greater, under Resolution 2025-23 (rates beginning November 1, 2025).
- City Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated — N/A, MF)$0.00Unincorporated Highlands County has no municipal government, so no city impact fees apply. County impact fees are tracked separately.
- County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, MF)Requires confirmationHighlands CountyHighlands County collects no impact fee. Its Code Chapter 13 fees (which carry a separate multifamily rate) have gone uncollected since 2009; the last suspension ran through June 30, 2026, and on June 30, 2026 the Board of County Commissioners declined to adopt a new impact fee ordinance based on its 2026 study. The County's FY 2026-27 budget and fee schedule (effective October 1, 2026) include no impact fees. If fees are reinstated, they would apply countywide, including the unincorporated area.
Where in Highlands County Are You Building?
Each jurisdiction applies its own fee schedule. Pick yours. Totals shown are for a 50,000 sq ft building, including one-time water/sewer fees (assuming a 1-inch meter). * = one-time water/sewer connection charges only; no per-sq-ft impact fee schedule sourced for that jurisdiction. = one or more fees are unconfirmed or have no published amount; the figure shown may not be the complete cost.
Unincorporated Highlands County: Commercial Impact Fees
Commercial development in unincorporated Highlands County pays no per-square-foot impact fees (rates sourced October 18, 2026).
Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) and Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) are set by the utility and not published online. County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, Commercial) is set by the county and has no published standard rate. Contact the levying jurisdiction or utility to verify before budgeting; they are not included as dollar figures here.
View the Full Highlands County Impact Fee Schedule
- Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated)Requires confirmationVarious — no county water utilityHighlands County does not own or operate a water utility, and the county's adopted schedule of fees, effective October 1, 2026, contains no water connection charge. Water service in the unincorporated county is provided mainly by the City of Sebring and City of Avon Park systems (at outside-city rates), plus special districts such as Sun 'n Lake of Sebring and Spring Lake, the Lake Placid Regional Utility, private utilities or private wells, and any connection charge is set by that provider.
- Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated)Requires confirmationVarious — no county sewer utilityHighlands County does not own or operate a wastewater utility, and the county's adopted schedule of fees, effective October 1, 2026, contains no sewer connection charge. Sewer service in the unincorporated county is provided by the City of Sebring and City of Avon Park systems (at outside-city rates), the Lake Placid Regional Utility, independent special districts, private utilities or on-site septic systems, and any connection charge is set by that provider.
- City Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated — N/A, Commercial)$0.00Highlands CountyUnincorporated Highlands County has no municipal government, so no city impact fees apply to commercial development. County impact fees are tracked separately.
- County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, Commercial)Requires confirmationHighlands CountyHighlands County collects no impact fee. Its Code Chapter 13 fees have gone uncollected since 2009; the last suspension ran through June 30, 2026, and on June 30, 2026 the Board of County Commissioners declined to adopt a new impact fee ordinance based on its 2026 study. The County's FY 2026-27 budget and fee schedule (effective October 1, 2026) include no impact fees. If fees are reinstated, they would apply in the unincorporated area.
Where in Highlands County Are You Building?
Each jurisdiction applies its own fee schedule. Pick yours. Totals shown are for a 50,000 sq ft building, including one-time water/sewer fees (assuming a 1-inch meter). * = one-time water/sewer connection charges only; no per-sq-ft impact fee schedule sourced for that jurisdiction. = one or more fees are unconfirmed or have no published amount; the figure shown may not be the complete cost.
Unincorporated Highlands County: Industrial Impact Fees
Industrial development in unincorporated Highlands County pays no per-square-foot impact fees (rates sourced October 18, 2026).
Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) and Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) are set by the utility and not published online. County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, Industrial) is set by the county and has no published standard rate. Contact the levying jurisdiction or utility to verify before budgeting; they are not included as dollar figures here.
View the Full Highlands County Impact Fee Schedule
- Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated)Requires confirmationVarious — no county water utilityHighlands County does not own or operate a water utility, and the county's adopted schedule of fees, effective October 1, 2026, contains no water connection charge. Water service in the unincorporated county is provided mainly by the City of Sebring and City of Avon Park systems (at outside-city rates), plus special districts such as Sun 'n Lake of Sebring and Spring Lake, the Lake Placid Regional Utility, private utilities or private wells, and any connection charge is set by that provider.
- Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated)Requires confirmationVarious — no county sewer utilityHighlands County does not own or operate a wastewater utility, and the county's adopted schedule of fees, effective October 1, 2026, contains no sewer connection charge. Sewer service in the unincorporated county is provided by the City of Sebring and City of Avon Park systems (at outside-city rates), the Lake Placid Regional Utility, independent special districts, private utilities or on-site septic systems, and any connection charge is set by that provider.
- City Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated — N/A, Industrial)$0.00Highlands CountyUnincorporated Highlands County has no municipal government, so no city impact fees apply to industrial development. County impact fees are tracked separately.
- County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, Industrial)Requires confirmationHighlands CountyHighlands County collects no impact fee. Its Code Chapter 13 fees have gone uncollected since 2009; the last suspension ran through June 30, 2026, and on June 30, 2026 the Board of County Commissioners declined to adopt a new impact fee ordinance based on its 2026 study. The County's FY 2026-27 budget and fee schedule (effective October 1, 2026) include no impact fees. If fees are reinstated, they would apply in the unincorporated area.
Where in Highlands County Are You Building?
Each jurisdiction applies its own fee schedule. Pick yours. Totals shown are for a 25,000 sq ft building, including one-time water/sewer fees (assuming a 1-inch meter). * = one-time water/sewer connection charges only; no per-sq-ft impact fee schedule sourced for that jurisdiction. = one or more fees are unconfirmed or have no published amount; the figure shown may not be the complete cost.
Unincorporated Highlands County: Office Impact Fees
Office development in unincorporated Highlands County pays no per-square-foot impact fees (rates sourced October 18, 2026).
Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) and Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated) are set by the utility and not published online. County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, Office) is set by the county and has no published standard rate. Contact the levying jurisdiction or utility to verify before budgeting; they are not included as dollar figures here.
View the Full Highlands County Impact Fee Schedule
- Water Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated)Requires confirmationVarious — no county water utilityHighlands County does not own or operate a water utility, and the county's adopted schedule of fees, effective October 1, 2026, contains no water connection charge. Water service in the unincorporated county is provided mainly by the City of Sebring and City of Avon Park systems (at outside-city rates), plus special districts such as Sun 'n Lake of Sebring and Spring Lake, the Lake Placid Regional Utility, private utilities or private wells, and any connection charge is set by that provider.
- Sewer Connection Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated)Requires confirmationVarious — no county sewer utilityHighlands County does not own or operate a wastewater utility, and the county's adopted schedule of fees, effective October 1, 2026, contains no sewer connection charge. Sewer service in the unincorporated county is provided by the City of Sebring and City of Avon Park systems (at outside-city rates), the Lake Placid Regional Utility, independent special districts, private utilities or on-site septic systems, and any connection charge is set by that provider.
- City Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated — N/A, Office)$0.00Highlands CountyUnincorporated Highlands County has no municipal government, so no city impact fees apply to office development. County impact fees are tracked separately.
- County Impact Fee (Highlands County Unincorporated, Office)Requires confirmationHighlands CountyHighlands County collects no impact fee. Its Code Chapter 13 fees have gone uncollected since 2009; the last suspension ran through June 30, 2026, and on June 30, 2026 the Board of County Commissioners declined to adopt a new impact fee ordinance based on its 2026 study. The County's FY 2026-27 budget and fee schedule (effective October 1, 2026) include no impact fees. If fees are reinstated, they would apply in the unincorporated area.
Highlands County Impact Fee Calculator
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How Impact Fees Work in Florida
Florida impact fees are one-time charges on new development, governed by Section 163.31801, Florida Statutes (the Florida Impact Fee Act). The statute requires fees to be based on the most recent and localized data, spent on the infrastructure category they were collected for, and adopted by ordinance.
Since a 2021 amendment (Ch. 2021-63, Laws of Florida), the law also limits how fast fees can rise: increases up to 25% phase in over two years, increases of 25–50% phase in over four years, and increases above 50% are allowed only with a demonstrated extraordinary-circumstances study and at least a two-thirds vote of the governing body.
Counties and cities can both levy impact fees. Inside an incorporated city, a project typically pays the county's countywide fees plus any municipal fees the city has adopted, which is why totals differ between a city and the unincorporated county around it.
If you're still asking what are impact fees, start with our guide to the definition, common categories, and legal basis.
Summary current as of September 2026. This is an editorial summary, not legal advice; see the official statute text and our terms of use.
Highlands County Impact Fee FAQs
What are single-family impact fees in Highlands County, Florida?
A new single-family home in unincorporated Highlands County pays at least $4,296.59 per unit in impact fees (rates sourced October 18, 2026). This figure includes amounts that have not been confirmed and excludes fees with no published standard amount, so the full cost may be higher; verify before budgeting. Inside city limits, fees are set by each city's own schedule and may be completely different. See the city pages for their rates.
How much are multifamily impact fees in Highlands County?
Multifamily development in unincorporated Highlands County pays at least $1,984.82 per unit in impact fees (rates sourced October 18, 2026). This figure includes amounts that have not been confirmed and excludes fees with no published standard amount, so the full cost may be higher; verify before budgeting. Rates inside city limits depend on the municipality. Pick your city on this page.
How much are commercial impact fees in Highlands County?
Unincorporated Highlands County does not currently levy impact fees on commercial development.
Do cities in Highlands County charge their own impact fees?
Yes. Every incorporated city applies its own fee schedule. 3 of 3 cities in Highlands County levy municipal impact or utility fees; each city page shows the full schedule that applies inside its limits.
Can Florida impact fees increase at any time?
No. Section 163.31801, Florida Statutes limits increases to 50% at most, phased in over two to four years, unless the local government makes extraordinary-circumstances findings and approves the increase by at least a two-thirds vote.
Fee amounts on this page are compiled from official published schedules and are provided for planning purposes only. Rates change, and project specifics (unit size, meter size, location within special districts) can alter what applies. Always verify current fees with the jurisdiction and utility before relying on them.