Fee Waivers

The City of Austin waives fees for developments that are certified as S.M.A.R.T. Housing by the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department. Fee waivers are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Below, you'll find additional information regarding fee waivers.

Fee waivers are provided for developments in which at least 10 percent of the units meet the "reasonably priced" standard, by serving families at or below 80 percent of the Austin Area Median Family Income.

How much does the average project receive in fee waivers? While the total fees waived will vary depending on the project (e.g. whether a rezoning is required), fees generally add up to:

Single-family infill: For a 1200 square foot single-family home on an infill lot, permit and water/wastewater capital recovery fees waived would total about $1300.

Single-family subdivisions: The fees are the same as single-family infill, with the addition of about $500 per lot in subdivisions that have not yet been approved and accepted for maintenance.

Multi-family: For the first two years of the S.M.A.R.T. Housing program, waived fees have averaged approximately $580 per unit.

Fee waivers are not available for the following:

• Remodeling of existing residential units (waivers available for new construction only)
• Owners with outstanding Housing Code violations on units or projects on which they are affiliated with the owning entity as a sponsor, partner, or partial owner; or
• Owners with outstanding violations on accessibility issues on previously completed units or projects where they are affiliated with the owning entity.

To see a complete list of waived fees for developments that meet S.M.A.R.T. Housing standards, click here. (77.5 KB PDF)

YOU WILL NEED THE FREE ADOBE ACROBAT READER TO VIEW THE LIST OF WAIVED S.M.A.R.T. HOUSING FEES. DOWNLOAD THE READER FOR FREE HERE.