$3500 for a water meter install?????

[JB740i]

Is that right? I called the company responsible for the city water where we're gonna be building a house and that's the number they told me. I had no freakin clue it would be that high? Is that reasonable?

The closest house is about 5 lots down the street on the other side of the road and I know there is a blue water pipe sticking out of the ground that led me to believe it wouldn't be that far of a run. The chick on the phone said that was just a blow off pipe?

Anyway, that's all I know. No one there seemed to know much.

Is this something where I can go in and ask for a break down of the cost or is it generally a take it or leave it deal? The house down the street can't be more than a year or two old I think so they've been there long enough to be on the public water too I assume.

Between this, clearing the lot and the impact fees we'll be at $16000 before the foundation is even framed.

 

[D KRAGER]

Yea that's about what I paid. I paid 3,000. I had to pay to extend the water main 200' past my house. The normal tap fee is 1,500. But since I had to extend it, I had to incur the cost. Most of the cost is enginering fees, crock of ****, but that's the way it goes. Just to extend the main 200' and move the fire hydrant was $3,000. Then they waived the 1500 tap fee because it was already included in the labor and parts to extend the main.

You may ask them to break it down and they should, Most likely 1/2 the cost will be in enginering fees..... The rest in labor and parts. In the end it's worth it.

 

[JohnZ]

Between this, clearing the lot and the impact fees we'll be at $16000 before the foundation is even framed.

What in the world are "impact fees"? Is that a Florida thing?

 

[Hawk231]

Is that right? I called the company responsible for the city water where we're gonna be building a house and that's the number they told me. I had no freakin clue it would be that high? Is that reasonable?

That sounds about right. Our tap fee was close to that three years a go.

 

[JB740i]

Commies. Commies make impact fees. They doubled them a couple years ago to 10000 for a house up to 2500 sq ft.

Say they help pay for roads, schools, whatever. I think they just make the bank more money from my loan.

 

[Hawk231]

Gotta love those fees (taxes). Just another way to punish success.

 

[6768rogues]

In our area, the water authorities are huge profit makers for the local government. Where do you think they put their ex-legislator buddies for high paying jobs leading to lucrative retirements? We have had scandals galore in our water departments. The "good ole boys" on the governing board of the water dept. serve one short term and get fully funded health insurance for life. One water dept. director was there for 3 years, got a 6-figure pension, and was investigated for taking about a dozen weeks of vacation in a year. Nothing happened. Bend over and take it.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Impact fees are fairly common, especially in high growth areas. They are designed to do two things.

1) discourage growth, thus slowing the growth of an area that is growing "like wildfire" beyond the ability of the city, county and schools to keep up.

2) raise funds to help build infrastructure for the unchecked growth. Is it fair to the existing taxpayers, those living miles away across the county, to be expected to pay to pave turn lanes into new shopping centers and sub divisions, to lay out miles of water lines, construct water towers, etc.? The whole thing is designed to force the new comers to help foot the bill for the infrastructure cost they incur.

In times of slow growth, the cost of a few new residents or businesses is easily absorbed by the taxpayers, in times of fast growth, revenues don't keep up with growth.

Not to say that I totally agree with impact fees, but I see their purpose and often their need. The cost of water taps is another story. If the main is there, running across your frontage, the cost incurred should not be any more than the actual cost of digging up the main and installing the tap and meter. Now days, when they install new mains, they offer property owners the chance to get taps installed cheap, less than an thousand dollars (the carrot), with the "stick" being that if you don't, it will cost you thousands more later on. Some places will let you just pay for the tap, others insist you pay the monthly minimum even if you don't use it.

Charles

 

[boiler7904]

A $3500 tap on fee actually seems pretty cheap compared to places around here. I want to say that they usually start around that price and increase based on the number of plumbing fixtures throughout the house.

Charles is right. You're paying for what you'll cost the town to bring you services. If you think $3500 is bad, look into the price of a well and septic system and you'll soon understand how good a deal you're really getting.

 

[JB740i]

Still gonna have to get septic. City water and no sewer. So I gotta pay for it coming in and store it when it goes out.

 

[Willy Victor]

Chicago has the most corrupt water dept. in the country.


Willy

 

[boiler7904]

Chicago has the most corrupt water dept. in the country.


Willy

That applies to most departments run by the city. You name, they've got a way to corrupt it - police, fire, streets & sanitation, and on and on.