Field Guide to Development Impact Fees
(Updated October 2009)
Impact fees, or development fees, are expenditures that developers are required to make as a precondition to approval of their projects. Impact fees are generally used to finance roads, schools, affordable housing, transit systems, and other projects and services in municipalities throughout the United States. The fees are frequently passed on by developers to purchasers in the price of a new property and, therefore, increase the cost of housing and decrease the profitability of a particular project. This page includes articles, studies, Supreme Court decisions, and other material on the debate over impact fees. (S. Hogan, Information Specialist)
Impact Fee Basics
Determining the real cost of growth and development and who should pay, (Government Finance Review, Jun. 2009).
Escaping the takings maze: impact fees and the limits of the takings clause, (Vanderbilt Law Review, May 2009). Q
National impact fee survey: 2008, (Austin, TX: Duncan Associates,Oct. 4, 2008).
Impact fees: crunching the numbers, (Tierra Grande, Oct. 2007).
The Impacts of Impact Fees
More cities offer incentives to spur development, (Builder Online, Aug. 11, 2009).
Cities dump fees to bolster building in recession, (Taragana.com, Jul. 8, 2009).
Arizona housing market feels the heat from impact fees, (Nation’s Building News, Apr. 6, 2009).
Rising use of 'impact' fees rankles new-home buyers, (Wall Street Journal, Nov. 21, 2007). Q
Impact fees reduce housing affordability, new study maintains, (Reality Times, Aug. 2, 2007).
Impact fees: paying for progress, (Tierra Grande, Jul. 2007).
Impact Fees in the News
Landowners may sue to recover unspent impact fees, (Law of the Land, Oct. 8, 2009).
Florida counties shelve impact fees to help builders, (Jacksonville Business Journal, Jun. 26, 2009).
Strapped governments eye impact fee cuts, (Planning, May 2009). Q
Manatee suspends impact fees for builders, (Tampa Bay Business Journal, May 19, 2009).
State considers hijacking development impact fees to shore up budget, (Phoenix Business Journal, May 8, 2009).
eBooks & Other Resources
Books, Videos, Research Reports & More
The resources below are available for loan through Information Central. Up to three books, tapes, CDs and/or DVDs can be borrowed for 30 days from the Library for a nominal fee of $10. Call Information Central at 800.874.6500 for assistance.
Impact fees and housing affordability: A guidebook for practitioners, (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Jun. 2008).
A guide to impact fees and housing affordability, (Washington, DC: Island Press, 2008).NAC 1800 N33
Development impact fees: A primer, (Ohio State University, 2004).
Impact fee handbook, (Washington, DC: Home Builders Press, 1997).NAC 1800 N21im
Bargaining for development: A handbook on development agreements, annexation agreements, land development conditions, vested rights, and the provision of public facilities, (Washington, DC: Environmental Law Institute, 2003).
Field Guides & More
These Field Guides and other resources in the Virtual Library may also be of interest:
Field Guide to Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs)
Field Guide to Zoning Laws & Ordinances
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