Brevard County Impact Fees Could Rise Over 45% Across All Development
On July 21, the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners approved an impact fee update study and directed staff to draft and advertise code amendments to the County’s impact fee provisions. The vote does not itself raise fees; a public hearing and final Board action are still required before any new rates take effect.
If implemented, the proposal would raise non-school impact fees for transportation, fire rescue, EMS, corrections, libraries, and solid waste to the maximum amounts justified by the study or allowed by state law, whichever is lower. Developers may face increases in the 47% to 50% range for many residential and commercial categories. Assuming those ranges are ultimately approved, two illustrative examples of the resulting increases are set forth below:
- If the 47% increase for single-family homes is approved, the fee for a single-family detached unit would rise from $4,741.56 to $6,981.93.
- If the 50% increase is approved for commercial spaces under 10,000 square feet, office fees would rise from $8,763.40 to $13,145.10 per 1,000 square feet, and retail/shopping fees would rise from $6,362.30 to $9,543.44 per 1,000 square feet of leasable area.
Before the fees can go into place, the County still must draft and advertise the code amendments, provide the required notice, hold any required public hearings, and obtain final Board approval of the increased rate schedule. Florida law generally requires 90 days’ notice before new or increased impact fees take effect, and the study states that increases above 25% must be phased in over four years.
County staff identified January 1, 2027, as the earliest recommended implementation date.
We will continue to monitor developments regarding the proposed impact fee increases in Brevard County. If you have questions about how these changes may affect your project or other real property, land use, or zoning matters, please contact Tara Tedrow at Tara.Tedrow@lowndes-law.com or Brian Stephens at Brian.Stephens@lowndes-law.com.
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