WACO – In response to the recently passed House Bill 3492, which prohibits cities from considering construction and improvement costs in their determination of inspection fees, Waco will begin basing its fees on the hourly rate of city staff involved in plan review and construction inspection.
The new fee plan, which took effect Sept. 1, will also take into account the cost of their vehicle, cellphone, laptop, overhead costs, and administrative costs.
Developers have expressed concerns that the new fee schedule could add to the cost of building new homes.
Public Works Director Amy Burlarley-Hyland said her team “made our best effort in the time that we were given, which was very short,” and if the city council did not adopt a fee schedule complying with the new law, the city would not be able to collect any fees on development starting Friday, per the legislation.