Impact Fees for Properties in St Johns County, FL

• Find the current impact fees (see below)
• Find out your setbacks and lot restrictions
• Use survey and lot restrictions to verify home fits on lot
• Make sure your home designer knows how to design for conditioned space

Designing to save on impact fees is quite common, however it complicates the design process. It really all depends on your budget forgiveness.

1,251 – 1,800 conditioned space is the highest target impact fee range for most of my clients with budget constraints. Effective October 1, 2022 the impact fees for this range were$19,520. A three bedroom two bath house can typically work in this range.

The custom home design process has many advantages including scaling the home to the impact fees, however your design should not be compromised to save $3000 to $5000.

Follow these links if you would like to learn more about the custom home design process or get started designing your new home, remodel or addition.

If you’re building your own home in St. Johns County, you’ll be faced with more than the cost of materials and labor. You’ll also be receiving a bill or two from your local government. One significant bill relates to the impact fee to which all developers are subject.

Below is an explanation of this impact fee for residential homes, the main residential lot restrictions imposed by the municipalities of St. Johns County and the City of St. Augustine, and the schedule of fees.

The prices of homes in St. Johns County, Florida, is pretty high compared to most other counties in north-east Florida. That’s not entirely surprising. The county is blessed with A-rated schools, a comparatively low crime rate, the beautiful historic city of St. Augustine, wonderful beaches, and a good road network. Consequently, it’s a popular place to live and work.

However, one other reason for the higher house prices is the impact fee imposed on developers (and then passed on indirectly to home buyers). Surrounding counties have lower or no impact fees, but St. Johns County uses a residential impact fee as a revenue-raising tool. It’s a way of getting builders to pay towards the county’s cost of growth.

Think about it. Each new development has an impact on regional infrastructure and services such as water and sewer networks, police and fire department services, schools and libraries, so it’s only natural that municipalities look for ways to cover the additional cost of having more residents. However, some in the housing industry worry that impact fees will price some homeowners out of St. Johns County.

Residential Impact Fees

Conditioned Square Feet
Fees are subject to change
St. Johns County’s Schedule of Fees and Services FY 2024
St. Johns County’s Website