Water and Sewer Tap and Connection Fees in Gainesville, GA

01Your problem: you need water or sewer service at the property, and the fees are confusing

Homeowners usually run into tap fees in one of a few situations: building a house, adding a separately metered building, moving a meter, or switching a property to public water or sewer. The fees involved are not plumber charges. They are set by the City of Gainesville Department of Water Resources and published in its Water and Wastewater Rates, Fees and Policies brochure, updated in July 2026. This page lays out the published figures and the rules that come with them, so you know which part of the project is a utility fee and which part is private plumbing work.

There is an important line here, the same one that applies to leaks. The city is responsible for the street side of the meter, and the owner is responsible for the service line from the meter to the building and everything inside. A tap connects the property to the public system; the plumbing from the meter to the house is the owner's, and so is the plumber's bill for it.

02Water tap, meter and connection fees

The brochure breaks the water fee into three parts: tap and meter, connection, and an administrative fee. For a 3/4-inch tap, those are $1,073, $1,726 and $51, for a total of $2,850. The brochure also lists 1-inch and 2-inch totals and says that tap and meter fees for 3-inch through 8-inch services are charged at actual cost for time and materials, with a fully executed Agreement to Pay required when the application is made.

The brochure adds rules that shape a project. Each lot, tract or parcel served by the city water system, inside or outside the city limits, must be served by its own meter. Meters cannot be moved or transferred from the original lot and remain the property of the City of Gainesville. A meter can be relocated on the same lot after an application and payment of a cost estimate prepared by the department.

03Wastewater tap fees

Sewer has its own schedule. The brochure lists a wastewater tapping fee of $900 for a 6-inch service line serving a single dwelling or commercial unit, plus connection and administrative fees that rise with meter size. For a 3/4-inch meter, the total is $4,577. Service lines larger than 6 inches are charged an additional fee at actual cost per inch.

If your property is served by a different sewer provider, such as Hall County, Flowery Branch or Oakwood, the connection rules and fees come from that provider. Flowery Branch, for example, publishes its own tap and meter set fees in Resolution 24-009, covered on the Flowery Branch page. For questions about Oakwood, the Oakwood page lists what the city publishes.

04Turning service on, deposits and the owner's valve

Once a tap exists, starting service has its own small fees. The brochure says an application for new service must be completed and a $20.00 fee is charged to activate new service; a $15.00 fee applies when an account is deactivated. A deposit based on meter size is added to the first bill, and may be waived with a satisfactory credit report or good payment history. The city FAQ says water connection is offered the same business day if everything required is received by 3 pm, and otherwise the next day.

The brochure also says you are responsible for making sure all water connections are off at the property before the water is turned on, and that the city will not be responsible for damage or flooding caused by an open connection. The property owner must provide his or her own cut-off valve; using the turn-off at the meter is not permissible. A plumber setting up a new service line should install that valve.

05Permits for the private side of the work

The plumbing between the meter and the house is private work, and inside Gainesville city limits plumbing upgrades, alterations or replacements require a permit through the Accela Citizen Access Portal. New construction also carries impact fees, which the city's permit process page says apply to all new construction permits; the city asks applicants to call 770-531-6570 to verify exact fees. Outside the city, Hall County's plumbing fee schedule includes a $15.00 item for a city sewer connection.

Before digging, call 811. The Gainesville brochure lists the Utilities Protection Center at 1-800-282-7411. The permit guide and the Hall County fee table cover permit questions in more detail.

06Getting the private line installed

When you send a Free Quote Request for a new service line, include the meter size the utility approved, the distance from the meter to the house, and whether a sewer lateral is part of the job. Independent plumbers who serve the area can then follow up with questions specific to the site. Keep in mind that the utility fees on this page are paid to the City of Gainesville, not to the plumber.

If the project is a replacement rather than a new connection, for example a failing service line between the meter and the house, see the burst pipe guide and the leak detection guide first. No new tap is needed to replace a private line on the same meter.