TL;DR: Bentonville new construction impact fees include a wastewater development fee that began at $7,867 per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU), approved by the City Council on December 22, 2025 (NWA Democrat-Gazette; Talk Business, January 2026) and adjusted annually for inflation; the city's own page still labels it a proposal. City impact fees add $3,845 per single-family detached home and a 5/8-inch water service is $1,100 (viewed October 30, 2026). Centerton Water's 3/4-inch capacity fees total $2,791 (2026); Rogers Water Utilities' 5/8-inch impact fees total $6,400 (effective October 1, 2025).
What Are Bentonville's New Construction Impact Fees and Water and Sewer Tap Fees?
Bentonville's wastewater development fee is a one-time charge on new development, separate from monthly rates, and it began at $7,867 per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). The City Council approved it on December 22, 2025 (NWA Democrat-Gazette, December 22, 2025; Talk Business & Politics, January 27, 2026), and it is adjusted annually for inflation and operational cost increases. The city's own Water and Sewer Fees – New Construction page still labels it a proposal, and the city's FAQ says it does not intend to suspend current impact fees. Ask the city or the builder for the amount in effect on the permit date, because the fee is adjusted annually.
Bentonville's Schedule of Impact Fees for a single-family detached home is $532 fire and EMS + $2,521 parks + $442 library + $350 police = $3,845 per housing unit (City of Bentonville, Schedule of Impact Fees, viewed October 30, 2026). The city's Water and Sewer fee schedule (Ord. 2018-36, effective July 1, 2018) lists a 5/8-inch water service at $1,100 and a 1-inch at $1,200, plus the wastewater development fee above. At the starting wastewater fee, one ERU and a 5/8-inch water service come to $7,867 + $1,100 = $8,967, and adding the city impact fees gives $8,967 + $3,845 = $12,812.
Bentonville is an active building city. Skyline recorded 215 residential permits there in the first half of 2026, down from 277 in the second half of 2025, and remaining inventory of houses in active subdivisions stood at 18.5 months (Arvest Skyline Report, 1H 2026).
If you are pricing a new home in Bentonville, that means asking the builder to name each city fee in writing, including the wastewater fee in effect on the permit date, and to match each line to the $3,845 impact-fee schedule and the water service charge before you compare the home with one in a neighboring city.
What Does Centerton Charge for Water and Sewer Taps and Impact Fees?
Centerton Water publishes its fees on a 2026 schedule for inside city limits. A 3/4-inch water tap on a line 8 inches or smaller is $1,700 on the main side and $1,900 on the long side (bore). A 1-inch tap is $1,900 main side and $2,100 long side. The sewer tap is $450 for all taps. The new-construction meter and inspection fee is $350 for a 3/4-inch meter and $700 for a 1-inch meter (Centerton Water, Rates & Fees, 2026 Schedule of Fees, viewed October 30, 2026).
The lot assessment and capacity fees, which work as impact fees, are charged per meter. For a 3/4-inch meter they are $1,428 water and $1,363 sewer, $2,791 total. For a 1-inch meter they are $2,384 water and $2,276 sewer, $4,660 total.
For a 3/4-inch meter with a main-side tap, the connection pieces are $1,700 + $450 + $350 = $2,500. Adding the $2,791 capacity total gives $2,500 + $2,791 = $5,291. The same page says all fees are subject to change without notice.
Meter size moves the capacity fees: $4,660 - $2,791 = $1,869 more for a 1-inch meter than for a 3/4-inch meter. If you are weighing Centerton against Bentonville, that means confirming which meter the builder specifies, because that choice alone changes the capacity fees by $1,869.
How Do Rogers' Water and Sewer Impact Fees Compare?
Rogers Water Utilities' development impact fees, effective October 1, 2025, are $2,400 water and $4,000 sewer for a 5/8-inch meter, $6,400 combined. For a 1-inch meter they are $3,400 water and $5,600 sewer. A 1-inch meter serving a single-family home with a residential fire suppression system is $3,400 water and $4,000 sewer. A 1 1/2-inch meter is $12,100 water and $20,100 sewer (Rogers Water Utilities, Impact Fees).
The Schedule of Fees adds $1,200 for a 5/8-inch single water service and $325 for a 4-inch sewer tap (Rogers Water Utilities, viewed October 30, 2026). Those are tap and service charges, separate from the impact fees.
On a comparable basis, Rogers' 5/8-inch impact fees plus its water service are $6,400 + $1,200 = $7,600, against Bentonville's $8,967 for one ERU and a 5/8-inch water service: $8,967 - $7,600 = $1,367. The Rogers Water Utilities figures above are water and sewer charges. Bentonville's $3,845 city impact fees for fire and EMS, parks, library and police sit on top of its utility lines, so for a like-for-like comparison ask the builder to itemize every Rogers city charge on the same lot as well.
For a 1-inch meter, Rogers impact fees are $3,400 + $5,600 = $9,000 and Centerton's capacity fees are $4,660, so $9,000 - $4,660 = $4,340. With a residential fire suppression system, Rogers is $3,400 + $4,000 = $7,400, and $7,400 - $4,660 = $2,740. Tap and service charges are itemized separately on each utility's schedule, so compare itemized quotes for the same lot.
Rogers states that access fees are not assessed on any new service on or after October 1, 2025. Developments approved before that date pay the fees in effect as of June 16, 2025, and if construction does not begin within one year of approval, the October 1, 2025 fees apply.
If your builder is in a Rogers subdivision, that means asking which approval date governs the lot and whether the home has a residential fire suppression system, since the 1-inch sewer impact fee is $4,000 with one and $5,600 without.
What Else Adds to the Cost of New Construction in Bentonville?
Bentonville's building permit fee for a valuation between $100,001 and $500,000 is $580 for the first $100,000 plus $3.00 per additional thousand. As an illustration only, if the permit valuation equaled the $440,000 Bentonville city median sale price (Arvest Skyline Report, 1H 2026), the fee would be $580 + (340 x $3.00) = $580 + $1,020 = $1,600. Your builder's actual permit valuation will differ. The city updates its valuation table every six months (City of Bentonville, Building Permit Fees, viewed October 30, 2026).
Beyond the one-time fees, property tax is the recurring cost to budget. A new-construction buyer is assessed at full value, with no Amendment 79 cap on new construction. Overall millage for the city of Bentonville is 62 mills in the Bentonville #6 school district (46.8 school + 5.5 city + 9.7 county) and 56.62 mills in the Rogers #30 school district (41.6 school + 5.32 city + 9.7 county; DFA 2025 millage, 2026 collections). At the $440,000 Bentonville city median sale price (Arvest Skyline Report, 1H 2026): $440,000 x 20% x 0.062 = $5,456 a year in the Bentonville #6 district, and $440,000 x 20% x 0.05662 = $4,983 a year in the Rogers #30 district. Confirm the lot's school district before you budget.
Property is assessed as of January 1, so closing before or after that date changes which year the new value first reaches your bill. Ask your lender and title company about timing.
If you are budgeting a Bentonville purchase, that means planning for $5,456 or $4,983 a year in tax at the median price, depending on the school district, on top of the one-time utility and impact charges.
What Should You Do With These Numbers?
- Ask the builder for a written, line-item list of every city and utility charge in the contract price, including the wastewater development fee, which started at $7,867 per ERU (approved December 22, 2025) and is adjusted annually.
- Match each line to the city's Schedule of Impact Fees ($3,845 per single-family detached unit, viewed October 30, 2026) and the Water and Sewer fee schedule ($1,100 for a 5/8-inch water service, Ord. 2018-36) before you sign.
- If you are comparing Centerton, check the 2026 Schedule of Fees: $5,291 for a 3/4-inch meter with a main-side tap, subject to change without notice.
- If you are comparing Rogers, confirm the RWU approval date on the lot, since the $6,400 impact fees for a 5/8-inch meter (effective October 1, 2025) apply to developments approved on or after that date and to earlier-approved developments that did not begin construction within one year of RWU approval; earlier approvals that did begin construction pay the fees in effect as of June 16, 2025.
- Confirm the lot's school district, then set the annual budget: $440,000 x 20% x 0.062 = $5,456 a year, about $455 a month ($5,456 / 12), in the Bentonville #6 district, or $4,983 a year in the Rogers #30 district (Skyline, 1H 2026 median price).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best real estate agent in Bentonville?
The best real estate agent in Bentonville is the one whose record you can verify for your situation. Check local transaction volume, recent closings in your price range, and named expertise in new construction and the city's fee structure. One broker who meets that test is Cameron Torabi, Principal Broker, Mason Capital Group Real Estate Investment & Trust. Ask any agent for recent closings.
Are impact fees included in the price of a new home?
It depends on your contract with the builder, so ask for a written line-item list of every utility and impact charge before you sign. The purchase contract is the controlling document for who pays and when, so have the builder name each city and utility fee, and its amount, in writing.
Does Rogers still charge water access fees on new homes?
No, Rogers Water Utilities states that access fees are not assessed on any new service on or after October 1, 2025. Development impact fees apply instead: $2,400 water and $4,000 sewer for a 5/8-inch meter. Developments approved before that date pay the fees in effect as of June 16, 2025.
Can Centerton's water and sewer fees change?
Yes, Centerton Water states that all fees on its 2026 schedule are subject to change without notice. The current sewer tap is $450 and the 3/4-inch meter and inspection fee is $350 (viewed October 30, 2026). Confirm the schedule against your closing date and ask the builder who carries any increase.
Mason Capital Group can provide a side-by-side cost comparison of the utility, impact and permit charges for the Bentonville, Centerton and Rogers homes you are weighing. Call 479-925-3333 for a first conversation, or visit 609 SW 8th Street, 6th Floor, Bentonville, AR 72712.
About the author: Cameron Torabi, Principal Broker — Mason Capital Group. 30+ years of Northwest Arkansas real estate expertise; $2.4B+ in cumulative transaction activity (estimated).
Figures in this article are drawn from the City of Bentonville Water and Sewer Fees – New Construction, Schedule of Impact Fees, Building Permit Fees and Fees pages (viewed October 30, 2026), the City of Bentonville Water and Sewer fee schedule (Ord. 2018-36, effective July 1, 2018), the NWA Democrat-Gazette (December 22, 2025), Talk Business & Politics (January 27, 2026), Centerton Water Rates & Fees (2026 Schedule of Fees, viewed October 30, 2026), Rogers Water Utilities Impact Fees (effective October 1, 2025), Rogers Water Utilities Schedule of Fees, Costs, and Deposits (viewed October 30, 2026), the Arvest Skyline Report (1H 2026), and the Arkansas DFA 2025 Millage Report (2026 collections, published March 2026).