If you’ve driven U.S. 17 or N.C. 211 lately, you already know Brunswick County is still one of the fastest-growing places in North Carolina. With Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, that growth is front and center in the county commissioner races. According to WWAY’s October 29, 2026 report, candidates at a mid-October forum brought up one idea again and again: impact fees on new development. Here’s what that debate actually means, what the county can and can’t charge under state law, and how it touches homeowners, buyers, and anyone building in Leland, Southport, Shallotte, Ocean Isle, or the rest of the county.
What Candidates Said About Impact Fees
WWAY reported that Democratic candidates Gary Woods and Sara Singer both expressed interest in having developers help cover the cost of growth. Woods said he supports impact fees and also favors development proffers, which are negotiated contributions from a developer, such as land for a school or a fire station, in exchange for approval. Singer suggested Brunswick County look at other counties that have used similar fees and see what could work here.
The same report noted the catch: North Carolina law limits what counties can charge. That’s the part most voters, and most buyers, don’t hear about.
What North Carolina Law Allows
Broad impact fees need permission from Raleigh
In North Carolina, counties generally can’t impose a broad development impact fee for things like schools, roads, or emergency services unless the General Assembly authorizes it. As WWAY explained, that limits how far any new board of commissioners could go on its own, no matter who wins on November 3.
Water and sewer fees are allowed, with rules
What counties can charge are water and sewer system development fees. After the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the Town of Carthage’s water and sewer impact fees in 2016 (as the UNC School of Government summarized), the legislature passed the Public Water and Sewer System Development Fee Act in 2017. That law, found in Chapter 162A, Article 8 of the General Statutes, lets utilities charge new development for the capacity it needs, but only based on a written analysis by a qualified professional, and the fee can’t exceed what that analysis supports.
What Brunswick County Already Charges
Brunswick County already uses these fees. On its official FAQ, the county says developers pay one-time system development fees when new projects join the county’s water or sewer systems, and that developers also install the water and sewer piping inside their own projects. The county also notes that commissioners voted to raise those fees toward 90% of the maximum allowed by the county’s most recent analysis, phased in by July 2025.
For a sense of scale, the county’s FY 2026-27 wastewater rate schedule lists a residential sewer capital recovery fee of $1,956 per bedroom plus a sewer transmission capital recovery fee of $252 per bedroom. Water has its own separate capital recovery charges. Per the county FAQ, these fees are due when a building permit is applied for, so they’re part of the cost of every new home connected to county utilities.
What This Means for Homeowners
- Who pays for growth is still an open question. Water and sewer expansion is partly funded by new development. Schools, roads, and public safety are funded mostly through the county budget, property taxes, and voter-approved bonds.
- Watch the policy, not just the slogans. Any move toward broader impact fees would likely need state legislation. Proffers negotiated during rezonings are a more realistic local tool, and those show up project by project.
- Growth pressure affects services you use. Earlier in October, WECT reported the county is also fine-tuning its water shortage plan after this year’s dry spell, a reminder that infrastructure capacity is a real, everyday issue here.
What This Means for Buyers and Builders
Buying new construction
If you’re buying in a new Leland or Winnabow community, utility capacity fees are usually built into the builder’s price rather than shown as a separate line item. Fee increases, or any future fees, tend to flow into new-home pricing over time. It’s worth asking your builder what’s included and whether any utility charges are passed through at closing.
Building on your own lot
If you’re building a custom home on a lot served by county water and sewer, these fees land on you directly at permit time, and because the sewer fee is per bedroom, a bigger floor plan costs more to connect. Budget for them early, alongside permits, surveys, and site work. Lots on well and septic avoid county connection fees but bring their own costs and testing.
Buying a resale home
Resale homes already connected to county utilities don’t pay these one-time fees again. That’s one small reason an existing home can pencil out differently than new construction of a similar size.
FAQ
Does Brunswick County charge impact fees today?
Not broad impact fees for schools or roads. It does charge water and sewer system development fees (capital recovery fees) on new connections, which state law allows.
Could the next board add impact fees for schools?
Under current North Carolina law, broader impact fees generally need authorization from the General Assembly, so a county board can’t simply adopt one on its own.
When are the county’s capital recovery fees paid?
According to the county, residential water and sewer capital recovery fees are due when the building permit application is made.
Do these fees apply if I buy an existing home?
Generally no. They apply to new connections, so a home already on county water and sewer has typically paid them when it was built.
Thinking About Buying or Building in Brunswick County?
Whether you’re comparing a new community in Leland with a resale home near Southport, or pricing out a custom build on your own lot, the true cost of a home goes beyond the list price. We track these local policy changes so you don’t have to. Talk with Aspyre Collective about buying or building in Brunswick County, and we’ll help you sort out the numbers before you commit.
