Impact Fees and What They Add to New Construction in St. Johns County

Where Does That Line Item on the Builder Contract Actually Go?

You are sitting in a design center in northern St. Johns County, working through a builder contract, and there is a line for impact fees. Nobody at the table seems to think it needs much explanation, and you nod because you are seven pages into a document and there are still options to pick.

It is worth understanding. Impact fees are a real and growing part of what new construction costs in one of the fastest-growing counties in Florida, and they are not the same as CDD fees, HOA dues, or property taxes, even though buyers routinely mix all four together.

What Impact Fees Are For

The concept is straightforward. New homes bring new residents, and new residents use roads, schools, parks, libraries, and emergency services. Impact fees are the mechanism local governments use to have new development contribute toward that capacity rather than putting the full cost on existing taxpayers.

They are one-time charges, assessed per new dwelling unit, and they are collected at the building permit stage.

Florida law governs how they are calculated and how the revenue can be used, and fees must be tied to the actual impact of the development.

Why St. Johns County Is Where This Comes Up

St. Johns County has been among the faster-growing counties in Florida for years. Nocatee, Silverleaf, Shearwater, RiverTown, Beachwalk, and the corridors along CR 210 and SR 16 have added an enormous number of rooftops.

That growth creates real infrastructure demand, and impact fees are one of the primary funding tools available to the county.

For buyers, this means the fee schedule matters here more than it would in a slower-growth county, and it has been revisited periodically as costs have risen.

How It Shows Up in Your Purchase

In most new construction transactions, the builder pays the impact fee at permitting and the cost is built into the home price. You may see it itemized, or you may not see it at all.

Either way, you are paying it. It is part of why comparable new construction can price higher than similar resale homes in the same community.

If you are building on your own lot, you will encounter the fee directly during permitting, which is a different and more visible experience.

How This Differs From CDD Fees, HOA Dues, and Taxes

This is where buyers get tangled, so it is worth separating clearly. Impact fees are one-time charges paid at permitting for new construction. CDD assessments are ongoing payments, typically on your tax bill, repaying bonds that funded community infrastructure. HOA dues are ongoing payments to a homeowners association for shared amenities and maintenance. Property taxes are ongoing ad valorem taxes based on assessed value.

A single home in a St. Johns County master-planned community can involve all four, which is a lot to absorb if you are relocating from a state where none of them exist in this form.

Understanding which is one-time and which is forever is the part that actually affects your monthly budget.

What This Means for Resale Buyers

If you buy an existing home, the impact fee was paid when it was built. You do not pay it again.

That is one of several reasons the resale versus new construction comparison is more nuanced than a price-per-square-foot glance suggests. New construction carries costs that resale does not, and resale carries costs that new construction does not, such as an aging roof or dated systems.

The right comparison runs total cost of ownership over your expected time in the home, not sticker price.

Where to Verify Current Numbers

Impact fee schedules change, sometimes significantly, and they vary by jurisdiction. St. Johns County, Duval County, Nassau County, and the individual municipalities within them each set their own.

Current schedules are published by the county and city governments, and those official sources are the only ones worth relying on for an actual number.

If you are budgeting a new build, get the current figure in writing from the builder and verify it against the county schedule.

Separating the Four Costs Buyers Confuse Most

New construction in St. Johns County can involve several distinct charges, and mixing them up leads to bad budgeting:

• Impact fees: one-time, paid at permitting, generally built into the price of a new home
• CDD assessments: ongoing, typically on the property tax bill, repaying bonds that funded community infrastructure
• HOA dues: ongoing, paid to a private association for shared amenities and common area maintenance
• Property taxes: ongoing ad valorem taxes based on assessed value, set by county and other taxing authorities
• Special assessments: occasional, levied by an association or district for unbudgeted costs
• Builder-specific fees and closing costs, which vary by contract and should be itemized before signing

The one-time charges affect what you pay to get in. The recurring charges affect what you can afford every month for as long as you own the home.

Getting current figures in writing, and verifying assessments against the county property appraiser and tax collector records, is the only reliable way to budget.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are impact fees in St. Johns County?

Impact fees are one-time charges assessed on new construction to help fund infrastructure such as roads, schools, parks, fire, and law enforcement facilities. They are collected at the building permit stage and typically included in the price of a new home.

Do impact fees apply when buying a resale home?

No. The impact fee was paid when the home was originally permitted and built. Buyers of existing homes do not pay it again.

How are impact fees different from CDD fees?

Impact fees are one-time charges paid at permitting. CDD assessments are ongoing annual payments, usually appearing on the property tax bill, that repay bonds used to fund community infrastructure. They serve different purposes and are paid on different schedules.

How do I get current numbers for my specific situation?

Northeast Florida is really a collection of micro-markets, so the most useful data is for your exact community and price point rather than a regional average. For a straight read on your situation, call or text Joey Larsen at 904-863-6679 or visit RetireMeToFlorida.com.

What To Do Right Now

If you are weighing new construction against resale in St. Johns County, run the full cost picture rather than comparing list prices alone.

Call or text Joey Larsen at 904-863-6679, or visit RetireMeToFlorida.com to get started.