Fee Waiver Program

Open:

  • Historic Rehabilitation
  • Small Business

Closed: Affordable Housing

The City of San Antonio (COSA) Fee Waiver Program provides City and San Antonio Water System (SAWS) fee waivers for eligible projects. The program:

  • supports affordable housing and historic preservation
  • supports existing homeowners
  • promotes the expansion of small and minority businesses in San Antonio

Eligible projects under this program may receive a full or partial waiver of City development fees and/or SAWS water and sewer impact fees.

Changes in FY 2026

  • Affordable Housing projects are now eligible for up to $400,000 in SAWS Impact Fee Waivers.
  • Affordable Housing projects must be shovel-ready, projected to commence and begin utilization of the fee waiver(s) within the calendar year. Waivers will not be granted to projects that will commence outside of this timeline.
  • Fee waivers approved under the Affordable Housing category are valid through December 31 of the calendar year awarded. Projects are eligible for one renewal per waiver type, subject to demonstration of forward progress and approval of the Director of the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department.
  • Property owners who are repairing or reconstructing a home after a fire are eligible for fee waivers, subject to eligibility criteria.

Waiver Types

Affordable Housing

NOTE: Applications are currently closed.

Application Period

The application period for the Affordable Housing category was open from January 2 through February 13, 2026. Please note the updated program guidelines below, adopted in FY 2026, which prioritize shovel-ready projects and adjust timelines for waiver expiration.

All applicants for the FY 2026 application period will be notified about their project's initial status following the closing date. Water and Wastewater Impact Fee waivers will be subject to approval of the annual budget by the SAWS Board of Directors in Spring 2026.

Requirements

At least 50% of the units must be affordable units. Affordable rental units must be reserved for households earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), and for-sale projects must include units reserved for households earning at or below 120% AMI.

Projects receiving fee waivers under this category must complete an affordability acknowledgement form, designating how affordability will be achieved and maintained throughout the term.

Small Business

Applications

City and SAWS Fee Waivers are available to applicants qualifying under the Small Business category.

Business development waivers are awarded to qualifying projects on a first-come, first-served basis.

Requirements

Eligibility is defined in the City’s Economic Development Business Fee Waiver Program Guidelines(PDF, 2MB). Please review this document and the Program Guidelines before applying.

Contact the Economic Development Department with any questions prior to applying.

Historic Rehabilitation

Applications

Applications will be accepted for the Historic Rehabilitation category during this time.

Requirements

The project must qualify for the Local Tax Exemption for Substantial Rehabilitation, administered by the Office of Historic Preservation. The owner must invest substantial rehabilitation efforts that prolong the life of the building.

For residential structures, the incentive must result in the property retaining its residential use. Commercial structures receiving fee waivers may remain commercial in use or may be converted to residential use. All improvements must be coordinated with the Office of Historic Preservation. 

Apply

Step 1.Review the Guidelines

Please review the guidelines before submitting an application:

Program Guidelines(PDF, 185KB)
Last updated December 18, 2025.

Check the additional requirements for your desired waiver type:

Step 2.Review the Conditions

Waivers are Subject to Funding Availability
City fee waivers are funded by annual appropriations from the City of San Antonio General Fund. SAWS Impact Fee Waivers are funded by San Antonio Water System annual budget in accordance with a 5-year allocation. The allocation for FY 2026 – 2030 is pending approval by the SAWS Board and City Council. Even after waiver approval, City and SAWS fee waivers are subject to funding availability.
Processing Charge
Activation and renewal of waivers are subject to a processing charge as described in the policy. Limited exceptions apply.
Additional Information

SAWS impact fee waiver requests over $50,000 must be accompanied by an official SAWS Impact Fee Estimate. These can be obtained by contacting SAWS directly at 210-233-3731 or emailing Jaclyn.Kneupper@saws.org.

Waivers are not retroactive, and reimbursements will not be granted for fees previously paid.

Fees eligible for waiver are listed in the current Development Services Fee Schedule (PDF).

Step 3.Apply Online

NOTE: By starting the application process, you acknowledge that you have read the Program Guidelines and all requirements, and you accept the conditions above.

Apply for a Fee Waiver

Firefox, Safari or Google Chrome are recommended to complete the application.

Contact

Email

Contact Form

Phone

210-207-2770

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