Austin Water tap plans, engineered to clear review.

When Austin Water says your project needs a new or larger water or wastewater service, the tap plan has to come from a Texas Professional Engineer. We design it, seal it, file it through Austin Build + Connect, and answer every comment until it's approved.

Residential tap plans from $2,000, flat fee Typically submitted within 3 days Call (512) 965-3335
Typical residential water and wastewater tap, plan view A house on a lot that fronts a local street. A new water service is tapped from the existing water main in the street and runs to a meter box in the right-of-way. A private line by the plumber continues to the house. A new wastewater service runs from the house, through a cleanout at the property line, to the existing wastewater main. RESIDENCE EX. 8" WATER EX. 8" WASTEWATER LOCAL STREET P.L. R.O.W. 50' R.O.W.
  1. New tap on the existing water main
  2. New water service to the meter
  3. Meter box in the right-of-way
  4. Private line by your plumber, shown for reference
  5. New wastewater service with cleanout
  6. Connection to the existing wastewater main
Typical residential tap. Plan view. Illustrative only. Not for construction.
Sealed by Landon M. Odom, P.E., Texas License 136559
Registered engineering firm TBPELS Firm F-28000
Filed by the engineer of record Austin Build + Connect (AB+C)

Do you need a tap plan?

Austin Water's Taps Office decides. If your project needs a new connection or a larger one, they'll ask for an engineered tap plan, and Austin Water accepts those only from a Texas licensed Professional Engineer.

Projects that usually need one

  • New homes and rebuilds that need a new service or a larger meter
  • Additions and new units that increase the property's water demand
  • Commercial projects under a site plan exemption that need new or upgraded services
  • New domestic and fire line connections
  • Relocating or extending a water service or wastewater line
Start with the WWWSPV form.

Ask Austin Water's Taps Office for a Water & Wastewater Service Plan Verification form. Residential tap plan applications have to include it, so send it to us with your survey or site plan.

Flat fees for residential tap plans

You know the cost before we start. Each fee covers design, the sealed plan sheet, the AB+C submittal, and responses to Austin Water comments through approval.

Fee schedule
Residential tap planFlat fee
Water $2,000
Wastewater $2,000
Water and wastewater $3,000

Plus the $130 City review fee. Commercial, multifamily, and fire line tap plans are quoted per project.

From first call to approved tap plan

Landon is your contact from intake to approval, so nothing gets lost in a hand-off.

Typical time to submittal
3 days
Average time to approval
30 days
  1. 1

    Send what you have

    Your survey or site plan, the WWWSPV form, architectural plans, and a photo of the existing meter if there is one.

  2. 2

    Research the utilities

    We pull Austin Water's infrastructure records for main sizes, pressure zone, and existing meters, and check them against your survey.

  3. 3

    Design and seal

    We draw the plan sheet to Austin Water's tap plan checklist and the Utilities Criteria Manual, then seal it.

  4. 4

    Submit through AB+C

    We file in Austin Build + Connect as the engineer of record, typically within 3 days, and track the case from there.

  5. 5

    Respond until approved

    Our tap plans average 30 days to approval. We answer every comment and send you the approved plan for your contractor.

Site plan exemptions from the same desk

Commercial tap plans depend on a site plan exemption. Running both in one office keeps the two cases moving together.

Austin Water needs the exemption's DA case number on the cover sheet of a commercial tap plan before it will start review. We open the exemption and the tap plan together, so neither one waits on the other.

A site plan exemption under LDC 25-5-2 lets a qualifying small project skip full site plan review, and it has to be approved before the building permit. We check eligibility against each criterion, prepare the application, and track it to approval.

How site plan exemptions work

Engineering insight. Developer perspective.

Odom Value Engineering is led by Landon M. Odom, P.E. He spent more than ten years as a civil engineer, then four on the developer side managing entitlements, approvals, and construction.

That experience shapes every plan. It has to satisfy Austin's reviewers, and it has to make sense to the crew building it and the owner paying for it. Dozens of Austin tap plans and exemptions have been submitted, reviewed, and approved that way.

There's no storefront. Landon answers the phone, and most inquiries get a reply the same business day. He's happy to meet for coffee to talk through a project.

Questions we hear most

Something else on your mind? Call (512) 965-3335.

Can my plumber or builder submit the tap plan?

No. Austin Water accepts engineered tap plans only from a Texas licensed Professional Engineer registered in the AB+C portal. We file as the engineer of record.

How long does Austin Water take to review a tap plan?

Austin Water estimates about 14 business days for the first review of a new tap plan. We typically submit within 3 days, and our tap plans average 30 days to approval. A complete submittal drawn to Austin Water's checklist keeps resubmittals to a minimum.

What is the WWWSPV form, and where do I get it?

The Water & Wastewater Service Plan Verification form comes from Austin Water's Taps Office. It documents the service the property needs, and residential tap plan applications must include it.

Do I also need a site plan exemption?

Commercial tap plans are tied to one, because Austin Water needs the exemption's DA case number on the tap plan cover sheet. We'll tell you at intake whether your project needs an exemption, and we can prepare both.

Who installs the new service?

Your contractor installs it after the tap plan is approved. Once it's in, Austin Water maintains the new service connection.

What does a tap plan cost?

Residential tap plans are $2,000 for water or wastewater and $3,000 for both, plus the $130 City review fee. Commercial, multifamily, and fire line tap plans are quoted per project.

Ready to start your tap plan?

Send your survey and WWWSPV form, along with anything else you have. Most requests get a reply the same business day.