San Rafael’s new fiscal-year housing impact fee rates are now in effect
A new Marin County affordable-housing impact-fee schedule took effect July 1, 2026, creating updated charges for certain large residential projects in San Rafael.
The county fee is separate from San Rafael’s own development charges and affordable-housing in-lieu fee. For qualifying projects, payment is required before the building permit is issued.
Which San Rafael projects can be charged
The county schedule covers new single-residential units with more than 2,000 square feet of conditioned floor area. It can also apply to additions, teardowns and rebuilds when more than 500 square feet is added and the resulting home exceeds 2,000 square feet.
Conditioned floor area means enclosed, conditioned space on all floors, measured at the floor level of the exterior walls surrounding that space.
The county says small additions of 500 square feet or less permitted during the previous two years may also be included when calculating a current addition project.
How the FY 2026-27 calculation works
The total conditioned floor area determines the rate tier. The fee is generally charged only on the residential floor area above 2,000 square feet.
- More than 2,000 and less than 3,000 square feet: $10.01 per square foot.
- At least 3,000 square feet: $20.03 per square foot.
- 2,000 square feet or less: no county affordable-housing impact fee.
That means the total size of the completed project can determine the rate applied to the chargeable portion. Applicants should not assume that only the size of an addition, rather than the resulting total home size, controls the rate.
ADUs and related units can reduce or eliminate the county charge
Conditioned floor area designated for an accessory dwelling unit or dedicated as agricultural-worker housing is not subject to the county fee. The county schedule also lists concurrent ADU, junior ADU or agricultural-worker-unit reductions, with the applicable rate depending on the project’s total size.
For projects totaling at least 3,000 square feet, the listed concurrent-unit rate is $10.01 per square foot instead of $20.03. For projects larger than 2,000 but below 3,000 square feet, the listed concurrent-unit rate is $0.
Deed-restricted homes affordable to low- and moderate-income households are not subject to the county fee.
Two county examples
Marin County gives an example involving a 2,900-square-foot home with an 800-square-foot addition. The resulting 3,700-square-foot home falls into the at-least-3,000-square-foot tier. The 800 square feet of added space is charged at $20.03, producing a county fee of $16,024.
In another example, a new 2,500-square-foot home is proposed with a 600-square-foot ADU. Because the combined project exceeds 3,000 square feet, the project is in the higher-size tier, but the concurrent ADU reduces the rate to $10.01. The ADU space is excluded, and the 500 square feet above the home’s 2,000-square-foot threshold produces a county fee of $5,005.
San Rafael fees are separate
San Rafael’s 2026 development-fee document lists city charges that may apply to development projects, including an affordable-housing in-lieu fee tied to the city’s inclusionary-housing requirements, traffic mitigation, park and recreation, park dedication or in-lieu, construction-vehicle and other building or planning fees.
The city document lists the affordable-housing in-lieu fee at $389,032 for each affordable unit required by the project pursuant to the city’s inclusionary requirements. The document identifies that rate as effective July 1, 2025. It is not the same charge as Marin County’s floor-area-based affordable-housing impact fee.
The city also warns that its fees may change through City Council action or annual adjustments, and that school districts, utilities, regional agencies and other jurisdictions may impose additional charges.
What San Rafael applicants should do
Before submitting a permit application, property owners and builders should confirm whether the project meets the county’s size and project-type rules, identify any concurrent ADU or related-unit reduction, and verify the current calculation with Marin County’s Community Development Agency.
They should also obtain a current San Rafael fee estimate rather than treating the county amount as the project’s complete development-fee bill. The applicable charges depend on the project, the agencies involved and the fee schedules in effect when permits are processed.
The county identifies its Community Development Agency Housing Team at 415-473-7309 and lists its office at 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 308, San Rafael.
Sources
- Marin County affordable housing impact fee schedule
- City of San Rafael 2026 development impact fees and affordable-housing in-lieu fees
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