DevFeeFinder
TransportationSet by regional JPA fee

TCA Major Thoroughfare & Bridge Fee Program

Levied by Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency (Transportation Corridor Agencies) on new development in Irvine. Authorized under the Mitigation Fee Act - Gov. Code Sec. 66000 et seq., adopted by each member agency; the JPA itself under Gov. Code Sec. 6500 et seq. Collected at building permit.

What one house pays

$6,905

For a typical home: a 2,000 sq ft detached house on a 0.13 acre lot, on a new subdivision lot — this fee varies by zone, so see the full schedule below.

Share of Irvine's total
17%
Total one-time fees here
$41,712
Adjustment
Adjusts yearly · a fixed percentage · July
what the document says

annual July 1: Foothill/Eastern +2.206%, San Joaquin Hills +2.667%

Next expected change
1 Jul 2027

The record

Why it exists

“The Toll Roads were constructed using funds from the sale of bonds that are backed by future toll revenues and development impact fees authorized under Section 66484.3 of the California Government Code.”

section "General Information About the Fee Program", FAQ "Why is there a Transportation Corridor Agencies fee program?" · source document ↗
What it pays for

“Development impact fees are collected for the purpose of planning, designing, financing and constructing the Foothill/Eastern and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridors (State Routes 133, 241, 261 and 73), including repayment of debt issued to finance construction of the roads.”

section "General Information About the Fee Program", FAQ "Who established the program and what are the fees used for?" · source document ↗
Where it applies

“The County of Orange and cities within the areas of benefit assess these fees. The areas of benefit include the County of Orange, Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Lake Forest, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, Orange, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Tustin and Yorba Linda.”

section "General Information About the Fee Program", FAQ "What agencies assess these fees?" · source document ↗
When it was adopted

1985

“The Major Thoroughfare and Bridge Fee Program (Development Impact Fee Program) for the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA) and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency (SJHTCA) was established by the County of Orange in 1985 and adopted by the member agencies through a Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement (JPA).”

Transportation Corridor Agencies, "Development Impact Fee Program", FY27 schedule page; section "General Information About the Fee Program", FAQ "Who established the program and what are the fees used for?" · source document ↗
When it is paid

at building permit

“The fees are due at the time the permit for the building structure is issued. Fees should not be collected on preliminary permits such as grading or foundation permits. Fees should be paid to the TCA member agency issuing the permit.”

section "Major Thoroughfare and Bridge Fee Program FAQs", FAQ "When are fees due? Can a builder pay the fees prior to pulling of a building permit to avoid an increase in the fee amount?" · source document ↗
Who collects it

County of Orange and member cities — the permitting agency

“The County of Orange and member cities collect fees when a building permit is issued.”

section "General Information About the Fee Program", FAQ "How are fees assessed and how are they collected?" · source document ↗
Who is exempt

“Please consult the permitting agency and/or TCA to confirm if an exemption applies to your project. The following are examples of projects that may be exempt from fees. Projects that provide documentation of exemption from property taxes. On-site leasing offices and common structures in residential tracts such as a pool building, provided that the use is limited to residents. Governmental structures such as fire stations and schools, to the extent that they shall not be used for generating revenue or commercial purposes.”

section "Major Thoroughfare and Bridge Fee Program FAQs", FAQ "Which projects are exempt from payment of fees?" · source document ↗
Credits and offsets

“Credit is given for demolition (by unit, not by square footage) of residential units (single or multi-family) on the same lot. Calculation of the demolition credit should use the rate applicable to the issue date of the new construction permit.”

section "Major Thoroughfare and Bridge Fee Program FAQs", FAQ "Is credit given for demolition of a structure?" · source document ↗

Every published rate

Every rate below applies to single-family detached.

RateBasisEffectiveAmount
Foothill/Eastern Zone A
this home per DU 1 Jul 2026 $6,905
San Joaquin Hills Zone A
per DU 1 Jul 2026 $6,901
San Joaquin Hills Zone B
per DU 1 Jul 2026 $5,348
Foothill/Eastern Zone B
per DU 1 Jul 2026 $4,912

4 superseded rates on file for this fee and are not shown: they are kept so a figure quoted from an older schedule can still be traced.

About these figures

Quoted, not summarized. Every amount and fact on this page is copied from the official document it links to. If we couldn’t find something in a document, we leave it blank instead of guessing.

Before any discounts. Some fees offer credits, waivers or phase-ins. They’re listed above but not subtracted, because whether you qualify depends on your project.

Check the date. Fees change. This page shows what was in force on the date at the top, with a link to the document that set it, so you can confirm the current amount yourself. How all of this is put together.

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