DevFeeFinder
DrainageSet by DIF ordinanceCitation Resolution No. 2025-064

Off-site Drainage Fee

Levied by City of Palm Desert on new development in Palm Desert. Authorized under the Mitigation Fee Act - Gov. Code Sec. 66000 et seq. Collected other: deposited with the City prior to approval of the final map where land is being subdivided; prior to issuance of a building permit where subdivided land is built on (and then only for the named non-single-family uses).

What one house pays

$520

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 Palm Desert's total
2%
Total one-time fees here
$20,934
Adjustment
Not recorded

The record

Why it exists

“Fees imposed pursuant to this section are the amounts necessary for the purposes set forth in the City's master drainage plan.”

What it pays for

“The city boundaries of the city, including the adopted sphere of influence, are declared to be the drainage area and there is created a separate fund which shall be known as the "planned local drainage facilities fund." All moneys collected pursuant to this chapter shall be deposited in accordance with the laws of the state in the drainage fund.”

Where it applies

“This chapter shall apply to all subdivisions of land as well as developments of land within the drainage area.”

When it was adopted

1979

“(Ord. 218 §2, 1979; Ord. 308 §1, 1982; Ord. 507 §1, 1987; Ord. 653 §2, 1992)”

Palm Desert Municipal Code, Title 26 Subdivisions, "Drainage Facilities", ordinance history note following the off-site drainage fee provision; no section numbers displayed on the page · source document ↗
Who adopted it

Ordinance No. 218

“(Ord. 218 §2, 1979; Ord. 308 §1, 1982; Ord. 507 §1, 1987; Ord. 653 §2, 1992)”

Palm Desert Municipal Code, Title 26 Subdivisions, "Drainage Facilities", ordinance history note following the off-site drainage fee provision; no section numbers displayed on the page · source document ↗
When it is paid

“All necessary drainage fees established by the city shall be deposited with the city prior to approval of the final map in the case of land being subdivided, or prior to issuance of a building permit in the case of construction or improvement of subdivided land.”

Who collects it

City of Palm Desert, the agency that levies it

“Said fees shall be collected, deposited and expended pursuant to Section 66483 of the Government Code of the state of California and all other applicable laws of the state of California.”

Who is exempt

“In the case of construction or improvement of subdivided land, the fee shall apply only to new commercial, industrial, professional, group dwelling or community facility use”

Credits and offsets

“The subdivider may be required to construct all elements of the master plans of drainage which lie in or are contiguous to the tract. The cost thereof will be deducted from the off-site drainage charges." and "Where the cost exceeds the required off-site drainage charges, a reimbursement for the excess may be provided for at the discretion of the city council.”

Every published rate

Every rate below applies to residential.

RateBasisEffectiveAmount
Drainage Zone 1
this home per acre 1 Jul 2025 $4,000
Drainage Zone 2
per acre 1 Jul 2025 $1,500
Drainage Zone 3
per acre 1 Jul 2025 $1,000

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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