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.
- New tap on the existing water main
- New water service to the meter
- Meter box in the right-of-way
- Private line by your plumber, shown for reference
- New wastewater service with cleanout
- Connection to the existing wastewater main
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
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.
One flat fee, quoted up front
You know the cost before we start. Every residential tap plan is quoted as a single flat fee that covers the whole job, from design through approval.
| Residential tap plan | Covered |
|---|---|
| Design to Austin Water's checklist | Included |
| Sealed tap plan set | Included |
| AB+C submittal by the engineer of record | Included |
| Responses to Austin Water comments | Through approval |
The City's $130 review fee is separate. Commercial, multifamily, and fire line tap plans are quoted per project.
From first call to approved tap plan
I'm 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
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
Research the utilities
We pull Austin Water's infrastructure records for main sizes, pressure zone, and existing meters, and check them against your survey.
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3
Design and seal
We draw the plan sheet to Austin Water's tap plan checklist and the Utilities Criteria Manual, then seal it.
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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.
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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.
Engineering insight. Developer perspective.
I'm Landon Odom, P.E., and I lead Odom Value Engineering. I've spent more than ten years as a civil engineer and four on the developer side managing entitlements, approvals, and construction.
That experience shapes every plan I put my seal on. It has to satisfy Austin's reviewers, and it has to make sense to the crew building it and the owner paying for it. I've taken dozens of Austin tap plans and exemptions through review to approval that way.
There's no storefront. I answer the phone myself, and most inquiries get a reply the same business day. I'm always happy to meet for coffee and 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?
Every tap plan gets a flat fee, quoted before any work starts. It covers design, the sealed tap plan set, the AB+C submittal, and responses to Austin Water comments through approval. The City's $130 review fee is separate. Send your project details for a quote, usually the same business day.
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.