Pooler now charges impact fees on new construction. The City Council adopted an impact fee ordinance on Oct. 19, according to a notice from the City of Pooler, and the posted ordinance text says the fees are paid when the building permit is issued. For a new house, the charge runs from $2,173 for a home of 1,000 square feet or less up to $8,394 for one of 5,501 square feet or more.
The ordinance, numbered O2026-03.C, adds an impact fee section to the zoning code and takes effect immediately on adoption. The fee is calculated at permit issuance using the schedule in force that day, so anyone pulling a permit in Pooler from here on should expect it on the bill.
Residential fees are set per dwelling unit and climb in 500-square-foot steps. A home of 1,001 to 1,500 square feet pays $2,958. From 1,501 to 2,000 square feet it's $4,155, and from 2,001 to 2,500 square feet it's $5,054. The 2,501 to 3,000 tier is $5,764, followed by $6,370 for 3,001 to 3,500 square feet and $6,879 for 3,501 to 4,000. Larger homes pay $7,320 (4,001 to 4,500), $7,714 (4,501 to 5,000) and $8,076 (5,001 to 5,500) before topping out at $8,394.
Each residential total is split four ways: parks, police, fire and streets. On a 2,001 to 2,500 square foot house, that works out to $1,304 for parks, $421 for police, $1,569 for fire and $1,760 for streets. Commercial and industrial projects pay per 1,000 square feet of floor area, at $620 for industrial, $3,935 for office and other service uses, $5,411 for institutional and $8,867 for commercial.
The schedule matches the maximum fees in a draft impact fee report and capital improvement element prepared for the city by TischlerBise, a Bethesda, Md., consulting firm. That report projects Pooler adding about 6,758 housing units and roughly 13,900 residents between 2025 and 2035, and it lists about $12.9 million in growth-related fire costs, $11.5 million for parks and recreation, $4.1 million for police and $64.9 million in fee-eligible street work.
The city has been building toward this since May 2025, when council approved the impact fee study. Pooler held a stakeholder meeting for builders, developers and real estate agents on March 25 and a public meeting on the draft ordinance on April 29. Pooler joins several neighbors that already collect these fees: a Georgia Department of Community Affairs list current as of May 21, 2026, shows Savannah, Bryan County and Effingham County among the local governments authorized to charge them.
There are exemptions. Remodels and additions that don't add units or change the use are exempt, as are accessory buildings that add no demand on city systems and same-use replacement buildings that add no traffic. Housing that qualifies as affordable under the ordinance's income test can also be exempted, but that request goes to the City Council. Every exemption has to be claimed when you apply for the building permit, or it's waived.
Projects that already held a valid building permit on a platted, recorded lot before the effective date are grandfathered as long as the permit stays valid and work stays on schedule. An extension or a new permit triggers the fee.
Why it matters for Contractors
For small builders working in Pooler, this is a straight cost increase on every new house, and the size tiers mean the plan you choose drives the number. A home just over a tier line can pay anywhere from about $300 to nearly $1,200 more than one just under it, so check square footage against the schedule before you finalize plans and price contracts. If you're building on spec, fold the fee into your per-house budget now, and if you build for clients, make sure your contracts say who pays it.
If a lot already has a valid permit, keep the job moving, since an expired or renewed permit loses the grandfather protection. Builders whose projects may qualify for an exemption or a credit for road or other public improvements should raise it in writing with the permit application. Questions go to Pooler City Hall at (912) 748-7261.