Austin · utility capacity · September 2026

the bedroom that costs $200,000

water service is sized in steps, not by the fixture. this page adds up a small project's fixture units, shows which meter and service size it lands on, and draws where the next step is - and what one more bathroom or one more unit does to it.

every default below is an assumption, not a fact. the fixture unit values are the private-use column of UPC table 610.3, read from a printed 2016 CPC copy of the table - verify the edition Austin has adopted (2021 UPC as amended) and its local amendments. the meter and service bands were read from the same 2016 print of UPC table 610.4, 46-60 psi column at 100 ft of developed length; the 2021 print Austin adopted was not fetched, so every band is flagged verify. every dollar figure is a placeholder - the $200,000 is one panelist's example, the smaller steps are round numbers. Austin Water sizes meters by its own criteria and issues its own letter. that letter replaces this page.

the project

units1 to 8

full baths per unit.5 = a half bath

bath fixturewhat a full bath uses

kitchen sinks per unit

dishwashers per unit

clothes washers per unit

hose bibbs per unit

extra bedrooms per uniteach adds one full bath

static pressure (psi)bands below assume 46-60

developed length (ft)bands below assume 100

existing service linemain to meter - 3/4 in is the usual existing house tap, an assumption

line upsize, site to street ($)assumption - roundtable example

fixture unit values - edit to match the adopted table

fixture	used for	status
bathtub or tub/shower combo	full bath, extra bedrooms	verify
shower stall	full bath, if chosen above	verify
lavatory	every bath	verify
water closet, flush tank	every bath	verify
kitchen sink	per unit	verify
dishwasher	per unit	verify
clothes washer	per unit	verify
hose bibb	per unitUPC counts each bibb after the first at 1.0 - not modeled, runs high	verify

meter and service bands - edit to match the utility's letter

meter	service line	status
3/4 in	3/4 in	verify
3/4 in	1 in	verify
1 in	1 in	verify
1 in	1-1/4 in	verify
1 in	1-1/2 in	verify
1-1/2 in	1-1/2 in	verify
2 in	2 in	verify

the band limits were read from a printed 2016 CPC copy of UPC table 610.4, 46-60 psi column at 100 ft of developed length (17 / 33 / 36 / 67 / 85 / 151 / 370). the table keeps only the rows where the meter and the line grow together and leaves out the mixed sizes the print also lists (3/4 in meter on a 1-1/4 in line at 39, 1-1/2 in meter on a 1-1/4 in line at 78, 1-1/2 in meter on a 2 in line at 318), so between 151 and 318 WSFU the print may allow a smaller meter than this page shows. Austin adopted the 2021 UPC; the 2021 print was not fetched, so confirm it matches before relying on any row. the step costs are assumptions: $8,000 for a 3/4 to 1 in meter step, reused for the three service-line-only steps; $35,000 for the 1 to 1-1/2 in meter step; $90,000 for 1-1/2 to 2 in. past the last band, or wherever the required service line is bigger than the existing one, the site-to-street line upsize above is added.

where this project lands

this project + one full bath + one unit steps = added cost above what this project already needs

scenario	WSFU	meter / service	added cost

checks - the numbers behind the claims

read this before using any of it

the cliff is real, and it is about capacity thresholds, not fixtures. a utility does not price the bathroom. it prices the meter and the pipe the bathroom pushes you onto, and those come in fixed sizes. the fixture that crosses the line pays for the whole step, and if the step is a bigger service line, the step runs from the meter box back to the main in the street.

find out before the unit mix is locked. the panel's example was one added bedroom. the cheapest question on a small infill project is a capacity read from the utility while the plan is still a sketch. after the pro forma is built around a bedroom count, the answer is either a redesign or a six-figure line item that was not in the budget.

the city is piloting early utility coordination. Austin is trying upfront coordination of water, electric, street trees, sidewalk and curb on its own capital street projects. it has not reached private residential permitting yet. until it does, the coordination is the project's job, and this page is a way to start the conversation with a number instead of a guess.