Development costs/house connection costs

Hello everyone,

we recently purchased a municipal building plot in Hesse. Part of the total price, in addition to the purchase price, also includes amounts for surveying, sealing, water, and sewer.

I am currently planning the total costs for our construction project (building a weekend house). I am currently stuck on the item development/connection costs. The difference between these cost items is not entirely clear to me. Until now, I have assumed that the aforementioned contributions paid in the purchase price are the development contributions, which are due for laying a connection up to my property boundary. By connection costs, I have understood the costs for the installation on my property.

Maybe you could briefly explain the terms to a layperson and shed some light on the matter.

Thanks and best regards,

Robin

You understand correctly. Development = up to the property including streets and surroundings. House connection from the house entry to the handover on public land (i.e., up to where the pipes/channels were laid during development).

Great, thanks for the quick response. That means in my case "only" the costs for the installation on the property need to be paid. However, I have also read something about house connection fees that the city charges. What is that about? Maybe someone can also give me a rough estimate of what I need to roughly budget for the house connections water/sewer/electricity? Our weekend house (wooden) will be placed as close as possible to the property boundary (3 m?) and thus to the street connection.

Thanks and best regards,

Robin

call the providers and ask, then you have the prices specifically for your property, by phone or request/offer by mail/email

So for us, district heating, fiber optic, water, and electricity were a flat rate from the municipal utilities, regardless of the length of the connections. It cost us almost 12k. Additionally, the wastewater was 5k, but that was a privately contracted company for us, and here the length of the connections played a big role, and unfortunately ours were long. Compared to the forum, everyone I have read about has paid less so far.

The house connection is to be paid as a flat rate by the suppliers for the lines from the boundary to the house as well as through the outer wall with the meter. These are the same for distances under 15 meters and can be inquired directly from the suppliers.