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Updated almost 4 years ago, 12/31/2020
Fresno monthly utilities costs for SFH
Why is Fresno so coy about the monthly charges for utilities? It's funny - the FAQ on the city website under "what are the fees for utilities" is answered with a non-answer with some vague mention that fees are calculated by size of lot, etc. I have been diligently Googling every possible way I can think of to try and find a basic monthly charge for water/sewer/garbage for a residential property and it is the great mystery of the ages.
My question here is to try and find out what I could expect in utility fees if I buy a residential property in Fresno.
But, additionally, why don't people complain about the smoke and mirrors? If there isn't some transparent fee calculation available, how do people know the folk in city hall aren't just pulling any old figure out of thin air for your fees?
Anyway, what are the normal fees for a single family residence for water/sewer/garbage? If you live in Fresno or have a SFH rental there, what are your average monthly costs for these utilities? Thanks.
Call them. Sometimes a call is better than Google
The system is designed to keep away people that are on the fence from making decision. It's no different than if McDonald's told us how much weight we would gain if we ate Chicken Nuggets.
The tenants typically pay utilities for SFH in Fresno area. So no need to stay awake regarding this.
Property tax and insurance should be figured into the returns though.
I think it would depend on the size of the house, but for a SFH in Fresno about 2000 square feet, it comes out to about $90-100 monthly. Tenants pay for it so if it is for investment purpose, no need to take it into your calculation/analysis.
It would be helpful if someone who lives in a SFH in Fresno would share how much their monthly utility costs are.
@Sue K.
I just did yesterday. See my post
Originally posted by @Soo Kim:
I think it would depend on the size of the house, but for a SFH in Fresno about 2000 square feet, it comes out to about $90-100 monthly. Tenants pay for it so if it is for investment purpose, no need to take it into your calculation/analysis.
Thanks for responding. So, you're talking about a rental that you own in Fresno? Your profile has no information. Could you break that down, please, by how much for each utility? And you honestly have your tenants pay for water, sewer and garbage? And put all of these utilities in their name?
I'd love to hear from others who actually live in Fresno, too. Thanks.
Originally posted by @Franklin Romine:
The system is designed to keep away people that are on the fence from making decision. It's no different than if McDonald's told us how much weight we would gain if we ate Chicken Nuggets.
Are you really saying that you advise buyers to just buy an investment property and then find out what their costs would be - after the fact? This is the kind of thing agents were telling people just before the crash in 2008. When buyers were saying, I can't really afford to buy a $500,000 house, even though the bank says I qualify, and the agents were saying, "Are you careless with your money?"
No, they were asking valid questions, and getting the runaround. Kinda like here. Makes no sense for a utility district to have mysterious charges that aren't revealed until you have already purchased a property. Other utility districts in other cities disclose this info in a very easy to understand format online.
I think it's really interesting that there aren't any Fresno agents or property owners on BP who actually own property and pay utility bills in Fresno and can explain what the costs are.
@Sue K.
I spoke with the water company and tried to get a breakdown of costs... Fresno includes water, sewer, garbage, and another fee I can't remember the name... I asked about pricing for water and sewage and the lady didn't really give me an answer but she did look at previous bills and tell me what the previous owners were paying... Being that I have yet to own my house for even a week I I won't know what the full breakdown is on the bill until I receive the first one... The only thing I can do is take her estimate from the previous owners for now...