In April 2026, Governor Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 2060, the Building Utilities and Infrastructure for Long-term Development Act (BUILD Act), into law. Effective November 1, 2026, the new Oklahoma law creates a framework for financing infrastructure needed for large-scale land development projects throughout the state. For developers, municipalities, counties, lenders, and landowners, the BUILD Act may become one of the most important new tools for land development in the state.
At its core, the BUILD Act allows cities and counties to approve “master development districts.” These districts may be used to finance public infrastructure within a defined development area, including roads, water lines, sewer facilities, drainage improvements, utilities, parks, sidewalks, and other improvements necessary to support growth. Rather than requiring a city, county, or developer to bear all of those costs upfront, a master development district may impose special assessments on the benefited property and use those assessments to repay bonds or other financing obligations.
This is significant because infrastructure costs are often one of the largest obstacles to new development. Many otherwise viable projects become difficult to finance because the extensive public improvements must be built before the land can generate meaningful revenue. The BUILD Act helps address that timing problem. It allows future assessment revenue from the benefited property to be converted into present capital for infrastructure construction.
Understanding the BUILD Act
The BUILD Act introduces a new financing structure that could significantly impact residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments across Oklahoma. Developers, municipalities, lenders, and landowners should work with experienced Oklahoma land development attorneys to understand how master development districts may affect project planning, financing, and long-term obligations.
Importantly, the Act is not designed to shift ordinary development costs onto the general public. According to the Governor’s office, the purpose of the Act is to help communities grow without raising taxes or increasing government debt. The financing is tied to the district and the land that benefits from the improvements, not to the city or county as a whole.
The Act includes several guardrails. A proposed master development district generally requires written consent from all surface owners within the district. The district must also be approved by the applicable city, county, or both, depending on where the land is located. The governing body must determine that the proposed improvement plan supports the long-term development of the community. In addition, the district’s governance documents and improvement plan will be central to determining how assessments are imposed, how improvements are financed, and how costs are allocated among properties.
For Oklahoma land development, the practical effect could be substantial. The BUILD Act may make it easier to finance large residential communities, mixed-use projects, commercial developments, and growth corridors where the required infrastructure is too expensive for conventional private financing alone.
The BUILD Act will also create new legal and diligence issues. Developers, lenders, title companies, buyers, and municipalities will need to carefully review assessment structures, lien priority, district governance, disclosure obligations, bond terms, and the relationship between district assessments and other project documents. Properly structured, however, the BUILD Act may provide Oklahoma with a powerful new mechanism to fund the infrastructure necessary for continued growth.
In short, the BUILD Act gives Oklahoma a way to let growth help pay for growth. For communities facing housing demand, infrastructure constraints, and development pressure, that could be a meaningful step forward. And we at Rieger Sadler Joyce are ready, able, and excited to work with clients on this new framework.
Guidance on Oklahoma's BUILD Act
As Oklahoma begins implementing the BUILD Act, developers, municipalities, lenders, and property owners will face new legal and financial considerations. From establishing master development districts to reviewing assessment structures and development agreements, careful legal planning will be essential.
Rieger Sadler Joyce is an Oklahoma City law firm that advises clients on land development, municipal law, infrastructure projects, and complex real estate transactions throughout Oklahoma.
If you have questions about how the BUILD Act may affect your development project, contact our attorneys to discuss your goals and legal options.
FAQs
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The BUILD Act (Senate Bill 2060) is an Oklahoma law that creates master development districts to help finance infrastructure improvements needed for large-scale development projects.
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A master development district is a designated area where infrastructure improvements can be financed through special assessments on the properties that benefit from those improvements.
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The BUILD Act may help finance residential communities, commercial developments, mixed-use projects, industrial developments, and other large-scale land development projects throughout Oklahoma.
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The BUILD Act becomes effective on November 1, 2026.
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The law may affect developers, municipalities, counties, lenders, title companies, property owners, investors, engineers, and others involved in Oklahoma land development.
Written By: Matthew A. Welborn | Oklahoma City Real Estate & Land Development Attorney
