Wagga businesses are being slugged more than those in similar-sized cities to give their customers the privilege of alfresco dining, an investigation by The Daily Advertiser has revealed.

Currently, a Wagga City Council application for street furniture costs $456 - which needs to be renewed every three years - with an additional annual fee of $52.84 for each chair.

In comparison, the yearly application fee in Wodonga is $32 with no cost per chair, while Dubbo City Council's fee is $105 a year and no seat fee.

Storehouse Cafe and Deli owner Simon Gulliford said the costs placed increased pressure on businesses already struggling.

"It's tough going," Mr Gulliford said.

"Our cost of running these sorts of businesses are so high (already).

"This is only one of many things, but it's still a big issue."

Manager of regulatory services Greg Minehan said the cost was determined by the council-approved 2014/2015 revenue/pricing policy and other options were available.

"Baylis and Fitzmaurice Street businesses ... have the opportunity to lease a portion of the footpath space from council for alfresco dining," Mr Minehan said.

Mr Gulliford has about 24 chairs outside his cafe - costing about $1268 a year under the current pricing policy - but he conceded it was cheaper than leasing a bigger shop.

But, despite only being used about 60 per cent of the year due to the weather, he said the outdoor seating was vital.

"I couldn't take it away, there's times when we're full inside," he said.

"It's advertising out there for us as well, it's ambience."

Despite council always being "good to deal with", Mr Gulliford said more needed to be done to encourage shoppers to the main street.

The sentiment was echoed at other cafes along the block at the Edward Street end of the shopping strip.

"It (outdoor seating) is definitely enhancing the street and getting people down here," a cafe owner, who preferred not to be named, said.

The owner also stressed a Committee 4 Wagga proposal to create a pedestrian mall on Baylis Street between Morrow and Tompson streets would cripple existing cafes along the rest of the street.

Another owner, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said the application fee was "absolutely exorbitant and unwarranted".

"We have space for 16 chairs and it's $840 a year, which is ridiculously large money," the owner said.

Under new regulations, businesses are unable to put any objects within 1.5 metres of a council fixed asset.

"You're very limited in what you can put out and where you can put it," the owner said.

The Daily Advertiser was told council officers patrolled the street regularly to ensure street furniture placement was within set guidelines.

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