Outside the cities, Atchison County’s review of new building is the Floodplain Management Application, which the county calls its development permit. Anyone planning to build a structure, grade, pave, place a manufactured home or long-term RV, subdivide or store equipment fills it in before work begins and delivers it to the county GIS Department at the courthouse, 423 N. 5th Street, Atchison (913-804-6019). The application is free; septic systems need a separate sanitary permit from NEKES. The cities of Atchison and Effingham issue their own building permits.
What needs county review in rural Atchison County?
The county’s application states that all development must complete it. It has boxes for new construction, substantial improvements, minimum improvements, filling, grading and excavation, and it asks for the current value of the property and the value of the improvements.
Floodplain Management Application
- Building any structure
- Grading or paving
- Placing a manufactured home or a long-term RV
- Subdividing property
- Storing items or equipment
Attached or separate approvals
- Sanitary permit from NEKES for on-site sewage treatment
- Driveway permit from Road & Bridge or the township when a driveway is added or used more
- A new 911 address, issued with the approved permit
- Neighborhood Revitalization tax rebate, approved by the Appraiser’s office before work starts
- Kansas Division of Water Resources permits for fill in a floodplain, levees, stream obstructions and dams
The county does not assign an address to agricultural land with no other use; for an address, the application must show a drive location and the site of the use.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who handles permits in Atchison County?
The county GIS Department takes the Floodplain Management Application, gives limited help with filling it in and assigns new addresses with the approved permit. The application enforces the county’s Floodplain Management Code (October 31, 2005) and floodplain Resolutions 1260 and 1264, and the commitments the county made in 2005 and 2006 so that residents can get federal flood insurance. The county posts no separate zoning or building-code permit for rural land.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | GIS Department, Atchison County Courthouse, 423 N. 5th Street, Atchison, KS 66002 |
| Phone | 913-804-6019 or 913-804-6018 (application help); 913-804-6010 (floodplain questions) |
| Courthouse hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Fee | None for the floodplain application |
Who issues building permits in each Atchison County city
| City (2025 pop.) | Who issues building permits | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Atchison (10,789) | City of Atchison Community Development; 2018 IBC and IRC, plan review and inspections | 515 Kansas Avenue; 913-367-5560 |
| Effingham (481) | City of Effingham; building and demolition application signed by the City Clerk, $25 fee | 414 Main Street; 913-833-4471 |
| Lancaster (242), Muscotah (153), Huron (73) | The published sources do not say | Ask the city clerk before building |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Septic, driveways and trade work
Septic: if the project needs on-site sewage treatment, the county application asks for evidence of a sanitary permit from NEKES (Northeast Kansas Environmental Services), and a letter from NEKES is enough; separate fees may apply.
Driveways and culverts: a new driveway, or heavier use of an existing one, needs a driveway permit from the county Road & Bridge Department or the appropriate township, attached to the floodplain application.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical: the county issues no trade permits for rural land. Inside the City of Atchison, electricians, plumbers and gasfitters must hold a City licence and trade work is permitted on the City’s Construction Permit application.
Atchison County permit costs
The county’s floodplain management application is free. Costs that can come with it are set by others: separate fees may apply for the NEKES sanitary permit, a surveyor or engineer prepares elevation and no-rise certificates in a flood hazard area, and the City of Effingham charges $25 for a building or demolition permit. The City of Atchison prices its permits by valuation under its own fee schedule.
What to include with the application
Every application
- Owner or builder name, address, phone and email
- Project location, address or legal description, and the parcel quick reference ID
- A description of the project and a signed site plan, plus any construction plans
- Current property value and value of the improvements
- Driveway permit and NEKES approval where they apply
In a special flood hazard area
- Base flood elevation at the site and the elevation of the site, from a surveyor or civil engineer
- Lowest floor elevation for a home, or flood-proofing elevation for other buildings
- The datum used (NGVD 1929 or NAVD 1988) and the source of the elevations
- An elevation certificate; a no-rise certificate in a floodway
- Copies of permits needed from other agencies
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →County staff can often help prepare the site plan so that nothing is placed in a special flood hazard area.
How to file in rural Atchison County
Inside Atchison or Effingham, apply to the city instead.
Use the county’s flood zone information; a site in a special flood hazard area or floodway needs a surveyor’s elevation work.
Obtain the NEKES sanitary permit and the Road & Bridge or township driveway permit first, so they can be attached.
A Neighborhood Revitalization rebate must be approved by the Appraiser’s office before construction starts.
Deliver the signed application and site plan to the GIS Department at the courthouse.
The permit expires after one year; in a flood hazard area, a finished-construction elevation certificate is due when the work is complete.
Rather not deal with the Atchison County building department?
Get a free quote →Elevation certificates and inspections
The county checks flood compliance through elevation certificates rather than building inspections. Most development in a special flood hazard area needs one: a certificate based on the construction drawings can be used to start, and a finished-construction certificate from a licensed land surveyor or professional engineer is required when the project is complete. Excavation, culverts and parking lots do not need one. Inside the City of Atchison, the City’s own inspectors check building and trade work.
Flood rules in Atchison County
Elevation: the lowest floor of a new or substantially improved home, including a basement, must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation. Substantial improvement means work worth more than 50% of the building’s current market value. Non-residential buildings must be elevated or flood-proofed to the same 1 foot above base flood elevation.
Floodways and rise: a project in a designated floodway needs a no-rise certificate. Where a detailed study exists but no floodway has been designated, the development must not raise the flood level by more than 1 foot.
State and federal permits: fill placed in a floodplain, levees, stream obstructions and dams need Kansas Division of Water Resources permits, and wetland work or projects that change a navigable waterway may need a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit.
Kansas building code
Kansas has no general statewide building code: each city and county adopts and amends its own. A few state rules apply everywhere, led by the Kansas Fire Prevention Code. Kansas rules
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Atchison County permitting resources
- Atchison County Floodplain Management page
- Atchison County Floodplain Management (development permit) application
- Atchison County Floodplain Management Resolution 1260
- Atchison County Floodplain Management Resolution 1264
- Atchison County Commission agendas and minutes
- City of Atchison building inspections and permits
- City of Effingham forms, including the building permit application
Atchison County permit FAQs
Does Atchison County issue building permits?
For rural land the county’s permit is the Floodplain Management Application, required before building, grading, paving, placing a manufactured home or subdividing. It is a floodplain and site review, not a building-code permit.
How much does the county application cost?
Nothing. The county says its floodplain management application is cost-free. Separate fees may apply for the NEKES septic permit and for survey work.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues septic permits?
NEKES issues the sanitary permit, and the county application asks for proof of NEKES approval when a project needs on-site sewage treatment.
Do I need a permit inside Atchison or Effingham?
Yes, from the city. The City of Atchison’s Community Development Department issues building and trade permits, and Effingham’s City Clerk signs building and demolition permits for a $25 fee.
How high must a house be built in a flood zone?
The lowest floor, including any basement, must be at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, shown on a FEMA elevation certificate.
How do I get an address for a new house?
Answer yes to the address question on the floodplain application; the address is provided with the approved permit.
Simplify Atchison County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Kansas. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.
Ready to break ground in Atchison County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Atchison County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Kansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Atchison County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.