In unincorporated Butler County, building permits come from the Building Safety and Construction Enforcement Division of Butler County Community Development, 121 South Gordy Street, Suite 202, El Dorado (316-322-4325). You apply through the county’s online permit portal; plans get a land-use and code review, and the county’s own building inspectors check the work. Fees follow the valuation table of the 1997 Uniform Building Code, so a $200,000 project costs $1,553.75.
The same office runs three divisions: Planning and Zoning (zoning, subdivision and floodplain), Environmental Health (the county sanitary code, septic and well permits, and installer licensing) and Building Safety. The county code is the Butler County Building Code adopted by Resolution 16-06 on February 23, 2016, which brings in the 2006 International Building, Residential and Mechanical Codes, the 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code and the 2005 National Electrical Code with local amendments. Andover, Augusta, El Dorado, Rose Hill and the other cities with their own building departments permit inside their limits.
Unincorporated Butler County. Nine of the 13 cities run their own permit desk; the town-by-town list is in the next section.
Older code editions apply here. Butler County enforces the 2006 International Codes and the 2005 National Electrical Code, not the newer editions that cities such as Rose Hill enforce. Plans are reviewed against the 2016 county code, whatever edition they were drawn to.
What requires a building permit in Butler County?
The county building code covers construction, demolition and remodeling of structures in the unincorporated county. Its permit forms list single-family homes, commercial buildings, accessory structures and agricultural buildings, and separate applications exist for signs, solar systems, floodplain development and septic or well work.
Permit or county approval needed
- New houses, additions and remodels under the 2006 International Residential Code as the county amended it
- Commercial buildings and alterations under the 2006 International Building Code
- Pole barns and other post-frame agricultural or accessory buildings, which must meet the minimum standards added by Resolution 23-12 in May 2023
- Solar installations, on their own solar permit with a fee based on labor and materials
- Signs, on the county sign permit application
- Any development in a mapped floodplain, on a floodplain development permit
- New septic systems, lagoons and wells, on an environmental permit
Fee or licence exemptions
- Nonresidential structures used solely for agriculture are exempt from paying permit fees, though the pole barn standards still apply
- The owner of a single-family dwelling not over two stories does not need a contractor’s licence for work on that home, but still needs the permits; subcontractors must be licensed
- Work the 2006 International Residential Code exempts from a permit, as the county code allows
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Pole barn standards (Resolution 23-12)
A post-frame building needs plans sealed by a Kansas-licensed engineer when it exceeds a 14-foot sidewall, a 40-foot width measured by the truss span or an 80-foot length; every metal-framed building and every pole barn with living quarters also needs an engineer’s seal. Post holes are at least 12 inches across for a building 20 feet wide or less, 15 inches at 30 feet and 18 inches at the 40-foot maximum, and 30 inches deep for sidewalls up to 9 feet or 48 inches deep for 9- to 14-foot sidewalls. Truss specifications must be legible and carry the manufacturer’s contact details.
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
Butler County building department: who handles permitting
Community Development is the permit office for the unincorporated county; its Director is Toby Stewart, and two county building inspectors carry out site inspections. Inside a city, the city’s own office or clerk takes the application.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 121 South Gordy Street, Suite 202 (Courthouse East Annex, second floor), El Dorado, KS 67042 |
| Phone and email | 316-322-4325; fax 316-322-4264; Permits@bucoks.com |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Online | Permit applications and trade licence applications through the county’s permit portal; a free account is needed, and applications can take 24 to 72 hours to process |
| Divisions | Planning and Zoning; Environmental Health (sanitary code, septic and wells, installer licensing); Building Safety and Construction Enforcement |
| City (2025 pop.) | Who issues building permits | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Andover (17,370) | City of Andover | Building Inspections Department; permit fees can be paid online |
| El Dorado (12,696) | City of El Dorado Building Department, part of Community Development | Online permits and contractor licensing through the city’s municipal payments portal |
| Augusta (9,073) | City of Augusta inspection office | Building Inspections, 114 East 6th Avenue, 316-775-4505 |
| Rose Hill (4,320) | City of Rose Hill Building Official | 2018 IBC, IRC, IPC, IMC and IFGC, 2024 IFC and 2017 NEC; City Hall 316-776-2712 |
| Douglass (1,506) | City of Douglass | Online building permit application for roofing, plumbing, mechanical and electrical work |
| Towanda (1,426) | City planning and zoning administrator | Most repairs need a city permit and inspection; City Hall 316-536-2243 |
| Benton (939) | City of Benton Building Permits and Inspections | Permits, plan review, inspections and certificates of occupancy; 316-778-1625 |
| Leon (652) | City of Leon | Online city building permit application |
| Whitewater (650) | City clerk | Permit filed with the clerk at 201 South Elm Street (316-799-2445); good for 180 days, 24 hours’ notice for inspections |
| Potwin (411) | Not stated in the city’s published pages | Ask the city office, 620-752-3422 |
| Elbing (223), Cassoday (107), Latham (99) | Not stated in published sources | Ask the city clerk before building |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Permit types
Residential permits
A house, addition or garage in the unincorporated county is reviewed against the 2006 International Residential Code as Butler County amended it. The local table sets a 15 psf ground snow load, 90 mph wind speed, seismic category A, severe weathering and a 30-inch frost depth; casement egress windows may have a 17-inch minimum clear width; accessory buildings of 400 square feet or less with eaves of 10 feet or less need no frost-depth footings; and every structure, accessory buildings included, must be anchored to the ground. Truss prints may be requested for review and must be on site for inspections. For new construction on vacant land, the county portal notes that a soil profile may have to be submitted first.
Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit expediting, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.
Commercial permits
Commercial projects get plan, site plan and land-use review against the 2006 International Building Code, with appendices C, E and K adopted, before construction permitting. Commercial solar and commercial wind projects need a conditional use permit, and the county’s planning and zoning filing fee schedule calls for a pre-permit application review before that application.
For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit applications through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Other county permits
The environmental permit covers septic tanks, lateral fields, lagoons and wells and is good for 180 days from approval or the last inspection. A floodplain development permit is needed for filling, grading, excavation and building in a mapped flood zone; in a floodway or an A zone, a no-rise analysis or a state permit determination must be provided before the county issues it, and additions or remodels must report the value of the improvement and the building’s pre-improvement assessed value.
Kansas has no state licence for general contractors or the main trades; cities and counties license them under state rules. Roofers register with the Attorney General. Kansas rules
Butler County permit costs and fees
Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit fees are set by Resolution 99-02, which uses Table 1-A of the 1997 Uniform Building Code; the 2016 building code repeats the table. The permit forms base the fee on the value of labor and materials.
| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $23.50 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $23.50 for the first $500 plus $3.05 for each additional $100 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $69.25 for the first $2,000 plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $391.25 for the first $25,000 plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $643.75 for the first $50,000 plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000 |
| $1,000,001 and up | $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000 |
Worked example: a project valued at $200,000 pays $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus 100 × $5.60 = $560, a building fee of $1,553.75.
Rather not deal with the Butler County building department?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Inspections outside business hours, inspections with no listed fee, re-inspections, extra plan review caused by changes | $47 an hour (half-hour minimum for unlisted inspections and extra plan review), or the county’s full hourly cost if greater |
| Outside consultants for plan review or inspection | Actual cost plus administrative and overhead costs |
| Nonresidential buildings used solely for agriculture | No permit fee |
| Building Trade licence (contractors) | $50 a year; expires December 31 |
| Environmental permit: new septic system or lagoon (soil profile required) | $200 |
| Environmental permit: partial rework, cleanout, add-on, or tank or lateral replacement | $75 |
| Environmental permit: well | $100 |
Trade permits and who may pull them
County rules
- Electrical work under the 2005 National Electrical Code, with the ICC Electrical Code Administrative Provisions and county amendments
- Plumbing under the 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code as the county amended it
- Mechanical work under the 2006 International Mechanical Code
- Every contractor and subcontractor needs a county Building Trade licence; the county posts a public lookup of licensed contractors
- Septic systems and lagoons are permitted only to a licensed installer; wells to the owner or the driller
Who may skip the licence
- The owner of a single-family dwelling of not more than two stories, for work on that home
- Owners of commercial and industrial property must follow the licensing and permitting rules before work starts
Trade work is permitted separately under the codes the jurisdiction has adopted. Kansas rules
How to apply for a Butler County building permit
If it lies inside one of the 13 cities, apply there instead; the county zoning map and flood map are linked from the Community Development portal.
Zoning changes, plats and conditional uses go to the Planning Commission on its published deadlines; floodplain sites need the floodplain development permit.
On unsewered land, a licensed installer files the soil profile and the septic or lagoon permit with Environmental Health.
The general contractor and each subcontractor need a current county Building Trade licence; owners of a home of up to two stories may do their own work.
Create a free account, upload plans and a site plan, and allow 24 to 72 hours for processing; Permits@bucoks.com handles questions.
Pay the valuation-based fee, post the permit near the front of the structure and give 24 hours’ notice for each inspection.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
The licence check comes before issue: no permit goes to a contractor who is unlicensed or owes the county fees. A pole barn over the size limits without an engineer’s seal, a floodway site without the no-rise analysis or state determination, and a vacant lot with no soil profile on file also hold up the permit.
Inspections in Butler County
The Building Safety and Construction Enforcement Division inspects the work it permits, and Environmental Health inspects septic systems, lagoons and wells. Each permit form asks for 24 hours’ notice before an inspection. For solar installations the inspector must see at least one piling or anchor going in and the open trench with conduit before backfill. The county issues a certificate of occupancy only after the final environmental and final building inspections have passed. Building and environmental permits stay valid for 180 days from approval or the last inspection; an extension must be requested in writing.
Butler County permit search and official resources
- Butler County Community Development — divisions, staff, hours and contact details
- Community Development applications — building, sign, solar, floodplain and environmental forms, resolutions and planning applications
- Community Development portal — online permit application, trade licence application and lookup, zoning and flood maps
- Butler County Building Code, Resolution 16-06 — adopted 2006 codes, county amendments, fee table and licensing rules
- Pole barn construction standards, Resolution 23-12 — post-frame minimum standards and engineer seal thresholds
- Well or sewer environmental permit — septic, lagoon and well fees and setbacks
- Floodplain development permit application — information required for development in a flood zone
- Kansas State Board of Technical Professions — when a licensed architect or engineer must seal the drawings
- Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal — the Kansas Fire Prevention Code, mandatory statewide
- Kansas Department of Administration, Facilities and Property Management — the codes applying to construction on state-owned property
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
How much is a building permit in Butler County?
The fee follows the 1997 Uniform Building Code valuation table adopted by Resolution 99-02. A $200,000 project pays $1,553.75; nonresidential buildings used only for agriculture pay no permit fee.
Which building codes does Butler County use?
The 2006 International Building, Residential and Mechanical Codes, the 2006 Uniform Plumbing Code and the 2005 National Electrical Code, adopted with amendments by Resolution 16-06 in 2016.
Does the county issue permits inside Andover, Augusta or El Dorado?
No. Andover, Augusta, El Dorado, Rose Hill, Douglass, Towanda, Benton, Leon and Whitewater issue their own permits; for Potwin, Elbing, Cassoday and Latham the published sources do not say, so ask the city first.
Does a pole barn need engineered plans?
Yes when it exceeds a 14-foot sidewall, a 40-foot truss span or an 80-foot length, when it is metal-framed, or when it includes living quarters.
Can a homeowner build without a contractor licence?
Yes for a single-family dwelling of up to two stories, but the owner still needs the permits and any subcontractor must hold a county Building Trade licence.
Who permits a septic system?
The county’s Environmental Health Division in the same office. A new septic system or lagoon costs $200, needs a soil profile and is permitted to a licensed installer.
Simplify Butler County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Butler County is large enough that the jurisdiction question is genuine and old enough that the title question is too. We settle both before siting a building.
Ready to break ground in Butler County sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Butler County Community Development Department, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More Kansas permitting guides
More Kansas permitting guides
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Read guide →Cowley County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Crawford County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Butler County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.