Inside Derby city limits, the City’s Building Inspections & Codes office reviews plans, issues building and trade permits and inspects the work. Send applications to permits@derbyks.gov or call the permitting desk at 316-788-6632, option 2. Under Resolution 25-2026, a house valued at $240,000 has a $1,242.45 building permit fee, and Derby has enforced the 2024 International Codes on new applications since January 1, 2026.
Who issues building permits in Derby?
Building Inspections & Codes works from City Hall, 611 N. Mulberry Road, Suite 300. Building Official John Wright is responsible for reviewing all residential and commercial plans and for inspections, and the same permitting desk issues contractor licences.
Derby does its own permitting, licensing, plan review and inspections; Sedgwick County’s Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department (MABCD) lists Derby among the cities that handle these themselves. MABCD covers Wichita and unincorporated Sedgwick County, so a site just outside Derby’s limits goes to MABCD (316-660-1840).
Codes in force: the 2024 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, adopted by Ordinances 2582, 2623, 2584, 2583, 2625 and 2624 and applied to applications filed from January 1, 2026. The City says they are generally consistent with Wichita and Sedgwick County; its own variations include electrical amendments that drop the GFCI requirement for 250-volt dryer and range circuits and require surge protection only on new construction. The Fire Department says the City adopted the 2024 International Fire Code in August 2026; the building page still lists the 2018 fire code ordinance.
What needs a permit in Derby?
The residential building permit covers new homes, remodels, additions, roofing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and HVAC work, inground pools, concrete or masonry walls and accessory structures of 120 sq ft or more; the commercial permit covers new buildings, remodels, additions, tenant finishes and the same trades. The City also has separate applications for demolition, siding, signs, lawn sprinklers, wells, parking lots, pools and tents.
No building permit (Ordinance 2623)
- One-story detached accessory structures up to 200 sq ft, if a City accessory structure permit is obtained first
- Fences up to 8 ft (concrete or masonry fences up to 4 ft) and retaining walls up to 4 ft that hold back no surcharge
- Decks, stoops and porches no more than 30 in. above grade, with no roof and nothing below
- Roofing or siding repair of up to 400 sq ft in any 12 months
- Up to 250 sq ft of drywall on non-rated walls in 12 months, with no framing or trade changes
- Same-size or smaller window, door and skylight replacements that do not touch framing
- Painting, flooring, cabinets, countertops and similar finish work
Still needs a City permit
- Sheds and decks below the building permit size: the $25 accessory structure permit (for sheds up to 119 sq ft and decks under 30 in.)
- Fences, new or replacement: the $25 fence permit
- Any work in a FEMA flood hazard area: a floodplain development permit
- Work in the street right of way: a $75 right-of-way permit
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The shed line differs between documents: Ordinance 2623 lets a detached accessory structure of up to 200 sq ft go without a building permit if it has the accessory structure permit, while the fee resolution and forms put 120 sq ft and larger on a building permit. Sheds of 25 to 400 sq ft must be anchored or set on a concrete foundation, and accessory structures in residential districts are limited to 21 ft in height.
Applications and contractor licences
Applications are downloaded from the City’s permits page, filled in and emailed to permits@derbyks.gov. The main forms are the New Residential Permit Application (one permit per dwelling unit), the Residential Remodel application (additions, basement finishes, garages, higher decks, retaining walls, foundation repairs, egress windows and exterior doors), the Commercial Building Permit and the Commercial Plan Review Application. The City asks for at least 48 hours to process a permit.
Contractor licences are biennial. A Class A licence covers all commercial and residential construction, Class B all construction up to three stories and Class C residential work only. Applicants file the City’s licence application with a certificate of general liability insurance of at least $500,000 issued to the City of Derby, proof of workers’ compensation and automobile liability insurance, photo ID and, except for the roofing, siding, concrete flatwork, lawn sprinkler, drain layer, swimming pool, fire alarm and fire sprinkler licences, a copy of a current MABCD licence or a passing ICC test notice. On commercial jobs every subcontractor must hold a Derby licence, and roofing permits ask for the contractor’s State of Kansas roofing registration number.
Homeowners: the City issues permits to homeowners who do their own work or hire it out, and asks them to sign its Property Owners Pulling Permits statement, accepting a contractor’s responsibilities. A homeowner who applies for a roofing permit must live in the house.
Derby permit fees
Fees come from Resolution No. 25-2026, which replaced Resolution 65-2025 and has applied since May 18, 2026. Building permits are priced on the market value of the work, excluding land, using separate residential and commercial tables, and every permit adds a $25 issuance fee that the City keeps if the permit is refused.
| Valuation of work | Residential permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1–$2,000 | $16.50, plus $2.20 per $100 over $500 |
| $2,001–$25,000 | $49.50 plus $9.90 per $1,000 over $2,000 |
| $25,001–$50,000 | $277.20 plus $7.15 per $1,000 over $25,000 |
| $50,001–$100,000 | $455.95 plus $4.95 per $1,000 over $50,000 |
| $100,001–$500,000 | $703.45 plus $3.85 per $1,000 over $100,000 |
| $500,001–$1,000,000 | $2,243.45 plus $3.30 per $1,000 over $500,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $3,893.45 plus $2.20 per $1,000 over $1,000,000 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Valuation of work | Commercial permit fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $1,000 | $40 |
| $1,000.01–$2,000 | $40 plus $3 per $100 over $1,000 |
| $2,000.01–$40,000 | $70 plus $11 per $1,000 over $2,000 |
| $40,000.01–$100,000 | $488 plus $9 per $1,000 over $40,000 |
| $100,000.01–$500,000 | $1,028 plus $7 per $1,000 over $100,000 |
| $500,000.01–$1,000,000 | $3,828 plus $5 per $1,000 over $500,000 |
| $1,000,000.01–$5,000,000 | $6,328 plus $3 per $1,000 over $1,000,000 |
| Over $5,000,000 | $18,328 plus $2.25 per $1,000 over $5,000,000 |
Each additional $1,000 or $100 is counted “or fraction thereof”. Plan review is set at 65% of the applicable building permit fee; the commercial plan review application carries a plan review fee line, while the new-home application lists only the building fee, sewer, certificate of occupancy and issuance lines.
Worked examples. A new house valued at $240,000: $703.45 + 140 × $3.85 = $1,242.45, plus the $25 issuance and $25 certificate of occupancy fees printed on the new-home application, or $1,292.45, before the $1,000 single-family sewer connection permit. A commercial project valued at $400,000: $1,028 + 300 × $7 = $3,128, plus 65% plan review ($2,033.20), $25 issuance and $25 certificate of occupancy, or $5,211.20. Resolution 25-2026 does not limit the 65% plan review fee to commercial work: if it were charged on the $240,000 house it would add $807.59 (65% of $1,242.45), so ask the permitting desk whether it applies to your plans.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Accessory structure of 119 sq ft or less (no building permit) | $25 |
| Fence, driveway approach, lawn sprinkler or above-ground pool permit | $25 each |
| Occupancy permit | $25 |
| Demolition | $50 |
| Right-of-way permit | $75 |
| Re-inspection | $50 |
| After-hours building inspection | $60 |
| Work started without a permit (investigation) | Double the applicable permit fee |
| Sanitary sewer connection, single-family home | $1,000 (plus a $500 tap fee if required) |
Building permit fees are cut by 50% for infill or redevelopment on commercially zoned land that the Zoning Administrator finds was mostly developed before 1996, and for projects in the West End Business Park and the former Pleasantview Elementary site. Residential building permit fees, and the water heater, electric meter reset and furnace or air conditioner fees, are waived when the Building Official finds the work is directly caused by flood damage.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Trade permits are filed on the City’s electrical and solar, plumbing and mechanical applications, signed by a licensee with a Derby licence number, and priced on job cost from the same valuation tables plus the $25 issuance fee. A few routine jobs have flat fees: a water heater replacement or inspection is $25, an electric meter reset is $25, and a furnace or air conditioner change-out is $25 per unit for a home or $50 for a commercial building; the meter reset and water heater inspection carry no issuance fee. Work in the street right of way needs its own right-of-way permit, and a new sewer connection needs a sewer connection permit.
Resolution 25-2026 prices electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractor licences at $160 every two years and certificates at $40; the City’s July 2025 licence application lists $220 for a trades contractor (master certificate included), and the fee resolution update on the October 13, 2026 Council agenda would correct the resolution to $180, describing that rate as approved in 2024. Fire alarm and fire sprinkler systems go through the Fire Suppression and Fire Alarm Plan Review Permit: a $75 issuance fee plus $75 to $575 depending on the number of devices, with $0.50 more for each device over 1,100.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →What to submit
New house
- New Residential Permit Application with the project value, lot, floor areas, foundation type and the Derby licence numbers of the contractor and each trade
- Site plan drawing, including the driveway
- Floor plan
- Setbacks required by the zoning district and those proposed
Commercial
- Commercial Plan Review Application
- Two bound 24 x 36 in. plan sets and a thumb drive with the PDF pages
- Stamped cover sheet, site code plan, code plan, site plan (C1.0), erosion control plan (C4.0), floor plan (A1.0), structural (S1.0), mechanical (M1.0), plumbing (P1.0) and electrical (E1.0) sheets
- Commercial Building Permit application listing licensed subcontractors
Remodels and additions need a dimensioned plot plan with distances to the property lines and a lot coverage calculation; new and existing structures together may not cover more than 40% of the lot. Incomplete commercial submittals are returned; commercial plans are signed off by the Building Official, Zoning Administrator, Fire Code Official and City Engineer.
How to get a Derby building permit
Land outside the city limits in Sedgwick County is permitted by MABCD instead.
The contractor and every trade on the job need a current Derby licence; homeowners sign the Property Owners Pulling Permits statement.
Use the new-home, remodel, accessory structure, commercial or trade application from the City’s permits page.
Send the form, site or plot plan and drawings to permits@derbyks.gov; commercial plans go in with the plan review application and printed sets.
Allow at least 48 hours for processing; the permit can be emailed, mailed or collected, and a copy must stay on site.
Book each inspection 24 hours ahead through the permitting desk and keep the work moving so the permit does not lapse.
Inspections
Schedule inspections with the permitting desk at 316-788-6632, option 2, at least 24 hours in advance. Some jobs are inspected by photo: roofers email photos of the deck after tear-off, any repaired areas and the underlayment, then the finished roof, vents, flue, flashing and plumbing vent flashing, with the permit address in the subject line. HVAC and water heater photo inspections need date-stamped pictures that include the house’s address, and the City audits them at random.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →A re-inspection costs $50 and an after-hours inspection $60. A permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days of issue or if 180 days pass after the last required inspection; restarting within a year costs half the original fee if the plans are unchanged, and the Building Official can grant 180-day extensions on written request.
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
Official Derby permitting resources
- Derby Building Inspections & Codes
- Derby permits, licences and applications
- Derby fee schedule, Resolution 25-2026 (May 18, 2026)
- Derby New Residential Permit Application (August 2025)
- Derby Residential Remodel Permit Application
- Derby Accessory Structure Permit Application
- Derby Commercial Plan Review Application
- Derby Contractor License and Trades Certificate Application
- Derby responsibilities of homeowners pulling permits
- Derby 2024 code adoption letter (December 2025)
- Derby code variations from MABCD (December 2025)
- Derby Ordinance 2623, 2024 International Residential Code
- Derby Fire Code Enforcement and 2024 International Fire Code
- Derby roof inspection photo requirements
- Derby HVAC and water heater photo inspection requirements
- Derby Floodplain Development Permit Application
- Derby City Council packet, October 13, 2026 (fee resolution update)
- Sedgwick County MABCD jurisdictions and city permit offices
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Derby permit FAQs
How do I apply for a building permit in Derby?
Email the completed City application and plans to permits@derbyks.gov. Questions go to the permitting desk at 316-788-6632, option 2.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Derby?
For a $240,000 house, the residential table gives $1,242.45, and the new-home application adds $25 for issuance and $25 for the certificate of occupancy, plus $1,000 for the sewer connection. The 65% plan review fee in the resolution would add $807.59 if the City charges it on the house; the new-home application has no line for it.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Derby?
Yes, apart from movable storage cabinets of 25 sq ft or less. A shed of 119 sq ft or less takes the $25 accessory structure permit; larger accessory structures are on a building permit under the City’s fee resolution and forms.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Derby?
Yes. The City issues permits to homeowners and asks them to sign a statement accepting a contractor’s responsibilities; for a roofing permit the owner must live in the house.
How far ahead must I book an inspection?
At least 24 hours, through the permitting desk at 316-788-6632, option 2.
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More Kansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Derby permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.