Inside Dodge City, permits come from the Development Services & Inspections department at City Hall, 806 N. Second Avenue (620-225-8105), which also handles zoning, code enforcement, contractor licensing and fire marshal duties. You file the City’s application for your type of project, and a new house is charged $0.50 per square foot under Resolution 2021-24. Land outside the city limits is under Ford County zoning.
What requires a permit in Dodge City?
The City publishes an application for each kind of work it permits, and its FAQ says to call the Inspections Department before you roof, remodel, put up a fence or add a sign.
Homes
- New houses, additions and remodels
- Detached garages and sheds
- Decks, porches, patio covers and carports
- Roofing, and windows, siding and doors
- Fences and lawn irrigation
- Mobile homes and moving a house
- Water heaters, heating and air conditioning changes and electric services
- Exterior spray painting
Commercial and land
- New commercial buildings and remodels
- Signs and sidewalk cafes
- Boilers, mechanical and electric service work
- Fire suppression systems
- Excavation and concrete flatwork
- Rezonings, plats, variances and conditional uses
Painting by brush or roller needs no permit; spray painting needs a permit and proof of homeowner’s insurance.
Who issues building permits in Dodge City?
Development Services & Inspections runs planning, zoning, building inspections and code enforcement, staffs the Dodge City Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals, and carries out fire marshal duties. Its Building Inspections Division reviews new and remodeled buildings against the adopted International Codes and deals with dangerous and unsafe structures.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 806 N. Second Avenue, P.O. Box 880, Dodge City, KS 67801 |
| Phone | 620-225-8105 |
| Fax | 620-225-8195 |
| Hours | Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Friday 7:30–11:30 a.m. |
Outside the city limits, the Ford County Planning, Zoning & Environmental Health office at 100 Gunsmoke Street (620-801-4288) issues zoning certificates and septic and well permits, because the county zoning regulations cover all unincorporated land in Ford County.
Permit costs and fees in Dodge City
Building, trade and zoning fees were set by Resolution 2021-24, which the City Commission approved on September 20, 2021. Every building permit has a $50 minimum, and fees double when work starts before the permit is issued.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home, addition, garage or swimming pool | $0.50 per sq ft |
| Deck, porch, carport or shed | $0.25 per sq ft |
| Minor remodel / major remodel | $0.30 / $0.50 per sq ft |
| Manufactured, residential-design or modular home | $0.50 per sq ft |
| Water heater up to 50 gallons, heat or AC change, electric service | $75 each |
| Roofing | $4 per square (10 ft × 10 ft) |
| Siding or windows; irrigation | $75 each |
| Fence, exterior spray painting or excavation | $50 each |
| Concrete flatwork | $0.15 per sq ft |
For example, a 2,000 sq ft new house is $1,000 at $0.50 per square foot.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Assembly or office/retail building | $0.50 per sq ft |
| Hotel or motel | $0.22 per sq ft |
| Restaurant | $0.90 per sq ft |
| Commercial minor / major remodel | $0.30 / $0.50 per sq ft |
| Boiler, water heater over 50 gallons, HVAC or electric service | $100 each |
| Commercial plan review | $100 per hour |
| Commercial roofing: composite shingles / overlay / full reconstruction | $5 / $4 / $6 per square |
| Fire suppression system | $100 plus $100 per hour of plan review |
| Inspection outside business hours | $50 per hour scheduled, $100 per hour unscheduled |
| Zoning permit; floodplain development permit | $50; $100 |
| Permanent sign | $50, up to $200 per property |
| Variance, conditional use or zoning map amendment | $200 each |
Trade permits and contractor licensing
Development Services issues the trade permits as well, under the 2017 National Electrical Code and the 2018 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes. The residential application names the licensed contractor, plumber, electrician and mechanical contractor for the job, and gas pressure checks, backflow preventers and water and sewer services each carry their own fee ($50, $50, $75 and $75).
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Contractors working in the city need a Dodge City licence. Under Resolution 2021-24 a general, building, residential, roofing, master trade, journeyman or specialty licence costs $200 to start and $100 to renew, and an apprentice licence is $35. The City’s licence form asks for test scores, continuing education certificates and proof of at least $500,000 of liability insurance, and licence fees can be paid online.
Documents for a Dodge City application
- Site plan: property line dimensions, the building setback, distance from the property line to the back of the curb, the house and any accessory buildings with distances between them, driveway width and every utility line.
- Floor plan: rooms, smoke detectors, egress windows in sleeping rooms, landings at exterior doors (at least 3 ft by 3 ft) and how new rooms will be heated.
- Building guide: the City’s fill-in sheet of construction details, from footing size and sill plate to rafter size, sheathing and ceiling insulation.
- Legal description and the valuation of the work.
- Dig Safe ticket number from Kansas One Call (811) before any digging.
For an addition, the City asks for at least those four documents: the building guide, site plan, floor plan and application. Commercial applications list the floors and area of each floor and are charged plan review at $100 an hour.
How to get a building permit in Dodge City
Rural Ford County land goes to the County Planning, Zoning & Environmental Health office instead.
Choose from the residential, addition, garage, deck, roofing, fence, commercial and other forms on the Permits page.
Each contractor and trade listed on the form needs a current Dodge City licence.
Fill in every construction detail and get your 811 locate ticket.
Submit at 806 N. Second Avenue; staff check zoning and floodplain and calculate the fee.
Contact Development Services at 620-225-8105 to arrange the inspections the permit needs.
Rather not deal with the Dodge City building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Dodge City
Building inspections are carried out by the Building Inspections Division of Development Services (620-225-8105). Inspections outside normal business hours cost $50 an hour when scheduled and $100 an hour when unscheduled. On re-roofs, the City enforces IRC Section R908.3 as adopted: roof replacement must remove all existing layers of roofing down to the deck, a rule the roofing form says has applied since January 1, 2022.
Local Dodge City details
Zoning and floodplain: the City has its own zoning ordinance, zoning maps and Flood Plain Management Ordinance, and the zoning check is recorded on each permit application. A zoning permit is $50 and a floodplain development permit $100.
Incentives: the residential application has office boxes for the Neighborhood Revitalization Program and Rural Housing Incentive Districts, and the City points home builders to its housing incentive programs.
Historic preservation: Development Services also handles historic preservation work in the city.
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 Dodge City permitting resources
- Dodge City Development Services & Inspections
- Dodge City permit, licensing and application forms
- Dodge City adopted building codes
- Dodge City Development Services FAQs
- Resolution 2021-24 permit fee schedule (September 20, 2021 agenda packet, PDF)
- Dodge City General Residential application (PDF)
- Dodge City residential addition application and guide (PDF)
- Dodge City Commercial Building application (PDF)
- Dodge City contractor licence form (PDF)
- Dodge City planning, zoning and floodplain
- Ford County zoning and environmental health forms
Dodge City permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a building permit for a new house in Dodge City?
$0.50 per square foot, with a $50 minimum, so a 2,000 sq ft house is $1,000. Trade items such as a new electric service are priced separately.
Do I need a permit for a fence or a new roof?
Yes. A fence permit is $50, and residential roofing is $4 per square. Re-roofing must strip all old layers down to the deck.
Do I need a permit to paint my house?
Only if you spray paint. Spray painting needs a $50 permit and proof of homeowner’s insurance; brush or roller painting needs none.
What happens if I start work without a permit?
Resolution 2021-24 doubles the permit fee when work begins before the permit is issued.
Who issues permits outside Dodge City?
Ford County Planning, Zoning & Environmental Health, at 100 Gunsmoke Street (620-801-4288), issues zoning certificates and septic and well permits for unincorporated Ford County.
Which building codes does Dodge City use?
The 2018 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Fire and Property Maintenance Codes, and the 2017 National Electrical Code.
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More Kansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Dodge City permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.