The City of Emporia’s Building and Neighborhood Development Department, 521 Market Street (620-343-4274), issues building and trade permits inside the city, and you can apply online through CivicGov. Building permit fees are based on the total valuation of the work, stand-alone electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits cost $15 for each required inspection, and the City enforces the 2021 International Building and Residential Codes.
Who issues building permits in Emporia?
Building and Neighborhood Development is the City’s one-stop office for development permits. Its Building Department (Code Services) reviews plans, issues permits, licenses contractors and inspects work inside city limits, and its Planning and Zoning staff handle zoning. Justin Givens is the Interim Director of Building and Neighborhood Development and Bradley Springeman is the Chief Building Official.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building & Neighborhood Development | 521 Market Street (PO Box 928), Emporia, KS 66801; 620-343-4274; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Code Services (permit questions, contractor licensing) | 620-343-4270 |
| Planning and Zoning | 620-343-4268 |
| Zoning in the Metropolitan Planning Area | City of Emporia Zoning Office, 620-343-4266 |
The City’s zoning page says its Zoning Office answers questions for properties in the Emporia Metropolitan Planning Area around the city, and the Lyon County office (620-341-3471) handles all other properties outside town.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →What needs a permit in Emporia?
Permit required
- Re-roofing a house, porch or garage
- Any room addition, regardless of size
- New electrical outlets, light fixtures or wiring
- Moving or adding plumbing lines; installing or replacing a water heater
- Installing or replacing a furnace or air conditioner
- Siding, replacement windows and exterior doors
- Hanging drywall and basement remodels
- A patio slab with a structure over it, now or later
- Sheds over 200 sq ft; decks over 200 sq ft, more than 30 in. above grade, attached, or serving an exit door
- All work in commercial buildings
No permit
- Sheds of 200 sq ft or less
- Replacing a sink or other fixture in the same place without moving drains or water lines
- A patio slab with no structure over it
- Painting, wallpaper, carpet, linoleum and tile
- Kitchen cabinets, gutters, storm windows and storm doors
Accessory buildings of 400 sq ft or more need footings. For anything not on the list, call Code Services at 620-343-4270.
Emporia permit fees
The City’s fee schedule for certifications, licensing, permits and inspections says building permits are based on the total valuation of the work, using the table in the Building and Construction Regulations. The valuation includes materials and labor for all the work, including electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing systems; the building official can use the International Code Council’s Building Valuation Data if a value looks too low, or accept a signed contract price.
| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $15 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $15 for the first $500 + $2 per additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $45 for the first $2,000 + $9 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $252 for the first $25,000 + $6.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $414.50 for the first $50,000 + $4.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $639.50 for the first $100,000 + $3.50 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $2,039.50 for the first $500,000 + $3 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $1,000,000 | $3,539.50 for the first $1,000,000 + $2 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Under the posted regulations, plan review is included in the valuation fee unless the City sends the plans to the International Code Council, in which case you pay ICC’s review charge. Other fees: $15 for each required inspection on a stand-alone electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit (waived when the work is part of a building permit) and on a mobile home utility installation, $15 for a demolition permit or a lawn sprinkler backflow inspection, $40 for an inspection outside business hours and $50 for a re-inspection. Starting work without a permit adds an investigation fee equal to the permit fee. There is no fee for fire sprinkler systems, which the Fire Department inspects.
Contractor licences and trade permits
Anyone doing building, electrical, plumbing, heating and air, roofing, siding, structural concrete or mobile home utility work in the city or the surrounding metropolitan area must be certified and/or licensed and bonded with the City. Individuals qualify by passing an ICC or Prometric exam with 75% or better, and the City’s Building Trades Board reviews qualifications and hears appeals.
- Contractor licences: $75 for general, building, residential, electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors; $50 for class B, specialty and limited contractors; $250 for a one-job building contractor.
- Individual certificates: $25 for builders and masters, $15 for journeymen, supervisors and specialty trades, $5 for apprentices.
- Bond: every contractor and licence category needs an original $5,000 surety bond before the permit process can start.
- All certificates, licences and bonds expire on December 31 each year and fees are not prorated.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Roofers must also be registered with the State of Kansas, and the registration number goes on every permit. The posted regulations let an owner of record do the principal work on the single-family home that is, or will be, their home for at least 24 months, or act as general contractor if every subcontractor is licensed.
What to submit
The building permit application asks for the owner, contractor, job address, total and living square footage, the estimated cost and a description of the work, and lists every subcontractor. The City’s plan submittal checklist for buildings other than one- and two-family homes asks for:
- A code analysis: occupancy, type of construction, occupant load, exits and fire-rated assemblies
- Architect or engineer seals on plans and specifications, unless a Kansas exemption applies
- Site, foundation, floor, structural, electrical, plumbing and mechanical plans
- A stormwater management plan where the City Engineer requires it, and the floodplain boundary
Depending on the job, the permit may also need sign-off from zoning, engineering, the Fire Department, the water department, the electric utility and, outside the city limits, the Lyon County Health Department for the sewage system.
How to get an Emporia building permit
Confirm the zoning district, setbacks, floodplain and any historic district review with Planning and Zoning.
Make sure the contractor and each subcontractor hold Emporia licences and bonds.
File online through the CivicGov portal, or use the paper application from the Building Department page.
Commercial plans follow the City’s plan submittal checklist; complex plans may go to the International Code Council.
Before the stake-out inspection, locate the property pins and set the building stakes, or have a legal survey made.
Call for inspections as work progresses; the structure needs a final inspection and approval before anyone moves in.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections
City Code section 8-1 says the building official performs a requested inspection within 24 hours, not counting weekends and holidays. During framing and roofing, an Emporia licensed general contractor or an Emporia certified building supervisor must be on site, or the City can issue a stop work order. A permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days, and demolition permits expire after 60 days.
Local rules worth knowing
Codes: City Code section 8-3, as amended by Ordinance 25-27 in force from February 1, 2026, adopts the 2021 International Residential and Building Codes, the 2020 National Electrical Code, and the 2021 Uniform Mechanical, Plumbing, and Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Codes, as amended by the City’s 2025 Building and Construction Regulations. The Building Department also lists the 2021 International Existing Building Code and the 2006 International Fire Code, and says the energy code is not adopted.
Engineering permits: excavation, right-of-way work, commercial sidewalk enhancements and downspout or sump pump curb cuts go through the City’s Engineering permits.
Zoning and floodplain: zoning, floodplain development, sign, variance and temporary use applications are on the Planning and Zoning applications page.
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 Emporia permit resources
- Emporia Building Department: permits and adopted codes
- Emporia Building & Neighborhood Development contact
- Emporia CivicGov online permit portal launch (September 2025)
- Emporia fee schedule for licences, permits and inspections (PDF)
- Emporia Building and Construction Regulations as posted, 2019 edition text (PDF)
- Emporia building permit application (PDF)
- Emporia commercial plan submittal checklist (PDF)
- Emporia contractor certification and licensing requirements (PDF)
- Emporia City Code Chapter 8, Buildings
- Emporia Planning and Zoning
- Emporia engineering permits
Emporia permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Emporia, Kansas?
The City’s Building and Neighborhood Development Department, 521 Market Street, 620-343-4274. You can apply online through CivicGov.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much does a building permit cost in Emporia?
It is based on the total valuation of the work. Stand-alone electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits cost $15 per required inspection. Ask Code Services for the current valuation table, because the posted one dates from the 2019 regulations.
Do I need a permit for a shed or deck?
A shed needs one if it is over 200 sq ft. A deck needs one if it is over 200 sq ft, more than 30 in. above grade, attached to the house or serving an exit door.
Do I need a permit to replace windows or siding?
Yes. Replacement windows, exterior doors, siding and re-roofing all need a permit.
Do contractors need an Emporia licence?
Yes. Contractors and tradespeople working in the city or the surrounding metropolitan area must be certified and/or licensed and bonded with the City, with a $5,000 bond.
Can I do the work on my own home?
The posted regulations allow an owner of record to do the principal work on the single-family home that is, or will be, their home for at least 24 months, with a permit, inspections and fees.
Which building codes does Emporia use?
The 2021 International Building and Residential Codes, the 2020 National Electrical Code and the 2021 Uniform Mechanical and Plumbing Codes, with City amendments.
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More Kansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Emporia permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.