For land outside the cities, building permits in Geary County come from the County’s GIS / Zoning office at 139 E. 8th Street (west entrance), Junction City; call 785-530-5126 or 785-530-5399 about a permit. The county application lists the 2012 International Codes and the 2011 National Electrical Code, and the AG district requires 40-acre lots. Junction City, Grandview Plaza and Milford each issue their own permits.
Who issues building permits in Geary County?
The County’s GIS, zoning, codes and environmental health staff share one office, led by the GIS/Zoning Director, Troy Livingston. The office’s general number is 785-530-6093 and its hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, but the outer door is kept locked and at times no one is in the office: someone aims to be in from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for walk-ins, and other visits are by appointment. Call the number posted on the door when you arrive. Since June 1, 2026 the County’s general office hours end at 12:30 p.m. on Fridays, so call before a Friday-afternoon visit.
County zoning and the county building permit cover unincorporated land only. Inside a city, apply to that city:
| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Geary County | Geary County GIS / Zoning, 139 E. 8th St., Junction City; 785-530-5126 or 785-530-5399 |
| Junction City (pop. 22,583) | City Building and Code Enforcement Division, 700 N. Jefferson St., 785-210-2951; applications through the City’s MyGov portal |
| Grandview Plaza (pop. 1,685) | City of Grandview Plaza, 402 State Ave. Its building permit application carries a $20 permit fee, and permits last up to 60 days |
| Milford (pop. 404) | Milford Zoning Board approves every building permit in the city; file with the City Clerk at 201 12th St. (785-463-5490) at least 5 days before the board’s monthly meeting |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Contractors should note that Junction City’s licensing pages say anyone contracting, or working in the mechanical, electrical, plumbing or fuel gas trades, in Junction City or Geary County must hold a Junction City licence. The county application asks for the name and phone of each electrical, plumbing, mechanical, concrete, gas, sewer and roofing contractor and of any engineer or architect.
What the county permit covers
The county form is titled for remodels, repairs, additions and accessory buildings, with boxes for addition, accessory building, remodel, replacement, repair and fire damage, and a separate line for roof permits that asks for the roofing type and the number of squares. It covers both residential and commercial jobs and asks for the total project value.
County approvals
- Building permit (remodel, repair, addition, accessory building, roof)
- Floodplain development permit for any development in a mapped flood zone
- Zone change, conditional use, special exception and variance through the joint planning commission and appeals board
- Plats, lot splits and vacations under the county subdivision regulations
Where county rules step back
- Land used for agriculture is exempt from the zoning restrictions
- New farm buildings still follow the floodplain rules and the setbacks along designated major roads and highways
- Property inside Junction City, Grandview Plaza or Milford is permitted by the city
Zoning rules to check before you apply
The county application checks setbacks against the Geary County Zoning Regulations (November 2011 edition), which have three districts with these minimums.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| District | Lot | Setbacks |
|---|---|---|
| AG Agricultural | 40 acres (a quarter-quarter section qualifies); at least 660 ft wide and 660 ft deep | Front 70 ft from the road centerline or 30 ft from the property line, whichever is greater; side and rear 30 ft |
| SR Suburban Residential | 1 to 3 acres per home; at least 165 ft wide and 250 ft deep | Front 30 ft, side 10 ft, rear 20 ft; height up to 35 ft |
| R-1 Single-Family Residential | 20,000 sq ft; at least 125 ft wide and 150 ft deep | Front 30 ft, side 10 ft, rear 20 ft; height up to 35 ft |
What to submit with a county building permit
One- and two-family homes
- Completed application with the owner, the job address, the legal description and the project value
- House plans
- Drawings signed by a registered Kansas design professional, including a site survey and site plan drawn to scale
- The owner-as-contractor statement, if the owner will live in the house as a primary residence and do the work
Commercial
- Completed application listing every contractor
- Plan check list
- Four sets of plans
- Drawings signed by a registered Kansas design professional, with a site survey and site plan drawn to scale
The form also asks for at least one after-hours emergency contact, and it states that a permit is not approved until it is in your hands. Keep a storm water pollution prevention plan on site until 70% of the ground has vegetation and the notice of termination has gone to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to get a building permit in unincorporated Geary County
Junction City, Grandview Plaza and Milford permit work inside their limits.
Call the GIS / Zoning office to confirm the zoning district, setbacks and whether the site is in a flood zone that needs a separate floodplain permit.
Download the building permit application from the County’s permit forms page and list the owner, contractors and project value.
Include the house plans or the four commercial plan sets and the signed, scaled site survey and site plan.
Bring the package to 139 E. 8th St., ideally between 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. or by appointment, and pay the permit fee.
Keep work open until each stage on the form is approved, from footings to the final grading and erosion control check.
Inspections listed on the county permit
The county application lists the inspections a project may need: footing, foundation, sewer tap trench and compaction, water line trench and compaction, framing, mid-roof and final roof, rough electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas, and finals for each trade. The last items are wall finishes, grading, sidewalks, driveways and erosion control. Which ones apply depends on the work; a roof replacement, for example, sits on the mid-roof and final roof lines.
Local rules worth knowing in Geary County
Floodplain: outside city limits, any development in a mapped A, AE, AO or AH zone needs a separate floodplain development permit, issued by the Junction City/Geary County Zoning Administrator. New homes and substantial improvements must have the lowest floor, including any basement, at least 1 ft above the base flood elevation, certified by a licensed land surveyor or professional engineer.
Rather not deal with the Geary County building department?
Get a free quote →Joint planning: rezonings, conditional and special use permits, special exceptions, variances, plats and vacations use a joint Junction City/Milford/Geary County planning commission and appeals board application, on which you tick whether the property is in Junction City, Milford or the county.
Energy and data center moratorium: on June 22, 2026 the County Commission adopted Resolution 6-22-2026, a 12-month pause on accepting, processing or approving applications, including building permits, for utility-scale wind and solar, battery storage serving those projects, related substations and transmission, and data centers over 100,000 sq ft or needing more than 20 megawatts. Residential-scale solar serving a home, farm or business is exempt.
Sanitarian: the same office houses the county sanitarian, so ask about septic and well requirements for a rural site when you call about the building 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 Geary County permitting resources
- Geary County GIS / Zoning & Sanitarian office
- Geary County permit applications and forms
- Geary County building permit application (PDF)
- Junction City/Milford/Geary County planning commission and appeals board application (PDF)
- Geary County zoning and subdivision regulations
- Geary County floodplain district regulations, Article VI (PDF)
- Geary County Commission agendas and minutes
- Junction City building permits
- Junction City contractor licences
- City of Grandview Plaza building permit application (PDF)
- City of Milford building codes and permits
Geary County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in rural Geary County?
The County’s GIS / Zoning office at 139 E. 8th Street in Junction City. For permit questions call 785-530-5126 or 785-530-5399.
Which building codes appear on the county permit?
The county application lists the 2012 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing and Property Maintenance Codes and the 2011 National Electrical Code.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How big must a lot be to build a house in the AG district?
At least 40 acres, unless the lot was created through an approved agricultural lot split. Suburban Residential lots run from 1 to 3 acres and R-1 lots need 20,000 sq ft.
Can I act as my own contractor?
The county form has an owner-as-contractor statement for owners who will live at the job address as their primary residence once construction is finished.
Do I need a permit to build in a flood zone?
Yes. Development in a mapped flood zone outside city limits needs a floodplain development permit, and a new home’s lowest floor must sit at least 1 ft above the base flood elevation.
Can I get a permit for a solar farm or data center?
Not until the 12-month moratorium adopted on June 22, 2026 ends or is lifted. It covers utility-scale wind, solar and battery projects and large data centers; home and farm solar is exempt.
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More Kansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Geary County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.