Building permits for property inside Lansing come from the City’s Community and Economic Development Department at 730 1st Terrace, Suite 2 (913-727-5488), and applications are filed online through GovWell. The first plan review usually comes back in 2 to 3 weeks, and the City’s fee schedule sets the electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for a new single-family house at $150, $60 and $75.
Which office issues building permits in Lansing?
Community and Economic Development handles building permits and inspections, code enforcement, and planning and zoning for the City. Its work runs from a water heater replacement to a new commercial building. Site plan reviews, zoning changes and conditional use permits go to the Planning Commission or the Board of Zoning Appeals with the department’s help. Joshua Gentzler is the Community and Economic Development Director.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | 730 1st Terrace, Suite 2, Lansing, KS 66043 |
| Phone | 913-727-5488 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Apply | GovWell online portal (linked from the City’s Building Permits page) |
| City Hall | 800 First Terrace, 913-727-3233 |
The City permits work inside its limits only. Land outside Lansing in unincorporated Leavenworth County goes to Leavenworth County Planning and Zoning.
What needs a permit in Lansing?
The City’s Building Permits page lists these residential projects as needing a permit:
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- New homes and major home improvements
- Additions
- Accessory buildings over 120 sq ft or 10 ft tall
- Fences
- Pools and hot tubs
- Pergolas, decks and porches
- Roofs
- Siding, windows and doors
- Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work
No permit
- Sheds, playhouses and similar accessory structures under 120 sq ft and under 10 ft tall
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and countertops (city code)
- Swings and play equipment for a one- or two-family home (city code)
Commercial buildings, apartment buildings of three or more units and public buildings need a permit and plan review as well. Ice and water shield is required on every roofing job in the city.
Applying online and the codes Lansing uses
Use the apply links on the City’s Building Permits page; they open the GovWell portal. Every building permit application needs a site plan, a declaration of the construction value and plans for the project. Small jobs such as a water heater replacement are the exception. Construction may not start until the City has issued the permit.
The City code on Municode (codified through September 2024) adopts the 2003 International Building and Residential Codes, with the 2002 National Electrical Code, and gives the Community Development Superintendent the final say on a permit’s valuation. The department’s July 2023 roofing letter says the City works under the 2006 International Residential Code day to day, so ask the department which edition applies to your plans.
Lansing permit fees
Fees are set in the City’s Schedule of Fees, Attachment A to Ordinance 1148, approved on May 21, 2026. That ordinance changed finance and parks fees; the Community and Economic Development rows are the same as in the May 2025 schedule.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building permit (other) | $15 minimum |
| Electrical permit, new single-family home | $150 |
| Mechanical permit, new single-family home | $60 |
| Plumbing permit, new single-family home | $75 |
| Fence permit | $100 |
| Demolition permit | $150 |
| Moving a structure | $250 |
| Pool permit | $20 under 1,000 gallons; $100 for 1,000 gallons or more |
| Pool electrical | $45 in-ground; $17 above-ground |
| Lawn sprinkler system | $17 |
| Sign permit | $100; $150 with electric; $50 temporary |
| Re-inspection | $75 |
| Parkland fee | $400 per residential unit; $0.10 per sq ft of lot area for commercial or industrial |
| Sewer hook-up | $3,000 residential; $3,500 commercial; $4,500 industrial |
| Private sewer connection (septic) | $400 |
| Site plan | $250; $150 administrative |
For a new single-family house, the three trade permits on the schedule add up to $285 ($150 + $60 + $75), on top of the $400 parkland fee. The schedule lists other building permits at a $15 minimum, and the department prices a new-home building permit on application. Starting work without a permit carries a penalty of $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second and $1,000 for later ones.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work
Anyone doing electrical, plumbing or mechanical work in Lansing must hold a City of Lansing occupational or trade licence, except an owner doing all the work personally in the single-family home they own and live in, or will live in. Owner-occupants still need the permit and the inspections. Trade permits are issued by the same department. Licence fees on the 2026 schedule:
- Electrical and plumbing: contractor plus master $125, master $25, journeyman $10, apprentice $5.
- Mechanical: contractor plus master $125, master $25, installer $10.
- Construction occupational licence (other than the trades): $100.
How to get a Lansing building permit
Property outside Lansing’s limits is permitted by Leavenworth County.
Projects that need a site plan review, a conditional use permit or a variance go through the Planning Commission or the Board of Zoning Appeals before the building permit.
A site plan, the declared construction value and the project plans, with licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors named.
Start the application from the City’s Building Permits page.
Your architect or engineer responds to comments from the City, the Fire Department or the third-party reviewer.
Begin work only once the permit is issued, then give 24 hours’ notice for each inspection.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Lansing
Inspections need 24 hours’ notice. A request made before 3 p.m. is scheduled for the next business day; one made after 3 p.m. waits until the second business day after the request. The City inspects footings, pier holes, framing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, and the finished project. Each re-inspection costs $75.
Plan review and other local details
Review route: plans are sent on your behalf to the Fire Department and other City departments for comment. Commercial work, apartment buildings of three or more units and public buildings generally go to a third-party review firm, while houses and other permit types are usually reviewed in-house unless the structure is significant. The permit can be issued once every reviewer has signed off.
Sewer: a new home on City sewer pays the $3,000 residential hook-up fee; the schedule lists a separate $400 private sewer connection fee for septic.
Appeals: the Community and Economic Development section of the 2026 schedule lists appeals at $75 and a conditional use permit application, renewed every 5 years, at $150.
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 Lansing permit resources
- Lansing building permits, plan review and inspection times
- Lansing Community and Economic Development Department
- Lansing GovWell permit portal
- Lansing Ordinance 1148 and fee schedule (May 21, 2026)
- Lansing schedule of fees, May 15, 2025 (Ordinance 1132)
- Lansing ice and water shield letter (July 2023)
- Lansing Code of Ordinances, Chapter 4 Buildings and Construction
- Lansing Unified Development Ordinance
- Lansing City Council and Planning Commission agendas
Lansing permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Lansing, Kansas?
The City’s Community and Economic Development Department, 730 1st Terrace, Suite 2, phone 913-727-5488. Applications go through the GovWell portal.
Do I need a permit for a shed in Lansing?
Not if it is under 120 sq ft and under 10 ft tall. Any accessory building over 120 sq ft or 10 ft tall needs a permit before work starts.
Does a new roof need a permit?
Yes. Roofs are on the City’s permit list, and ice and water shield is required on every roofing job.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much are the trade permits for a new house?
$150 electrical, $60 mechanical and $75 plumbing, or $285 together, plus a $400 parkland fee per home. The building permit itself is priced on application.
How long does plan review take?
On average 2 to 3 weeks for the first review. Commercial plans are usually sent to a third-party review firm.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Give 24 hours’ notice. Requests after 3 p.m. are scheduled for the second business day.
Can I do my own electrical or plumbing work?
Yes, in a single-family home you own and live in, or will live in, if you do all the work yourself: the City code exempts owner-occupants from the trade licence, but the work still needs a permit and inspections. Everyone else doing electrical, plumbing or mechanical work needs a City of Lansing licence.
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More Kansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lansing permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.