The City of Leavenworth’s Inspections and Permits Division (913-684-0378) issues building and trade permits inside city limits. You email the application and the signed Requirement Agreement to permits@leavenworthks.gov, and the first review takes up to 10 business days, or 3 to 5 weeks for commercial work. Building permit fees follow the valuation table in the City’s fee schedule effective January 1, 2026: a $250,000 job costs $2,077.
Who issues building permits in Leavenworth?
The Inspections and Permits Division, part of Public Works, enforces the building and construction codes inside the city, issues building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits and carries out the inspections. Under the City code the building official is the Public Works Director or a designated agent. Fence and sign permits, setbacks, zoning and historic district questions go to Planning and Community Development instead.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Inspections and Permits Division | City Hall, 100 N. 5th Street, Leavenworth, KS 66048; 913-684-0378; permits@leavenworthks.gov; Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Trade licences | licensing@leavenworthks.gov |
| Fence, sign, zoning and setbacks | Planning and Community Development, 913-680-2626 |
| Business licences | City Clerk, 913-682-9201 |
| Work on public sewer mains | Water Pollution Control, 913-682-1090, before you dig |
The City permits work inside its own limits. Land outside the city in Leavenworth County is permitted by Leavenworth County Planning and Zoning.
What requires a permit in Leavenworth?
A building permit is needed to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, convert or demolish any building or structure, and each structure needs its own permit. The City’s residential pages list new homes, additions, renovations, accessory buildings, pools and hot tubs, pergolas, decks and porches, roofs, siding, and window and door change-outs, including like-for-like replacements.
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Get a free quote →Separate permits
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, on top of any building permit
- Land disturbance for a new home, duplex or addition, and possibly for dirt work over 100 sq ft for a detached structure
- Fences and signs, through Planning and Community Development
- Driveways and sidewalks in the public right-of-way
No building permit
- One-story sheds and playhouses up to 120 sq ft
- Retaining walls up to 4 ft that hold back no surcharge
- Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets and countertops
- Prefabricated above-ground pools under 24 in. deep and up to 5,000 gallons
- Replacing switches, receptacles, light fixtures, thermostats, and plumbing fixtures such as toilets, sinks, faucets, disposals and dishwashers (city amendments)
What to submit
New home, duplex or addition
- Building and Construction Permit Application listing finished, unfinished and garage square footage
- Signed Requirement Agreement
- Building plans and elevation plans showing foundation, sidewalk and driveway elevations
- Site plan with setbacks, sewer connection and erosion control; for a new home it must be drawn by a Kansas licensed surveyor
- Land Disturbance Permit application
- Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit applications
New commercial building or addition
- Commercial permit application and contractor information form
- One digital sealed set of plans
- Sealed specifications and structural calculations
- Code footprint under K.A.R. 22-1-7
- Items in the City’s Commercial Plan Review Packet
- Land Disturbance Permit application
Renovations need a description of the work, a floor plan and the estimated construction cost. Detached structures need a site plan, for which an aerial view from the City’s GIS map can be used, and a letter of intent signed by the homeowner. Applications missing documents are delayed, and the division does not expedite reviews.
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Get a free quote →Leavenworth permit fees
The City’s fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 prices building permits on the total valuation of the work. The application asks for the value of the work, and the City’s residential pages note that its estimated valuations for decks, roofs, additions and new homes rose from July 1, 2025.
| Valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $24 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $24 for the first $500 + $3 per additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $40,000 | $69 for the first $2,000 + $11 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $40,001 to $100,000 | $487 for the first $40,000 + $9 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,027 for the first $100,000 + $7 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,827 for the first $500,000 + $5 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $6,327 for the first $1,000,000 + $3 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $5,000,000 | $18,327 for the first $5,000,000 + $1 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
Commercial projects (apartment buildings of three or more units, commercial and public buildings, and others the building official names) also pay a plan review fee of 65% of the permit fee, which the building official may waive. For example, a $300,000 commercial project has a $2,427 permit fee ($1,027 + 200 × $7) and a $1,577.55 plan review fee, $4,004.55 together. A $250,000 job carries a $2,077 permit fee ($1,027 + 150 × $7).
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →Other charges: $47 per re-inspection hour; demolition $10 to $50 for sheds, garages and houses by size and $150 for multi-family, commercial and industrial buildings; $250 to move a structure; $125 for a floodplain determination. The land disturbance permit is free for a single home, duplex or townhome and $250 for a non-residential site up to 5 acres. Work started before the permit is issued draws an investigation fee equal to the permit fee.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
Trade permits are separate from the building permit and must be pulled whenever trade work is done. Each starts with a $24 base fee plus item fees; an electrical service adds $15 to $50 by amperage, each plumbing fixture $7, and a furnace $15, or $18 over 100,000 Btu/h.
Everyone working in the electrical, mechanical or plumbing trades inside the city needs a City of Leavenworth licence; general contractors need no City contractor licence. Contractor licences cost $200 a year and need a $1,000,000 liability insurance certificate and a master-level test score of 75% or better; master and journeyman licences are $35 (the City issues no mechanical journeyman licence) and apprentices $15. Licences expire on December 31, the City accepts ICC and IAPMO exam scores, and renewals need 12 hours of continuing education every two years. A homeowner may do licensed work on their own home but must pull the permits and pass the inspections.
How to get a Leavenworth building permit
The City permits only inside its limits; ask Planning and Community Development about setbacks and zoning first.
Use the form on the City page for your project type, plus the Requirement Agreement where the page lists one.
New homes need a surveyor’s site plan showing the sewer connection and erosion control, and a land disturbance application.
Send everything to permits@leavenworthks.gov at one time; trade licence applications go to licensing@leavenworthks.gov.
Up to 10 business days for most projects and 3 to 5 weeks for commercial plans, which an outside engineer reviews before zoning, the clerk, fire, inspections and engineering sign off.
Do not start until the permit is issued, then call 913-684-0378 for each inspection.
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Get a free quote →Inspections
City inspectors inspect commercial and residential work daily. Detached structures are inspected at footings, which must be at least 36 in. deep and 12 in. wide, framing, any trade rough-ins and final. Roof replacements need an on-site mid-phase inspection while the ice and water shield is being installed, then a final; window and door change-outs need a framing inspection and siding a final inspection. A permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days.
Local rules worth knowing
Codes: the City moved to the 2018 International Codes on May 1, 2020. Its permit application lists the 2018 International Residential, Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Pool and Spa and Fire Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code. Projects submitted before that date stay under the 2006 codes unless noted.
Roofing: ice and water shield is required on full tear-offs and re-roofs, two layers of roofing are still allowed, and anyone roofing a property they do not own must be registered with the State of Kansas and give the City the registration.
Sewer: anyone digging around or to a public sanitary sewer main must call Water Pollution Control at 913-682-1090 first, and new-home site plans must show the sewer connection, which may carry connection fees.
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 Leavenworth permit resources
- Leavenworth Inspections and Permits Division
- Leavenworth residential construction permits
- Leavenworth new home and addition requirements
- Leavenworth commercial construction permits
- Leavenworth M.E.P. trade licences and permits
- Leavenworth inspections FAQ
- Leavenworth fee schedule effective January 1, 2026
- Leavenworth Ordinance 8126 adopting the 2018 codes
- Leavenworth building and construction permit application (PDF)
Leavenworth permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in Leavenworth, Kansas?
The City’s Inspections and Permits Division at City Hall, 100 N. 5th Street, 913-684-0378 or permits@leavenworthks.gov.
How much is a building permit in Leavenworth?
It depends on the valuation: for example $2,077 for a $250,000 project and $1,727 for $200,000, plus 65% for plan review on commercial projects, and separate trade permits.
How long does plan review take?
Up to 10 business days for the first review of most projects, and 3 to 5 weeks for commercial projects. The City does not expedite reviews.
Do I need a permit for a fence?
Fences up to 6 ft are exempt from a building permit, but fence permits are issued by Planning and Community Development (913-680-2626).
Do I need a permit to replace windows or a roof?
Yes. Window and door change-outs need a permit and framing inspection even for the same size, and re-roofs need a permit with mid-phase and final inspections.
Does a general contractor need a City licence?
No. Leavenworth licenses electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors and workers, not general contractors.
How long is a permit valid?
180 days. It becomes void if work does not start within 180 days or is stopped for 180 days.
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More Kansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Leavenworth permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.