Leawood, Kansas Building Permit Guide

In Leawood, building permits are issued by the City’s Codes Administration office at City Hall, 4800 Town Center Drive (913-663-9165, codesadmin@leawood.org), and every application goes through the Access Leawood online portal. Under the 2026 Fee Schedule a house valued at $400,000 pays a $2,192 building permit fee plus $219.20 for plan review, and contractors need both a Leawood business licence and, for most trades, a Johnson County contractor’s licence.

What needs a permit in Leawood?

Codes Administration lists the permit types it issues for work inside the city:

Some projects also need a separate approval: Planning reviews roofing material and color applications, work in the public right-of-way needs a Public Works permit, and removing a street tree needs a permit from Public Works.

Who issues building permits in Leawood?

Codes Administration enforces the City’s building code, floodplain, erosion control and development ordinances. Its staff review plans, issue permits, carry out inspections and enforce permitted work on new and existing buildings. Travis Torrez is the Code Services Director.

Leawood issues permits only inside its limits. Unincorporated Johnson County is permitted by the County’s Building Codes Division in Olathe (913-715-2200, option 1).

Leawood building permit fees

Fees for 2026 come from the City’s 2026 Fee Schedule, adopted by Resolution 6456 on December 15, 2025. The building permit fee and the footing and foundation permit fee are both read from the valuation table below.

For example, a house valued at $400,000 pays $992 plus 300 × $4, a $2,192 building permit, and 10% of that, $219.20, for plan review. A new home also pays $100 for each mechanical, electrical and plumbing subcontractor and a $50 land disturbance fee per lot. The schedule attaches square-foot construction costs by building type, with $20 per sq ft for unfinished basements and $25 for finished basements in homes, and reductions of 40% for shell buildings and 50% for tenant finishes.

Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and elevator permits

Codes Administration issues mechanical, electrical, plumbing and elevator permits as well as building permits. On a building project, each mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractor is charged the subcontractor fee shown above. An elevator permit costs $100 for each piece of equipment in a one- or two-family home and $300 in commercial and multi-family buildings.

Licensing: every contractor working in Leawood needs a City of Leawood business licence (the 2026 fee for contractors is $60), and general contractors, roofers, electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors also need a valid Johnson County contractor’s licence from the County’s Contractor Licensing division (913-715-2233). The City’s builder resources also include a Kansas roofing registration document.

Plans and submittals

Applications, plans and permit documents are uploaded through Access Leawood. Codes Administration publishes separate information sheets for new single-family homes, additions, remodels, decks, fences, pools, generators, roofing, demolition, erosion control, street tree protection and commercial permits, along with notes on cold weather concrete and special inspections.

• New homes and teardowns: a tree protection plan is required when a house is built on a vacant lot, a house is torn down, a remodel adds more than 400 sq ft to the footprint, or a remodel tears down more than 10% of the existing structure. A Parks certified arborist reviews it with the building plans.
• Single-family sites: erosion and sediment control follows the City’s Single Family Residential Erosion and Sediment Control Standards.
• Commercial and multi-family: plan review is charged on the total permit fee, including subcontractor and fire sprinkler fees; fire alarm plans are reviewed for $0.03 per sq ft, $100 minimum.

How to get a Leawood building permit

Inspections in Leawood

Building inspections are requested through Access Leawood at any hour. Items in the City right-of-way, such as driveway approaches and sidewalks, are inspected and approved by Public Works, and those requests are made in the same portal. A re-inspection costs $100, and completing construction activities without inspection approval carries a $100 fee for the first offense and $200 for each later one. Codes inspectors also check tree protection zones during construction.

Local Leawood details

Codes: Leawood has enforced the 2018 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Energy Conservation, Fire, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing, Property Maintenance and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes, with City amendments, and the 2017 National Electrical Code since May 1, 2020.

Street trees: since June 16, 2025 no street tree may be removed without a Public Works permit, which is free.

Land disturbance and floodplain: grading and excavation for development projects pays $250 per disturbed acre ($250 minimum), and work in the regulated floodplain needs a floodplain development permit from Public Works, which is free.

Right-of-way work: a 90-day general right-of-way permit for items such as a driveway approach, sidewalk, curb or irrigation costs $50 per element per parcel.

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

Official Leawood permit resources

• Leawood Codes Administration: permits, inspections, codes and contractor licensing
• Leawood Licenses & Permits: Access Leawood registration and contacts
• Access Leawood online permit portal
• Leawood 2026 Fee Schedule, Resolution 6456 (PDF)
• Leawood fee schedules, 2020 to 2026
• Leawood Governing Body, September 8, 2026 (2027 Fee Schedule)
• Johnson County Contractor Licensing
• Johnson County Building Codes (unincorporated land)

Leawood permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Leawood?

The City’s Codes Administration office at City Hall, 4800 Town Center Drive. Call 913-663-9165 or email codesadmin@leawood.org.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Leawood?

In 2026 a house valued at $400,000 pays $2,192, plus 10% plan review ($219.20), $100 for each mechanical, electrical and plumbing subcontractor and a $50 land disturbance fee. Higher fees take effect on January 1, 2027.

How do I apply for a permit?

Register a new account on Access Leawood and submit the application and plans there. The same portal is used to request inspections.

Do contractors need a licence to work in Leawood?

Yes. All contractors need a Leawood business licence, and general, roofing, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors also need a Johnson County contractor’s licence.

Do I need a permit to re-roof or build a fence?

Yes. Re-roofing and fences are on the City’s list of permit types, and Planning charges $75 for a roofing material and color application.

Can I remove a tree in the street right-of-way?

Only with a Public Works permit, which is free. New homes, teardowns and large remodels also need a tree protection plan with the building permit.

Simplify Leawood permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Kansas. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Leawood permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.