For unincorporated Miami County, building permits come from Building Code Services in the County Administration Building, 201 S. Pearl Street, Suite 201, Paola (913-294-4145), which enforces the 2018 International Codes. A new house needs a soil profile analysis and septic permit, $350 each, before the building permit; the permit fee follows a valuation table, so a $300,000 house pays $2,114 plus a $50 plan review fee. Paola, Louisburg, Osawatomie, Spring Hill and Fontana issue their own permits.
Who issues permits in Miami County?
The Code Services Department enforces the construction and onsite wastewater codes in the unincorporated county. Building Code Services reviews plans, issues building permits, inspects and licenses contractors; Environmental Health (913-294-4117) permits and inspects septic systems and private wells and licenses septic installers, designers and pumpers. Jason Leadbetter directs both. Zoning, subdivisions, floodplain permits and site plans are handled by the Planning and Zoning Department (913-294-9553, planning@miamicountyks.org). Offices are open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The county building code applies to the unincorporated area and to any city that adopts it; Fontana has adopted it. The cities:
| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Miami County | County Building Code Services, 201 S. Pearl St., Suite 201, Paola; 913-294-4145 |
| Paola (pop. 5,880) | City Community Development (Building Inspection); City Hall 913-259-3600 |
| Louisburg (pop. 5,299) | City Planning & Development, with an online permit site; City Hall 913-837-3191 |
| Osawatomie (pop. 4,215) | City Building, Planning and Zoning; 913-755-2146 |
| Spring Hill (Miami County part, pop. 4,047) | City Community Development, E-Permits online; 913-592-3657 |
| Fontana (pop. 234) | City building permit from the City Clerk at City Hall, 212 East North St., 913-557-0606; the city adopted the Miami County building code, its fee article and its contractor licensing code by Ordinance 217 (2011) |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →What needs a county building permit
Building Code Services administers the county’s minimum standards for new buildings, additions, remodels, repairs and changes of use, and most proposed buildings need plan review before the permit is issued. The county publishes permit guidance for:
Permit guides
- New homes and additions
- Residential remodels and repairs
- Accessory and agricultural buildings (conventional, post frame and steel frame)
- Manufactured and modular homes
- Moving buildings and demolition
- Swimming pools and decks
Separate approvals
- Soil profile and septic permit from Environmental Health
- Driveway entrance permit on a county road
- Floodplain development permit from Planning and Zoning
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical unit permits for work not part of a new-home permit
Agricultural buildings are exempt from the technical code provisions, but they still need a permit; an agricultural exemption costs $50 and involves no inspections unless electrical, plumbing or mechanical work is included.
Miami County permit fees
Fees are in Article 3 of the county building code, as amended by Resolution R22-12-067 and posted as the permit fees in effect after February 8, 2023. The code official sets the valuation from the ICC Building Valuation Data table, and fees are rounded up to the next whole dollar.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $23.50 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $23.50 for the first $500 + $3.05 per additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $69.25 for the first $2,000 + $14 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $391.75 for the first $25,000 + $10.10 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $643.75 for the first $50,000 + $7 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $993.75 for the first $100,000 + $5.60 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,233.75 for the first $500,000 + $4.75 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $1,000,000 | $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000 + $3.65 per additional $1,000 or fraction |
For example, a house valued at $300,000 pays $993.75 + 200 × $5.60 = $2,113.75, rounded up to $2,114, plus the $50 single-family plan review fee. Manufactured homes and detached residential accessory buildings are charged on half the valuation, and agricultural buildings pay a flat $50.
Other charges in Table 1-B: commercial plan review at 25% of the permit fee or $50 an hour, extra review time $50 an hour, re-inspections $50, after-hours inspections $100 an hour with a 2-hour minimum, a certificate of occupancy for a change of use $150, and demolition of a house $50. Stand-alone unit permits: electrical service $50 up to 200 amps, $75 up to 400 and $200 above; solar or wind systems $400; a new furnace, water heater or central air unit $50 (replacements in a house $25); plumbing $50 plus $15 per added fixture; decks $75; in-ground pools $200 and above-ground $100; residential re-roofing $25. Work started without a permit pays an investigation fee equal to the permit fee.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What to submit for a new home or addition
- A completed building permit application
- Environmental Health clearance showing the soil profile analysis is done and the septic application made
- A copy of the deed with the full legal description
- A highway entrance permit application ($50)
- Signed letters, contracts or affidavits from each contractor listed, or the county’s owner affidavit for licensed work you will do yourself
- Two site plans, prepared by a registered surveyor with construction staking when the building is within 20 ft of a required setback or the parcel is under 100 ft wide
- Two full sets of building plans, generally sealed by a Kansas licensed architect or engineer, showing floor areas, foundations with 36-in. footings, framing, braced wall panels and trusses
Applications and plans can be emailed to comdev@miamicountyks.org as PDF files only, keeping their scale, up to about 20 MB and attached rather than linked.
How to get a county building permit
Planning and Zoning confirms the district, setbacks, lot size and whether the land is in a floodplain.
Environmental Health performs the $350 analysis; the septic design must be approved and the $350 installation permit issued before the building permit.
The $50 highway entrance permit is filed at Code Services; Road and Bridge (913-294-4377) sets the location and any bond.
Send the application, site plans and plans in person or by email; incomplete plans are returned for correction.
Approved plans are stamped Reviewed for Compliance and must be on the job site for every inspection; plan review fees are paid when the permit is issued.
Request each inspection at least one day ahead at 913-294-4145.
Rather not deal with the Miami County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections
The county inspects up to 15 disciplines on a typical single-family home, and the full list of required inspections comes with the permit. The person named on the permit requests each inspection at least one day ahead by calling 913-294-4145. Re-inspections cost $50, for example when work is not ready, corrections are not done, the approved plans are not on site or the address is not posted. The first temporary certificate of occupancy is free; each further one costs $100.
Local rules worth knowing
Contractor licences: the county licenses building trade contractors and septic installers, designers and pumpers for the whole unincorporated area. Fontana, Louisburg and Spring Hill accept a Miami County licence, and Osawatomie requires one before a contractor can register with the city. Roofers also need a Kansas Attorney General registration.
Data center prohibition: on March 18, 2026 the County Commission unanimously approved Resolution R26-03-012, prohibiting the construction or operation of data centers, including cryptocurrency mining and related substations and cooling systems, for 36 months or until the county adopts data center regulations, whichever comes first.
Planning fees: a conditional use permit costs $600, a rezoning $500 ($1,000 for a planned development), a lot split $200, a variance $500, a minor floodplain development permit $100 and a standard one $500. The Planning Commission meets on the first Tuesday of each month.
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 Miami County permitting resources
- Miami County Building Code Services
- Miami County adopted codes and building regulations
- Miami County permit fees after February 8, 2023 (PDF)
- How to obtain a residential building permit (PDF)
- Miami County building permit application guidelines
- Miami County electronic submittal policy (PDF)
- Miami County inspections
- Miami County contractor licensing
- Miami County septic systems
- Miami County Planning and Zoning
- Miami County planning and zoning fee chart
- Cities in Miami County
- City of Paola permits
- City of Louisburg building permits
- City of Osawatomie forms and permits
- City of Spring Hill Community Development
- City of Fontana City Hall and ordinances
Miami County permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in rural Miami County?
Miami County Building Code Services, 201 S. Pearl Street, Suite 201, Paola, 913-294-4145.
Which building codes does Miami County use?
The 2018 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Fire, Existing Building and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code.
How much is a building permit for a new house?
It depends on the valuation: a $300,000 house pays $2,114 after rounding, plus $50 for plan review, the $350 soil profile and $350 septic permit, and the $50 entrance permit.
Do I need the septic permit first?
Yes. The soil profile analysis must be done before you apply, and the building permit is not issued until the septic design is approved and its permit or connection permit issued.
Do farm buildings need a permit?
Yes. Agricultural buildings are exempt from the technical code provisions but still need a permit; the agricultural exemption fee is $50.
Can I email my application?
Yes, to comdev@miamicountyks.org, as PDF attachments of about 20 MB or less.
How far ahead do I book inspections?
At least one day ahead, by calling 913-294-4145.
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More Kansas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Miami County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.