For unincorporated Saline County, the Planning and Zoning Department at 229 North 9th Street in Salina (785-309-5813) issues the county building permit, which carries no fee. You apply through the county’s online forms or at the office, and the permit is reviewed by the county health, public works and planning and zoning departments. Non-agricultural buildings other than single-family homes must also meet the Uniform Building Code, and the City of Salina reviews and inspects them under a city-county agreement.
Chapter 5 of the Saline County Code, last updated in September 2025, sets the rules: a permit for each building or structure, review for floodplain, zoning, driveway entrance, subdivision, private sewage and groundwater rules, and a permit that expires if work does not start within 120 days or finish within one year. Saline County Environmental Health, in the same office, enforces the sanitary code and issues septic permits. Salina and the part of Solomon inside the county permit their own work.
Unincorporated Saline County, including the unincorporated townsites of Bridgeport, Falun, Hedville and Kipp, which have their own zoning maps. The seven cities are listed in the next section.
The city inspects the county’s commercial work. Under Chapter 5, non-agricultural, non-single-family structures must meet the Uniform Building Code, and their review and inspection is done by the City of Salina’s permits and inspection office. Houses and farm buildings get the county permit only, which checks zoning, floodplain, entrance, sewage and water.
What requires a building permit in Saline County?
No building or structure, signs included, may be put up, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved or converted in the unincorporated county without a separate county permit for each one. The department’s plain-language test is a new structure larger than 10 by 12 feet, a change to a building’s footprint or roofline, or a remodel that raises the structure’s value by 50% or more.
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- New dwellings, and the placement or replacement of a dwelling
- Accessory structures with more than 120 square feet of roof area
- Residential additions and any change to a footprint or roofline
- Remodels that improve a structure’s value by 50% or more, and alterations over 50% of value in the 100-year floodplain
- Signs, swimming pools, above-ground gas or liquid tanks, billboards and wind chargers, which Chapter 5 counts as structures
- Commercial and other non-agricultural, non-single-family buildings, which also need a City of Salina building permit
No county building permit
- One-story sheds, playhouses and similar buildings with no more than 120 square feet of roof area (setbacks still apply)
- Interior alterations, and exterior alterations that do not enlarge the structure (in the 100-year floodplain, only up to 50% of the structure’s value)
- Residential fences up to 6 feet high, with vision clearance kept at intersections and alleys
- Walks and driveways; a new driveway entrance still needs Public Works approval
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
Saline County building department: who handles permitting
Planning and Zoning administers Chapter 5 and the zoning and subdivision regulations; Tim Hamilton is the Planning and Zoning Administrator. Each permit is reviewed by the county health, public works and planning and zoning departments, and other permits usually have to be in hand before the building permit is issued.
| Office | Contact | Handles |
|---|---|---|
| Planning and Zoning | 229 North 9th Street, Salina, KS 67401; 785-309-5813; Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 4:00 pm | County building permit, zoning certificate, floodplain development permit, zoning changes, subdivisions, variances |
| Environmental Health | Same address and phone; Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm | Septic permits, wells, real estate transaction inspections, licensed contractors |
| Road and Bridge | Saline County Road and Bridge Department | Driveway entrance permits, oversize loads, building moves |
| City of Salina | Building Services, 785-309-5715 | Building permits for non-agricultural, non-single-family structures in the county |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| City (2025 pop.) | Who issues building permits | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Salina (46,094) | City of Salina | Permits for buildings, plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, demolition and signs |
| Solomon (a small part) | City of Solomon building inspector | The city lies mainly in Dickinson County |
| Assaria (421), Gypsum (387), Brookville (236), Smolan (158), New Cambria (106) | Not stated in published sources | Ask the city clerk before building |
In 2025, building permits issued in unincorporated Saline County authorized 16 new privately owned housing units, all of them single-family homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey.
Permit types
Residential permits
A new home needs to meet the zoning setbacks (Planning and Zoning), an entrance permit (Road and Bridge), proof of water from a rural water district or the health office, and a percolation test (Environmental Health). A single-family permit is available on a legal agricultural split or a legal platted lot. The county applies no construction code to a single-family house or a farm building. Its online forms are split into a residential building permit (new homes, remodels, additions and accessory buildings), a commercial building permit, and an other and sign permit for work such as foundation stabilization, demolition and commercial signs.
Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles home building permits, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.
Commercial permits
A commercial, industrial or other non-agricultural, non-single-family building gets the county permit and a City of Salina building permit, with plan review and inspection under the Uniform Building Code by the city’s permits and inspection office. Solar energy systems and battery energy storage systems have their own zoning amendments (Resolutions 24-2408 and 25-2423).
For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Moving a building
Building moves are permitted through Road and Bridge Policy 2025-101, adopted by Resolution 25-2433 on September 2, 2025.
Kansas has no state licence for general contractors or the main trades; cities and counties license them under state rules. Roofers register with the Attorney General. Kansas rules
Saline County permit costs and fees
Chapter 5 states that there is no fee for the county building permit. Other offices charge for their own permits.
| Item | Who charges | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| County building permit | Planning and Zoning | No fee |
| Building permit for non-agricultural, non-single-family structures | City of Salina | City permit fees apply |
| Septic and well permits | Environmental Health | Health department fees apply |
| Driveway entrance permit | Road and Bridge | Public works fee applies |
| Card payments to Planning and Zoning | Planning and Zoning | 2.5% card fee |
Rather not deal with the Saline County building department?
Get a free quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Where trade work is regulated
- On non-agricultural, non-single-family buildings, the City of Salina’s permit and inspections cover the building under the Uniform Building Code
- A new septic permit is needed for any change to a septic system, such as adding lateral lines or a new tank
- Environmental Health keeps the list of licensed septic contractors and handles real estate transaction inspections
Not issued by the county
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits for houses and farm buildings in the unincorporated county
- Contractor or trade licences
Trade work is permitted separately under the codes the jurisdiction has adopted. Kansas rules
How to apply for a Saline County building permit
Make sure it is outside the cities, is a legal agricultural split or platted lot, and find its zoning and floodplain status on the county zoning map and FEMA’s flood map service.
Setbacks depend on the zoning district and building type; the Planning and Zoning office gives them by phone.
Get proof of water from the rural water district or health office, a percolation test and septic permit from Environmental Health, and an entrance permit from Road and Bridge.
File the building permit form online or at the office; there is no county fee.
Non-agricultural, non-single-family buildings go through the city’s plan review, fees and inspections.
A permit lapses if work has not begun in 120 days or is not finished within one year.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
Because health, public works and planning and zoning all review the permit and other approvals usually come first, the county permit waits for the septic, water and entrance pieces. Parcels that were not legally split cannot receive a single-family permit.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Saline County
The county has no building inspectors and makes no construction inspections of houses or farm buildings. For non-agricultural, non-single-family buildings, the City of Salina inspects; it schedules commercial final inspections and site visits on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, and other times can be requested at 785-309-5715. Environmental Health inspects septic work and carries out real estate transaction inspections when a property with a septic system or well is sold.
Saline County permit search and official resources
- Saline County Planning and Zoning — building permit FAQs, staff and contacts
- Saline County Code, Chapter 5 (Buildings) — permit rules, exemptions, fees and expiry, updated September 2025
- Code of Saline County — zoning, subdivision and other chapters
- Saline County online permit forms — residential, commercial, and other and sign permit applications
- Zoning applications — rezoning, plats, conditional uses and townsite zoning maps
- Saline County Environmental Health — septic, wells and real estate inspections
- City of Salina Building Services — permits and inspections for non-single-family buildings
- Kansas State Board of Technical Professions — when a licensed architect or engineer must seal the drawings
- Office of the Kansas State Fire Marshal — the Kansas Fire Prevention Code, mandatory statewide
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Frequently asked questions
Does the Saline County building permit cost anything?
No. Chapter 5 sets no fee for the county permit, but city building, health and driveway entrance permits carry their own fees.
When do I need a permit in unincorporated Saline County?
For a new structure larger than 10 by 12 feet, a change to a footprint or roofline, or a remodel that raises the value by 50% or more.
Which building code applies?
The Uniform Building Code, for non-agricultural, non-single-family buildings, enforced by the City of Salina. Houses and farm buildings have no county construction code.
Who permits a septic system?
Saline County Environmental Health at 229 North 9th Street (785-309-5813). A new permit is needed for any change, such as added lateral lines or a new tank.
How long is a permit good for?
Work must start within 120 days and be finished within one year of the permit date.
Does the county issue permits inside Salina?
No. Salina and the part of Solomon in the county issue their own; for Assaria, Gypsum, Brookville, Smolan and New Cambria the published sources do not say.
Simplify Saline County permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Saline County the county is the jurisdiction and its resolution is the whole of the standard. We read that resolution, confirm the water and wastewater position at the parcel, and file with the office that holds it.
Ready to break ground in Saline County sooner?
Send us the scope and the parcel. We confirm the review path with the Saline County Planning and Zoning Department, assemble the submittal, file it, and track it through issuance — corrections included.
More Kansas permitting guides
More Kansas permitting guides
Reno County
Read guide →Riley County
Read guide →Butler County
Read guide →Sedgwick County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Seward County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Shawnee Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Saline County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.