Seward County, Kansas Building Permit Guide

Seward County enforces the 2024 International Codes on unincorporated land, and contractors working there or in the City of Kismet need a county licence and a county building permit with inspections from the Planning & Zoning Department, 515 N. Washington Ave., Suite 207, Liberal (620-626-3394). Residential permits are approved or denied within 10 working days of a complete application. Inside Liberal and its extraterritorial area, the City of Liberal Building Department issues permits instead.

Who issues permits in Seward County?

The Planning & Zoning Department administers the county’s zoning, subdivision, building, contractor licensing, floodplain and sanitation rules. Albert F. Gallegos is the Planning & Zoning Director; the office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and its fax is 620-604-9244. KDHE lists the department as the county’s local environmental protection program, so septic and water well permits come from the same office.

What needs a county permit

The county has adopted building codes for all of its unincorporated area. A building permit is generally needed for any construction or renovation, for any change to a building’s electrical, plumbing, structural or mechanical systems, and for placing a manufactured home. The county’s agricultural uses page says building permits are required for any structure built or placed in the county.

Resolution 2025-15 also removes five of the 2024 International Residential Code’s standard permit exemptions (items 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 of section R105.2) and six of the building code’s, so small projects that are exempt in many cities may need a permit here. Separate permits are required for electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, septic systems and water wells, and a floodplain development permit is required before any development in a mapped floodplain, including fill, grading, paving and storage of materials.

Agricultural land: parcels of 40 acres or more, or a full quarter-quarter section, are in the Agricultural zoning district. Farm buildings may qualify for an Agricultural Exemption, filed by the landowner with the building permit application, which waives the permit fee and limits the zoning review to floodplain rules and setbacks from roads and easements; the county says it does not change the building permit requirement. The county’s Zoning Use Permit application is the form used to verify that a parcel qualifies as agricultural for exemption of its agricultural or single-family residential use from zoning or building code requirements.

Applications and contractor licences

Apply through the county’s online permit portal or print the application and return it to the Planning & Zoning office. The county publishes forms for residential and non-residential building permits, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, fences, floodplain development, manufactured home installation, septic system installation, water well drilling, Agricultural Exemptions and Zoning Use Permits.

Who can apply: permits go to licensed contractors or qualified owner-occupants. An owner who will do the work on a house they own and live in signs an affidavit, must apply in person, and may build or substantially improve only one residence at a time. Non-residential permits are issued only to contractors with a current Seward County licence.

Contractor licensing: the 2024 Contractor Licensing Code (Resolution 2024-05) applies in the unincorporated county and participating cities. Applicants need a qualified agent’s Certificate of Competency (a standard exam passed with at least 75% plus documented experience), liability insurance naming Seward County as certificate holder ($500,000 per occurrence for limited contractors and $1,000,000 for all others), lists of certified employees and apprentices, and proof of authority to do business in Kansas for corporations. Journeymen and masters renew their certificates every year, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors need 12 hours of continuing education every two years. Licences expire on December 31 and can be renewed from December 1.

Permit fees

The 2025 code resolution says permit fees follow a fee schedule the County Commission adopts each year; the Building Permits page says fees are worked out when the application is submitted, and the schedule itself is not posted on the county website. Buildings that receive an Agricultural Exemption pay no permit fee, contractors licensed by the City of Liberal for the same year can get a county licence at a reduced fee, and late licence renewals (February 1 to March 31) carry a late fee.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic permits

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work each needs a county permit, filed with plans if they were not part of the building permit, by a licensed contractor or a qualified homeowner; in most cases a building permit must already be issued. The county’s electrical amendments require metal conduit, metal raceways or metal-clad cable for new or replaced wiring in commercial buildings, ban electrical nonmetallic tubing, require a service mast of at least 2 in. rigid conduit and an accessible disconnect on the outside of the building.

Septic systems need a Septic System Installation Permit from Planning & Zoning, filed by a licensed installer with a scaled site plan showing the system, well, house, outbuildings and roads. Separation distances follow the Seward County Sanitation Code and KDHE Bulletin 4-2; lateral lines are sized with a design loading rate of 0.6 gallons per day per sq ft unless the applicant submits a percolation test by an approved agent, and a replaced tank must be plugged to KDHE requirements. The department also performs septic inspections for lenders.

What to submit for a house

• Completed building permit application, with the owner’s affidavit if no contractor is used
• Site plan drawn to scale with dimensions, showing the entrance, well, septic system, electric lines, house and other structures, lot lines, roads and any easements or rights of way
• A current Seward County contractor licence with insurance on file, or proof that the owner qualifies
• Three copies of construction documents showing compliance with the adopted residential code, including braced wall lines, flooring and roof materials, crawl space and attic ventilation and documentation for engineered joists and trusses
• Electrical, plumbing and mechanical plans (separate permits)
• A Kansas One-Call (Dig Safe) ticket number and the estimated completion date

Commercial applications add plans stamped by a Kansas-licensed design professional, a site plan with driveways, parking, drainage and utilities, and electrical, plumbing and mechanical plans; some projects need a conditional use permit first, and larger projects can take longer than 10 working days. Only one residential structure is allowed on a parcel, and lot splits must meet the zoning and subdivision regulations before permits are issued.

How to get a Seward County building permit

Inspections and permit time limits

Permit holders are responsible for making sure every required inspection is done, and a final inspection is carried out before the building is occupied. A permit becomes void if work does not start within 90 days, and it expires one year after issue regardless of how far the work has progressed. Construction sites must be secured against unauthorized entry, and sites with hazardous areas or large equipment need temporary safety fencing unless the building official waives it. Continuing work after a stop work order carries a fine of $100 to $500, with each day counted as a separate offense.

County code amendments to know

Seward County’s 2024 residential code amendments make fire sprinklers in one- and two-family homes and townhouses optional, set footings at no less than 18 in. wide and 10 in. thick, use a 30 in. frost depth and limit the frost-protection exemption for small buildings to 400 sq ft instead of 600 sq ft. The County Commission adopted the codes as Resolution 2025-15 after a public hearing on September 15, 2025; the county’s building codes page still refers to the earlier Resolution 2018-18.

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 Seward County permitting resources

• Seward County Planning & Zoning
• Seward County building permits and application forms
• Seward County online permit portal
• Seward County adopted building codes
• Seward County Resolution 2025-15, 2024 construction codes and amendments
• Seward County Commission minutes, September 15, 2025 (code adoption)
• Seward County residential building permit application and requirements
• Seward County non-residential building permit application
• Seward County septic system installation permit
• Seward County agricultural uses and exemptions
• Seward County Zoning Use Permit application
• Seward County floodplain management
• Seward County contractor licensing
• Seward County Contractor Licensing Code (2024)
• Seward County zoning, subdivision and sanitation regulations
• City of Liberal Building Department

Seward County permit FAQs

Do I need a building permit in rural Seward County?

Yes. The county has adopted building codes for all unincorporated land and requires a permit for construction and renovation, trade work and manufactured home placement. Farm buildings may qualify for an Agricultural Exemption that waives the fee.

Who issues permits in Kismet?

Seward County Planning & Zoning. Contractors working in Kismet must be licensed with the county and get county building permits and inspections.

Who issues permits near Liberal?

The City of Liberal Building Department handles projects inside Liberal and in its extraterritorial area.

How long does a county permit take?

Residential applications are approved or denied within 10 working days once all required information is in; larger commercial projects may take longer.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, an owner who lives in the house can, by signing an affidavit and applying in person, for one residence at a time. Commercial permits go only to licensed contractors.

Who issues septic permits?

Seward County Planning & Zoning, which runs the county’s sanitation program and requires a licensed installer.

Simplify Seward County 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 Seward County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.