Raymore, Missouri Building Permit Guide

In Raymore, building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits come from the City’s Building Inspections Division, not Cass County; apply through the online permit portal or on the City’s fillable forms. A house is charged $4.00 per $1,000 of building valuation plus an $84 plan review fee, rising to $4.50 and $120 on November 1, 2026, and new homes also pay the City’s transportation excise tax of $2,554 per trip ($2,631 from November 1).

What requires a building permit in Raymore?

Chapter 500 of the City Code requires a permit to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building, and to install or replace electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems. The City publishes separate applications for new homes, remodels and additions, basement finishes, decks, sheds, fences, roofing, solar collectors, above-ground pools, lawn irrigation, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, demolition and moving, signs and on-site sewage systems.

No construction work, including excavation and hauling, may take place between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. without a special nighttime building permit. Work inside a closed-in building without heavy equipment is exempt, and from June 1 to August 31 roofing, wood framing of homes and paving may run from dawn to dusk.

Raymore building department: who handles permitting

The Building Inspections Division of Development Services reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects construction in the city. Jon Woerner is the Building Official. Public Works inspects sidewalks, driveway approaches, water and sewer taps and meters. The South Metropolitan Fire District at 611 Foxwood Drive charges its own plan review and inspection fees, separate from the City’s. Cass County’s Building Codes, Zoning & Environmental Health department (816-380-8134) issues county permits; Raymore’s permits cover property inside the city.

Raymore applications and contractor licences

Register and apply through the City’s online permit portal, which also takes permit fee payments, or download the fillable application for the job. The applications page also has a residential plan review checklist, plot plan requirements, a deck worksheet, basement finishing and commercial tenant finish guidelines and cold-weather concrete rules.

Contractor licences: anyone contracting for construction or for mechanical, plumbing or electrical work needs a City occupational licence in one of five classes: A general contractor, B building contractor (up to three stories), C residential contractor, D mechanical, electrical or plumbing contractor, and E subcontractor. To qualify, a contractor needs a passing score of 70% on a recognized certification test, a related bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent licence from Johnson County, Kansas or another municipality accepted by the Building Official; electrical contractors may use a Missouri state electrical contractor licence. Licences expire on December 31 and renewal needs eight continuing education credits. Class A, B and C contractors also need the City’s annual erosion and sediment control certificate from Engineering.

Homeowners: an owner who lives in a single-family house can take out permits for their own work on it, provided they buy the materials and do the labor. Any subcontractors they hire must be licensed. The City asks homeowners to sign a warning notice, and they must call for each inspection and be present for it.

Raymore permit fees

Fees come from the Schedule of Fees and Charges adopted November 1, 2025. On August 10, 2026 the City Council passed Resolution 26-34 approving the fiscal 2027 schedule, which takes effect on November 1, 2026 and raises the residential building and plan review fees, the excise tax and the tap fees.

Valuation comes from the latest International Code Council building valuation table; for a house it is the living area times the cost per square foot plus the garage area times its cost per square foot. Starting work without a permit costs an investigation fee of three times the permit fee, and the Building Official may refund up to 80% of a permit when no work has been done.

Transportation excise tax: new homes pay a license tax surcharge equal to the trips the use generates times the rate per trip, $2,554 until October 31, 2026 and $2,631 from November 1. The City’s trip table rates a single-family detached house at 1.01 trips, so the tax on one new house is $2,579.54 until October 31 and $2,657.31 from November 1. It is paid to the City Clerk before the building permit is issued. Non-residential buildings pay ($683 a trip, $703 from November 1) only on property that receives an economic development incentive.

Water and sewer: a 3/4-inch water tap costs $2,560 plus a $716 meter supply fee ($2,637 plus $716 from November 1), and a residential sewer connection costs $56 per trap with a $1,472 minimum ($58 and $1,516 from November 1).

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Raymore

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work each need their own permit from the Building Inspections Division, filed on the plumbing and mechanical or electrical application or in the portal by a Class D licensed contractor or a qualifying homeowner. The new-home application also lists separate permits for signs, sewer, water, paving and right-of-way work. Replacing defective plumbing fixtures without altering the piping, clearing stoppages, replacing snap switches and receptacles, and portable heating or cooling equipment need no permit.

Raymore enforces the 2017 National Electrical Code, the 2018 plumbing and mechanical codes and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. New one- and two-family homes must also be built with the passive radon control methods of IRC Appendix F, which the City enforces by resolution.

Alliance handles electrical permit expediting for contractors here. More on this: who pulls the electrical permit.

How to get a Raymore building permit

Raymore inspections

Inspections are booked by phone with Building Inspections at 816-331-7916. The City Code allows the Building Official to require one working day’s notice for every inspection request, and the final inspection must be requested at least 24 hours ahead; the City’s 2014 new-home inspection guide says 4 hours and the residential permit application 24 hours. Required inspections include footings and foundation, slab or under-floor, pre-backfill, rough-in, fire-resistive assemblies and penetrations, masonry fireplace throats, gas and electric service before connection, and the final inspection. Inspectors can refuse an inspection when erosion control is missing or mud is in the street.

No new or remodeled home may be occupied before its final inspection: a first violation adds a $1,000 fine to the offending builder’s or owner’s next permit; a second within 12 months may bring $2,000, and a third $3,000 and a ban on building permits in the City for up to one year at the Building Official’s discretion. A residential temporary certificate of occupancy needs a $1,000 refundable bond and lasts no more than 120 days. Existing commercial buildings and spaces are also inspected at least once every five years.

A permit expires if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days, and a one- or two-family permit expires 365 days after it is issued; an unissued application lapses after 90 days.

Local Raymore rules

Floodplain: Raymore takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, using Cass County flood maps dated January 2, 2013. Under Chapter 460 of the Unified Development Code the Director of Public Works is the floodplain administrator, and new or substantially improved homes must have the lowest floor, including the basement, at or 1 foot above the base flood level.

Grading and land disturbance: a grading (land disturbance) permit costs $500 until October 31, 2026; from November 1 the fee and financial security are set by acreage, starting at $500 for 1 to 5 acres.

Raymore building codes

Raymore’s Chapter 500 building code, adopted by Ordinance 2019-088 and in effect since January 1, 2020, enforces the 2018 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fire and Swimming Pool and Spa codes, the 2017 National Electrical Code, the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code and the 2018 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, with local amendments.

Missouri has no mandatory statewide building code for private construction: a county, fire protection district or municipality may adopt one (usually by reference under RSMo 67.280), and in parts of the state none has. Building codes in Missouri

Raymore building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in Raymore?

The City’s Building Inspections Division at 100 Municipal Circle (816-331-7916), for property inside Raymore city limits.

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

$4.00 per $1,000 of building valuation (minimum $30) plus an $84 plan review fee until October 31, 2026; from November 1 the rates are $4.50 per $1,000 (minimum $45) and $120. The excise tax, tap and sewer connection fees are extra.

What is Raymore’s excise tax on a new home?

$2,554 per trip, rising to $2,631 on November 1, 2026. A single-family house is rated at 1.01 trips, so the tax is $2,579.54, or $2,657.31 from November 1.

Do I need a permit for a shed or a deck?

A one-story shed up to 199 sq ft needs none. A deck needs a permit if it is more than 30 inches above grade or attached to the house; the fee is $0.20 per sq ft with a $45 minimum.

Do roofing and fence jobs need permits?

Yes. A single- or two-family roofing permit costs $45 and a fence permit $30.

Can I pull my own permit?

Yes, for a single-family house you own and live in, if you buy the materials and do the work yourself; subcontractors must be licensed by the City.

Raymore permit search and official resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• Raymore Building Inspections Division
• Raymore building permit and development applications
• Raymore online permit portal
• Raymore Schedule of Fees and Charges (adopted November 1, 2025)
• Raymore City Council agendas and minutes (Resolution 26-34, August 10, 2026)
• Raymore excise tax trip generation rate table
• Raymore inspection guide for new one- and two-family dwellings
• Raymore Code Chapter 500, building regulations
• Raymore Code Chapter 605, contractor licensing and license tax surcharge

Simplify Raymore permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Missouri. 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 Raymore permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.