Building, plumbing and mechanical permits in Beatrice come from the City’s Community Development Department at the City Auditorium, 205 N. 4th Street (402-228-5250). Applicants email or drop off a permit worksheet with site plans and drawings. Fees follow a valuation table, so a $250,000 house pays $1,833.75 plus a $100 residential plan review fee, and the City’s codes also apply 2 miles beyond the city limits.
What needs a permit in Beatrice?
Beatrice adopts the 2021 International Residential Code with local changes, so most building, plumbing, gas and mechanical work needs a permit. The City’s worksheet lists new single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses, additions, alterations, repairs, accessory structures, fences and re-roofing for homes, and the same range for commercial buildings.
Permit needed
- New buildings, additions, alterations and repairs
- Storage sheds and other accessory buildings over 20 sq ft
- Decks over 200 sq ft, over 30 inches above grade, or attached to the house
- Re-roofing, egress windows, fences and grain bins
- Plumbing, gas and mechanical work, signs and moving a building
- Demolition, and driveways or sidewalks in the right-of-way (encroachment permit)
No permit under city code
- Sheds and playhouses up to 20 sq ft
- Free-standing decks up to 200 sq ft and 30 inches high that do not serve the required exit door
- Above-ground pools, playground equipment and finish work such as painting or cabinets
- Overlaying existing siding, and private sidewalks and driveways
- Replacing a water heater, furnace or air conditioning unit
Who issues permits in Beatrice?
The Community Development Department reviews plans, issues building permits and carries out inspections. Under city code the Community Development Director, Chet McGrury, acts as the building official. The City’s building codes and zoning ordinance apply inside the city limits and in the unincorporated area within 2 miles of them; beyond that, Gage County Planning & Zoning issues zoning permits.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | City Auditorium, 205 N. 4th Street, Beatrice, NE 68310 |
| Phone and inspections | 402-228-5250 |
| community@beatrice.ne.gov | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
Beatrice permit worksheets
Every application starts with a worksheet: fill in the one for your permit type and email it to community@beatrice.ne.gov or drop it off at 205 N. 4th Street; staff use it to set up the application in the City’s permitting system. Worksheets are published for building, plumbing, mechanical, sign and encroachment permits, with separate application forms for moving a building and for flood district development permits. A permit cancellation and refund request form is also available.
On the building worksheet, valuation is the total cost of labor and materials. Owners doing their own work enter twice the material cost, and the City may ask for a materials estimate. Plumbing in the city and the 2-mile area must be done by a plumber licensed by the City, unless an owner is personally doing the work on a single-family home, or a unit in a multi-family building, that they own and live in.
Beatrice permit fees
Fees are set by City Council resolution. The schedule adopted as Resolution 7747 on March 16, 2026 was replaced on October 5, 2026 by Resolution 7861, which kept the building fees and raised the demolition application fee from $5 to $25.
| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $23.50 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $23.50 for the first $500, plus $3.05 for each additional $100 or fraction |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $69.25 for the first $2,000, plus $14.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $391.25 for the first $25,000, plus $10.10 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $643.75 for the first $50,000, plus $7.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $993.75 for the first $100,000, plus $5.60 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,233.75 for the first $500,000, plus $4.75 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| Over $1,000,000 | $5,608.75 for the first $1,000,000, plus $3.65 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plan review | $100 residential; $200 non-residential |
| Residential deck | $125 |
| Grain bin | $125 |
| Re-roof, shingles only | $75 residential; $150 commercial (structural roof work uses the valuation table) |
| Egress window | $75 |
| Fence | $75 |
| Sign | $75 |
| Moving a building | $25 under 300 sq ft (and no taller than 16 ft); $100 for 300 sq ft or more |
| Demolition application | $25 |
| Flood development permit | $50 |
| Encroachment permit | $25 residential; $100 commercial |
| Re-inspection or inspection outside business hours | $50 per hour, half-hour minimum |
| Permit renewal or extension | $50 each, up to 1 year in total |
For example, a house valued at $250,000 pays $993.75 for the first $100,000 plus $840 ($5.60 for each of the remaining 150 blocks of $1,000), a building permit fee of $1,833.75, plus the $100 residential plan review fee. Starting work before the permit is issued adds a penalty equal to the full permit fee. If no work has been done, up to 80% of the permit fee can be refunded on a written request made within 180 days of payment.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plumbing issuance fee | $20 new structure; $10 addition or repair |
| Plumbing fixtures and items | $8 each (for example a toilet, sink, shower, water heater, sewer tap or water service line) |
| Mechanical issuance fee | $20 new building; $10 addition or remodel |
| Mechanical equipment | $10 each (for example a furnace, heat pump, cooling equipment or fireplace) |
Water taps are installed by the Beatrice Board of Public Works, which charges by the size of the line and the work involved. Beatrice is not on the State Electrical Division’s list of local electrical inspection programs, so electrical permits and inspections come from the state division (Lincoln office 402-471-3550). For fire safety, city code points to the Nebraska State Fire Code Regulations rather than the International Fire Code.
What to submit
- The completed worksheet for each permit type
- A site plan with the owner’s name, address and Gage County parcel number, property lines and acreage, existing and proposed structures with distances to at least two property lines, driveways and parking, easements, and any water within 125 feet
- Blueprints or construction drawings, submitted with the application
- For work in a flood district: a location map, a site plan showing the floodplain or floodway, a grading plan, floor plans, a pre-construction elevation certificate, and flood-proofing, flood-vent or no-rise certificates where needed
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Plans are not reviewed until the permit fee is paid. For flood district work on an existing building, the City compares the cost of the improvement with the building’s appraised value; at 50% or more the project is a substantial improvement.
How to get a Beatrice building permit
Check that the property is inside Beatrice or within 2 miles of the city limits.
Follow the City’s site plan handout and prepare the construction drawings.
Email it with the plans to community@beatrice.ne.gov or drop it off at 205 N. 4th Street.
Plan review starts once the permit fee is paid.
Plumbing and mechanical work each have their own worksheet and fee; electrical permits come from the State Electrical Division.
Request each inspection by phone or email, giving 48 hours’ notice for the final.
Beatrice inspections
Schedule inspections by emailing community@beatrice.ne.gov or calling 402-228-5250. Inspections run Monday to Friday and need at least 4 hours’ notice, or 2 hours for roofing inspections. Final inspections need at least 48 hours. Slots depend on availability, and a re-inspection may have to be paid for in advance at $50 an hour.
Local Beatrice details
Code change in 2025: Beatrice moved to the 2021 International Codes by Ordinance 25-17 in June 2025. Work under a permit issued earlier, and still valid, stays under the 2015 editions.
Design criteria and decks: the City publishes a design criteria table and a deck construction guide based on the 2015 IRC.
Permit activity: monthly permit reports are posted under Plans, Reports and Studies on the City website.
Building codes adopted in Beatrice
Chapter 7 of the Beatrice City Code adopts the 2021 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Energy Conservation, Plumbing, Existing Building, Fuel Gas and Property Maintenance Codes, and applies them in the city and the 2-mile area.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Nebraska's state building code applies by default where a city, village or county has adopted none; local codes must conform generally, and the energy code is mandatory statewide. Nebraska rules
Official Beatrice resources
- Beatrice Community Development: Building and Renovating
- Beatrice permit worksheets and applications
- Beatrice Building Permit Application Worksheet
- Beatrice inspection scheduling
- Beatrice adopted codes, design criteria and deck guide
- Beatrice fee schedule, Resolution 7747 (March 2026)
- Beatrice City Council meeting of October 5, 2026 (Resolution 7861)
- Beatrice City Code (Municode)
- Beatrice zoning ordinance and maps
- Beatrice guide to drawing a site plan
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Beatrice building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Beatrice?
It depends on the total valuation. A $250,000 project pays $1,833.75, and residential plan review adds $100 ($200 for non-residential work).
Do I need a permit for a shed in Beatrice?
Yes, if it is larger than 20 sq ft. Beatrice exempts only sheds and playhouses of 20 sq ft or less.
Do I need a permit for a deck or fence in Beatrice?
Fences need a $75 permit. Residential decks need a $125 permit unless they are free-standing, no more than 200 sq ft, no more than 30 inches above grade and do not serve the required exit door.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Beatrice?
Yes. A shingle-only re-roof is $75 for a home and $150 for a commercial building; roof work involving structure is charged on the valuation table.
Can I do my own plumbing in Beatrice?
Owners may personally install plumbing in a single-family home, or a unit in a multi-family building, that they own and live in. Otherwise plumbing must be done by a plumber licensed by the City.
How do I schedule an inspection in Beatrice?
Email community@beatrice.ne.gov or call 402-228-5250 at least 4 hours ahead, or 48 hours ahead for a final inspection.
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More Nebraska permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Beatrice permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.