Cass County, Nebraska Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Cass County, the county’s Department of Zoning and Inspections, led by Zoning Administrator Jim Chappell, issues building permits and carries out inspections under the 2012 International Building and Residential Codes, and it does the same for eleven towns under interlocal agreements. Applications go to the office at 13860 12th Street in Plattsmouth with a site plan; a new house also needs a $500 deposit that is returned after the final inspection, and all electrical permits come from the Nebraska State Electrical Division.

Who issues permits in Cass County?

The county zoning regulations apply to unincorporated land except where a city or village exercises extraterritorial zoning through its own ordinance. In that county area, no building may be built, moved or structurally altered without a building permit from the Zoning Administrator, and no utility may connect a building until the county has issued one.

Who permits in each town:

What needs a county permit?

Within the county’s zoning jurisdiction, the regulations require a building permit before starting, moving or altering any building, accessory buildings included. The office also issues the other land-use approvals that often travel with a building permit:

• Building permits for houses, additions, accessory buildings and pole buildings (the county posts deck and pole-building framing details)
• Floodplain development permits and elevation certificates for sites in a mapped floodplain
• County road access permits
• Administrative use permits for a new house or accessory building in the recreational and agricultural districts
• Conditional use permits, zoning changes, lot splits and plats, and grading permits

On a road the county has classified as minimum maintenance, the regulations bar new permits for houses, mobile homes and manufactured homes on adjoining land.

Forms and contractor registration

The Permit Forms page holds the Building Permit Application, the Residential Construction Packet for new houses, the Floodplain Development Permit Application, the Conditional Use Permit Application, the Parcel Split/Boundary Adjustment Application and the Contractor Registration Application. Print the form, add the site plan and plans, and file it with the office.

Contractor registration: every contractor working in Cass County must register with the Zoning Department and renew each year for $20, with proof of workers’ compensation cover or a signed exemption statement. Percolation testers and septic installers also show their state certification. Owners working on their own property, and people earning under $1,000 a year from construction, are not contractors under the rule.

Cass County permit fees

Section 4.21 of the zoning regulations, last amended in March 2026, lists the planning and zoning fees. It does not list the building permit fee itself; call the office at 402-296-9359 for that amount.

A new-house application goes in with two checks, one for the permit and one for the deposit. The deposit is forfeited if anyone moves in or stores belongings before the final inspection, which can also bring a fine of up to $100 a day, or if work has not started within 180 days. Work begun before a permit faces stop-work orders and double permit fees, and zoning fees are non-refundable.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic

Electrical: the county does not issue electrical permits. All electrical permits and inspections in the county’s area come from the Nebraska State Electrical Division, and the state’s rough and final electrical inspections must be done before the county’s framing and final inspections.

Plumbing and mechanical: the county administers its adopted plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas codes (the 2012 IPC, IMC and IFGC) and inspects that work at the groundwork and rough-in stages.

Septic: a new house needs a septic and lateral site plan and, where needed, a percolation test with the application, and the county inspects the system after the tank and laterals are set and before they are covered.

New-house checklist

How to get a Cass County building permit

Cass County inspections

Call the zoning office at least 24 hours before each inspection; inspections are made from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, except county holidays. A house is inspected at footing, foundation (block walls once laid and before framing; poured walls before the pour), groundwork plumbing and the radon system, radon barrier before the slab, framing with plumbing and mechanical rough-ins, insulation, septic, and final. Missed inspections can delay the job and bring fines.

Local Cass County details

Energy code: the county’s current energy code is the 2018 IECC, with local amendments that were presented at a public hearing on July 30, 2024.

Farm buildings: Section 1.09 limits the zoning regulations to non-farm buildings; a building used for agriculture on a farmstead of 20 acres or more that produces at least $1,000 of farm products a year falls outside them.

Data centers: on August 11, 2026 the County Board adopted Resolution 2026-12, a 12-month moratorium on data centers. A proposed Section 8.25 setting data-center rules was tabled to November 3, 2026.

Eagle boundary: a zoning boundary adjustment agreement between Cass County and Eagle was discussed in July and August 2026 without action.

Swimming pools: a resolution presented by the Sarpy/Cass Health Department, setting sanitary and safety rules for pools and a process for pool permit applications and inspections, was discussed on August 25, 2026 without action.

Nebraska building code

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 Cass County resources

• Cass County Planning & Zoning
• Cass County permit forms
• Cass County Residential Construction Packet (PDF)
• Cass County adopted building codes
• Cass County zoning and subdivision regulations
• Cass County Board of Commissioners minutes
• Plattsmouth Building/Zoning
• Village of Eagle municipal code
• Nebraska State Electrical Division: inspection programs

Cass County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in rural Cass County?

The Cass County Department of Zoning and Inspections, 13860 12th Street, Plattsmouth, 402-296-9359.

Does the county permit inside towns?

Yes in Alvo, Avoca, Cedar Creek, Elmwood, Greenwood, Manley, Murray, Nehawka, South Bend, Union and Weeping Water, under interlocal agreements. Plattsmouth, Eagle, Louisville and Murdock handle their own.

Which building code does Cass County use?

The 2012 IBC, IRC, IPC, IMC and IFGC, with the 2018 IECC for energy.

Who handles electrical permits?

The Nebraska State Electrical Division issues electrical permits and inspects wiring in the county’s area.

Is there a deposit for a new house?

Yes, $500, refunded after the final inspection; it is lost if the house is occupied before final or work does not start within 180 days.

Do contractors have to register with the county?

Yes. Contractors register with the Zoning Department and renew yearly for $20; owners working on their own property are exempt.

Simplify Cass County permitting with Alliance Permitting

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