Lexington, Nebraska Building Permit Guide

In Lexington, building permits come from the City’s Development Services Department at City Hall, 406 E. 7th Street (308-324-2341), for work in the city and its zoning area. The fee depends on the project’s value: $50 up to $10,000, rising to a flat $500 above $100,000, under fee Resolution 2024-04. Electrical permits and inspections come from the State Electrical Division, and no Certificate of Occupancy is issued until the state electrical final is done.

What needs a permit in Lexington?

The zoning ordinance makes it unlawful to start excavating for, building, moving or altering any building or accessory building in Lexington’s zoning jurisdiction until the Building Official has issued a permit. The City’s application list covers:

Changing an existing commercial building to a new business use needs a Certificate of Occupancy application, with a floor plan and a site plan.

Who issues permits in Lexington?

The Development Services Department, also called the Building Department on some forms, takes applications and issues permits under the city’s Building Official. Its permits apply inside the city and in the area beyond the limits shown on the Official Zoning Map; the zoning ordinance notes that a first-class city may zone up to 2 miles out. Outside that area, Dawson County’s Zoning Administrator issues county zoning permits instead.

Lexington applications and handouts

Every permit type has a printable application on the City’s Building Permits & Rezoning Forms page, most with a requirements handout in front. Bring the completed form and the fee to Development Services before work starts.

• New Home and Residential (remodels, additions, attached garages and roofs, decks). The New Home form asks for an architect when the house is over 5,000 sq ft and warns that other permits are needed to finish the home.
• Accessory Structure for storage buildings and detached garages.
• Commercial, plus a Certificate of Occupancy application for existing buildings.
• Roofing, Fence, Sign, Mechanical, Demolition and Mobile Home.
• Building Moving Package, with its own $100 filing fee.
• Zoning applications: conditional use permit, rezoning, subdivision, administrative survey and Board of Adjustment appeal.

Contractor sections of the forms ask for a City licence number.

Lexington permit fees

The City Council sets permit fees by resolution. The current schedule is Resolution 2024-04, passed on February 13, 2024, which took effect immediately.

The building fee is a flat amount for each value band, not a rate. A new house valued at $250,000, for example, pays $500 for the building permit, plus separate permits such as mechanical ($50) and the state electrical permit. The Building Moving Package carries its own $100 filing fee.

Zoning applications cost $100 each (conditional use permit, rezoning, subdivision, administrative survey or Board of Adjustment appeal). A Certificate of Occupancy for reusing a commercial building is $35, and a right-of-way encroachment is $35 plus the filing fee.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire review

The City’s sign handout states that Lexington does not permit or inspect electrical work, and the residential, commercial and sign handouts send electrical permits to the State Electrical Division; Lexington is not on the Division’s list of local electrical inspection programs. The city code still contains an older electrical permit article, but the City’s own forms follow the state process.

Plumbing, gas and mechanical work goes on the City’s Mechanical permit ($50), which asks for stamped drawings on commercial jobs plus specifications and a legal description. New building sewers are inspected by the city engineer before they are connected to the public sewer.

Commercial plans also need State Fire Marshal review before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued; the City’s handout warns that working without that review is at the owner’s risk.

Documents the City asks for

In the R-1 district the handout gives setbacks of 7 ft at the sides and 25 ft at the front and rear, measured from the property line.

How to get a Lexington building permit: 5 steps

Inspections and occupancy

Call Development Services at 308-324-2341 about inspections; each reinspection costs $25. No Certificate of Occupancy is issued until the State Electrical Division’s inspector has made a final inspection, and commercial buildings also need the State Fire Marshal review first. If a Certificate of Occupancy application is denied, the Building Official provides a plan review listing what is needed for approval.

Mobile homes must be inspected by the City before they are moved in, with the inspection fee paid with the permit. City staff do not inspect homes located outside the zoning jurisdiction; those need a report from a certified building inspector.

Local Lexington rules to know

Accessory buildings: they need a concrete floor at least 4 inches thick; a side wall over 12 ft needs a slab with an 18 by 8 inch thickened edge and one #4 bar, and over 24 ft an 8 by 36 inch footing with two #4 bars. They must be at least 10 ft from other buildings and 7 ft from side and rear lot lines (15 ft where a vehicle enters from an alley or street), cannot sit in the front yard, may have side walls no taller than 15 ft, and in residential districts must match the house without vertical metal wall panels. A building on a utility easement is limited to 120 sq ft and may be removed for utility work at the owner’s cost.

Roofs: a roofing permit is needed before work starts; no more than two layers of shingles are allowed, and an ice barrier goes under new shingles.

Fences: in residential front yards (and the street side of corner lots) only open fences up to 42 inches are allowed; elsewhere up to 6 ft. Barbed wire and electric fences are not allowed, and the handout asks for gates to both front and back yards.

Moving buildings: a building moving permit and a building permit for the related work are both required, and recently built or modular buildings may also need a special use permit.

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

The City’s permit page lists the 2015 International Building Code and 2015 International Residential Code, and its roofing handout tells applicants to meet the 2015 residential code. The city code adopts the state building code by reference and says a new edition is enforced only after the Council adopts a resolution saying so. The City also lists the 2009 International Property Maintenance Code (Resolution 2012-29) and the Nebraska Accessibility Guidelines.

Official resources

• Lexington Building Permits & Rezoning Forms
• Lexington fee schedule, Resolution 2024-04
• Lexington New Home application and requirements
• Lexington Commercial permit application and requirements
• Lexington Accessory Structure application
• Lexington Roofing permit
• Lexington Zoning Ordinance (2014)
• Lexington Code of Ordinances

Lexington permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Lexington?

It depends on the project value: $50 up to $10,000, $150 up to $50,000, $250 up to $100,000 and $500 above that. Fence, roofing, sign and mechanical permits are $50 each.

Do I need a permit to re-roof in Lexington?

Yes. A $50 roofing permit is required before you start, and you cannot shingle over two existing layers.

Do I need a permit for a shed or detached garage?

Yes. Use the Accessory Structure application with a site plan, floor plan and wall section, and meet the slab, footing and setback rules in the City’s handout.

Who issues electrical permits in Lexington?

The State Electrical Division. The City does not permit or inspect electrical work.

How long is a Lexington building permit good for?

It becomes void 12 months after it is issued unless substantial progress has been made.

What building code does Lexington use?

The City lists the 2015 International Building and Residential Codes on its permit page.

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