Outside its cities, villages and their zoning areas, Saunders County requires a building permit from the Planning & Zoning office at 433 N. Chestnut Street in Wahoo before any building is built, enlarged, altered or moved. The county enforces the 2018 IBC, IRC and IECC and the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, plans go to the County Building Inspector, and the Zoning Administrator must issue or deny a permit within 15 days of filing.
Who issues permits in Saunders County?
The county zoning regulations apply to all land outside the corporate limits and zoning jurisdictions of its cities and villages. University of Nebraska and National Guard land is exempt from county zoning, but the county still applies its floodplain rules there. Mitch Polacek is the Zoning Administrator, and the office also has a County Building Inspector.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Courthouse, 433 N. Chestnut Street, Suite 302, Wahoo, NE 68066 |
| Phone | 402-443-8136 |
| Hours | Monday–Friday 8 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. |
| Payments | Checks payable to Saunders County Zoning |
Who permits in each town:
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Town | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Wahoo | City of Wahoo Building and Inspection department |
| Ashland | City of Ashland Building & Zoning; City Office, 2304 Silver Street, 402-944-3387 |
| Yutan | City of Yutan, which posts residential, commercial, accessory, mechanical and floodplain permit forms |
| Ceresco | Village office (402-665-2391); the village Building Inspector must approve before work starts |
| Mead | Village of Mead, with its own building, septic and well permit forms; village office 402-624-2495 |
| Valparaiso | Village Board, after the Utilities Superintendent inspects the completed application |
| Cedar Bluffs | The published sources do not say; ask the village clerk, 402-628-3115 |
| Colon, Ithaca, Leshara, Malmo, Memphis, Morse Bluff, Prague, Weston | The published sources do not say; ask the village clerk |
What needs a county building permit?
Permit required
- New buildings and structures moved onto a lot
- Replacing an electrical service entrance
- Extending plumbing or wiring
- Repairing or replacing a foundation
- Remodeling that removes walls
- Changing the grade of a sidewalk or driveway, including curb cuts
Maintenance, no permit
- Painting and papering
- Roofing and siding
- Storm windows and steps
- Sidewalks and driveways where the construction and grade do not change
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →A non-farm building also needs a zoning compliance permit, filed in triplicate with plans showing sanitation, plumbing and sewage disposal. Inside the zoned hazard areas of the Fremont and Wahoo municipal airports, buildings, towers and trees need a county zoning permit reviewed by the airport authority concerned.
Forms and contractor registration
The Forms, Permits and Regulations page has the Building Permit Application, Floodplain Development Application, Improvement Information Statement, Contractor Registration Form, and conditional use, variance, survey, replat, subdivision and zoning-change applications.
Contractor registration: the Board of Supervisors requires contractors to register every year with a $25 check or money order, a current liability insurance certificate, and proof of workers’ compensation cover or a signed statement that none is required.
Fees and timing
The county application has separate lines for the building permit fee, the floodplain development fee and the contractor registration fee. Call the office at 402-443-8136 for the building permit amount on a given project.
- The Zoning Administrator issues a written permit or a written denial within 15 days of filing; if no decision comes, you may appeal to the Zoning Board of Adjustment within the next 30 days.
- A permit expires if the work is not finished within 18 months, unless extended, and a reinstatement fee set by the county applies after expiry.
- No utility, including water, sewer or electric, may be connected before the county permit is issued and the Building Inspector authorizes it; farm outbuildings are exempt.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing and septic
Electrical: Saunders County is not on the State Electrical Division’s list of local electrical inspection programs, so electrical permits and inspections in the county’s area come from the Division.
Plumbing: the county has adopted the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code, and plumbing layouts belong in the plan set filed with the building application.
Wells and septic: where a private well and septic system serve a house on a lot under 3 acres, the Zoning Department must approve a detailed engineering report, and no such lot may be smaller than 2 acres.
What to submit
- The Building Permit Application with owner, contractor, legal description and estimated cost
- A complete set of blueprints: foundation, plumbing, electrical and framing
- A plot plan with lot dimensions, setbacks to all structures and the building’s length, width and height
- Finished, unfinished, garage and porch or deck square footage
- A certified survey and a dimensioned drawing, as Section 4.05 requires
- Floodplain Development Application where the site is in a floodplain
Public buildings, and private commercial or industrial buildings of more than one story for 20 or more people or over 5,000 sq ft of ground, costing $20,000 or more, need plans by a Nebraska-registered engineer or architect; farm buildings, homes and one-story commercial buildings are excluded.
Rather not deal with the Saunders County building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a Saunders County building permit
Use the town table; land in a city’s or village’s zoning area is not the county’s.
Each contractor files the yearly $25 county registration.
Blueprints, plot plan, certified survey and any floodplain application.
Submit to Planning & Zoning, Suite 302, and pay the fees.
The Zoning Administrator issues or denies the permit within 15 days.
Complete the work before the permit expires or obtain an extension.
Inspections
Plans, design data and specifications go to the County Building Inspector, and buildings must be built to the county’s adopted codes. State electrical inspections are separate and are requested from the State Electrical Division.
Local Saunders County details
Design criteria: the county’s posted table uses a 25 psf ground snow load, 115 mph wind speed, a 42-inch frost line and a winter design temperature of −2°F, and requires ice barrier underlayment.
Farm buildings: the regulations govern non-farm buildings, which they define as every building except those used for agriculture on a farm of 20 acres or more that produces farm products each year.
Radon: the county posts the state’s radon-resistant new construction summary with its permit forms.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Saunders County resources
- Saunders County Planning and Zoning
- Saunders County forms, permits and regulations
- Saunders County building permit application (PDF)
- Saunders County adopted codes and design criteria (PDF)
- Saunders County zoning regulations (PDF)
- Saunders County contractor registration form (PDF)
- Saunders County Board agenda, October 20, 2026 (PDF)
- Nebraska State Electrical Division: inspection programs
Saunders County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in rural Saunders County?
Saunders County Planning & Zoning, Suite 302 of the Wahoo courthouse, 402-443-8136.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Which building code does Saunders County use?
The 2018 International Building, Residential and Energy Conservation Codes and the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code.
Do I need a permit to re-roof or re-side?
No. Roofing, siding, painting and storm windows count as maintenance where the construction does not change.
How long does the county take to decide?
The Zoning Administrator must issue or deny the permit in writing within 15 days of filing.
How long is a permit good for?
The work must be completed within 18 months unless an extension is obtained.
Does the county issue permits in Wahoo or Ashland?
No. Wahoo, Ashland and Yutan run their own permit offices, and several villages handle permits through their own office or board.
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More Nebraska permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Saunders County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.