Outside its cities and villages, Seward County requires a zoning permit from the Seward County Zoning Office (Courthouse Room 301, 529 Seward Street; 402-643-3525) for any non-farm building, addition or move. A new home or a development permit costs $125, the county inspects the finished building before issuing a certificate of occupancy, and building without a permit can cost $5,000 for a house.
What needs a permit in rural Seward County?
A permit is required to build, rebuild, enlarge, alter or move any non-farm building or structure anywhere in the county’s zoning jurisdiction. Farm buildings are exempt only when they are used for agriculture on a farmstead of 20 acres or more that produces at least $1,000 of farm products a year.
Permit needed
- New homes, single family or multi-family, stick-built or prefabricated
- Garages, shops, sheds, barns and home additions (development permit), for non-farm buildings of 64 sq ft or more
- Accessory dwellings next to an existing home
- Demolition of a structure
- Signs, kennels and wireless towers or upgrades
No permit
- Painting, papering, re-roofing and similar maintenance
- Agricultural buildings on a qualifying farmstead
Who issues permits in Seward County?
The Zoning Office administers and enforces the county zoning regulations; Marissa Pfile is the Zoning Administrator. The county’s permit forms state that all buildings are to be built to 2018 International Building Code standards or better and that wells, septic systems and lagoons must meet the state’s Title 124 rules. Zoning staff inspect the completed building before issuing the certificate of occupancy, and the County Assessor visits to assess and photograph it. The forms also require an electrical inspection for any construction; the county has no local electrical program, so that comes from the State Electrical Division (Lincoln office 402-471-3550).
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Courthouse, Room 301, 529 Seward Street, Seward, NE 68434 |
| Phone | 402-643-3525 |
| Hours | Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
County rules do not apply where a city or village exercises its own zoning outside its limits. Who issues permits in each town:
- Seward: the City’s Building and Inspection Department, 142 N. 7th Street (402-643-4000), issues building and plumbing permits, and its page also lists electrical permits, although Seward is not on the State Electrical Division’s list of local electrical inspection programs; ask the City which electrical permit applies. City zoning covers the city and its 2-mile extraterritorial area.
- Milford: the City’s Building & Safety Department, 402 1st Street (402-761-3247), issues building permits for the city and its 1-mile area, with separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits.
- Beaver Crossing: the village requires permits in town and within 1 mile, due at the village office (402-532-3925) by the 15th of the month for approval.
- Pleasant Dale: the village office (402-795-5885) requires permits for new homes, structural changes, sidewalks, moving a house, moving an exterior door, sheds over 80 sq ft and fences, but not for roofing, siding or painting.
- Garland and Goehner: each village publishes its own building permit application, and Goehner also has a demolition permit and zoning regulations (clerk 402-540-7195).
- Utica: the village issues zoning permits for $25 for the first $5,000 of estimated cost plus $1 for each additional $1,000, with a plot plan and 24 hours’ notice for inspections (village clerk 402-534-4237).
- Staplehurst: the Village Board reviews each building permit application at its meeting on the last Tuesday of the month; file it with the Village Clerk at least 7 days before (village office 402-535-2758). The clerk issues the permit once it is paid, and the permit card must be posted on site.
- Bee: the village code sends building permit applications to the village zoning administrator; the fee is set by Village Board resolution, no fee is charged for work costing $1,000 or less, and a permit is void if work has not begun within 6 months.
- Cordova: the published sources do not say who issues building permits; ask the village clerk.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Seward County permit fees
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home zoning permit | $125 |
| Development permit (non-farm building or addition) | $125 |
| Accessory dwelling permit | $125 |
| Kennel permit | $125 |
| Sign permit | $400 |
| Short form plat or replat/vacate | $400 |
| Conditional use permit | $800 |
| Variance, rezoning or Board of Adjustment application | $600 |
| Wireless conditional use / tower development / upgrade | $2,600 / $1,300 / $800 |
All county zoning fees are non-refundable. Work done without a permit is charged under Resolution 3852:
| Work without a permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home or dwelling | $5,000, plus $20,000 where the parcel is over the density limit |
| Development, 64 to 1,500 sq ft | $2 per sq ft |
| Development, 1,501 sq ft and larger | $3 per sq ft |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Unpermitted fees double in the Water Conservation District and on over-density property, and they are charged on top of any fines. Failing to get a permit or pay the fee leads to a referral to the County Attorney.
What the Seward County applications ask for
- Legal description (precinct, section, township, range, quarter), parcel number, acres and zoning district
- For a new home: construction type, square footage, stories, bathrooms, basement finish and garage size
- For other buildings: size, sidewall height, frame type, and whether it will have electricity, heat, plumbing, office space or living quarters; grain bin size and bushel units
- Front, side and rear setbacks, whether the site is on a minimum maintenance road or in a floodplain
- Builder, plumber and electrician, the estimated cost, and the number of plan sets submitted
- For a new home, a completed driveway permit: no address is assigned without it
How to get a Seward County permit
Confirm the zoning district, the 5-acre minimum lot in A-1 and TA-1, and the number of homes allowed in the quarter section.
Look for easements at the County Clerk’s office; a short form plat also needs a $0 property tax balance.
Submit the new home or development application with plans and the $125 fee; the regulations allow 20 days for a written decision.
Applications such as conditional uses and rezonings need Planning Commission or Board of Commissioners meetings; the county asks applicants to attend them.
The permit is valid for 1 year from approval; the regulations also cancel it if work has not started within 90 days, unless extended in writing.
Schedule the county’s inspection of the finished building and the state electrical inspection, then receive the certificate of occupancy.
Rather not deal with the Seward County building department?
Get a free quote →Local Seward County details
Density: A-1 allows 2 homes per quarter section, TA-1 allows 4 and R-1 allows 8.
Renewable energy moratorium: in August 2026 the Board of Commissioners renewed, by Resolution 3947, a temporary moratorium on commercial renewable energy projects, including solar systems of 500 kW AC or more. It lasts 6 months or until new zoning regulations covering these projects take effect.
Other rules: the county has adopted rules for accessory dwellings (2022), combination dwellings (2023), livestock feeding setbacks (2014) and a carbon dioxide pipeline overlay (2024).
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 Seward County resources
- Seward County Planning and Zoning
- Seward County zoning fees
- Seward County unpermitted fee schedule (Resolution 3852)
- Seward County new home permit application
- Seward County development permit application
- Seward County Zoning Regulations
- Seward County draft zoning regulations (October 2026)
- Seward County renewable energy moratorium (Resolution 3947)
- City of Seward Building and Inspection
- City of Milford building permit application
- State Electrical Division local inspection programs
Seward County permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in rural Seward County?
$125 for a new home zoning permit or a development permit for a non-farm building or addition. Fees are non-refundable.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →What happens if I build without a permit in Seward County?
The unpermitted fee is $5,000 for a house, or $2 to $3 per sq ft for other buildings, doubled in the Water Conservation District or on over-density land, and the case can be referred to the County Attorney.
Do I need a permit for a new roof in Seward County?
No. The county lists re-roofing, painting and papering as maintenance that needs no permit.
How many acres do I need to build a house in Seward County?
At least 5 acres in the A-1 and TA-1 districts, with no more than 2 homes per quarter section in A-1 and 4 in TA-1.
Who issues permits near Seward and Milford?
The City of Seward covers the city and 2 miles around it; Milford covers the city and 1 mile around it.
Does Seward County inspect new buildings?
Yes. County zoning inspects the completed structure before issuing a certificate of occupancy, and an electrical inspection by the state is also required.
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More Nebraska permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Seward County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.