Washington County Planning & Zoning, at 1555 Colfax Street in Blair, issues building permits and separate plumbing, mechanical, roofing and septic permits for the unincorporated county, Arlington and the Village of Washington, under the 2018 International Codes it has enforced since August 1, 2020. Applications are filed in the county’s online permit portal, payment is requested after the first review, and the office says processing takes 7 or more business days. Electrical permits have come from the State Electrical Division since January 2, 2024.
Who issues permits in Washington County?
The county’s planning department has four staff: the Planning Administrator, who also serves as Zoning Administrator, an administrative assistant, a Building Inspector and an office assistant. Ryan Sullivan is the Planning & Zoning Administrator. The county zoning resolution covers land outside the cities and villages and outside the areas where they exercise zoning jurisdiction.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Courthouse, 1555 Colfax Street, Blair, NE 68008 |
| Phone / fax | 402-426-6872 / 402-426-6843 |
| planning@washingtoncountyne.gov | |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Portal | Schneider permitting portal, Washington County, Nebraska |
Who permits in each town (from the county’s permit instructions):
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Town | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Blair | City of Blair, inside the city and within two miles of its limits; 402-426-4191 |
| Fort Calhoun | City of Fort Calhoun, inside the city and within one mile; 402-468-5303 |
| Kennard | Village of Kennard, inside the village and within one mile; 402-427-7311 |
| Herman | Village of Herman, inside the village and within one mile; 402-456-7500 |
| Arlington and Washington (village) | Washington County issues the building permit, inside each village and its one-mile area, after the village approves a zoning permit |
On August 11, 2026 the Board of Supervisors approved an interlocal agreement with Blair under which the county and city building inspectors cover each other’s inspections when one is unavailable.
What needs a county permit?
Building permit
- New homes, modular, manufactured and moved-in homes
- Accessory buildings, pole barns and lean-tos
- Additions and remodels, including basements and accessory buildings
- Windows, doors, decks, porches and sunrooms
- Solar panels and swimming pools
- Demolition (no charge)
Separate permits
- Plumbing, mechanical and roofing (the portal’s Trades Permit)
- Septic systems
- Zoning permit for each new structure
- Floodplain development permit in a mapped floodplain
- Driveway permit for access to a county road or state highway
For grain bins, farm buildings and buildings claimed as agriculturally exempt, the county asks owners to call the office about which permits apply. On a parcel with no house, an accessory building may not start until the house footings have passed inspection or a conditional use permit is granted.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →The online portal and contractor registration
All applications run through the county’s Schneider permitting portal. Sign up as a new user, confirm the email, and choose Nebraska and Washington County as the jurisdiction. Contractors register first under Contractor Applications; the office approves the registration by email before the contractor can start a permit. Fields marked with an asterisk must be completed before the form moves on.
For Arlington, the Village of Washington and their one-mile areas, fill out the village’s zoning permit application first, take the plot plan and prints to the village office, and upload the approved zoning permit with the county building application.
Fees, payment and refunds
Payment is requested once the application has had an initial review, and it does not go to final review until the fees are paid. Pay by card in the portal (2.75% non-refundable processing fee) or by cash or check at the courthouse office, where new-home plans are also dropped off.
- Starting work before a permit is approved brings a fine equal to the permit fee.
- Demolition permits are free; the Assessor’s office (402-426-6800) asks to hear about a demolition before the application.
- If a building or zoning permit is not granted, everything paid above $30 is refunded (Resolution 2005-20).
- If no work has been done within 60 days, the building official may refund up to 80% of a building permit fee; on trade permits, everything above the $30 issuance fee is refunded.
- Fees paid by mistake, for example for land in a city’s jurisdiction, may be refunded within 60 days.
- Deposits are forfeited if a permit expires, inspections are not called, or a new building is occupied before a passed final.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic
Electrical: since January 2, 2024, the Nebraska State Electrical Division handles all electrical permits and inspections in the county’s jurisdiction.
Plumbing, mechanical and roofing: filed in the portal as a Trades Permit, under the 2018 IPC, IMC and IFGC.
Septic: the county issues separate septic permits. A new house needs percolation test results from a state-registered septic company or a Nebraska registered engineer, and the county’s 2020 code adoption names the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy rules for septic systems.
Documents by project
New home
- Two hard copies of the house plans, brought in once the invoice arrives; one stays with the inspector and one goes back for the site
- Percolation test results
- REScheck to the 2018 code; the general contractor signs the IECC certificate before the final
- Driveway permit where the drive meets a county road or state highway
Accessory building
- Plans with square footage, footing details and truss specs
- Engineered prints for buildings of 5,000 sq ft or more
- Two 24 x 36 inch plans (shell and interior) if it has interior walls
Additions, remodels, decks, porches, sunrooms, solar panels and pools need two hard copies of the plans. Modular and manufactured homes follow the new-home list.
Rather not deal with the Washington County building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a Washington County permit
Blair’s two-mile area and the one-mile areas of Fort Calhoun, Kennard and Herman go to those towns.
Create an account; contractors also file a contractor registration and wait for approval.
One per structure, from the county or, in Arlington or Washington, from the village.
Submit the building application, then pay when the invoice arrives.
Bring the hard-copy plans to the courthouse for review.
Start within 180 days and show progress every 180 days.
Inspections and expiry
The county Building Inspector carries out the required inspections, and all of them must be finished before the permit’s expiration date. Extensions are possible only if requested before expiry, when work has progressed and the inspector approves. A permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 180 days, shows no progress in any 180-day period, or is not completed by the expiration date.
Local Washington County details
No mandatory home sprinklers: the county adopted the 2018 IRC without section R313.
Addresses: new addresses are assigned once the permanent driveway is in and rocked and the house footings are done.
Floodplain and erosion: the county applies a floodplain management resolution, stormwater policies and Erosion Control Resolution 2023-03.
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 Washington County resources
- Washington County Planning & Zoning
- Washington County online permit portal
- Washington County required documents and permit details (Word file)
- Washington County 2018 code adoption (PDF)
- Washington County zoning permit application (PDF)
- Washington County zoning regulations (PDF)
- Washington County Board of Supervisors meetings
- Nebraska State Electrical Division: inspection programs
Washington County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in rural Washington County?
Washington County Planning & Zoning at the Blair courthouse, 402-426-6872, through the county’s online permit portal.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does the county issue permits in Blair?
No. Blair handles the city and land within two miles of it; call 402-426-4191.
Which code does Washington County enforce?
The 2018 IBC, IRC (without the R313 sprinkler section), IEBC, IPC, IMC, IFC, IFGC and IECC, in force since August 1, 2020.
How long does a county permit take?
The office says the process can take 7 or more business days, and it has up to 60 days to approve or deny.
Who issues electrical permits?
The Nebraska State Electrical Division, since January 2, 2024.
Do I need a permit to demolish a building?
Yes, but it is free. Contact the Assessor’s office at 402-426-6800 before applying.
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More Nebraska permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Washington County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.