Duncan, Oklahoma Building Permit Guide

Inside Duncan city limits, the City’s Community Development Department at 1600 S. Highway 81 reviews and issues building permits and inspects new construction. Applications for new homes, remodels, pools, solar, commercial work and certificates of occupancy are online forms, and inspections are requested by phone at 580-251-7711, Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

What needs a permit in Duncan?

Section 5-120 of the Duncan code makes it unlawful, without a permit, to build, enlarge, alter or demolish a structure, change the occupancy or use of a building, or install or alter equipment the city codes regulate. The City’s building applications cover:

No new building may be occupied, and no building or lot may change use, until the Building Official issues a certificate of occupancy (section 5-123).

Which office issues building permits in Duncan?

The Community Development Department reviews and issues building permits, inspects new construction and handles planning, zoning and code enforcement. Its staff include a plumbing inspector who also coordinates commercial building permits and a mechanical inspector who also handles code enforcement. Nate Schacht is the Community Development Director.

Duncan is on the State Fire Marshal’s list of local permitting authorities (added July 1, 2026). Outside city limits, Stephens County issues no building permits; the state’s code commission lists the county as not issuing them.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and solar work in Duncan

Trade work falls under section 5-120’s rule for installing or altering regulated equipment, and the City has its own plumbing and mechanical inspectors. Contractors register with the City through its online Contractor Registration application before working in Duncan; trade licences themselves come from the Construction Industries Board. Before a building permit is issued to a contractor, the City must have a certificate of general liability insurance and of workers’ compensation insurance or an exemption (section 5-1701); owners doing their own non-trade work on their own homes are exempt.

Residential generators and solar systems have their own application, and the City’s applications page mentions the 2023 National Electrical Code. A permit application may be made by the owner, a lessee, an agent of either, or the engineer or architect on the job; anyone other than the owner must include a sworn affidavit from the owner authorizing the work (section 5-121).

Duncan permit fees

Under section 5-122 of the code, building permit and certificate of occupancy fees are whatever amounts the City Council sets by motion or resolution; City fees sit in its License, Fee and Occupation Tax Schedule, which is not posted online; the only 2026 change found is Resolution 1802 (September 8, 2026), which added a credit card convenience fee. Ask Community Development for the fee on your project. The floodplain fees are written into the code:

Applications and documents

All building and land-use applications are online forms reached from the Land Use & Permit Applications page. Pick the form that matches the job (new home or duplex, residential remodel and addition, pool or spa, commercial, sign, moving, demolition, mobile home, or generator and solar) and register as a contractor first if you are one. A business moving into an existing space files the certificate of occupancy application. Land-use requests, such as rezoning or a Use Permitted on Review, have their own forms.

How to get a Duncan building permit

Inspections in Duncan

Inspection requests go to 580-251-7711 from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday. On Fridays only emergency requests are taken, at 580-255-2112 during the same hours. The City’s building code inspectors carry mobile phones so they can take inspection calls and code questions directly.

The certificate of occupancy is the last step: a new building cannot be occupied until the Building Official issues it.

Local Duncan details

Floodplain: Duncan takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program (community 400202). Its flood maps come from FEMA’s Flood Insurance Study for Stephens County and incorporated areas, revised September 29, 2010, which the City posts online. Zoning includes an F-1 floodplain district.

Zoning districts: residential (R-1 to R-4), commercial (C-1 to C-4), industrial (I-1 to I-3), tourist commercial, agricultural (A-1, A-2 and agriculture preserve), rural estates and the Highway 7 corridor overlay.

Planning: the City publishes its comprehensive plan and the Destination Duncan quality of life plan on the Community Development page.

Oklahoma building code

Oklahoma sets statewide minimum codes (the 2024 editions since September 14, 2026) that cities enforce and may strengthen; most counties issue no building permits for unincorporated land, though a few do. Oklahoma rules

Official Duncan permit resources

• Duncan Community Development
• Duncan Land Use & Permit Applications
• Duncan zoning districts
• Duncan Code of Ordinances
• Duncan code 5-201: building codes adopted
• Duncan code 5-122: building permit fees set by the City Council
• Duncan code 12-623: floodplain fee schedule
• FEMA Flood Insurance Study, Stephens County and incorporated areas (2010)
• Duncan City Council agendas and minutes

Frequently asked questions about Duncan permits

Who issues building permits in Duncan?

The City’s Community Development Department, 1600 S. Highway 81, which also inspects new construction.

How do I schedule a building inspection?

Call 580-251-7711 Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday emergencies go to 580-255-2112.

What codes does Duncan use?

City Code 5-201 adopts the International Code Council codes, “the latest editions thereof and all subsequent amendments or editions thereto”. The City’s applications page still carries an older note naming the 2018 International Building Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code.

How much does a building permit cost in Duncan?

The City Council sets building permit and certificate of occupancy fees by resolution; ask Community Development. A floodplain permit is $100 for review plus $25 for the permit and $25 per inspection.

Do I need a permit for a pool or solar panels?

Yes. Duncan has separate online applications for a pool or spa and for residential generators and solar.

Can someone other than the owner apply?

Yes, a lessee, agent, engineer or architect can, with a sworn affidavit from the owner authorizing the work.

Simplify Duncan permitting with Alliance Permitting

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