Overland Park, KS Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

1 of the International Building Code, as amended by the city, makes the permit requirement broad: any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building or structure, or to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical, plumbing, fire alarm, fire detection, automatic fire-extinguishing or LP-Gas system, or work involving flammable or combustible liquids, must first apply to the building official and obtain the permit before starting work.

2. 3 layers on a licensing requirement: anyone doing permitted work, or seeking a permit from the city, must hold a currently valid Johnson County contractor's license issued under the county's Contractors Licensing Program. There is a narrow homeowner exception: an owner may pull the permit and do the work themselves without the county license if they currently occupy the dwelling (or will occupy it once construction is done) and personally perform the work. The building official can also waive the license requirement if no license exists for that type of work, the work is minor, or other unique circumstances apply.

2 from the fee schedule the City Manager adopts under the Planning and Development Fee and Cost Recovery Policy, and the City Manager can grant waivers.