Washoe County, NV Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

Section 100.105.1 of the Washoe County Code requires anyone who intends to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace an electrical system to first apply to the Building Program and obtain a permit before starting work. The county adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code as item 11 of § 100.100.10's list of adopted codes, most recently amended by Ordinance No. 1736 effective July 1, 2025. A handful of minor jobs are exempt under § 100.105.2: replacing lamps, connecting approved portable equipment to existing receptacles, reinstalling attachment plug receptacles, swapping a branch circuit overcurrent device of the same capacity in the same location, repairing switches or control devices, replacing electrodes or transformers of the same size for signs, and replacing light fixtures in single-family homes and accessory structures. Listed temporary decorative or construction lighting, carnival wiring, and lab experimental wiring are also exempt. Everything else needs a permit and inspection.

Fees run from Appendix A, Table 8: $45 to issue any electrical permit, plus a system fee of $0.04 per square foot for new single- and two-family wiring, $0.03 per square foot for new multifamily wiring, $15 for a private in-ground residential pool's electrical work, and $15 for a temporary power pole. Applicants who need work done before a permit issues, such as an emergency repair, must submit the application by the next business day under § 100.105.1.1, and contractors who regularly perform repeat alteration work can apply for an annual permit instead of filing one application per job under § 100.105.1.2.