Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

Shawnee County

Shawnee County Land Use & Development Department

In short

Shawnee County Land Use & Development Department issues 4 permits we publish for Shawnee County, last verified 2026-10-12. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Building Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County)only if it applies to youShawnee County Land Use & Development DepartmentNon-refundable filing fee by completed value (construction minus labour), payable to the Shawnee County Treasurer: $0-$1,000 $15; $1,001-$10,000 $15 plus $1 per additional $1,000; $10,001-$25,000 $24 plus $5 per additional $1,000; $25,001-$50,000 $99 plus $4 per additional $1,000; $50,001-$100,000 $199 plus $3 per additional $1,000; over $100,000 $349 plus $2 per additional $1,000. Work started before the permit: double the fee. Card payments carry a 2.5% fee.per permit; expires if work does not start within 12 months of issue or is suspended or abandoned for 60 days or more2026-10-12
Home Use Occupation Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County)only if it applies to youShawnee County Land Use & Development Department$50 per permit; annual renewal $10 (Permitting Fees page)annual renewal2026-10-12
Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County)only if it applies to youShawnee County Land Use & Development DepartmentFloodplain development permit $75; written flood zone determination $15; floodplain variance request $200; the permit fee is $500 for an application filed after development has already commenced or been completed. Non-refundable, and in addition to any other county fees (HR 2010-111).per project2026-10-12
On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County, sites not on public sewer)only if it applies to youShawnee County Land Use & Development DepartmentSet by a fee schedule the Board of County Commissioners approves (Shawnee County Code §23-98(5)); the amount is not published on the Environmental Health page or in Chapter 23. Contact Land Use & Development (785.251.5410) for the current amount. Work started without a permit pays double the fee (§23-98(6)).valid 24 months from the date of issuance (§23-98(2))2026-10-12

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Building Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County)

The county's Building Permits page states: "The Shawnee County building code and permit procedure applies to all of unincorporated Shawnee County." Constructing, enlarging, placing, altering, converting, removing or demolishing a building or structure needs a building permit (residential, commercial or accessory) from the Land Use & Development Department, with a separate permit for each building. The non-refundable filing fee is set by the completed value of the work (construction minus labour): $15 up to $1,000; $15 plus $1 per additional $1,000 to $10,000; $24 plus $5 per additional $1,000 to $25,000; $99 plus $4 per additional $1,000 to $50,000; $199 plus $3 per additional $1,000 to $100,000; and $349 plus $2 per additional $1,000 above $100,000. The tiers are as published in the county's own "Fee Schedule" PDF (cdn.snco.gov fee_schedule_complete.pdf, published December 19, 2025), which the live Building Permits page links for the filing fee, and they match the live Structure Valuation Fee Calculator on the county's Permitting Fees page ($40,000 gives $159.00 and $250,000 gives $649.00). The resolution that adopted the fee schedule is not published on the county's website. The fee is payable to the Shawnee County Treasurer (card payments carry a 2.5% fee), and work started before the permit is issued pays double. A commercial application also needs a drainage report by a Kansas-registered professional engineer, approved by Shawnee County Public Works, and a code footprint under K.S.A. 31-133 for public buildings, plus an Affidavit of Code Compliance and, where a contractor applies, an Affidavit of Permit Authorization. A permit expires if work does not begin within 12 months or stops for 60 days or more; a new permit for unchanged work within 18 months costs half the fee. The building code is the City of Topeka's Title 14, adopted by reference by HR 2017-1 (February 13, 2017) and HR 2018-1 (August 13, 2018). A business inside a city applies to that city.

Home Use Occupation Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County)

A home-based business in unincorporated Shawnee County, such as a home salon, a small retail or craft business, a contractor's home office, a home bakery or coffee business, or a home fitness instruction business, needs a Home Use Occupation Permit from the Shawnee County Land Use & Development Department. The county's Permitting Fees page lists, under Fees for Land Use Activity Applications, the Home Use Occupation Permit at $50 and the Home Use Occupation Permit Annual Renewal at $10. The page states that all Land Use & Development permitting forms are on the county's Online Permitting and Licensing Portal. Contact Land Use & Development at 785.251.5410 or ludev@snco.gov. A business inside a city applies to that city.

Floodplain Development Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County)

Development in a mapped floodplain in unincorporated Shawnee County needs a floodplain development permit under the county's Flood Protection and Prevention Regulations, adopted under K.S.A. 12-766 for the National Flood Insurance Program; a site outside the floodplain does not need one. HR 2010-111, adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in 2010 and linked from the county's current Permitting Fees page, sets the fees: floodplain development permit $75, written flood zone determination $15, and floodplain variance request $200. The permit fee is non-refundable, is in addition to any fees under other county regulations, and is $500 for an application filed after development has already commenced or been completed. The Permitting Fees page adds that any man-made changes within a floodplain or floodway also require state permits from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources (785.564.6656).

On-Site Wastewater (Septic) Permit (unincorporated Shawnee County, sites not on public sewer)

A business site in unincorporated Shawnee County that uses a septic system needs a county permit to install or repair it; a site on a public sewer has no septic permit. The county's Environmental Health page states: "Permits are required for all new septic installations and repairs of existing systems." It also states that in the unincorporated parts of the county the authority over water and wastewater concerns excludes Topeka, Auburn, Rossville, Silver Lake and Willard. Shawnee County Code §23-98 requires a valid permit before any activity under the article, says the county decides within 30 days of receiving all information, fees and access, and states that "Permits shall be valid for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance." Permits are not transferable. Under §23-98(5) fees follow a schedule the Board of County Commissioners approves; the amount is not published on the Environmental Health page, and Land Use & Development (785.251.5410, ludev@snco.gov) gives it. Anyone who starts work without a permit pays double the fee, except for urgent emergency repairs reported on the next business day (§23-98(6)). The county permit is in addition to any state permit or regulation.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Shawnee County
Phone
785.251.5410

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Building Code page (HR 2017-1, HR 2018-1)Shawnee County Land Use & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  2. Building Permits pageShawnee County Land Use & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  3. Code of Ordinances, Chapter 23, Article IV (Environmental Regulations), §23-98 Permits and licensesShawnee County, Kansas (via Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  4. Environmental Health page (Septic/Waste Water; Location of Authority)Shawnee County Land Use & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  5. HR 2010-111: Fee Schedule for Review and Processing Floodplain Development Permit ApplicationsShawnee County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  6. Permitting Fees page (with Structure Valuation Fee Calculator)Shawnee County Land Use & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12
  7. Shawnee County Filing Fees / Building Permit Fee Scale (Fee Schedule)Shawnee County Land Use & Development · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-12

Other offices serving Shawnee County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

Kansas jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.