Overland Park Building Permit Office
Overland Park
City of Overland Park
913-895-6000
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
8500 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, Kansas, 66212
Construction permits inside Overland Park city limits are handled by the City of Overland Park Planning and Development Services Department. Building Safety reviews residential and commercial construction plans, issues building-related permits, and performs construction inspections. Johnson County is involved in several related approvals, but it is not the general building-permit authority for property located within the City of Overland Park.
The city uses ePLACE, its EnerGov online permitting system, for building permit applications. Applicants can submit applications and plans, pay permit invoices, and access approved plans through the portal.
City permits and Johnson County responsibilities are not the same
Building permits, building plan review, construction inspections, site development permits and many trade-related permits are administered through the city’s Planning and Development Services functions.
Contractors generally need the appropriate active Johnson County contractor license before Overland Park can issue a building permit to them. The city states that residential fence permits are excluded from this contractor-license requirement.
Johnson County Department of Health and Environment handles septic permits and inspections in Overland Park, while Johnson County Wastewater issues required sewer connection permits.
A homeowner acting as the contractor on the homeowner’s own residential project does not need a Johnson County contractor license. Subcontractors hired for the work must still hold the applicable active county license.
From zoning review to the final inspection
Confirm the land-use and development approvals
A building permit does not replace zoning or development approval. Commercial projects may need an approved final development plan before the construction permit can move forward. Site work, public improvements, floodplain work and right-of-way construction can create additional approval paths.
Prepare the plans required for the project type
Overland Park publishes separate drawing standards and project-specific documents. New one- and two-family homes have city guidance for plot plans, plan review, erosion control, energy-related inspections and other residential requirements. Commercial projects have separate site-plan, phased-permit and special-inspection documents.
Submit the permit through ePLACE
The application and required documents are uploaded through the city’s ePLACE portal. Residential applicants can apply, attach plans, pay fees and retrieve approved plans there. Commercial building applications are also processed through ePLACE.
Complete coordinated plan review
The review can involve Building Safety, planning, engineering and other city functions according to the work involved. Fire-protection systems and certain commercial life-safety issues may also involve Overland Park Fire Department review.
Satisfy issuance conditions and pay the invoice
Permit issuance may depend on items such as zoning holds, contractor-license status, sewer approval or other project-specific conditions. If the person submitting through ePLACE is not the permit holder, the city sends a Permit Holder Acknowledgement after plan approval; it must be completed before the permit is issued.
Request inspections and close the permit
Construction inspections can be requested through ePLACE or through Permit Services at 913-895-6220. A final inspection is required before issuance of the applicable Certificate of Compliance or Certificate of Occupancy.
Overland Park publishes different submittal requirements for different projects
The city’s residential permit materials include plot-plan requirements, residential plan-review guidance, inspection guidance, erosion and sediment-control standards, energy-related inspection guidance and landscape certification requirements where applicable.
Published commercial materials include a site construction plan review checklist, a phased submittal checklist for site development, new buildings and tenant finishes, special-inspection documents, landscape certification and impervious-surface drawing requirements.
A demolition permit is required before an existing structure is demolished. For demolition work, the city requires confirmation that utility service connections have been disconnected before the permit can be issued.
Work within a FEMA-designated floodplain requires a floodplain development permit. Overland Park treats this as a supplemental permit processed with the associated construction permit.
Some construction creates a second permit track
- Land disturbance: the city requires a land disturbance permit for clearing, demolition, area grading and utility construction on sites larger than one acre when another building permit is not covering the work.
- Site development: site-related grading, utilities and private infrastructure can require a site development permit in addition to the building review.
- Public improvements: streets, public storm sewers, streetlights and infrastructure that will ultimately be maintained by the city require the applicable public improvement approval.
- Right-of-way work: work within public right-of-way has its own permit process, including work involving driveways, driveway approaches and certain utility installations.
- Fire alarm and fire suppression systems: commercial projects involving new systems or extensions and upgrades require the corresponding permits.
- Septic systems: permitting and inspection are handled by Johnson County Department of Health and Environment rather than the city’s building-permit office.
- Sewer connections: required connection permits are issued by Johnson County Wastewater.
Overland Park moved to the 2024 code family
Overland Park’s current construction review is based on the 2024 International Codes adopted with local amendments. The city also adopted the 2023 edition of NFPA 70 as its electrical code.
Ordinance No. BC-3513 adopted the 2024 International Residential Code. The ordinance also retains the city’s modified 2018 International Residential Code for certain new single-family residences with less than 2,500 square feet of total livable floor area when the residence is built on its own separately described lot or parcel, reflecting the conditions addressed by 2026 Kansas legislation. Projects near this threshold should be reviewed against the city’s current residential-code provisions rather than assuming one IRC edition applies to every new house.
The permit remains open until required inspections are completed
Overland Park publishes separate inspection information for foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fire-protection, site and final inspections. Inspection requests can be managed through ePLACE. The city’s permit-holder terms also allow construction inspections to be scheduled by calling Permit Services.
All permits require a final inspection of completed work before the applicable occupancy permit or Certificate of Compliance can be issued. Final inspection is also a prerequisite for a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy.
The city’s Permit Holder Acknowledgement states that a permit becomes invalid if authorized work does not begin within 180 days after issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after construction begins. A 180-day period without an inspection request can be treated as evidence that the work has been suspended or abandoned.
Permit cost depends on the permit and project
Overland Park maintains a separate Common Permit Fees resource rather than a single flat building-permit price. The applicable charges vary with the permit and project.
For city invoices, credit-card payments may not exceed $10,000. Payments above $10,000 must be made by check or online e-check. The city states that it does not add service fees to credit-card, check or e-check transactions.
Overland Park permit and development tools
City permit information
Permits, Licenses and Inspections
View permit types and requirements
Online portal
Overland Park ePLACE
Apply and manage permit records
Construction inspections
Inspection Requirements
Review inspection categories
Permit issuance
Permit Holder Acknowledgement
Review permit-holder conditions
Codes
Building Codes
Review current city code information
Municipal regulations
Overland Park Municipal Code
Open the official code
Land use
Zoning Map
Check property zoning
Public right-of-way
Right-of-Way Permit
Review right-of-way requirements