Topeka building department

The City of Topeka Development Services Division, part of the Planning and Development Department, handles building permits, plan review, contractor and trade licensing, and construction inspections inside Topeka city limits. The building permit counter and the trades permits and inspection office are both on the 3rd floor of the Holliday Building, 620 SE Madison. Property in unincorporated Shawnee County is outside the city’s permit authority, so confirm which side of the city limits your parcel is on before you apply.

Applying through the permit portal

Topeka takes permit applications through Cityworks Public Access.

1. Create an account. Choose Public Access Development Services as the role if you are applying for permits.
2. Verify your account from the email sent by [email protected].
3. Answer the questions for your permit type. Required fields must be completed before you can move on.
4. Upload documents under the labels the portal requires. If an upload fails, email the file to [email protected].
5. Wait for the approval email, which includes payment and issuance options.
6. Pay in the portal. From the Review tab, open Actions and choose Pay Fees. You can pay by credit card or e-check.

The city publishes a “What to Expect” guide for each portal application type. Residential types include:

• new homes and duplexes
• accessory structures and carports
• exterior alterations, including roof-mounted solar
• interior remodels
• fences

Commercial types include:

• new buildings
• additions
• accessory structures
• interior alterations and tenant finishes
• exterior alterations, including tower modifications
• fences
• parking lots

What to submit

New residences, building additions and accessory buildings need both a site plan and construction plans. A remodel of an existing home may need only a simple hand-drawn floor plan.

Commercial applications ask for:

• the parcel ID and legal description
• estimated construction cost, which is used to estimate fees
• occupancy classification
• construction type
• height and stories
• sprinkler and fire alarm status
• historic landmark status
• floodplain status

Under the city’s IBC amendments, every commercial submittal (new buildings, additions, changes of occupancy and renovations) must include a code footprint prepared by a Kansas-registered architect. One- and two-family dwellings are exempt from that requirement.

A fence application asks for the fence height in each yard and whether the lot is a corner lot. You must also agree that the city can require removal of any fence that materially interferes with a drainage or utility easement, at your expense.

2024 IBC adoption and exemptions

On April 14, 2026, the Governing Body passed Ordinance 20648, adopting the 2024 International Building Code with city amendments (Topeka Municipal Code 14.20.060). The ordinance takes effect 90 days after publication. One- and two-family dwellings are covered by a separate chapter, TMC 14.55, which adopts the International Residential Code with its own amendments and exemption list.

Under the amended IBC, these items do not need a building permit:

Item	Exempt when
Shed, playhouse or similar	One story, detached, and 120 sq ft or less
Retaining wall	4 ft or less from bottom of footing to top of wall, with no surcharge
Roof repair or replacement	Less than 50% of the roof area, and no more than 5,000 sq ft
Water tank on grade	5,000 gallons or less, with a height-to-width ratio of 2:1 or less
Above-ground pool (Group R-3)	Prefabricated, under 24 in. deep and 5,000 gallons or less
Finish work	Painting, papering, tile, carpet, cabinets and countertops

Other IBC amendments:

• Fees: Permit fees are set by the city’s fee schedule, based on total valuation. Valuation includes finish work, roofing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, elevators, fire suppression and other permanent equipment.
• Plan review fees: Plan review fees are charged on top of permit fees.
• Expedited review: You can request expedited plan review, done outside normal hours, at twice the plan review fee.
• Work without a permit: Starting work before a permit is issued adds a fee.
• Certificates of occupancy: A certificate of occupancy is required before a building is used or changes occupancy. It is not issued until driveway approaches and sidewalks along the adjoining right-of-way are built or under a benefit-district contract, unless the Director of Planning waives the requirement.

Residential permit fees

TMC 14.55.150 sets flat fees for one- and two-family work:

Work	Fee
New single-family or duplex, up to 1,500 sq ft (all permits included)	$480
New single-family or duplex, 1,501 to 3,000 sq ft	$660
New single-family or duplex, over 3,000 sq ft	$830
Room addition, up to 100 sq ft / 101 to 250 / 251 to 500 sq ft	$40 / $75 / $125
Room addition, 501 to 750 / 751 to 1,000 / over 1,000 sq ft	$200 / $275 / $325
Garage addition, single / double or triple	$50 / $75
Accessory structure (building fee only)	$30
Interior alteration, up to $500 / $501 to $5,000 / $5,001 to $10,000 / over $10,000	$30 / $45 / $60 / $100

Work started without a required permit is charged twice the normal fee. An inspector’s site investigation of unpermitted work adds a $50 investigation fee. Under TMC 14.55.140, manufacturer’s installation instructions must be on site at inspection, including truss specifications with member sizes and permanent bracing locations, and engineered floor system specifications.

Homeowners and contractors

By city ordinance (TMC 14.10.020), a homeowner may get a permit for all phases of construction on their owner-occupied home. The homeowner must live there and do the work personally. Any other residential work must be done by a contractor licensed in that trade. All trades must be licensed and must pull permits to work in Topeka.

Development Services issues all contractor and trade licenses:

• General contractor classes: Class A (unlimited stories), Class B (up to 3 stories) and Class C (residential only). Each requires the matching Kansas Standard ICC exam (550, 551 or 552) with a score of 75% or higher. An accredited degree transcript with at least 30 hours of construction science, engineering or architecture coursework can substitute.
• Application package: a qualifying-party form, a Renovate Right form, general liability and workers’ comp certificates (or a notarized affidavit), and payment. Processing takes up to 10 days.
• Roofers: Roofers must also hold a Kansas Attorney General roofer registration number.
• Renewal: Licenses run until December 14 each year, are renewed online through the portal, and are not prorated. Class A, B and C contractors need 8 hours of continuing education a year. Trade masters and journeymen need 6 hours, 3 of them in their trade.
• Insurance lapses: If an insurance certificate lapses, a $30 reinstatement fee applies after a 30-day grace period.

The licensing office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

Inspections and records

Inspection requests are taken in person at the Development Services counter or through the city’s inspections contact. On every residential application, the applicant agrees that they or their contractor are responsible for calling for all required inspections. Energy inspections under the amended IBC cover envelope insulation R- and U-values and window U-values.

The city’s online Building Permit Map (ArcGIS) shows permit activity by location. Contractor rosters are published as PDFs by license type: general, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, excavation and specialty.