Kansas City Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

Kansas City, Missouri’s City Planning and Development Department issues construction permits, reviews plans, handles zoning determinations, and coordinates building inspections inside Kansas City city limits. Kansas City spans portions of Jackson, Clay, Platte, and Cass counties, but the city’s permit authority is municipal. A property in an adjacent municipality or in unincorporated county territory must use that jurisdiction’s building department instead.

Kansas City building permits and CompassKC

The city requires permits for new construction, additions, alterations, repairs, demolition, changes of occupancy, and regulated electrical, plumbing, gas, or mechanical work unless a published exemption applies. Kansas City directs applicants to CompassKC for online permit and plan submissions, document uploads, fees, application status, and permit records. Commercial projects should allow time for zoning, plan review, fire, public works, and other applicable departmental reviews before permit issuance.

Inspections, code compliance, and certificates of occupancy

Schedule building inspections through CompassKC, by calling (816) 513-1500 and selecting the inspection option, or through the city’s published email process. The city generally requires requests before the daily cutoff for next-business-day scheduling, subject to available capacity. Keep the permit, approved plans, and inspection information available at the job site. After required final inspections and approvals, Kansas City issues the Certificate of Occupancy through CompassKC; a temporary certificate may be available in limited circumstances.

Zoning and plan review

Kansas City zoning is governed by Chapter 88, the city’s Zoning and Development Code. Use the city’s zoning verification and development-process resources to confirm the permitted use, zoning district, overlays, historic requirements, floodplain considerations, and plan-review pathway before applying. A zoning clearance for a business license does not by itself confirm building-code occupancy or authorize construction.

Official contact information

Building Permits staff lists 414 E. 12th Street, City Hall, 5th Floor, Kansas City, Missouri 64106, and phone (816) 513-1500. CompassKC is the city’s official online system for applications, plans, inspections, and permit records.