Lee's Summit building department

Lee’s Summit Development Services covers permitting, building and site inspections, codes administration, development engineering, planning, neighborhood services, and business and contractor licensing. It works from City Hall at 220 SE Green Street and handles construction inside city limits. Hours are Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., except holidays.

Which projects need a permit

The city’s residential and miscellaneous permit pages set out these lines:

• Decks need a permit to build, replace or repair when the floor surface is more than 30 inches above the adjacent ground. Covered decks and patios always need a permit.
• Detached accessory structures need a permit when they are over 120 sq ft. A shed cannot be larger than 250 sq ft.
• Fences in residential districts do not need a permit. They are limited to 6 feet in rear and side yards and 4 feet in the front yard. Commercial fences over 6 feet need a permit and a design by a licensed architect or engineer.
• Re-roofing always needs a permit.
• Solar panels need a permit for every installation. Email the solar application to [email protected] to get upload instructions.
• In-ground lawn sprinklers need a permit, a signed and notarized release form, and a plot plan showing where the heads go.
• Electrical, water and sewer service repairs or replacements are filed in CityView under the “Repair, Replace, Upgrade” permit type. Work in the right-of-way also needs Public Works approval at (816) 969-1800.
• HVAC: replacing a full heating or cooling system needs a permit. Repairing mechanical systems does not.

New homes and townhomes, additions, basement finishes, pools and hot tubs, and accessory dwelling units also need permits.

Applying through CityView

Lee’s Summit runs its permits on the CityView Online Portal. The city address devservices.cityofls.net forwards to it. You can apply, upload documents, follow plan review, schedule inspections and read inspection reports there. Simpler jobs without plans can be submitted as a Scope of Work Statement by email to [email protected].

Submittals are digital:

• New homes, additions over 600 sq ft and covered decks: one digital set of building drawings, sealed and signed by a Missouri-registered design professional, plus one digital plot plan. New homes also need an excise tax application.
• Smaller residential projects: a scope-of-work statement, a plot plan drawn to scale and a dimensioned building plan.

Fees

The city publishes its fees in the Development Services section of its Schedule of Fees. That schedule lists rates effective July 1, 2025 and updated rates effective July 1, 2026:

Fee	From 7/1/2025	From 7/1/2026
Minimum permit fee	$50	$52
Residential new construction, additions, alterations	0.4% of construction valuation	0.4%
Engineering plan review and inspection	3%	3%
“Not ready” inspection	$75/hour	$77/hour
After-hours inspection	$50/hour	$52/hour
Demolition permit	$50	$52
Temporary certificate of occupancy	$50	$52
Contractor license	$25	$35

Adopted codes

Under Ordinance No. 10422, codified in Chapter 7, Article V of the city code, Lee’s Summit enforces:

• 2024 IBC, IRC, IPC, IMC, IFGC and IFC
• 2023 National Electrical Code
• 2017 ICC/ANSI A117.1 for accessibility

The building codes page does not list an energy code edition. Questions about the fire code go to the Fire Department at (816) 969-1300.

Inspections and occupancy

Schedule inspections in CityView. The city’s list of inspections covers footing, foundation walls, concrete slab or under-floor, frame, electrical service, gas test, water service, sewer service, driveways and sidewalks, suspended slabs with usable space below, erosion control and final.

Third-party inspections are accepted only for footing, foundation and framing inspections. Submit the Third Party Inspection Form within 48 hours of the inspection, through CityView or to [email protected].

A temporary certificate of occupancy lasts 30 days. Extending it takes an extension request form and a fee. A final certificate is issued once all work is complete and before anyone moves in.

Contractors and homeowners

New dwellings, and additions or accessory structures over 600 sq ft, need a contractor with at least a Class C Lee’s Summit contractor’s license. Homeowners building a single-family home they will live in can act as their own general contractor. They must get a business license but do not have to show contractor certification.