Kearney building department

Kearney’s Building Services Division sits inside the Development Services Department at City Hall, 18 East 22nd Street. It enforces the City’s zoning, building, electrical and plumbing codes. Its reach goes past the city limits: Kearney has a two-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction and governs all zoning, land development and building construction in that ring. Electrical and plumbing permits are also required within two miles of the corporate limits. A parcel in rural Buffalo County near Kearney may still be under City permitting. The City’s GIS map shows the current city limits and the ETJ boundary.

Office and inspection hours are the same: Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Applying through CitizenServe

Kearney takes building applications and plans through CitizenServe. You create an account at the City’s CitizenServe page, then apply, upload plans and follow review comments there. If you need help with the portal, the City’s FAQ points you to the permit staff at (308) 233-3234 or (308) 233-3235.

Work that needs a permit

The City’s Development Services FAQ lists:

• all new construction, including additions, decks (treated as part of the dwelling), garages, enclosed porches, patio covers, carports and fences
• structural repairs, and changing or enlarging an opening
• interior remodels that remove a wall or add rooms, including basement finishes
• fireplaces and wood-burning appliances
• accessory buildings over 120 sq ft of floor area
• new, moved or altered signs, plus moving or demolishing buildings

What doesn’t need a building permit:

• Concrete patios on private property. A roof over the patio does need a permit.
• Public sidewalk replacement. The City still inspects the location and forms before you pour.
• Curb cuts. These need City approval of location and width, and an approach inspection before concrete.

A single-family house may be occupied by one family or by no more than four unrelated people.

The City studied accessory dwelling units in 2024 and decided not to allow them for now.

Adopted codes

Code	Edition
International Residential Code	2021
International Building Code	2021
International Existing Building Code	2021
International Property Maintenance Code	2021
International Energy Conservation Code	2018
Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO)	2021
National Electrical Code	2023
ICC A117.1 accessibility	2017
NFPA 1 Fire Code and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code	2012, with Nebraska amendments

Kearney uses the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code. Zoning rules are in the Unified Land Development Ordinance, Chapters 11 through 59 of the City Code.

Fees

These numbers come from the Development Services fee schedule PDF linked on the Building Services page. The file is labeled 06-22-23.

Item	Fee
Minimum permit; roofing permit	$59
Fence permit	$30
Curb cut	$49
New residence or accessory building	$0.27 per sq ft
Other buildings up to 10,000 sq ft	$0.25 per sq ft (over 10,000 sq ft: $0.20)
Foundation-only permit	$0.15 per sq ft
Remodel, $1,000–$20,000 valuation	$67 + $6.20 per $1,000
Plan review	50% of permit fee (Groups R-3 and M); 68% for all other buildings
Residential demolition / commercial demolition	$59 / $130
Moving a building	$350
Re-inspection	$70
New single-family plumbing, up to 2,000 sq ft	$144
Electrical: new residence, per unit	$145
Residential solar: grid-tie / off-grid / hybrid	$67 / $37 / $104
Sign, 0–32 sq ft	$60

Planning fees from the same schedule:

Application	Fee
Rezoning	$500
Conditional use permit	$400
Board of Adjustment or Board of Appeals	$200

Inspections

To book an inspection, call (308) 233-3235 or (308) 233-3234. Final inspections on new construction need 24 hours’ notice. Electrical work must be inspected before it’s covered or energized, and plumbing before it’s concealed. The Building Information page also has a list of required inspections. Inspector contacts:

Contact	Phone
Building Official (code questions)	(308) 233-3236
Electrical Inspector	(308) 238-8857
Building Inspector (plumbing)	(308) 627-0765

Contractor registration

Plumbers, electricians and building contractors must register with Building Services before starting work anywhere in the City’s jurisdiction. Registration and certificate-of-insurance rules are in Chapter 9, Sections 9-206 and 9-209 of the City Code. Registration fees from the posted schedule:

Trade	Fee
Electricians	$280
Plumber registration	$250 every two years, due January of even years
Master plumber license (two years)	$280
Journeyman plumber license (two years)	$65
Sign installers	$120, due December of even years

Planning and zoning

The Planning & Zoning Division handles current and long-range planning and zoning compliance. Call the division at (308) 233-3254. Variances go to the Board of Adjustment. The Development Review Team coordinates larger projects.