Pierre building department

Pierre’s Building Department sits within Development Services at City Hall, 2301 Patron Parkway. It reviews plans, issues building permits, inspects construction, and enforces property maintenance and zoning inside Pierre city limits. Building Official Matt Elberson and Building Inspector Shane Lehrkamp staff the office. Permits are applied for through the city’s OpenGov portal. Hughes County is a separate authority for rural property outside the city.

When you need a permit

If a project is not on Pierre’s exemption list, it needs a building permit. A homeowner may apply for an owner-occupied structure, and a contractor or owner’s representative may apply with the owner’s approval. Pierre’s local amendments to IRC Section R105.2 exempt:

Exempt from a building permit	Pierre limit
Detached one-story shed, playhouse, or similar	Floor area of 120 sq ft or less
Deck	Not more than 30 in. above grade, no railing, and not serving the required exit door
Siding or roofing replacement with similar material	100 sq ft or less
Window and door replacement	Rough opening unchanged, not a required egress window, not historic
Retaining wall	Under 4 ft (no surcharge)
Above-grade prefab pool (R-3)	Under 24 in. deep and 5,000 gallons or less
Sidewalks, driveways, flatwork	Exempt, but work in the right-of-way needs a ROW permit
Fences	Only on agriculturally zoned land used for agriculture

Because only agricultural fences are exempt, a residential fence in Pierre needs a permit; the fee schedule lists fences at $50. Reroofing or residing more than 100 sq ft also needs a permit. See do I need a permit to replace a roof for general background.

Applying and review times

Building permit applications are filed online through OpenGov (pierresd.portal.opengov.com). The city’s guidance gives these review times:

• Small projects: 2-4 days
• Larger projects: 1-4 weeks, depending on complexity

Starting work before you have a permit adds a fee set by the Building Official. It is at least $50 and at most double the permit fee, and legal or civil action is also possible.

Adopted codes

Pierre’s construction codes are in Chapter 11 of the city ordinances:

• 2021 International Building Code (Article 1) and 2021 International Existing Building Code (Article 9)
• 2018 International Residential Code (Article 4), with local amendments that set a 40 psf ground snow load and 42-inch frost depth and require emergency escape openings of at least 5.7 sq ft net clear
• Separate articles adopt the electrical, fire, plumbing, mechanical, property maintenance, and fuel gas codes

The IRC electrical, gas, mechanical, and plumbing chapters are not adopted through the residential code. Temporary power requires a temporary electrical permit before connection.

Fee schedule highlights

The city’s posted fee schedule (labeled 2018) sets residential permit fees by valuation:

Residential valuation	Fee
$1-$500	$35
$2,000.01-$25,000	$125 for first $2,000 + $5 per $1,000
$50,000.01-$100,000	$365 for first $50,000 + $3 per $1,000
$100,000.01-$500,000	$515 for first $100,000 + $1.50 per $1,000

Flat-fee permits	Fee
Decks, storage sheds, fences	$50 each
Maintenance (residing, reroof, windows, doors)	$50
Demolition	$200
Manufactured home placement (permanent foundation)	$200
Variance, conditional use, or rezoning application	$125
Re-inspection or after-hours inspection	$60/hr

Commercial work uses a separate valuation table. Mechanical permits are $15 plus per-unit fees.

Inspections

Schedule inspections by logging in to your permit on OpenGov or by calling Building Inspector Shane Lehrkamp at (605) 280-8389. Give 24 hours’ notice, and expect a fee for inspections done on a legal holiday.

Pierre’s inspection sequence:

1. Setbacks (a lot survey may be required)
2. Footing, after excavation and rebar (a soils report may be required)
3. Foundation wall, before the pour with forms and rebar in place
4. Interior slab
5. Framing, after rough electrical, plumbing, and HVAC are approved and before insulation. The truss bracing requirements must be on site.
6. Mechanical and gas rough-in
7. Drywall, for rated assemblies only
8. Final

Work may not continue past a stage until the Building Official approves it. See building inspection stages for general background.

Contractor licensing and trades

Residential contractors must be licensed by the City of Pierre. Under Chapter 10, Article 22, each must keep at least $300,000 in general liability insurance on file with the Building Department, and licenses renew every year. Electrical, mechanical, and residential construction contractor licenses are applied for or renewed through the OpenGov business license portal. For help, contact the Finance Office at [email protected] or (605) 773-7407.

Pierre is not one of the cities with its own electrical or plumbing inspection department. Wiring is inspected by the SD Electrical Commission (605-773-3573) and plumbing by the SD Plumbing Commission (605-773-3429).

Office and contact

Development Services is at City Hall, 2301 Patron Parkway, Pierre, SD 57501:

• Building Official Matt Elberson: (605) 773-3071
• Building Inspector Shane Lehrkamp: (605) 773-3072 (office) or (605) 280-8389 (inspections)
• City Hall main line: (605) 773-7407

Monthly permit reports are posted under “Building Permits by Month” on the city’s Building page.