Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Udall, Kansas

Udall’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, enlarging, relocating or remodeling any building or structure inside Udall city limits

  • Permit must be obtained from the city clerk after approval by the chief building official before work or foundation work starts.
  • Section 4-225 (work by property owners) is listed in the code table of contents but its text was not extracted.

  “it shall be unlawful for any person to hereafter erect or cause to be erected within the city any building or structure of any kind”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Owners building their own residence inside Udall city limits

  • Permit may issue to the owner only with satisfactory evidence that the owner will perform the work and not a licensed contractor.
  • Final approval of the building inspector applies to owner-performed work.

  “a building permit may be issued to the owner upon his or her application disclosing satisfactory evidence that the proposed work will be performed by the owner, himself or herself and not by a licensed contractor”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  New construction, alteration, removal, demolition, use and occupancy of buildings and structures inside Udall city limits

  • Adopts the International Building Code, 2024 edition, under K.S.A. 12-3009 through 12-3012 including amendments; the building official may modify provisions under section 4-209.
  • The Uniform Mechanical Code, 2024 edition, is also adopted by reference in Chapter 4 Article 5 (section 4-501).

  code edition: 2024 edition

  “there is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference, for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations for the construction, alteration, removal, demolition, equipment, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of buildings and structures, the international building code, 2024 edition”

• InspectionsRequired

  New construction and additions under a building permit inside Udall city limits

  • Inspection is triggered by notice from the permit holder at layout of the site and foundation; the official checks lot lines, setbacks and location against zoning.
  • Scope of inspections beyond the layout stage is not extracted in this pass.

  “the contractor or builder having a permit for new construction, or additions to existing buildings, shall notify the chief building official or building inspector immediately upon the marking or laying out of the site and foundation for such work.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Completed work under a building permit inside Udall city limits

  • Section 4-215 says the official is authorized to issue a certificate of approval for occupancy and use on completion; the code text does not say an occupancy certificate is mandatory for every building.
  • Certificate must show the number of inspections and corrections; a copy goes to the owner.

  “upon the completion of any work under a building permit, the chief building official, the building inspector or his or her designee is authorized to issue a certificate of approval for the occupancy and use of the building or structure”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Udall city limits. Udall city administers its own zoning ordinance; this claim does not cover unincorporated Cowley County land.

  • Zoning regulations are incorporated by reference in Code section 16-301 and have been amended by numbered ordinances through ord. 697.
  • Zoning ordinance articles 1-33 are listed on the city Planning & Zoning page; district-specific standards were not extracted in this pass.

  “there are hereby incorporated by reference as if set out fully herein, the zoning regulations adopted by the governing body of the city of udall, kansas, as prepared by the city, adopted by ordinance no. 376”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Udall city limits (art. 6-22 district articles, including the R-1 single-family district, R-S, R-2, R-3, MH, MP, C-1, C-2, I-1, I-2, A-L agricultural and F-P floodplain)

  • The district articles are posted as PDFs on the city planning page; their dimensional standards were not extracted in this pass.

  “art 10 "r-1" single-family dwelling district (pdf / 246 kb)”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Plats and site plans for land inside Udall city limits

  • The planning commission reviews plat applications and advises the council; the subdivision regulations themselves were not located or extracted.

  “the planning & zoning commission reviews proposed amendments to zoning ordinances, site plans and plat applications”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Permits and applications under the mechanical code inside Udall city limits; building-permit fee amounts in section 4-213 were not extracted

  • Fees are set by governing-body resolution from time to time, so the current schedule must be checked with the city.

  “the governing body of the city shall from time to time, by resolution, adopt and pass a schedule of fees to be charged for permits and applications pursuant to the uniform mechanical code, 2024 edition.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit application inside Udall city limits

  • Application is made in writing to the city clerk; the form itself and the fee schedule were not located online, so the process is only partly published.

  “a building permit shall be issued upon an application in writing to the office of city clerk on a form or forms provided for the purpose”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Udall or Cowley County directly.

• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in the R-1 single-family dwelling district inside Udall city limits
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in the R-1 single-family dwelling district inside Udall city limits
• Setbacks — Yard setbacks in the R-1 single-family dwelling district inside Udall city limits
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage in the R-1 single-family dwelling district inside Udall city limits
• Building height — Building height in the R-1 single-family dwelling district inside Udall city limits

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.