Building permits, zoning and land rules in Dickinson County, Kansas

Yes. Dickinson County requires a zoning permit, also called a building permit, for covered construction, and wastewater permits apply where needed⁴. The county's own FAQ says all new construction in the county must have a building permit⁵.

The permit should not be confused with building-code review. Dickinson County has not adopted a building code and says ordinary county building inspections are not required; septic and wastewater systems are the stated exception⁴. That makes the Planning & Zoning Office the first call for the land-use permit and Environmental Services the separate contact for wastewater work^5,9. A county permit does not replace any separate approval that may apply to a project with unusual occupancy, state ownership or access onto a state highway¹⁰.

The 2026 fee schedule lists $150 for a residential structure zoning permit; permits are good for one year, and items started without an approved permit may be charged double the original fee¹¹. Proof of water is required for new home construction, either from the Rural Water office or from the well driller¹.

The Dickinson County Planning & Zoning Office handles the county zoning/building permit and can identify a parcel's zoning district from county maps⁵. Call 785-263-4464 or visit the County Courthouse at 109 East 1st Street, Abilene, KS 67410⁵. The office also assigns the address when the building permit is obtained⁵.

For private wastewater or a non-public water supply, contact Dickinson County Environmental Services at 785.263.4780 or visit 2363 Jeep Road⁹. Environmental Services handles private-wastewater and non-public-water-supply permitting and conducts compliance inspections⁹. For county-road plans and right-of-way questions, contact the Highway, Road, and Bridge Department at 785-263-3093¹². County staff also advises townships about culverts and road problems, so road responsibility should be identified before planning a new entrance¹².

Dickinson County is zoned, and the zoning regulations apply only to land outside the corporate limits of any city². The county lists base districts AG-80, AG-40, RR, SR, R-1, LL, SS, RB and V-1, plus airport, floodplain and dam-breach overlay districts, and the district maps are filed with the Zoning Administrator¹³. Minimum lot area depends on the district: 80 acres in AG-80, 40 acres in AG-40, 10 acres in RR, 3 acres in SR, 20,000 square feet in R-1 and 5 acres in SS¹⁴. Most of the other districts cap buildings at 35 feet and 2 1/2 stories, while AG-80 and AG-40 list no numeric height limit¹⁴. The front yard is 70 feet from the right-of-way centerline or 30 feet from the front lot line, whichever is greater, and no building may sit in an easement¹⁴. Ask the Planning & Zoning Office to identify the parcel's district before relying on a listing description⁵. Kansas provides a conditional agricultural-use zoning exemption, but dwellings, garages and similar accessory buildings are not treated as agricultural buildings, and public-road setbacks can still apply¹⁵.

Dickinson County Environmental Services administers private wastewater permits and inspections under the county sanitary code while also applying relevant state regulations⁶. The county's listed requirements include an approved contractor and a soil profile by the Dickinson County Sanitarian, so involve Environmental Services before fixing the house site or assuming a conventional lateral field will work³. The Sand Springs Recharge Area requires Aerobic Treatment Units to reduce nitrogen output³. The 2026 fee schedule lists $170 for a new or modified wastewater construction permit application, which includes a site visit and soil evaluation¹¹. The county also performs property-transfer and refinancing inspections, though not every private system must be inspected⁶.

Only about 5.1% of mapped county soils avoid a severe limitation rating for a conventional septic drain field¹⁶. That soil statistic does not decide an individual site, but it makes the county's soil profile and site evaluation especially important^6,16. Kansas minimum standards require domestic wastewater to use an approved septic field, lagoon, alternative system or permitted treatment plant; seepage pits, cesspools, dry wells and surface discharge are not allowed¹⁷. Private sewerage may proceed only where public sewer is unavailable and local requirements are met¹⁷.

In unincorporated Dickinson County, a recreational vehicle may be occupied in a recreational vehicle park, or as a temporary dwelling only on a lot where a valid Zoning Certificate has been issued for construction of a dwelling; occupancy for living, sleeping or housekeeping is otherwise prohibited⁸. That means full-time RV living on a bare lot is not allowed, so get the Zoning Certificate before moving an RV onto land⁸. We could not confirm a county rule on tiny-home occupancy; ask the Planning & Zoning Office about the exact parcel and proposed unit⁵. The one dwelling-size figure the county states applies to efficiency units built as part of a residential complex, which need at least 220 square feet of living area; we could not confirm a general minimum floor area for a single-family home². A small dwelling is still subject to the published front-yard setback¹⁴. For a manufactured home, Kansas law keeps the home subject to applicable county or city zoning, while limiting blanket exclusion of manufactured homes from an entire zoning jurisdiction¹⁸. Any occupied unit still needs an approved wastewater solution where public sewer is unavailable¹⁷.

1. Ask the Planning & Zoning Office to verify the parcel's zoning district, buildability, setbacks and floodplain-map status⁵.
2. Confirm legal access and identify whether the county or a township maintains the road; ask the Highway, Road, and Bridge Department about county rights-of-way¹².
3. Establish the water plan. A well intended for human consumption requires a county permit and county review⁶.
4. Contact Environmental Services for the soil profile, wastewater design, permit and inspection path before finalizing the house location^4,6.
5. Apply to Planning & Zoning for the zoning/building permit before construction⁴.
6. Keep the distinction clear during construction: Dickinson County has no adopted building code and limits its stated inspection requirement to septic or wastewater systems⁴.

Start with zoning, legal parcel status, setbacks and floodplain mapping through the Planning & Zoning Office⁵. If a tract will be divided, Dickinson County regulates subdivisions; the process can require preliminary and final plats, while a short-form route may apply to subdivisions of four lots or fewer¹⁹.

Treat wastewater feasibility as a purchase condition because only about 5.1% of mapped soils avoid a severe limitation rating for conventional drain fields¹⁶. Confirm whether public sewer is available and, if not, obtain Environmental Services' direction on the onsite system^9,17. Verify drinking-water availability too, because wells for human consumption require a county permit⁶. Finally, confirm who controls the road frontage and any entrance work; a driveway connecting to the state highway system needs a state permit, while local-road questions belong with the county or responsible township^10,12.