Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lecompton, Kansas

Lecompton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New residential and commercial construction, remodeling, and relocation of buildings including mobile homes inside Lecompton city limits

  • Permit must be obtained before work commences on any building or structure or its foundation (section 4-109).
  • Permit application must include detailed plans, including design plans of any sanitary waste disposal system (sections 4-109 and 4-110(a)(12)).
  • Per the city's resources page, electrical upgrades also require a permit.

  “it shall be unlawful for any person to commence construction, reconstruction, remodeling or to locate or relocate any building, including a mobile home, until the party has submitted detailed plans”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Owner-builders doing their own work on property inside Lecompton city limits

  • Permit may be issued to the owner only on satisfactory evidence that the owner will perform the work and not a licensed contractor.
  • Work performed by an owner is subject to final approval of the building inspector.

  “or 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, and likewise subject to the final approval of the building inspector for work performed.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Lecompton city limits

  • Adopted edition is the 2003 International Building Code as stated by the city; the city's own page lists 2003 editions of the national electrical, uniform plumbing and uniform mechanical codes.
  • Code text adopts the 2003 IBC under K.S.A. 12-3009 through 12-3012 by reference.

  “lecompton has adopted the 2003 international building code, national electrical code, uniform plumbing code and uniform mechanical code.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Buildings under construction, alteration or relocation inside Lecompton city limits

  • Inspector duty to examine buildings in the process of construction is stated in section 4-105(c); section 4-114 provides a completion approval step (text only partly read).

  “to examine all buildings in the process of erection, construction, alteration or relocation in the city for the purpose of determining whether the work is in compliance with the permit given”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Lecompton city limits: the city incorporates its own zoning regulations by reference (Ordinance Nos. 749 and 750, as amended).

  • Code text says the zoning regulations were prepared by the city and amended by Ordinances 823 and 828 per the section history; the ordinance text itself was not opened in this research.
  • Citycode.net pages are labeled '(unofficial draft)'; official status of the online code not confirmed.
  • Any use or dimensional control depends on the zoning regulations text, which was not reviewed.

  “there are hereby incorporated by reference as if set out fully herein, the zoning regulations adopted by the governing body of the city of lecompton, kansas, as prepared by the city and consisting of ordinance nos. 749 and 750, as amended”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Houses and buildings inside Lecompton city limits abutting a street where a public sanitary sewer is located and within 100 feet of the property line

  • Owner must install toilet facilities and connect directly to the public sewer within 90 days after official notice (section 15-302), where the sewer is within 100 feet of the property line.
  • Sewer connection requires a permit and payment of a connection fee before permit issuance (15-303); ordinance 831 (2021) may have amended the fee, not confirmed.
  • Building sewers may not be laid across a cesspool, septic tank or vault until cleaned and filled (15-302 et seq.; text not fully quoted here).

  distance from property line to public sewer: <= 100 feet

  “within 90 days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within 100 feet (30.5 meters) of the property line.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Water (with conditions) — Houses and buildings inside Lecompton city limits abutting a street where a public water main is or may in future be located

    “is hereby required at his or her own expense to make connection to such public water main.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for construction inside Lecompton city limits

  • Initial application fee of $25 plus an additional 1% building permit fee, with a $100 minimum when estimated cost is under $10,000, per the city's resources page.
  • Inspection costs beyond the initial fee are charged to the applicant (plus $10 processing per inspection), per code 4-112 and the resources page.
  • Two separate checks are required per the resources page.
  • Fee figures come from the city website and the 2003-era code; the current adopted schedule was not confirmed.

  building permit fee: 1 percent of estimated gross building cost (minimum $100 when estimated cost is under $10,000; plus $25 application fee)

  “the fee for a building permit shall be 1% of the total estimated gross building cost with no maximum for either residential or commercial construction.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit process for construction inside Lecompton city limits

  • Application is in writing to the city clerk on city-provided forms (4-110(a)); the resources page lists building permit application PDFs.
  • Permit must be obtained before work begins (4-109).
  • Permit valid for six months unless work has started (4-110(c) as cited).
  • Resources page gives office hours Mon, Wed, Fri 8:30am-12:30pm and Wed 4pm-6pm; 327 Elmore, PO Box 100, phone 785-887-6407.

  “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 Lecompton or Douglas County directly.

• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for buildings in Lecompton city limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts of Lecompton city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Lecompton city limits
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Lecompton city limits
• Setbacks — Setbacks inside Lecompton 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.