Zoning, building permits and septic rules in The Highlands, Kansas

The Highlands’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction of any structure inside The Highlands city limits, issued by the city governing body.

  • Construction may proceed only after the governing body issues a permit.
  • A permit is valid for a period stated on it, not more than twelve consecutive months.
  • Construction must begin within 180 days of the governing body's approval or the permit lapses.
  • Permits required by Reno County and the State of Kansas are separate and must be obtained through their own processes.

  permit validity maximum: <= 12 months (stated on the permit) · construction start deadline: <= 180 days (from governing body approval)

  “construction is prohibited without a permit issued by the governing body.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Remodeling of pre-1978 dwellings inside The Highlands city limits that involves demolition and reconstruction.

  • Structures built before 1978 with hazardous materials that need significant reconstruction after storm damage or partial demolition must be inspected by a Kansas Department of Health and Environment certified inspector.
  • The code does not state a general building-inspection requirement for new construction in the opened text.

  “where the remodeling involves demolition and reconstruction, an inspection and certificate of occupancy must be completed to be deemed inhabitable”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Remodeling of pre-1978 dwellings inside The Highlands city limits that involves demolition and reconstruction.

  • A certificate of occupancy is stated only for remodeling involving demolition and reconstruction; the opened text does not state a certificate for every new dwelling.

  “where the remodeling involves demolition and reconstruction, an inspection and certificate of occupancy must be completed to be deemed inhabitable”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside The Highlands city limits. The city administers its own zoning regulations (Appendix C, Zoning Regulations).

  • Zoning applies only inside city limits; the city's own code defines 'county' as Reno County, Kansas.
  • Permits required by Reno County and the State of Kansas must be obtained through their own processes (Appendix C, 2-2(c)).

  “all lots and parcels within the city's city limits are hereby zoned as low density residential.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All land inside The Highlands city limits. The city has a single zoning district, Low Density Residential.

  • Commercial and industrial facilities are prohibited within the city.
  • A duplex may be approved on request by the governing body if both units comply with the ordinance.

  “all lots and parcels within the city's city limits are hereby zoned as low density residential.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the Low Density Residential district, which covers all land inside the city limits.

  • Area excludes any basement or area not above ground, garage, porch, deck, or secondary or accessory structure.
  • Each single-family unit of a duplex must meet the requirement.
  • Homes with more than two above-ground levels are prohibited.

  minimum above-ground habitable area, single level: >= 1500 sq ft (excludes basement, garage, porch, deck, secondary structure) · minimum above-ground habitable area, two levels: >= 2000 sq ft (excludes basement, garage, porch, deck, secondary structure)

  “dwellings shall encompass no less than 1,500 square feet of above ground, habitable living area as a single level or encompass at least 2,000 square feet of above ground, habitable living area for two levels.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Low Density Residential district, which covers all land inside the city limits, as platted and recorded with the Reno County register of deeds.

  • Where the recorded plat map shows a different setback, the plat map applies.
  • Where an easement is shown on the recorded plat map, that easement applies regardless of the ordinance.
  • Setbacks also apply to dwellings, secondary buildings, pools, patios, berm walls, terrace walls, privacy walls and fencing, at the governing body's discretion.
  • Corner lots: hedges, shrubs, structures or fencing that obstruct sight lines 2 to 6 feet above the roadway crown are prohibited.

  front setback: >= 40 feet (recorded plat setback controls if different) · rear setback: >= 30 feet (recorded plat setback controls if different) · side setback: >= 20 feet (recorded plat setback controls if different)

  “structures shall not infringe upon setbacks which are no less than 40 feet from the front property line, 30 feet from the rear property line and 20 feet from the side property lines”

• Building heightSpecified

  Dwellings in the Low Density Residential district, which covers all land inside city limits.

  • A numeric height in feet is not stated in the opened text; this limit is by above-ground levels.
  • Berm homes or underground homes are prohibited.

  maximum above-ground levels: <= 2 levels (homes having more than two above ground levels are prohibited)

  “homes having more than two above ground levels are prohibited.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Motorhomes, campers and trailers used as a dwelling inside The Highlands city limits.

  • Motor vehicles, including motorhomes and campers, may not be used as a dwelling. Use as a temporary or non-dwelling structure is not addressed in the opened text.

  “motor vehicles, including but not limited to, buses, motorhomes, campers trailers or tents shall not be used as a dwelling.”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  Manufactured housing as a dwelling inside The Highlands city limits.

  • Dwellings that were built and inhabited elsewhere and moved in sections into the city are also prohibited (Appendix C, 3-2(i)).

  “manufactured housing means a dwelling structure, transportable in one or more sections that are built in an off-site location and having not been inhabited at another location are prohibited.”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Living quarters in a secondary or accessory structure (garage, outbuilding) inside The Highlands city limits.

  • A secondary structure is always a utility structure and deemed uninhabitable.
  • A secondary structure may be built only after a dwelling is completed on the same lot and after a permit is granted.

  “no person may reside within a secondary or accessory structure, whether temporarily or permanently, nor in garages or any structure that does not otherwise meet the definition of a dwelling”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private on-site sewage (septic) systems for dwellings inside The Highlands city limits.

  • The city code bars septic tanks that are not part of the public sewer system, so the city rule controls the question inside city limits.
  • Reno County's Environmental division handles private wastewater permitting countywide, but the city code bars non-public sewer tanks for dwellings, so the county route does not provide an in-city septic option by the opened text.

  “waste water septic tanks that are not an integral part of the public sewer system are prohibited.”

• Off-grid sanitationProhibited

  Dwellings inside The Highlands city limits that would rely on a septic tank or other off-grid sanitation not tied to the public sewer.

  • Dwelling inhabitability requires connection to the public sewer system (Appendix C, 3-2(e)).

  “waste water septic tanks that are not an integral part of the public sewer system are prohibited.”

• Well permitLimited

  Privately owned water wells on land inside The Highlands city limits.

  • Privately owned water wells may be used only for lawn irrigation or geothermal cooling and heating.
  • Reno County Public Works Environmental division covers private well permitting countywide; the opened county page does not state that the county well permit reaches inside the city limits.

  “privately owned water wells may be used for the sole purpose of lawn irrigation or geothermal cooling and heating.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  New dwellings inside The Highlands city limits.

  • Dwellings must be connected to and served by public water, electric and sewer systems to be deemed inhabitable.
  • Privately owned water wells may be used only for lawn irrigation or geothermal cooling and heating.

  “to be deemed inhabitable, all dwellings must be connected to and served by public water, electric and sewer systems.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Splitting, dividing or subdividing any lot inside The Highlands city limits.

  • Lots may not be split, divided or subdivided except by permit of the governing body.
  • Multiple contiguous lots under one owner may be consolidated after governing body approval and required county filings with Reno County.

  “no lot may be split, divided or subdivided except by permit of the governing body.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals inside The Highlands city limits.

  • Short-term rentals require registration with the city (Chapter 5, Article 1).
  • Overnight occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom plus two.
  • Daytime guests may not exceed 150% of overnight guests; quiet hours 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
  • Ordinance 2024-32 is cited as the source of the STR article; the opened text does not show its adoption date.

  active STR permits citywide: <= 15 permits (within the incorporated area of the city)

  “at no time shall there be more than 15 str active permits within the incorporated area of the city of the highlands.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Construction permits issued by The Highlands city governing body.

  • Fee amounts are set by governing body resolution and may change; the fee schedule itself was not located in the opened code text.
  • A new and additional fee may be assessed if a permit has lapsed or been revoked.

  “the fee amount for any permit shall be set by and may be modified from time to time by resolution of the governing body.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Construction permits inside The Highlands city limits.

  • A permit must be issued by the governing body before construction; changes to approved plans require governing body approval.
  • Permits required by Reno County and the State of Kansas must be requested through their own processes.

  “any permits or subsequent inspections, required by the rules or regulations of reno county and the state of kansas, must be requested and granted each through their own process.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask The Highlands or Reno County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside The Highlands city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Low Density Residential district, the only district in the city.
• Lot coverage — Low Density Residential district, the only district in the city.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside The Highlands city limits.
• Agricultural exemption — Agricultural use of land inside The Highlands 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.