Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Sterling, Kansas

Sterling’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Sterling city limits

  • Building code adopted is the 2006 International Building Code with appendix chapters and city revisions in Sec. 4-302 (including Sec. 1208 ceiling heights).
  • Residential code adopted is the 2006 International Residential Code including appendix chapter G, with city revisions in Sec. 4-1402 (Sec. R301.2(1) 32 inches according to flood map; Sec. P2603.6.1 12 inches to 24 inches; Sec. P3103.1 6 inches).

  “be and is hereby adopted as the building code of the city of sterling, in the state of kansas for regulating and governing the conditions and maintenance of all property, buildings and structures”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Sterling city limits; the city's own zoning regulations govern use of land and location of buildings

  • Zoning regulations were adopted by incorporation by reference (Sec. 16-201) with an official zoning map; the district text itself was not opened.
  • Ordinance 2467 and later amendments listed in the code history apply.

  “(d) from the effective date of ordinance no. 2467, the zoning regulations and official zoning map, herein incorporated by reference shall govern all use of the land and the location of buildings and other structures placed within the city of sterling, kansas.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Non-sewered wastewater disposal (privies, septic tanks, cesspools) inside Sterling city limits

  • Sec. 15-403 prohibits these facilities within the city except as provided later in Article 4.
  • The Sec. 15-405 private disposal exception (where a public sanitary sewer is not available) was not fully read.

  “15-403. privies; septic tanks. except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool, or other facility intended or used for the disposal of wastewater within the city.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Owners of houses and buildings used for human occupancy situated inside Sterling city and abutting a street or alley with a city sanitary sewer

  • Connection is required only where the public sewer is within 150 feet of the property line.
  • The owner must install toilet facilities at the owner's expense and connect within 90 days after official notice.
  • Water connection was not verified: Sec. 15-324 (connections required) appears in the water article index but was not opened.

  distance from property line to public sanitary sewer: <= 150 feet · connection deadline after official notice: 90 days

  “the owner(s) of all houses, buildings or properties used for human occupancy, employment recreation or other purposes, situated within the city and abutting any street, alley or right-of-way in which there is now located or may be located in the future, a sanitary sewer of the city is hereby required to install, at his or her expense, toilet facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this article within 90 days after the official notice to do so, provided that the public sewer is within 150 feet of the property line.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land and vacation of rights-of-way, easements and public reservations located within Sterling city limits

  • Subdivision regulations are adopted by reference (ordinance 2466); the subdivision text itself was not opened.

  “(c) from the effective date of ordinance no. 2466, the subdivision regulations herein incorporated by reference shall govern the subdivision of land and the vacation of rights-of-way, easements and other public reservations located within the city of sterling, kansas.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Construction inside Sterling city limits
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Sterling city limits
• Inspections — Construction inside Sterling city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new construction inside Sterling city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential district inside Sterling 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.