Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Russell, Kansas

Russell’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, demolition or occupancy change of buildings and structures inside Russell city limits

  • No permit is required for minor repairs (section 4-104).
  • Permit is issued only on compliance with the code and city zoning regulations and payment of permit fees to the city clerk (section 4-104).
  • Work started without a permit carries an additional $25.00 fee (section 4-105(b)).

  “any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, extend, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure within the city of russell; must first obtain a building permit from the building official”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction and alteration of buildings and structures inside Russell city limits

  • Amendments and deletions listed in sections 4-102 and 4-103 apply, including deletion of section 105.5 expiration of permit (see city code 4-106) and of chapter 13 energy efficiency.
  • Section 113 board of appeals is replaced by the city governing body; the governing body has no authority to waive code requirements.

  code edition incorporated: International Building Code 2018 edition, appendix chapters C through K (Appendix A, B and L through N deleted)

  “being marked and designated as the international building code 2018 edition, including appendix chapters c through k inclusive”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction, development, or manufactured-home placement in Russell city special flood hazard areas

  • Applies in the special flood hazard areas described in section 16-502(a), which include unnumbered A zones on the 1975 FHBM index and unmapped lands the city identifies as flood-prone.
  • The city building official is the floodplain administrator (16-503(b)).
  • Variances and appeals go to the board of zoning appeals (16-505).
  • Violation is a misdemeanor with fine up to $250.00 and each day a separate offense (16-506).

  “a floodplain development permit shall be required for all proposed construction or other development, including the placement of manufactured homes, in the areas described in 16-502(a).”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for work inside Russell city limits

  • Fees are payable to the city clerk (section 4-104).
  • Certificate of occupancy fee of $15.00 applies when not in conjunction with a building permit (section 4-105(c)).
  • The page shows no amendment date for the fee schedule; the fee text is as printed on the opened page.

  building permit fee for first $1,000 of total valuation: 10 USD (for first $1,000.00 of total valuation) · building permit fee per additional $1,000 of valuation: per 1 USD (for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof) · additional fee for work started without a permit: 25 USD · certificate of occupancy fee (when not in conjunction with building permit): 15 USD

  “$10.00 for first $1,000.00 of total valuation, then $1.00 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit issuance and expiration inside Russell city limits

  • A permit issues only on compliance with the code and city zoning regulations and payment of fees (section 4-104).
  • Permit is invalid unless work starts within 180 days; the building official may grant written extensions of up to 60 days each (section 4-106).
  • Application form steps and submittal requirements are not stated in the opened code text.

  work start deadline after permit issuance: 180 days (invalid if work is suspended or abandoned for 60 days)

  “every permit issued shall become invalid unless the work authorized by such permit is commenced within 180 days after its issuance”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Russell city limits
• Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Russell city limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new or altered buildings inside Russell city limits
• Local zoning — Land inside Russell city limits (City of Russell, Russell County, KS)
• Zoning districts — Zoning district map and districts inside Russell 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.