Plumbing Permit in Kansas City, Missouri
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Before installing, altering, repairing or replacing waste, vent, water or gas piping, fixtures and water heating equipment. Not needed to clear a stoppage, repair the working parts of a faucet or valve, replace a defective fixture or valve without altering piping, or replace a lavatory or sink trap.
Quick answer
Plumbing needs a permit in Kansas City, and the more useful thing to know is which department issues it. City Planning and Development issues permits for plumbing work inside a structure, for water supply lines running from the main structure to accessory buildings, and for sanitary sewer work on private property, applied for in CompassKC as "Plumbing General-Residential." The Water Services Department issues the permit for the water or fire service line from the main to the meter and on to the control devices inside the building, and for stormwater and sanitary sewer service line connections to the main and line repairs in the public right of way or in easements on private property, applied for as "New Service Line Work," "Service Line Repairs" or "Sanitary Sewer Work." Sec. 18-16(b)(3) exempts only four kinds of work: repairs involving only the working parts of a faucet or valve, clearance of stoppages, repair or replacement of defective fixtures or valves where no alteration or extension of piping is made, and replacement or repair of lavatory and sink traps. Work must be done by a Kansas City licensed Plumbing Contractor, or a Gas-Fired Appliance Contractor for gas appliances other than warm air units, unless the owner occupies the single family dwelling and does the work personally.
- Issued by
- Kansas City, Missouri City Planning and Development Department, Development Management Division (construction permits are issued by the department's Permits Division on the 5th floor of City Hall)
- Phone
- 816-513-1500
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Sponsored
Plumbing permits are usually pulled by the plumber doing the job. If you are still choosing one, compare a few quotes first.
Compare plumber quotes on Angi
Sponsored link. PermitNotebook may earn a fee if you request quotes through it. Partners never influence our permit data.
What a plumbing permit costs in Kansas City
- Fee basis
- Project valuation
- Fee schedule in force
- Official scheduleRead .
- Plumbing permits for one- and two-family detached dwellings use the Sec. 18-20(b)(2) valuation table: $52.00 for total valuation of $0.00 to $1,000.00, $58.00 for $1,001.00 to $2,000.00, then $58.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $4.33 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof to and including $100,000.00.
- Sec. 18-20 was last amended by Ord. No. 220612, Sec. 1, 10-27-22.
- Water and sewer service line permits are billed separately by the Water Services Department under the KC Water Rules and Regulations for Water Service Lines (May 2022), not under Sec. 18-20;
- that counter is reachable at 816-513-2174.
Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.
How to apply in Kansas City
General guide, not specific to this office
What a plumbing permit application usually includes, and which inspections usually follow, is much the same from place to place, so we explain it once: how a plumbing permit works, from application to final inspection. That guide describes common practice under the model codes. The office on this page sets the actual checklist.
Kansas City, Missouri City Planning and Development Department, Development Management Division (construction permits are issued by the department's Permits Division on the 5th floor of City Hall)
- City Planning and Development Department, Permits Division, City Hall 5th floor, 414 E 12th St, Kansas City, MO 64106
- Phone: 816-513-1500
- Email: cdpermits@kcmo.org
Plumbing Permit in Kansas City compared with nearby Missouri localities
| Locality | Permit needed? | Threshold | What each Missouri schedule says | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | It depends | Before installing, altering, repairing or replacing waste, vent, water or gas piping... | See schedule | |
| St. Louis | It depends | Before any plumbing, drainlaying or process drainage work, any connection to a sewer... | The application fee for all plumbing permits is $30.00 |
Your Plumbing Permit checklist for Kansas City
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Read the rule where we read it: kcmo.gov: permits division.
- Budget the fee. Price your project from the official fee schedule, which we read on .
- Apply. Start at the Kansas City permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. Kansas City, Missouri City Planning and Development Department, Development Management Division (construction permits are issued by the department's Permits Division on the 5th floor of City Hall). Phone: 816-513-1500. Email: cdpermits@kcmo.org. Address: City Planning and Development Department, Permits Division, City Hall 5th floor, 414 E 12th St, Kansas City, MO 64106.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Permitting activity in Kansas City
In 2025, Kansas City authorized permits for 1,869 new residential housing units (516 single-family, 1,353 in multi-family buildings), valued at $449M, down from 2,878 the year before. That works out to about 5.9 permits per 1,000 residents.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual data · population 316,610.
What else needs a permit in Kansas City
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | height of a platform or deck above grade at any point, where it is also not located over any basement or story below | See schedule |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Before any electrical installation, alteration, repair or replacement, including new... | Electrical permits for one- and two-family detached dwellings are priced from the same valuation table as every other trade; the schedule has the rest |
| Fence Permit | No permit needed | Exempt | See schedule |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Before installing, altering, servicing, replacing or repairing a heating, ventilating... | Mechanical permits for one- and two-family detached dwellings run on the same valuation table as building permits; the schedule has the rest |
| Patio Permit | It depends | Not needed for a walk, patio or driveway laid on existing grade | A flat patio on existing grade is exempt and costs nothing |
| Pool Permit | It depends | water capacity of a prefabricated above ground pool accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling that is also less than 24 inches deep with its walls entirely above the adjacent grade | See schedule |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | Not needed to strip and re-cover a one- or two-family roof with a light roof covering | See schedule |
| Shed Permit | It depends | projected roof area of a one-story detached accessory building used as a tool or storage shed, playhouse, garage, carport or similar use | See schedule |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Any size | Each trade permit is priced from the one- and two-family valuation table in Sec. 18-20(b)(2), which covers building, mechanical; the schedule has the rest |
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a plumbing permit in Kansas City?
- Sometimes: before installing, altering, repairing or replacing waste, vent, water or gas piping, fixtures and water heating equipment. Not needed to clear a stoppage, repair the working parts of a faucet or valve, replace a defective fixture or valve without altering piping, or replace a lavatory or sink trap. If you are unsure how that applies to your project, call the permit office at 816-513-1500 before you start.
- How much does a plumbing permit cost in Kansas City?
- The fee wording from the official schedule is in the cost table on this page, as we read it on 16 Aug 2026. For the figure on your own project, call the permit office at 816-513-1500.
- Where do you apply for a plumbing permit in Kansas City?
- You can apply through the Kansas City permit portal or contact the Kansas City, Missouri City Planning and Development Department, Development Management Division (construction permits are issued by the department's Permits Division on the 5th floor of City Hall) directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit themselves in Kansas City?
- Under Missouri law (RSMo 701.055.1 and 701.055.2; RSMo 327.101.2(5)(a); RSMo 327.191.2(5)(a); RSMo 700.656.5): Missouri does not license general contractors at the state level and has no statewide owner-builder permit statute, disclosure affidavit, or resale restriction comparable to Florida's one year rule. Whether a homeowner may pull the permit and do the work is decided by the city or county that issues the permit. Where state law does speak, it is permissive: RSMo 327.101.2(5)(a) and RSMo 327.191.2(5)(a) let an unlicensed person render architectural and engineering services for the construction, remodeling or repair of a privately owned dwelling house, provided the drawings say the person is not licensed, so plans for a house do not have to be sealed by an architect or engineer. RSMo 701.055.1 expressly preserves a property owner's right to install, modify or repair their own on-site sewage disposal system as long as the state standard is met, and RSMo 701.055.2 adds that no permit or contractor registration is required simply to clean it. RSMo 700.656.5 exempts a person who installs a manufactured home on his or her own property for his or her own occupancy from the otherwise mandatory state installer license. None of these exemptions excuses a local permit where the local jurisdiction requires one. Confirm how Kansas City applies this before you apply.
From the Library
Plumbing Permit in other Missouri localities
Everything above, sourced
How this plumbing permit page for Kansas City was verified. 2 official sources: kcmo.gov, kcmo.gov; fee schedule: official document. Last checked by Mario Bailey, not confirmed with Kansas City, Missouri City Planning and Development Department, Development Management Division (construction permits are issued by the department's Permits Division on the 5th floor of City Hall). Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page