City of Shawnee

New Residential Building

New 1 and 2 Family Residence Building Guidelines (pdf)

The following information is required for building permit application:

A) Building Permit Requirements

  1. A completed and signed Residential Permit Application (pdf). The application must be completed by a person authorized on the Contractor Registration Form (pdf).
  2. A pre-construction stake plot plan, sealed by a Kansas Registered land surveyor. The plot plan must show the proposed building including decks, and must meet the Development Engineering requirements as stated in Section C.
  3. Two sets of building plans plus one extra set of foundation plans sealed by a Kansas registered architect or engineer.
  4. Building Codes Division must have on file a completed, notarized Contractor Registration Form.
  5. The permit applicant must have a valid class A, B, or C Johnson County contractors license. Call (913) 715-2233 or visit the website at Johnson County, Kansas, www.jocogov.org for information. In addition, a valid Shawnee business license is required for all contractors working in the City of Shawnee. Contact the Licensing Specialist at 913-742-6247.
  6. A sewer or septic permit for the project location with the permit application.

    * Sewer Permit Johnson County Wastewater, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Suite 2500, Olathe, KS 66061, (913) 715-8520

    * Septic Permit Johnson County Environmental Department, 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe, KS 66061, (913) 715-6900

  7. A Land Disturbance Permit Application (LDP) is required to be completed, signed and paid for at the time of permit issuance. “Land Disturbance” by definition, means any activity that changes the physical conditions of land form, vegetation and hydrology, creates bare soil, or otherwise may cause Erosion or Sedimentation. Such activities include, but are not limited to, clearing, removal of vegetation, stripping, grading, grubbing, excavating, filling, logging and storing of materials.

The Shawnee City Council adopted the new Land Disturbance Ordinance (pdf) in October of 2007, which affects most construction projects in the City of Shawnee. The ordinance fulfills the City’s compliance activity objectives to meet the EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II requirements. A Land Disturbance Permit (LDP) requirement was created by the ordinance, along with bond requirements, regulations, and a land disturbance permit fee schedule.The following is a summary of new requirements:

      • A Low Impact LDP (pdf) is required for the construction of any structure of 1,000 square feet or more when less than one acre of ground will be disturbed.
      • The Low Impact LDP fee is $150.00.
      • A $10,000.00 Land Disturbance/Performance Bond is required.
      • A site specific “Sediment and Erosion Control Plan” is required as part of the Low Impact LDP application.
      • All sediment and erosion control measures, including a gravel construction entrance, must be in place prior to excavation work. Building inspections may be refused based on failure to maintain effective sediment and erosion control measures.
      • The Low Impact LDP permit holder is responsible to install, inspect, and maintain the construction site sediment and erosion control measures.
      • Dirt, mud, or debris in the street or right-of-way still must be cleaned up within 4 hours of notification or the City will clean up and bill permit holders.
      • Notice to install, maintain or correct sediment and erosion control measures will provide a 3 day time limit to come into compliance. The City will install the measures after 3 days, and then bill permit holders if the measures have not been completed within the time limit.

8. An abstract title going back to December 10, 1974, from a licensed title company, must be submitted for all un-platted lots.

The 2018 International Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code are the adopted construction codes applicable to new single family residences.

The City has a municipal ordinance which requires electric, telephone, and cable TV services to be underground (S.M.C. Section 15.64.020). There are some exceptions to this requirement. Contact our office at (913) 742-6010 with any questions.

B) Work within the right-of-way permit requirements.

  1. Complete a Right-of-Way work permit application. The application must be completed by a person authorized on the Contractor Registration Form.
  2. The Development Services Division must have the applicant’s Certificate of Liability Insurance (pdf) on file. The certificate of insurance must meet the policy limits as shown on this form.
  3. A new $10,000.00 Low Impact LDP/Maintenance Bond will be required.
  4. The work within the right-of-way permit fee is $80.00, and is in addition to the building permit fee (pdf).

C) Development Engineering requirements for plot plans.

General
Plot plans for all one and two family dwellings and all multiplex dwellings shall be prepared and submitted with the building permit application in accordance with the following requirements. Plot plans shall comply with the approved as-built grading plan for the subdivision.

Applicable Standards
Plot plans shall comply with the 2018 International Residential Code and the following additional requirements:

A) Protective Slopes Adjacent to Structures

  1. Downward slope shall be provided from the structure foundation to rear and side yard swales
  2. Minimum Gradients
  • Impervious Surfaces: 1/8 inch per foot (1 percent)
  • Pervious (Grass) Surfaces: Refer to Chapter 4 – Foundations, Section R401 - General, Paragraph R401.3 - Drainage of the 2012 International Residential Code

B) Side Yard Swales and Diversion Swales

1. Side Yard Swales

  • Side yard swales shall be provided to intercept run-off from within the lot, and to convey the run-off to the rear yard swale or to the street curb and gutter.
  • Side yard swales shall be centered on the side lot line.

2. Diversion Swales

  • Diversion swales shall be provided to intercept and direct run-off around the house (structure) where all run-off from the lot is directed to the front or to the rear.
  • Diversion swales shall be located 20 feet (min.) from the house (structure).

C) Lawn Areas

  1. Minimum Grade: 2 percent
  2. Maximum Grade: 3 (horizontal): 1 (vertical)

D) Driveways

1. Grades Outside Street Right-of-Way

  • Minimum: 1 percent
  • Maximum: 15 percent

The maximum algebraic difference in grades at the right-of-way line shall be 8 percent for crest drives and 12 percent for sag drives.

2. Driveways sloping toward the house shall be constructed in such a manner as to provide an intercepting swale or drain to capture and convey run-off away from the garage prior to connection of the driveway to the house.

E) Front Yard Grading

All front yards (area between the building line and right-of-way line) within the development shall be graded to drain toward the street unless a variance is granted by the City Engineer.

Plan Requirements
Plot plans shall include the following information and data:

A) Format - The maximum sheet size for plot plans shall be 11” x 17”.

B) Seal - A land surveyor licensed in the state of Kansas shall seal the plot plan.

C) Certification - The plot plan shall include the following certification: “I (insert name of the land surveyor) certify this plot plan has been field verified and complies with the approved as-built grading plan dated (provide date), unless noted otherwise.”

D) North Arrow and Scale

1. Scale. 1”= 20’. 1” = 30’ will be acceptable for lots greater than 1 acre
2. The plot plan shall include a north arrow, legend, and list of abbreviations

E) Lot Information

  1. Legal description of the lot including name of subdivision and plat number, and lot and block number
  2. Street address
  3. Lot line dimensions
  4. Building lines
  5. Easements including width and type (i.e.: utility, sanitary sewer)
  6. Right-of-way lines

F) House (Structure) – Plan Information, provide the location and dimensions for the following:

  1. As-staked location of structure
  2. Overhangs and cantilevers
  3. Distance between the structure (including cantilevered floor space) and property lines on all sides
  4. Porches and decks
  5. Walk-out/walk-up patios
  6. Egress window wells
  7. Retaining walls and wing walls
  8. Driveways, public sidewalks, and curb and gutter
  9. Driveway culverts including culvert length, pipe size, material, pipe gauge or class if the house is constructed on a non-curbed street
  10. Existing drainage structures (curb inlets, area inlets, manholes)
  11. Existing sanitary sewer manholes (upstream and downstream) existing buildings, if any, on the lot shall also be shown on the plot plan

G) House (Structure) Elevation Information, provide elevations for each of the following:

  1. Top of foundation including elevations for all stair stepping along the foundation wall
  2. Garage floor
  3. Basement floor
  4. Egress window sill elevation
  5. Top elevation of egress window wells
  6. Top and bottom elevations of retaining walls
  7. Top of curb elevations at side lot line extensions, and at the centerline of the driveway
  8. Driveway centerline elevation at the right-of-way line
  9. Driveway culvert invert elevations
  10. Top elevation of existing drainage structures
  11. Top elevation of existing sanitary sewer manholes
  12. Top of foundation elevation of existing structures on adjacent lots

H) Existing Grades

The plot plan shall include existing contours and spot grade elevations from the approved as-built grading plan for the subdivision. Significant discrepancies between the as-built grading plan and field information obtained during plot plan site surveys shall be indicated on the plot plan.

I) Finish Grades

Finish grade spot elevations shall be provided at the following locations:

  • lot corners
  • principal house corners
  • building line (grade break) at side lot lines
  • right-of-way line at side lot lines

J) Drainage and Floodplain Information shown on the plot plan shall include:

  • storm sewer pipe and drainage structures
  • flow arrows indicating the direction of runoff
  • side yard swales
  • diversion swale
  • drainage easements

K) Engineered Plot Plans

Lots requiring engineered plot plans as indicated on the subdivision grading plan shall include the following additional information:1. Drainage and Floodplain Information:

  • 100-year overflow channels including location and typical section.
  • Rear yard swales including location and typical section.
  • Limits and elevation of the FEMA 100-year floodplain including map number and effective date.
  • Limits and elevation of the 25-year and 100-year floodplains from the Mill Creek Watershed Study, or project specific study.
  • 100-year flood elevations at lot corners for lots adjacent to open-channels.
  • Open-channel setbacks.
  • Minimum low water opening elevation (MLO) designated on the subdivision grading plan for the lot.

2. Low opening elevation for the proposed house (structure).
3. Two (2) foot finish grade contours.
4. Finish grade spot elevations shall be provided for the following:

  • Flowlines of 100-year overflow channels at grade breaks, lot lines, and points perpendicular to structure openings
  • Flowlines for rear yard swales at grade breaks and lot lines

Contact the Building Codes Division at (913) 742-6010 with any questions.