Patio Permit in Kansas City, Missouri
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
Not needed for a walk, patio or driveway laid on existing grade. Needed before roofing or enclosing a patio, before building one raised above existing grade, and before grading or filling that goes past the Sec. 18-16(b)(1)z exemptions.
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Kansas City names patios directly in its exemption list, which is unusual and makes the answer clean at one end: Sec. 18-16(b)(1)w exempts walks, patios and driveways constructed on existing grade from a building permit. Everything that departs from "on existing grade" pulls the project back in. A raised patio is treated as a platform and falls under the 30 inch deck and platform rule instead, a roof or an enclosure over the patio is ordinary permitted construction, and the earthwork can trigger its own requirement because grading and excavation are only exempt under the nine conditions in Sec. 18-16(b)(1)z, which include a cut less than two feet deep and a fill less than one foot deep, or less than three feet deep if it does not exceed 50 cubic yards on any one lot and is not intended to support structures. Zoning still applies to an exempt patio: Sec. 88-820-12 lets a patio more than four feet above the average level of the adjoining ground encroach only into the rear setback, and lets a roof projecting from a garage over an open patio extend no more than eight feet, again rear yard only. Because the exemption turns on the words "on existing grade," confirm your own design with the Code Questions line at 816-513-1511 before pouring.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
When a permit is usually needed
Not needed for a walk, patio or driveway laid on existing grade. Needed before roofing or enclosing a patio, before building one raised above existing grade, and before grading or filling that goes past the Sec. 18-16(b)(1)z exemptions.
What a patio permit costs in Kansas City
How to apply in Kansas City
Applying for a patio permit means submitting a site plan and framing plans for a roofed patio cover, since a cover is treated as its own permitted structure regardless of size. A plain concrete or paver patio slab at or near grade is, by contrast, often exempt from that same building permit requirement.
What most patio permit applications include:
- Filing a permit application with the local building department, which only the property owner or an authorized agent may sign, since a patio cover is treated as its own permitted structure regardless of size (IRC R105.1).
- A scaled site plan showing the new patio cover's size and location relative to the house and other existing structures, with dimensioned distances to all property lines so required setbacks can be verified before the permit is approved (IRC R106.2).
- Construction documents such as a framing plan and elevation, showing rafter or beam sizes and spacing, the distance between supporting posts, and the method of attachment to the house, drawn with enough clarity for the building official to confirm the work will conform to the code (IRC R106.1).
- For the roof structure itself, plans showing compliance with the patio cover appendix's structural limits, such as adequate footing sizes for the applied post loads, since a shallow slab on grade may substitute for a deeper footing only in limited cases up to about 750 pounds of load per post (IRC Appendix AH, Section AH105.2).
- By contrast, an at grade concrete or paver patio that is not attached to the dwelling and stays within the code's small flatwork thresholds, similar to a sidewalk, driveway, or low deck under 200 square feet and 30 inches high, commonly needs no building permit at all, so none of the plan review steps above apply (IRC R105.2).
General submittal guidance from 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Sections R105 and R106, with Appendix AH Patio Covers (named Appendix H in the 2012, 2015, and 2018 editions). Source. 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) sets the exact checklist for Kansas City.
Where to apply in Kansas City:
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
Inspections and closing out your permit
A permitted patio cover follows the same footing, frame, and final inspection sequence used for any small accessory structure, since the posts and roof framing have to be checked before they are covered and again once the work is done. An at grade patio slab that qualifies as exempt flatwork usually needs no building inspection at all, because inspections only attach to work that required a permit in the first place.
- A footing inspection once the excavation, forms, and any reinforcing steel are in place but before concrete is poured, confirming the posts supporting a patio cover will bear on adequate footings (IRC R109.1.1).
- A frame inspection after the rafters, beams, posts, and any required rough in work are in place but before the roof sheathing or covering material conceals them, since a solid patio cover roof cannot be signed off once it is covered without this check (IRC R109.1.4).
- A final inspection once all permitted work, including roofing and post anchorage, is complete, which the code requires before the structure may be used (IRC R109.1.6).
- An at grade concrete or paver patio that qualifies as exempt flatwork under the permit rules is not subject to any of these inspection stages, since the inspection sequence only attaches to work that required a permit in the first place (IRC R105.2).
- Each inspection has to be requested by the permit holder rather than happening automatically, and the approved plans and permit card need to be on site and available when the inspector arrives (IRC R109.3).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Kansas City permit portal or by phone at 816-513-1500.
Inspection sequence from 2021 International Residential Code (IRC), Section R109 (Inspections). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Patio Permit checklist for Kansas City
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Usually needed: Not needed for a walk, patio or driveway laid on existing grade. Needed before roofing or enclosing a patio, before building one raised above existing grade, and before grading or filling that goes past the Sec. 18-16(b)(1)z exemptions.
- Budget the fee. A flat patio on existing grade is exempt and costs nothing. Roofing, enclosing or raising a patio makes it a building permit priced from the one- and two-family valuation table in Sec. 18-20(b)(2): $52.00 up to $1,000.00, $58.00 from $1,001.00 to $2,000.00, then $58.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $4.33 per additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof. If the work moves enough earth to fall outside the Sec. 18-16(b)(1)z grading exemptions, a site disturbance permit is also priced through the department's fee estimator under Sec. 18-20. Sec. 18-20 was last amended by Ord. No. 220612, Sec. 1, 10-27-22. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. Applying for a patio permit means submitting a site plan and framing plans for a roofed patio cover, since a cover is treated as its own permitted structure regardless of size. A plain concrete or paver patio slab at or near grade is, by contrast, often exempt from that same building permit requirement. 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. Address: City Planning and Development Department, Permits Division, City Hall 5th floor, 414 E 12th St, Kansas City, MO 64106.
- Plan for inspections. A permitted patio cover follows the same footing, frame, and final inspection sequence used for any small accessory structure, since the posts and roof framing have to be checked before they are covered and again once the work is done. An at grade patio slab that qualifies as exempt flatwork usually needs no building inspection at all, because inspections only attach to work that required a permit in the first place.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a patio permit in Kansas City?
- Kansas City names patios directly in its exemption list, which is unusual and makes the answer clean at one end: Sec. 18-16(b)(1)w exempts walks, patios and driveways constructed on existing grade from a building permit. Everything that departs from "on existing grade" pulls the project back in. A raised patio is treated as a platform and falls under the 30 inch deck and platform rule instead, a roof or an enclosure over the patio is ordinary permitted construction, and the earthwork can trigger its own requirement because grading and excavation are only exempt under the nine conditions in Sec. 18-16(b)(1)z, which include a cut less than two feet deep and a fill less than one foot deep, or less than three feet deep if it does not exceed 50 cubic yards on any one lot and is not intended to support structures. Zoning still applies to an exempt patio: Sec. 88-820-12 lets a patio more than four feet above the average level of the adjoining ground encroach only into the rear setback, and lets a roof projecting from a garage over an open patio extend no more than eight feet, again rear yard only. Because the exemption turns on the words "on existing grade," confirm your own design with the Code Questions line at 816-513-1511 before pouring. Always confirm with 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) before starting.
- How much does a patio permit cost in Kansas City?
- A flat patio on existing grade is exempt and costs nothing. Roofing, enclosing or raising a patio makes it a building permit priced from the one- and two-family valuation table in Sec. 18-20(b)(2): $52.00 up to $1,000.00, $58.00 from $1,001.00 to $2,000.00, then $58.00 for the first $2,000.00 plus $4.33 per additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof. If the work moves enough earth to fall outside the Sec. 18-16(b)(1)z grading exemptions, a site disturbance permit is also priced through the department's fee estimator under Sec. 18-20. Sec. 18-20 was last amended by Ord. No. 220612, Sec. 1, 10-27-22. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- How long does a patio permit take in Kansas City?
- In Kansas City, a patio permit typically takes 7 business days (plan review turnaround goal for one- and two-family submittals). Times can vary by workload and project scope, so confirm with the office.
- Where do you apply for a patio 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 patio 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
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 | A deck over the exemption is a building permit priced from the one- and two-family... |
| Electrical Permit | It depends | Not specified | Electrical permits for one- and two-family detached dwellings are priced from the same... |
| Fence Permit | No permit needed | Not specified | There is no fence permit and no fence permit fee. |
| HVAC Permit | It depends | Not specified | Mechanical permits for one- and two-family detached dwellings run on the same valuation... |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | Not specified | Plumbing permits for one- and two-family detached dwellings use the Sec. |
| 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 | The pool building permit is priced from the one- and two-family valuation table in Sec. |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | Not specified | An exempt reroof costs nothing. |
| 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 | A shed that needs a permit is a general building permit priced from the one- and... |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | Each trade permit is priced from the one- and two-family valuation table in Sec. |
Patio Permit in other Missouri localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Kansas City documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , 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
Compare Patio Permit requirements across Missouri localities
Permit office
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)
816-513-1500Permit portalCompare
Patio Permit across Missouri