What changes a site plan in Kansas
These five Kansas conditions decide how a concept is drawn and checked before any hearing is scheduled.
No statewide building code for private work. Kansas leaves the adoption of building codes to its cities and counties, and the state enforces codes only on state-owned property [1, 6]. The first row of a Kansas site data table is therefore the adopted code family and edition of the jurisdiction that governs the parcel, because the same building can face a different edition across a city limit.
A 2006-era state fire code beneath every project. The Kansas Fire Prevention Code, adopted under K.S.A. 31-133 as K.A.R. 22-1-3, takes in the 2006 IBC, the 2006 IFC with listed exclusions and a set of NFPA standards, and it applies statewide [2, 7]. The Legislative Post Audit report R-26-007 (May 2026) found the State Fire Marshal still inspects to the 2006 IFC and 2006 NFPA 101, "3-6 editions" older than local departments such as Newton (2024 IFC), Hays (2015) and Olathe (2018) [8].
Editions that change from city to city. Wichita and Sedgwick County review commercial plans under the 2024 editions from January 1, 2025 [3]. Overland Park adopted the 2024 I-codes by Ord. BC-3499 in 2026 [9]. Olathe stays on its 2018 codes [4], and the Kansas City KS code list dated as of June 30, 2022 shows 2018 editions [10].
Site design inside the architecture statute. K.S.A. 74-7003 defines architecture to include the design of non-exempt buildings "and the spaces within and the site surrounding such buildings" [11]. A site plan filed as a permit document for such a building is therefore sealed work [11].
One plant reshaping Johnson County demand. Panasonic's EV battery plant in De Soto, a $4 billion investment on a 300-acre site in Astra Enterprise Park, began mass production in July 2025, according to the Kansas Department of Commerce [12]. The county around it is split between cities on 2018 codes and cities on 2024 codes [4, 9].
The Kansas code adoption matrix
Each row shows what the jurisdiction's own code page, ordinance list or staff report records. "Not confirmed" means that record does not settle the edition, so it is confirmed with the building official before the concept is finalized.
| Jurisdiction | IBC | IFC | IEBC | IECC | NEC | Adopting record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita and Sedgwick County (MABCD) | 2024 | 2018 | 2024 | Not listed | 2023 | IBC and IEBC effective Jan 1, 2025 [3, 13] |
| Overland Park | 2024 | 2024 | 2024 | Not confirmed | 2023 | Ord. BC-3499, 2026 [9, 14] |
| Topeka | 2024 (commercial) | 2021 | 2021 | 2021 (commercial envelope) | Not confirmed | Ord. 20648, action date Apr 14, 2026, amended by Ord. 20671 on July 14, 2026 [15] |
| Olathe | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2018 | 2017 | Ords. 19-27 (IBC), 19-29 (IEBC), 19-33 (NEC), 19-34 (IECC) and 19-37 (IFC), effective Sept 1, 2019 [4] |
| Kansas City KS (Unified Government) | 2018 | 2018 | Not listed | 2018 | 2017 | Code list dated as of June 30, 2022 [10] |
| Unincorporated Johnson County | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, effective July 1, 2020 [16] |
The record behind the matrix:
- Overland Park ran 2018 codes adopted April 6, 2020 and effective August 1, 2020, and its staff recommended the 2024 I-codes and the 2023 NEC on July 2, 2025 [17].
- The Community Development Committee staff report of January 7, 2026 recommended "passage of Ordinance No. BC-3499, adopting the 2024 Commercial Series of the International Building Codes and the 2023 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code" [14].
- Wichita's residential code remains the 2018 IRC [13].
- Olathe revised its 2018 IRC by Ord. 26-31 on June 23, 2026 [4].
- Kansas cities adopt model codes by reference under K.S.A. 12-3009 to 12-3012, as the Chase city code, an unofficial draft, records [18].
The edition matters on the site plan itself, not only inside the building: fire apparatus access, hydrant layout and accessible routes are drawn to the fire and building code the jurisdiction adopted.
What applies where no code is adopted
In a county with no adopted code, a commercial project still owes the 2006-era Kansas Fire Prevention Code, which the State Fire Marshal reviews and enforces [2, 8].
| Layer | What applies |
|---|---|
| Fire code | K.A.R. 22-1-3, under K.S.A. 31-133: the 2006 IBC without certain chapter 35 NFPA references, the 2006 IFC without chapters 22, 30, 33 to 36 and 38, and NFPA 13, 13D and 13R (2007) and NFPA 25, 30 and 30A (2008), among others [2, 7] |
| Deemed compliance | Under K.S.A. 31-134a a building is deemed to comply with the fire code if it conforms to a listed building code (the 2000 IBC among them), holds a certificate of occupancy and meets special fire code requirements [19] |
| Attorney General reading | Opinion 2012-23: adopting the 2006 IBC in K.A.R. 22-1-3(a) does not conflict with K.S.A. 31-134a [20] |
| Energy | K.S.A. 66-1227 names the 2006 IECC as the applicable standard for new commercial and industrial structures and gives the Kansas Corporation Commission no authority to adopt or enforce it; the KCC survey document records "no provision for enforcement" [21, 22, 6] |
| Fire plan review | The State Fire Marshal has reviewed code footprints and sprinkler and alarm documents before new construction, per its Kansas Buildings Fire Safety Handbook (3rd ed., Nov 2006, a historical guide) [23] |
The fire code is moving. State Fire Marshal officials told the auditors they "have begun taking steps to update the fire prevention code to the 2024 editions," and no adoption date is published [8]. On a rural concept, fire lane, hydrant and sprinkler assumptions are checked against the 2006 provisions, not the newer edition a neighboring city enforces.
Who approves what in Kansas
| Approval | Who acts |
|---|---|
| Building permit and plan review | The city or county building department; MABCD for Wichita and Sedgwick County [3] |
| Fire plan review | The local fire marshal where a local fire code is adopted; the State Fire Marshal for the statewide floor and state-owned buildings [23] |
| Code adoption | A city ordinance adopting model codes by reference (K.S.A. 12-3009 to 12-3012) [18] |
| Code coordination in Johnson County | Johnson County Building Officials coordinate code uniformity; there is no regional land use authority [24] |
| Construction stormwater | KDHE Bureau of Water, applied for online through KEIMS [25] |
| Septic in Johnson County | The Johnson County Environmental Sanitary Code, readopted by cities; Olathe passed Ord. 26-47 on Sept 15, 2026 [26] |
Zoning and subdivision decisions sit with the city governing body or the county commission, advised by a planning commission. The concept is built to the zoning code of whichever city or county governs the parcel, and to the building code that body adopted.
Overland Park, Olathe and Johnson County approvals
On the Kansas side of the Kansas City metro, final plans are approved at the planning commission [27].
| Jurisdiction | Who approves | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Overland Park | "The Planning Commission reviews all applications for final development plans and plats"; the Governing Body acts on preliminary plans and rezonings [27] | Preliminary development plan fee $250 with no hearing; $450 to $900 with a hearing, by acreage [28] |
| Olathe | The Planning Commission approves preliminary site development plans for permitted uses (UDO §18.40.110); a neighborhood meeting is required (§18.40.030) [29] | Preliminary plans valid 7 years, final plans 2 years [29] |
| Unincorporated Johnson County | The Consolidated Zoning Board recommends to the Board of County Commissioners, which decides [30] | Zoning and Subdivision Regulations adopted March 17, 1994, with a rewrite in progress in 2026 [31, 32] |
| Wichita and Sedgwick County | MABCD plan review [3] | Commercial plans reviewed under the 2024 editions from January 1, 2025 [3] |
Overland Park adopted its Site Design Standards and Architectural Design Standards by reference in Ord. ZRR-3461 (2024) [33]. Its staff reports show a Site Plan Review Committee reviewing projects, and the commission can ask for "additional renderings," as the February 10, 2025 minutes record [34]. A 3D rendering tied to the site plan answers that request at the hearing.
Who prepares and seals what
| Item | Rule |
|---|---|
| License | Practicing or offering a technical profession without a license or certificate of authorization is unlawful (K.S.A. 74-7001) [35] |
| Scope | The technical professions are engineering, land surveying, architecture, landscape architecture and geology; architecture reaches non-exempt buildings and the site surrounding them (K.S.A. 74-7003) [11] |
| Seal limit | A licensee may not seal documents outside the licensee's own field of practice (K.A.R. 66-6-4(d)) [36] |
| Case law | Schmidt v. Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (Kan. 2001) concerned a single sealed set that covered an architectural site plan [37] |
The preliminary site plan is the unsealed first draft that comes before that set: disposition, buildings, drives, parking, pads and yield, with a site data table. Where the plan becomes a permit document for a non-exempt building, the statute's reach to the surrounding site makes the permit site plan sealed work [11], and the architect or engineer of record builds the sealed set on the preliminary plan. Grading, drainage, stormwater, water and sewer design belong to the engineer of record. The who prepares a site plan guide sets out the division of work.
Statewide overlays
| Overlay | Rule |
|---|---|
| Construction stormwater | KDHE coverage for one acre or more disturbed, or a common plan: a Notice of Intent, a SWP2 plan and KDHE authorization before construction [5] |
| Contaminated ground | A permit may be required under one acre where contaminated soil or groundwater may be encountered [25] |
| Industrial stormwater | A general permit effective Nov 1, 2021, with a $60 NOI fee [38] |
| Energy | The 2006 IECC as the applicable standard for new commercial and industrial structures, with no state enforcement [21, 22] |
| Septic | County sanitary codes, such as the 2025 Johnson County code [26] |
| Public and semi-public pools | The Johnson County Aquatic Health Code, readopted by Olathe on Sept 15, 2026, covers public and semi-public pools, HOA pools included [26] |
Asset rules that reach the plan
Two state or county rules bear directly on asset classes the studio plans in Kansas.
| Asset class | Rule |
|---|---|
| Senior living | The State Fire Marshal inspects licensed facilities to the 2006 IFC and NFPA 101 [8] |
| RV resorts and hotels with pools, and HOA pools | The Johnson County Aquatic Health Code for public and semi-public pools [26] |
Layout standards for each class are on the asset pages for RV parks, campgrounds, car washes, gas stations, self storage, hotels and industrial sites.
Law changes, 2024 to 2026
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | Sedgwick County and Wichita adopt the 2024 IBC, IEBC and IMC, effective Jan 1, 2025 [39] |
| July 2, 2025 | Overland Park staff recommend the 2024 I-codes and the 2023 NEC [17] |
| Jan 7, 2026 | The Overland Park Community Development Committee staff report recommends passage of Ord. BC-3499 [14] |
| Apr 14, 2026 | Topeka Ord. 20648 adopts the 2024 IBC with local amendments for commercial work [15] |
| May 2026 | Legislative Post Audit report R-26-007 documents the State Fire Marshal's 2006 code base and its update steps [8] |
| June 23, 2026 | Olathe Ord. 26-31 revises the 2018 IRC [4] |
| July 14, 2026 | Topeka Ord. 20671 amends Ord. 20648 [15] |
| Sept 15, 2026 | Olathe Ord. 26-47 adopts the 2025 Johnson County sanitary and aquatic health codes [26] |
K.S.A. 66-1227 is unchanged in the 2025 statute text [21]. Decision timing on a Kansas site runs on the local ordinance; Olathe's validity periods of 7 years for a preliminary plan and 2 years for a final plan are one example [29].
Proof points
- Panasonic, De Soto. A $4 billion plant on 300 acres in Astra Enterprise Park; mass production began in July 2025, with "approximately 1,000 staff" hired at opening [12]. The Kansas Department of Commerce says the plant is "expected to create up to 4,000 new jobs," and cites an estimated 4,000 additional supplier jobs and 16,500 construction jobs from a Wichita State University impact study, plus a projected $2.5 billion a year in new economic activity in Kansas [12].
- Wichita and Sedgwick County. The 2024 IBC has governed commercial plan review since January 1, 2025 [3].
- Topeka. Ord. 20648, "Adopting the 2024 International Building Code with local amendments," carries an action date of April 14, 2026 on the city's ordinance list [15].
- Olathe. Ord. 26-47, passed September 15, 2026, readopted the 2025 Johnson County Environmental Sanitary and Aquatic Health Codes [26].
What the preliminary plan carries in Kansas
For a Kansas parcel the studio draws the whole project short of engineering: layout, buildings and floor plans, drives and drive aisles, parking, pads, units and yield. Its site data table leads with the code family and edition from the matrix above, since that row fixes the fire access and building assumptions the layout follows, and then shows disturbed acreage against the KDHE one acre trigger and the validity period the city gives an approved plan. Developers use it at concept with city or county staff, with lenders and with contractors pricing the work; the Kansas-licensed architect or engineer of record then seals the permit set on top of it. Preliminary versus final site plan traces that handoff, and do I need an architect for a site plan takes up the seal question.
Kansas borders Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri and Oklahoma; the service areas index carries every state the studio covers.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas have a statewide building code?
Not for private construction. Cities and counties adopt codes, and the state enforces codes only on state-owned property [1].
What code applies in a Kansas county with no building code?
Is the 2006 IECC enforced in Kansas?
Which Kansas cities are on 2024 codes?
Is the Kansas fire code being updated?
The State Fire Marshal told auditors in 2026 that it has begun steps toward the 2024 editions; no adoption date is published [8].
Do site plans need a seal in Kansas?
Architecture in Kansas includes the site surrounding non-exempt buildings (K.S.A. 74-7003), so the site plan in the permit set for such a building is sealed [11]. The preliminary site plan is the unsealed concept the architect or engineer of record builds that set on.
When is a KDHE construction stormwater permit needed?
At one acre of disturbance, or less where the site is part of a larger common plan, with a Notice of Intent, a SWP2 plan and KDHE authorization before construction [5].
How long is an Olathe site development plan valid?
A preliminary site development plan is valid for 7 years and a final plan for 2 years (UDO §18.40.110) [29].
Sources
- 1)Kansas building code adoptions, International Code Council. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 2)K.A.R. 22-1, Kansas Fire Prevention Code (permanent administrative regulations), Kansas State Fire Marshal. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 3)Plan Review, Sedgwick County, MABCD. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 4)Building Codes and Permits, City of Olathe. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 5)Notice of Intent Instructions, Construction Activities, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Water. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 6)KS Building Energy Codes, Kansas Corporation Commission, Kansas Energy Office. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 7)K.A.R. 22-1-3, adopted codes and standards, Kansas State Fire Marshal (text via Cornell LII). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 8)Evaluating the State Fire Marshal's Inspection Requirements, Report R-26-007 (May 2026), Kansas Legislative Post Audit. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 9)Ordinance No. BC-3499, City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 10)Codes and Ordinances, Building Inspection, Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 11)K.S.A. 74-7003, technical professions definitions (2020 text), Kansas Legislature. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 12)Governor Kelly Celebrates Grand Opening of Panasonic EV Battery Manufacturing Facility in De Soto (July 14, 2025), Kansas Department of Commerce. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 13)Current Adopted Codes, Resolutions and Ordinances, Sedgwick County, MABCD. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 14)Community Development Committee staff report, Ordinance No. BC-3499 (January 7, 2026), City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 15)Code, ordinances and resolutions (ordinance list), City of Topeka. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 16)Code of Regulation for Building and Construction, Johnson County, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 17)Committee staff report on adopting the 2024 International Codes (July 2, 2025), City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 18)Code of the City of Chase, Kansas, Article 1, Building Code (unofficial draft), citing K.S.A. 12-3009 to 12-3012, City of Chase. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 19)K.S.A. 31-134a, Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 20)Attorney General Opinion No. 2012-23 (October 9, 2012), Office of the Kansas Attorney General (via Washburn Law). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 21)K.S.A. 66-1227, energy efficiency of buildings; standards (2025 text), Kansas Legislature (text via Justia). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 22)Energy Efficiency Building Codes (KCC survey document), Kansas Corporation Commission (Kansas Government Information collection). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 23)Kansas Buildings Fire Safety Handbook, 3rd edition (November 2006), Kansas State Fire Marshal. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 24)Johnson County Building Officials Association, Johnson County, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 25)ABCs of Construction Stormwater Permitting (Larry Hook, P.E.), KDHE Bureau of Water. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 26)The Legal Record, September 22, 2026, page 3 (Olathe Ordinance 26-47), The Legal Record. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 27)Planning Commission, City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 28)Preliminary development plan application and fee document, City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 29)UDO § 18.40.110, Site Development Plans, City of Olathe. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 30)Zoning Boards, Johnson County, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 31)Unincorporated Area, Johnson County, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 32)Johnson County Planning Commission, Johnson County, Kansas. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 33)Ordinance No. ZRR-3461 (2024), City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 34)Planning Commission meeting minutes, February 10, 2025, City of Overland Park. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 35)K.S.A. 74-7001, Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 36)K.A.R. 66-6-4, professional conduct, Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (text via Cornell LII). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 37)Schmidt v. Kansas State Board of Technical Professions (Kan. 2001), Kansas Supreme Court (via FindLaw). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 38)Industrial Stormwater Permit Overview (Eric C. Staab, P.E.), KDHE Bureau of Water. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 39)MABCD construction industry newsletter (November 2024), Sedgwick County, MABCD. Accessed 2026-10-10.