West Wendover building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for West Wendover, Nevada.
Last verified 2026-07-03 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 1111 N. Gene L. Jones Way, P.O. Box 2825, West Wendover, NV 89883
- Phone
- (775) 664-3081
- Office hours
- West Wendover City Hall, 1111 N. Gene L. Jones Way, West Wendover, Nevada 89883. Building permit applications are submitted in person to the Community Development (Planning Desk) at City Hall; completed documentation must be provided in person with original signatures prior to or at the time of payment. Main Community Development phone: (775) 664-3081; Fax: (775) 664-3720. Building Official (Fire Chief) inspections contact: Jeff Knudtson, 935 Wendover Boulevard (Fire Station), (775) 664-2274. No public email address for the Community Development Department is published on the department page (contact links route through a webform); confirm current staff email directly with the department.
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in West Wendover — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Nevada does not mandate a single statewide building code edition. Under NRS 278.580, the governing body of each city or county may adopt its own building code, specifying design, soundness, and materials of structures, together with rules and ordinances for enforcement — a home-rule framework in which each jurisdiction selects and amends its code independently. There is no state-mandated IBC or IRC edition. The one statewide floor is for energy: under NRS 701.220, the Governor's Office of Energy (GOE) is required to adopt the most recently published edition of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) on a triennial basis. Upon adoption by GOE, local governments must incorporate that edition as the minimum energy standard and may adopt higher or more stringent requirements. GOE adopted the 2024 IECC, effective August 18, 2024, pursuant to NAC 701.185. Because building code editions, local amendments, and energy code effective dates vary by jurisdiction across Nevada, always confirm the current adopted edition and any local amendments with your specific city or county before submitting plans.
- West Wendover is its own city building-code authority (not governed by Elko County) under West Wendover City Code Title 7, Chapter 1, which provides that building codes are updated/amended from time to time and each amendment must be formally approved by City Council resolution per Section 7-1-2(A). Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17 (adopting Exhibit 1 building codes) and Building Permit Application (July 2020).
- 2018 International Building Code (IBC), together with Appendix Chapters C, E, I, and J. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1 (adopted September 1, 2020).
- 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), together with Appendix Chapters A, B, C, G, H, J, K, and M. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 International Fire Code (IFC), together with all appendices. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC). Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), Commercial and Residential Provisions chapters 1 through 5. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), together with Appendix Chapters A, B, C, D, E, G, I, J, K and L. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC), together with Appendix Chapters A, B and C, applicable only when the International Mechanical Code (IMC) is silent. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 International Mechanical Code (IMC), together with Appendix Chapters A and B. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), together with Appendix Chapters A, B, C and D. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC), chapters 2 through 11. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, chapter 5. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2018 Northern Nevada Amendments by the Northern Nevada Chapter of the International Code Council, together with Appendix A (copies available at www.nnicc.org). Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC). Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, editions as adopted by the State of Nevada. Source: City of West Wendover Resolution No. 2020-17, Exhibit 1.
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (Single-Family, Two-Family, Manufactured Home — New Construction)
Required for new construction of single-family, two-family, and manufactured/mobile homes within West Wendover city limits, submitted to and reviewed in-house by the Community Development Department (Planning Desk) against the 2018 IRC/IBC as adopted by Resolution 2020-17.
Residential Addition / Remodel / Accessory Structure Permit
Required for home remodels, additions, and additional structures (carports, porches, sheds, etc.) on single-family, two-family, and manufactured home properties in West Wendover. Structures 200 sq ft or less within side/rear setbacks may qualify for the Provisional Building Permit process instead of a standard permit.
Provisional Building Permit (Temporary/Accessory Structures)
Covers temporary accessory structures (e.g., sheds) up to 200 sq ft and 12 feet in height, placed within side and rear yard setbacks, potentially over public utility easements. Governed by West Wendover City Code 8-5A-6(C). Not available for front or exterior side yard setbacks; structures must not include permanent surface treatments.
Commercial / Multi-Family Building Permit
Required for commercial and multi-family development projects in West Wendover. Follows a multi-stage process: conceptual approval, preliminary site plan approval, final site plan approval, and building construction plan review — the latter conducted by West Coast Code Consultants, Inc. (WC3), the City's third-party plan reviewer, in parallel with site plan approval.
Mobile Home Park Residence Permit
Required for moving (installation/removal) mobile/manufactured homes into or out of a Residential Mobile Home Park within West Wendover city limits, governed by West Wendover City Code Title 8, Chapter 5, Section (B) (RMH 1, 2, or 3 zoning) and the Nevada Division of Manufactured Housing.
Solar PV Installation (Building + Electrical Permit)
West Wendover has no dedicated solar-PV application, submittal guide, or flat fee line published among its Community Development handouts (Commercial Project Development Guide, Residential Building Permit Submittal Guide, or WC3 plan-review packages) — a rooftop or ground-mount solar photovoltaic installation is filed using the same Building Permit Application process as other construction, reviewed against the city's adopted 2018 IBC/IRC/IECC and 2017 NEC (Resolution No. 2020-17), with Building Permit and Plan Check fees calculated from project valuation against the ICC Building Valuation Data (BVD) table — the same general fee mechanism documented throughout this file for every permit type. Commercial-scale solar plan review would route through the city's third-party reviewer, West Coast Code Consultants (WC3), the same as other commercial building/fire-protection plans. Nevada NRS 278.580 authorizes local governments to accommodate solar/wind energy materials and technologies within their adopted building codes.
EV Charger Installation (Building + Electrical Permit)
West Wendover has no dedicated EV-charger/EVSE application, submittal guide, or flat fee line published among its Community Development handouts — an EV charging station (Level 2 or DC fast charger) is filed using the same Building Permit Application process as other construction, reviewed against the city's adopted 2018 IBC/IRC/IECC and 2017 NEC (Resolution No. 2020-17), with Building Permit and Plan Check fees (where a new structure/canopy or panel upgrade tied to a building addition is involved) calculated from project valuation against the ICC Building Valuation Data (BVD) table — the same general fee mechanism documented throughout this file for every permit type, including solar-pv-permit. Commercial-scale EV charging installations (e.g., a multi-port charging hub) would route through the city's third-party reviewer, West Coast Code Consultants (WC3), the same as other commercial building/electrical plans.
Sign Permit (On-Premises Signs)
Required before erecting, enlarging, altering (beyond normal maintenance), or relocating any on-premises sign within West Wendover city limits, per City Code Title 7, Chapter 4 (Sign Code), Section 7-4-9. The City has separately adopted the Uniform Sign Code recommended by the International Conference of Building Officials (Section 7-4-1), with Chapter 4 controlling wherever it conflicts with that adopted code. Off-premises signs (billboards/outdoor advertising) are governed by a distinct, more restrictive permit process under Sections 7-4-12 through 7-4-19, not covered by this entry.
Fire Sprinkler and Fire Alarm System Permit (Fire Protection System Plan Review)
West Wendover does not organize fire sprinkler and fire alarm permitting into separate city-issued products, and does not operate its own in-house fire-prevention/plan-review bureau. Fire protection system plans (sprinkler and alarm) for commercial and multi-family construction are instead submitted to West Coast Code Consultants, Inc. (WC3), the City's third-party plan reviewer, which also conducts the Nevada State Fire Marshal review on the City's behalf — the same routing already documented for general commercial building-code review in this file's commercial-building-permit entry. WC3's Fire Marshal review fees are paid directly to WC3 by the developer/builder, separate from City-collected fees. The City's own Fire Department (1113 N. Gene L. Jones Way, (775) 664-2274), whose page was fetched fresh on 2026-07-22, is presented as an emergency-response/suppression department; it publishes no separate fire-sprinkler/fire-alarm permit application, fee schedule, or in-house plan-review process of its own.
Certificate of Occupancy / Change of Use
West Wendover has no separately codified 'change of use' ordinance and no standalone Certificate of Occupancy application distinct from the standard Building Permit process. City Code 7-1-3(B) defines an 'ACTIVE BUILDING PERMIT' as 'any building permit issued for which there has not been a certificate of occupancy granted,' confirming that a Certificate of Occupancy is issued as the closing step of a Building Permit under the adopted 2018 IBC framework already documented throughout this file, not as its own separate permit type. A change in the use or occupancy classification of an existing building would be handled under the applicable provisions of the adopted 2018 International Building Code and, where relevant, the adopted 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), via a (new or amended) Building Permit Application, rather than through any dedicated 'change of use permit' form published by the City.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-05)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date (2026 YTD)
- No data reported
- Full year 2025
- 5units
5 buildings · $1.5M valuation
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-05 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Nevada building activity
Tips & gotchas
- West Wendover is its own city with an independent Community Development Department — it is NOT under Elko County's building department, even though it sits within Elko County. Confirm with the City directly (775-664-3081) rather than assuming county rules apply.
- Building permit applications must be submitted IN PERSON with original signatures at West Wendover City Hall (Community Development / Planning Desk) — the City's online payment page explicitly states completed documentation must be provided in person prior to or at the time of payment.
- Commercial and multi-family plan review is outsourced to West Coast Code Consultants, Inc. (WC3), a Utah-based firm — not reviewed entirely by City staff. This applies to both building-code compliance review and State Fire Marshal fire-protection-system review.
- The City has NOT published a consolidated, itemized fee schedule online (unlike Elko). The only concrete fee figures publicly available are: an illustrative $200,000-valuation example for a single-family home (from a 2016 guide), the flat Provisional Building Permit tiers ($160.46-$252.06), and the flat $100 mobile home moving fee. All other fees are described only as 'project-specific, based on ICC Building Valuation Data' — get a written estimate from Community Development before budgeting.
- Two of the City's most detailed permit guides (SF/TF/MH Residential Guide and Mobile Home Park Guide) date to January 2016 and reference older code editions in places, even though the City's actual adopted codes were updated to the 2018 IBC/IRC family via Resolution 2020-17 (effective September 1, 2020) — the current adopted codes list (Resolution 2020-17) should always be checked as the authoritative code reference, separate from the older guides' procedural information.
- A Provisional Building Permit (for small, temporary accessory structures up to 200 sq ft/12 ft tall in side/rear setbacks) is a materially different, cheaper, faster process than a standard remodel/addition permit — ask Community Development which one applies before assuming you need a full building permit for a shed.