Change of Use / Occupancy Permit in Winnemucca, Nevada

Winnemucca requires a change of use / occupancy permit for: A permit is required for 'any owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure,' per IBC 105.1 as adopted by the City of Winnemucca and quoted on the Humboldt County 'Permit Requirements' page — Winnemucca has no separate, standalone change-of-use permit; a change of occupancy is applied for on the same universal Application for Building Permit, with the change of use/occupancy entered as the Description of Work; For a commercial/industrial occupancy change, the application is reviewed under the same process as new commercial construction (per the joint Commercial/Industrial Guide): site plan, floor plan showing the use of all building areas, and specification of the new occupancy group/type of construction, with Planning & Zoning site-plan/zoning review and, where applicable, fire code review — since a use change can trigger different occupancy-group requirements (egress, fire ratings, plumbing fixture counts, accessibility) under the adopted IBC even without new physical construction; Contact Planning & Zoning at (775) 623-6392 before applying to confirm the new use is allowed (or requires a special/conditional use permit) in the property's WMC Title 17 zoning district; A Certificate of Occupancy is not obtained through a separate application — the Building Department signs it directly onto the permit's inspection record after all required inspections, including the final, have passed; per the Commercial/Industrial Guide: 'After passing all required inspections (including the final) the Building Department will issue a certificate of occupancy.' Occupying or operating the new use before that sign-off is prohibited (the same 'signed-off inspection card IS the Certificate of Occupancy' principle already documented in the department note and residential building-permit entry); A new business resulting from a change of use will additionally require a County business license (775-623-6345) or City business license (775-623-6339). If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Winnemucca Building Department at (775) 623-6319 before starting work.

In Winnemucca, the published Building Permit Fee (change of occupancy/use) is: Not published as a standalone current fee schedule; calculated from project valuation/scope on the Application for Building Permit form, the same mechanism used for all other building-permit-triggered work in this record. These are the jurisdiction's own published figures — see the fee schedule table and source citations on this page.

Winnemucca does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Winnemucca Building Department at (775) 623-6319 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Application for Building Permit. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Winnemucca requires 1 inspection(s) for a change of use / occupancy permit, in order: Final Inspection. Schedule each through City of Winnemucca Building Department ((775) 623-6319).

Apply through City of Winnemucca Building Department at 90 W. Fourth Street, Winnemucca, NV 89445. Phone: (775) 623-6319, email: wmcasac@winnemuccacity.org. Office hours: City of Winnemucca Building Department, 90 W. Fourth Street, Winnemucca, NV 89445. Phone (775) 623-6319, fax (775) 623-6321 (per City of Winnemucca Basic Design Criteria handout) / (775) 623-6090 or (775) 623-6321 listed as fax on different department handouts. This is a distinct department from the Humboldt County Building Department (25 W. Fourth Street, (775) 623-6322), though both offices are located on Fourth Street in Winnemucca and jointly co-authored the Single Family Residence Permit Guide. All inspections require 24 hours notice; call (775) 623-6319 to schedule.. Official information: https://www.winnemuccacity.org/.

Winnemucca, Nevada has adopted: Nevada is a home-rule state for building codes: there is no single mandatory statewide building-code edition — each city and county adopts and amends its own code. The only genuine statewide floor is the energy code: Nevada's energy standards reference the IECC, and NRS 701.220 directs the State to adopt and update energy efficiency standards for new construction. Always confirm the specific adopted edition for the city or county in question rather than assuming a uniform statewide building code. Source: Nevada Legislature NRS Chapter 701 (State Office of Energy).; 2012 International Building Code (IBC), adopted by the City of Winnemucca per Winnemucca Municipal Code (WMC) 15.04. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout and joint City/County 'Single Family Residence Permit Guide' (Revised 12-13).; 2012 International Residential Code (IRC), adopted by the City of Winnemucca per WMC 15.04. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout.; 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC), adopted by the City of Winnemucca per WMC 15.04. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout.; 2012 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC), adopted by the City of Winnemucca per WMC 15.04 — Nevada jurisdictions commonly use the Uniform Mechanical Code (IAPMO) rather than the International Mechanical Code. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout.; 2012 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), adopted by the City of Winnemucca per WMC 15.04 — not the International Plumbing Code. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout.; 2012 International Fire Code (IFC), adopted by the City of Winnemucca per WMC 15.04. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout; also referenced in the City's 'Additions (Residential)' handout.; 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted by the City of Winnemucca per WMC 15.04. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout and joint 'Single Family Residence Permit Guide' (Revised 12-13).; 1997 Uniform Housing Code, 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, 2012 International Property Maintenance Code, 2012 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, and 2009 ICC A117.1 (Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities), all adopted by the City of Winnemucca per WMC 15.04. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout.; See Winnemucca Municipal Code Chapter 15.04 (Building Code) for the local amendments to each adopted model code. Source: City of Winnemucca Building Department 'Basic Design Criteria' handout, which directs readers to WMC 15.04 for the amendment text. UPDATE (2026-07-16): unlike the 2018-2025 Wayback checks, Municode's hosted WMC (library.municode.com/nv/winnemucca) now renders live in a browser and was read directly section-by-section. Current online version: Supplement 14, updated April 8, 2026, codified through Ordinance No. 889 (enacted 3-19-2024) — but Chapter 15.04's code-adoption sections have not been touched since Ordinance No. 798, § 1.1 (adopted 1-21-2014), and the codified text confirms, verbatim: WMC 15.04.040 'The 2012 Edition of the International Building Code...is adopted by the city'; 15.04.050 same language for the 2012 IRC; 15.04.100 NEC section states 'The city designates the 2011 edition of the NEC as the adopted edition'; 15.04.120 'The 2009 Edition of the International Energy Conservation Code...is adopted by the city'; 15.04.140 same language for the 2012 IFC; 15.04.170 same language for the 2012 UMC; 15.04.190 UPC section states 'The city designates the 2012 Edition of the UPC...as such latest edition.' This directly confirms every codesAdopted edition below is still the City's codified law — see the 2026-07-16 RESOLUTION note in localAmendments for the fuller picture and the genuine City-ordinance-vs-joint-handout conflict this surfaced.. Local amendments apply — see the Winnemucca overview page for the full list.

No. There is no standalone change-of-use permit product or dedicated Certificate of Occupancy application published by the City of Winnemucca or Humboldt County. A change in a building's occupancy or use requires a building permit under IBC 105.1 as adopted by the City, applied for on the same universal Application for Building Permit form. The Certificate of Occupancy itself is issued by the Building Department directly on the permit's inspection record once all required inspections, including the final, have passed.