Residential Building Permit (New Construction / Single- and Two-Family Dwellings) in Fernley, Nevada

Fernley requires a residential building permit (new construction / single- and two-family dwellings) for: Completed, signed residential building permit application with all contractor and sub-contractor information; Two (2) sets of plans, all sheets stamped/dated/signed by design professional, contractor, or owner/builder (Owner/Builder Affidavit required if owner-builder permit); Site plan meeting the City of Fernley Building Site Plan Requirements Checklist (APN, north arrow, scale, 5-ft contour elevations, property lines/dimensions, easements/ROW, setbacks, utilities, stormwater drainage, flood hazard boundary if applicable); Architectural plan sheets: floor plan, roof plan, elevations, sectional building drawings, wall sections, exterior column sections, braced wall panels; REScheck energy compliance report, signed/stamped by preparer; Structural plan sheets: foundation design and details, brace/shear wall designs and anchorage to foundations, plus structural calculations; Truss calculations and truss submittal verification letter; Mechanical plans and system calculations per ACCA Manuals S, D, and J (engineered or stamped/signed by contractor); Electrical plans and electrical load calculations (engineered or stamped/signed); Plumbing plans (engineered or stamped/signed); Special inspections documentation if required (e.g., post-tension slabs require engineer's stamp/date/signature); Proof of water/sewer prepayment if applicable; Architectural Review Committee approval if in Desert Lakes or Miller Meadows subdivisions; proof of any approved zoning setback deviation; Completed New Connection Form for water/sewer utilities; 'Request for Will Serve' application if new construction is not within an existing subdivision; Design must meet City of Fernley/2024 NNICC climatic and geographic design criteria: Seismic Design Category D2, 120 mph basic wind speed (Special Wind Region), 18-inch minimum frost depth, 30 psf ground snow load per IBC Table 1608.2.1, Winter Design Temp 11 F. If your project isn't listed, confirm with City of Fernley Building Division (Building & Safety Division) at (775) 784-9900 before starting work.

Plan review is an additional 65% of the determined Building Permit Fee, due at the time of application, per City of Fernley Resolution 20-009, Exhibit A.

Fernley does not publish a plan-review timeline for this permit. Contact City of Fernley Building Division (Building & Safety Division) at (775) 784-9900 for current turnaround.

You'll need: Residential Building Permit Application; Residential Submittal Checklist; Building Site Plan Requirements Checklist; New Connection Form. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Fernley requires 11 inspection(s) for a residential building permit (new construction / single- and two-family dwellings), in order: Foundation, Underfloor, Utilities (Trench), Roof-Framing, Shear Nailing, Stucco/Veneer Lath, Rough Frame / Electric / Plumbing / HVAC, Insulation, Wallboard / Shower Pan, Final Utilities, Final / Certificate of Occupancy. Schedule each through City of Fernley Building Division (Building & Safety Division) ((775) 784-9900).

Apply through City of Fernley Building Division (Building & Safety Division) at 595 Silver Lace Blvd, Fernley, NV 89408. Phone: (775) 784-9900, email: building@cityoffernley.org. Office hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; permit submittal counter closes at 4:00 p.m. daily; closed all observed holidays. Inspection requests must be received by phone (775-784-9829/775-784-9900) by 4:00 p.m. the business day before the requested inspection date.. Official information: https://www.cityoffernley.org/74/Building-Department.

Fernley, Nevada has adopted: Nevada is a home-rule state for building codes with a mandatory statewide energy floor only: NRS 701.220 requires local governments that adopt or amend a building code to include, at minimum, the energy conservation provisions of the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or an equivalent code adopted by the state Director of Business and Industry. There is no single statewide building-code edition — each Nevada city/county adopts and amends its own codes. Confirm your city's edition before assuming any other Nevada jurisdiction's codes apply. Source: Nevada Revised Statutes 701.220 (Energy conservation standards).; City of Fernley is a self-administering jurisdiction: pursuant to NRS 244.105/268.012, the City of Fernley Building Division (part of Community & Economic Development) independently adopts codes and issues building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits within Fernley city limits. Fernley does NOT route building permitting to Lyon County; the City runs its own Building Division at 595 Silver Lace Blvd. Source: City of Fernley Municipal Code Title 8, Chapter 2, Sec. 8.02.01; City of Fernley Building Department page, cityoffernley.org/74/Building-Department; 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — adopted by City of Fernley per Fernley Municipal Code Title 8, Chapter 2, Sec. 8.02.01, effective per Ordinance adopted June 18, 2025; 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01; 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01; 2024 International Fire Code (IFC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01; 2024 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01; 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01 (electrical edition is one cycle behind the other 2024 codes); 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01; 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01; satisfies and exceeds the NRS 701.220 statewide energy floor; 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01; 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01; 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — adopted by City of Fernley, Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01 (Nevada jurisdictions in this region use the Uniform Plumbing Code, not the International Plumbing Code); 2024 Northern Nevada Amendments by the Northern Nevada Chapter of the International Code Council (NNICC) — regional amendments adopted by City of Fernley alongside the 2024 codes; final document dated 2/20/2025. Source: City of Fernley Building Codes page and 2024 NNICC Code Amendments Final PDF; Transition period: as of the City's Building Codes page (current as of this review), contractors, developers, and owner-builders may submit plans under EITHER the 2018 codes or the newly adopted 2024 codes; as of January 1, 2026, all new plan submissions must comply with the 2024 codes. Source: City of Fernley Building Codes page, cityoffernley.org/76/Building-Codes; Prior codes (superseded, still valid for permits filed before the 2024-code mandatory date): 2018 IBC (with appendices C, E, H, I), 2018 IRC (with appendices A, B, C, G, H, Q), 2018 IMC, 2018 IPC, 2018 IFC (with appendices B, C, D), 2018 IPMC, 2017 NEC, 2018 IFGC, 2018 IECC, 2018 IEBC, 2018 International Swimming Pool & Spa Code, 2018 UPC, 2018 UMC, and 2018 Northern Nevada Amendments — per Fernley Municipal Code Sec. 8.02.01 and the City's 'Design Criteria 2018 Codes' handout. Local amendments apply — see the Fernley overview page for the full list.

The City of Fernley self-administers its own Building Division and issues all building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits within Fernley city limits — it does not route permitting to Lyon County. Source: City of Fernley Municipal Code Title 8, Chapter 2, Sec. 8.02.01.