Reno building permits
VerifiedDepartment contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for Reno, Nevada.
Last verified 2026-06-30 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 1 E. 1st Street, Reno, NV 89505
- Phone
- (775) 334-2063
- permits@reno.gov
- Office hours
- Mon–Fri (contact department for current hours)
- Website
- Official site
- Permit portal
- Apply online at Reno's portal
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in Reno — 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.
- 2024 International Building Code (IBC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments (NNICC); effective July 1, 2025
- 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments; effective July 1, 2025
- 2024 International Existing Building Code (IEBC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments
- 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments
- 2024 International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments
- 2024 International Mechanical Code (IMC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments (commercial/multi-family)
- 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments (residential single-family)
- 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments (NOTE: Reno uses UPC, not IPC)
- 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments; effective July 1, 2025
- Nevada Blue Book (2020) — statewide construction industry reference, incorporates NRS/NAC provisions
Permit types & fees
Residential Building Permit (New Construction)
Required for all new single-family dwellings, duplexes, townhouses, and other one- and two-family residential construction in Reno. Covers structural construction, framing, envelope, and all associated systems. Governed by the 2024 IRC with 2024 NNICC Amendments.
Residential Addition / Remodel Permit
Required for additions, structural alterations, remodels, basement finishes, attached garage conversions, room additions, and other significant alterations to existing one- and two-family dwellings in Reno. Governed by the 2024 IRC with 2024 NNICC Amendments.
Electrical Permit
Required for electrical installations, alterations, and service changes in Reno. Governed by the 2023 NEC with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments. Electricians must hold Reno journeyman cards; licensed electrical contractor or journeyman must be on site for all inspections.
Plumbing Permit
Required for plumbing installations, alterations, and repairs in Reno. Governed by the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) — NOT the International Plumbing Code — with 2024 Northern Nevada ICC Amendments. Plumbers must hold Reno journeyman cards.
Mechanical / HVAC Permit
Required for heating, cooling, ventilation, and fuel gas installations in Reno. Residential single-family uses the 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC); commercial/multi-family uses the 2024 IMC. Covers furnaces, A/C, heat pumps, ductwork, gas fireplaces, and related equipment.
Roofing Permit (Reroof)
Required for roof replacement (tear-off and reroof) on residential and commercial buildings in Reno. Reroofing is an EZ permit for residential; valuation-based for commercial. Reno's Northern Nevada climate requires awareness of snow load requirements and proper underlayment.
Solar PV Permit
Required for installation of rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic systems on residential and commercial properties in Reno. Processed as a valuation-based permit (Solar PV Systems) requiring plans including structural calculations, electrical design, and equipment specifications.
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Permit
Required for construction of a new ADU on a residential property in Reno. Reno has adopted an ADU ordinance (Reno Municipal Code Section 18.02 / ADU standards). As of July 1, 2026, NRS 278.257 mandates that Reno (population ≥60k) authorize ADUs and prohibit ordinance restrictions that prevent rental use.
Demolition Permit
Required for demolition of structures in Reno. Requires a demolition bond of $2,500. A Demolition Checklist and Bond Agreement form must be submitted with the application.
Commercial Tenant Improvement Permit
Required for interior remodels, additions, and tenant improvements in commercial, multi-family, apartment, and condo buildings in Reno. Governed by the 2024 IBC with 2024 NNICC Amendments. Valuation-based permit requiring full plan set and plan review.
Swimming Pool and Spa Permit
Required for construction of residential and commercial swimming pools, in-ground spas, and above-ground spas in Reno. Pools are valuation-based permits requiring full plan submittal including structural, electrical, gas, and barrier/fencing details. Prefabricated hot tubs/spas are flat-rate permits.
Block / Screen Wall and Fence Permit
Required for construction of fences and walls (including block walls, screen walls, retaining walls, and rockery walls) in Reno. Governed by Reno Municipal Code Section 18.04.809 (General Standards for Fences and Walls). Residential fences ≤6 ft are typically flat-rate permits; larger or complex walls may be flat-rate or valuation-based.
EV Charging Station Permit (Electrical Permit)
Required for installation of a Level 2 (or higher) electric vehicle charging station/EVSE within Reno city limits. The City publishes no dedicated EV charger/EVSE permit category or EZ Permit (its EZ Permit list covers items like Service Change, Meter Lockout, Water Heater, and HVAC replacement, but not EV chargers) — an EV charger circuit is expected to be billed under the City's standard flat-rate Electrical Permit fee schedule, the same one this file's electrical-permit entry documents.
Sign Permit
Required for installation of permanent signs in Reno — billboards, ground/projecting signs, painted signs, wall signs, and small plastic signs. Reno publishes a dedicated flat-rate Sign Permit fee schedule (separate from the residential/commercial building permit fee tables) covering both Building Plan Review and Building Inspection fees. Governed in part by NAC 624.240, which restricts sign fabrication, installation, and erection to a Nevada-licensed C-6 sign contractor.
Fire Sprinkler Permit
Required for installation or modification of automatic fire sprinkler systems in new and existing residential and commercial buildings in Reno. Fire Sprinkler is its own 'Plans Required, 10-day Review' permit category — distinct from Fire Alarm — listed under both the Residential and Commercial building permit types published by the City; commercial buildings with kitchen hoods or special-hazard suppression may additionally require the City's separate 'Fire Suppression' permit category. Plans are reviewed by both Development Services and the Reno Fire Department (RFD).
Fire Alarm Permit
Required for installation of fire alarm systems in new and existing residential and commercial buildings in Reno. Fire Alarm is its own 'Plans Required, 10-day Review' permit category under both the Residential and Commercial building permit types published by the City, reviewed by both Development Services and the Reno Fire Department (RFD).
Certificate of Occupancy
Reno does not publish a standalone 'Change of Use Permit' product — this file's research found no such line item in the City's fee schedules or Building Permit Types document. A standard/final Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) is instead issued as the concluding step of an approved building permit's final inspection (see, e.g., this file's commercial-tenant-improvement-permit entry, whose final inspection is listed as 'Final / Certificate of Occupancy'), carrying no separate fee beyond the underlying permit. Where a business changes use or occupancy classification without new construction, the City instead triggers a Building Division compliance review tied to the business-license process, and a distinct, separately fee-bearing 'Temporary Certificate of Occupancy' product exists on the City's own published fee schedule.
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)
- 41units
41 buildings · $18.4M valuation
- Trailing 12 months
- 1,105units
10 of 12 months reported · #6 in Nevada coverage by units
- Year to date (2026 YTD through 2026-05)
- 670units
270 buildings · $189.3M valuation
5 month(s) reported to Census
- Full year 2025
- 1,391units
783 buildings · $350.6M valuation
8 of 12 months reported; Census estimates include imputation
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
- Reno uses the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and 2024 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC) — NOT the International Plumbing Code or IMC for residential. This is a critical difference from many other states.
- Reno is in a Special Wind Region: minimum basic design wind speed = 120 mph Vult (93 mph Vasd) for residential (Risk Cat II/IRC). This is higher than ASCE 7 default map values and must be stated in structural calculations.
- Seismic Design Category D2 applies to Reno — structures must be designed for significant seismic loads. This is higher than many western U.S. cities at lower elevation.
- Frost line depth is 24 inches — all footings must extend below this depth.
- Ground snow loads are elevation-dependent per NNICC Table 1608.2.1; minimum roof snow load = 29 psf. Do not use Southern Nevada (Las Vegas area) snow load values — those are zero or near-zero.
- Ice barrier underlayment is NOT required below 5,500 ft elevation (Reno valley floor ~4,400–4,500 ft qualifies); however, proper underlayment per 2024 IRC is still required.
- Journeyman cards are required for electrical and plumbing tradespeople working in Reno. A licensed electrical contractor (license holder) or journeyman electrician must be on site for all electrical inspections per Reno Ordinance No. 6400.
- Gas piping requires a manometer test (11–15 inches water column for 15 minutes) per 2024 NNICC amendments for Reno, Sparks, and Washoe County. Manometer tester card required.
- All building permit applications are submitted electronically via ONE Regional portal (onenv.us) — shared with Sparks, Washoe County, and Douglas County.
- Reno codes effective July 1, 2025: 2024 IBC, IRC, IECC, IFGC, IMC, UPC, UMC, and 2023 NEC. Applications submitted before January 1, 2026 could use either 2018 or 2024 codes; after January 1, 2026, only 2024 editions accepted.
- City of Reno Department address: 1 E. 1st Street, Reno, NV 89505 (confirmed from ADU Guide and permit documents).
- Do NOT use Clark County, Las Vegas, Henderson, or Southern Nevada code values (wind, snow, seismic) for Reno — they are entirely different climate and seismic zones.