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Lancaster County adopts updated 2021 model building codes and revises permit fees
Summary
Lancaster County unanimously adopted the 2021 model building codes and an updated mechanical and electrical fee schedule June 16, aligning county rules with recent City of Lincoln adoptions and standardizing permitting for contractors, staff said.
Lancaster County commissioners on June 16 voted unanimously to adopt a package of updated building codes — including the 2021 International Residential, Building, Existing Building, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Uniform Plumbing codes, the 2023 National Electrical Code and the 2018 International Energy Code — and an accompanying update to mechanical and electrical permit fee schedules.
The move, staff said at a public hearing, brings county regulations into alignment with the City of Lincoln under a preexisting interlocal agreement and formalizes changes the county has already been applying in the field. David Carey, director of Planning and Development Services, told the board the city adopted the code package earlier this year and county enforcement has been applying those standards; the county action “is really, more of a making sure that it's on the record that we, at the county level, applying building codes and the permits and the inspections, are using the latest adopted codes by the city.”
Why it matters: county staff said adopting the city’s codes creates clarity for contractors who work inside and outside city limits and promotes uniform life‑safety standards. Carey described a local review process that included trade‑specific task forces of contractors and building professionals who examined the model codes and recommended adoption.
During the hearing commissioners asked about the review process and whether the interlocal agreement obligates the county to mirror city adoptions; Carey said the interlocal language requires the county to adopt the city’s codes for the stated purposes. Carey also explained a separate public hearing on mechanical and electrical permit fees tied to an Accela permitting system update; staff said the fee changes are intended mainly to clarify when fees apply and that some mechanical fees were reduced. “You are reading it correctly” on reductions, Carey said when a commissioner asked.
The board adopted the codes and the fee schedule by unanimous roll call. The resolutions take effect as adopted by the board and will be implemented through the county’s permitting and inspection processes.
