Permit applications are no longer accepted in paper format.   

ACCELA CUSTOMER ACCESS PORTAL

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To apply for a permit, check status, see plan check comments, or make a payment, please visit our Customer Access Portal!

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Electronic plan review information

If you’re thinking about replacing your water heater or converting your garage into an office, ask yourself one simple question before you open your tool box: “Do I need a permit?” Even small home improvement projects may require a building permit. Faulty installations can cause fires, flood damage and other hazards, and also force you to make costly repairs. Permits, and the inspections that come with them, protect your family’s safety and the value of your property by ensuring the work meets adopted building codes.

We encourage our customers to take advantage of Pre-Applications Meetings for large projects and changes in use. These meetings are free to the public and can help eliminate costly surprises.  Contact the Planning Division planningreview@cityofsparks.us at 775-353-2300 to schedule an appointment.  

Examples of work that requires a permit:

  • Fences
  • Water heaters and Furnaces
  • Hot Tubs/Portable Spas
  • Sheds and play houses over 200 sq. ft.
  • Demolitions
  • Relocating or addition of plumbing and electrical
  • Roofing
  • Patio Covers:  Contact the Planning Department for setbacks and size limitations. The permit submittal should include a site plan, and the Patio Cover Worksheet or stamped engineered plans. If  your community has a HOA, you will also need to include a Letter of Approval from them.

Examples of work that does not require a permit:

  • Replacing existing residential doors and windows
  • Sheds/Gazebos/Freestanding Structures under 200 sq. ft.:  
  • Structures 200 sq. ft. or less do not require a building permit; however, they do need to comply with setback requirements.  Typically, the structure must be placed 5′ away from the house and 3′ away  from surrounding property lines. 
  • If you have an HOA in your community, you will need to request approval from them as well.
  • Replacing floor covering, cabinets and molding
  • Replacing residential light or plumbing fixtures
  • Clearing stoppages or repairing leaks without altering existing plumbing
  • Replacing stucco or drywall if less than 100 sq. ft.

FAQs

Inspections are scheduled by calling the assigned inspector directly at his office phone number between 7 and 8 am Monday through Friday. 

Contact information for each inspector is provided in the top right corner of the permit card.

If the permit card is unavailable, the assigned inspector information can be located in the  online portal.

After accessing the permit, under the "record info" tab, select "record details".  Under "more details" expand the "application information" section.  The inspector's phone numbers can be found by clicking on "inspections" under the record info dropdown. 

Building inspections can be requested online; however, they must be confirmed by calling and speaking to the inspector directly.  

  • Approved, city stamped plans are required to be onsite.  
  • Inspection requests should not be made more than 2 weeks in advance. 
  • Fencing, roofing replacements, and rooftop solar systems require only a final inspection.
  • The permit holder is to be on site for the inspection with tools and ladders needed to access the work for inspection. 

Permit reports can be generated and customized in the Accela permit portal. 

From the home page, select Advanced Search>Search Records/Applications>Division. 

Select the Agency and desired filters from the list.  The results can be downloaded to a spreadsheet by clicking on the download results link at the top of the results list. 

I'm a homeowner and I have questions about my house.

Most plans and permits are public record and therefore, copies can be requested. If you would like to request a copy, please fill out the online form available here.

Construction that was done without obtaining required permits is considered illegally constructed. There are several reasons why you would want to obtain a permit for the work including; making sure that the work was done safely and up to code and insuring that any future sales of the property are not negatively impacted. If your property has illegally constructed work and you would like to obtain a permit after the fact, and

  • All work is visible: If all work is visible such as water heaters, fences and roofs, then you may fill out a regular permit application and obtain a permit.
  • Work is concealed: 
    • The first option would be to expose the work prior to inspection.
    • If exposing is not a viable option, it is possible to have the work certified by a third party. A licensed professional such as an engineer, architect or contractor may be able to provide certification.
  • It is possible that a project is not able to be permitted. In these events, a demo permit may be required in order to bring the property into compliance.
Fences on private property are outside of the City’s jurisdiction and therefore, a civil matter. If an owner would like to determine the exact property lines and/or build a fence solely on their own property, the best way is to get their land surveyed. If an owner has questions on who owns a sound barrier, please contact City of Sparks Maintenance at 775-353-2271 or NDOT.
If there is an emergency repair done without a permit outside office hours, a permit should be applied for on the next business day.

Contractor licenses can be checked here. You can search by License number, Principal name, Company name or Disciplinary Action.

Please remember that just because a Contractor is licensed by the State of Nevada does not mean that they are licensed in Sparks. Please click here to see if your contractor is licensed to work in Sparks.