Administrative overview · FIPS 20125
Montgomery County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
Municipal Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked Municipal Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
City of Independence Building Inspector (municipal fallback; no current Montgomery County building-permit department was identified on the official county site)
For a project in or near Montgomery County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
620-332-2541 (Building Inspector Maurice Garlet); City Hall 620-332-2500
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
City of Independence, 120 N. 6th Street, Independence, KS 67301; Montgomery County offices, 217 E. Myrtle Street, Independence, KS 67301
Operating hours
N/A for the Building Inspector; contact City Hall at 620-332-2500 for current availability.
Review expectation
N/A. The official Independence materials do not publish a standard plan-review or permit-issuance timeline.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Montgomery County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 620-332-2541 (Building Inspector Maurice Garlet); City Hall 620-332-2500.
How long might review take?
N/A. The official Independence materials do not publish a standard plan-review or permit-issuance timeline.
How are inspections scheduled?
The Building Inspector performs electrical, plumbing, rental, construction, floodplain, footing/foundation, framing/masonry, gas, mechanical, plumbing, and residential/commercial roofing inspections, including rough-in and final inspections. Contact Maurice Garlet at 620-332-2541 or City Hall at 620-332-2500 to arrange inspections.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Within Independence, the official Building Inspector page lists the 2018 International Building, Existing Building, and Residential Codes; 2018 Uniform Plumbing, International Mechanical, Uniform Swimming Pool/Spa/Hot Tub, and International Fire Codes; 2020 National Electrical Code; 2010 ADA; and 2022 Building Trades Requirements. These are municipal codes and were not verified as countywide rules for unincorporated Montgomery County. Independence requires a permit before constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving, demolishing, or changing the occupancy of a building or structure, and for regulated mechanical work. The remodel application distinguishes minor work as mostly cosmetic or work that does not change an element’s primary function or structure, but it does not itself state that minor work is exempt. No complete official cosmetic-exemption list was identified; confirm project-specific treatment with the Building Inspector.