MABCD is the joint City of Wichita and Sedgwick County building office, so the rules also apply in unincorporated Sedgwick County; our numbers are the City of Wichita only.
The rule
MABCD's Do I Need a Permit? page (read 24 October 2026) says "You must get a permit"; the work it lets you do without one is finish work such as paint, carpeting, cabinets and countertops. The electrical fee table, Table I, makes two points about when a separate electrical permit is needed:
- Electrical work done with a building permit for a one- or two-family home's new construction, repair, remodel or addition "is covered and permitted under the authority granted by the building permit", unless it begins more than 180 days after the building permit was issued.
- A separate electrical permit is required "if a water well motor is installed or will be installed", and "for each building or structure, or each tenant space with an electric meter, and anytime a separate electric meter is installed", except on one- and two-family dwellings.
The same page has a separate route for a home whose power has been off for six months or more and needs an inspection before service is restored.
What it costs
From Table I (Rev. 5/9/2019), the fee table behind Form 2:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Permit issuance (every permit) | $25.00 |
| 120-volt or 277-volt circuit | $2.00 each |
| Outlet added to an existing circuit, smoke detector, light fixture | $0.75 each |
| Range or heat device 4,500 W or over; clothes dryer | $8.00 |
| Feeder; special power circuit | $9.00 |
| Pool, hot tub, sauna or Jacuzzi | $14.00 |
| Generator; photovoltaic (solar) system | $29.00 |
| Service, 480 V or less | $11.00 per meter (100 A or less) + $0.06 per additional amp |
| Re-inspection of a discontinued service (meter reset) | $11.00 |
A 200-amp service change is $11.00 + (100 x $0.06) + $25.00 = $42.00. Adding three circuits and six outlets to a basement is $25.00 + $6.00 + $4.50 = $35.50. A permit expires if work does not start within 180 days or is abandoned for 180 days; MABCD may refund up to 80% when no work was done.
Who can pull it
A licensed electrical contractor, whose license number goes on Form 2, or a homeowner who passes the exam. From the Do I Need a Permit? page:
| Question | MABCD answer |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies as a homeowner | "You must own and occupy the home" |
| Own but don't live there | "you MUST use a licensed contractor" |
| Electrical exam | 50 multiple-choice questions, 75% to pass |
| Fail or skip the exam | A licensed sub-contractor must do the work |
| Inspections | The permit holder must schedule and pass them all |
If your electrician asks you to pull the permit, the page calls that "a red flag". Check the license under Lookup Contractor License in the MABCD Online LookUp.
How to apply
- Count the items (circuits, outlets, fixtures, service amps) for Form 2, or file on the MABCD Portal; trade permits "can be obtained online at MABCD Portal or in-person" at 271 W. 3rd St. N., Suite 101.
- A homeowner books and passes the electrical exam first.
- Pay the issuance fee plus items.
- Schedule and pass the inspections; the permit is closed by MABCD afterwards.
What 8,393 Wichita electrical permits show
| Measure | City of Wichita electrical, October 2024 to September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Permits issued | 8,393 (15% of all permits) |
| October 2024 to September 2025 / October 2025 to September 2026 | 4,115 / 4,278 (+4%) |
| Finished, permits issued October 2024 to September 2025 | 99.6% |
| Filed as repair / remodel / new | 5,942 (71%) / 1,083 (13%) / 962 (11%) |
| Busiest / quietest month (index, 100 = average) | June (121) / February (79) |
| ZIPs with the most | 67203 (665), 67212 (628), 67217 (619), 67214 (602), 67211 (575) |
Repairs dominate: seven in ten Wichita electrical permits are filed as repair work rather than new wiring. Volume is flat year to year and nearly every permit closes. Filing peaks in June and dips in winter, so an electrician is easier to book in December to February. Monthly counts are on Wichita electrical permits, all categories on Wichita permit statistics, and rows on Wichita permits.
Related
Look up earlier permits on the house with the Wichita building permit search. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for electrical work and an electrical panel upgrade; prices in electrical work cost.
What this does not tell you
The file names no contractor, records no job value on electrical permits and has no final inspection date, so we show no cost or time to final. Electrical work done under a building permit is not counted here.
How we know this
Rules, fees and homeowner terms are quoted from MABCD's Permits and Do I Need a Permit? pages, its Table I fee table (Rev. 5/9/2019) and Form 2, read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the City of Wichita's MABCD Permits SDE layer, read 19 October 2026: electrical permits on City of Wichita property applied for October 2024 to September 2026 that were issued.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How much is an electrical permit in Wichita?
MABCD's Table I charges a $25.00 issuance fee plus per item: $2.00 per 120-volt circuit, $0.75 per added outlet or light fixture, $9.00 per feeder or special power circuit, $29.00 for a generator or solar system, and $11.00 per meter for a service of 100 amps or less plus $0.06 per additional amp.
- Can a homeowner do electrical work in Wichita?
Only in a home you own and live in, and only after passing MABCD's homeowner electrical exam: 50 multiple-choice questions, 75% to pass. Otherwise a licensed electrician must do the work. If you own the house but do not live in it, MABCD says you must use a licensed contractor.
- What does a panel upgrade permit cost in Wichita?
Under Table I a service change at 480 volts or less is $11.00 per meter for 100 amps plus $0.06 for each additional amp, so a 200-amp service is $11.00 + $6.00 = $17.00, plus the $25.00 issuance fee: $42.00 before any new circuits.
- How many electrical permits does Wichita issue?
MABCD issued 8,393 electrical permits on City of Wichita property from October 2024 to September 2026: 4,115 in the first year and 4,278 in the second (+4%). 71% were filed as repairs.
- Do I need a separate electrical permit for a remodel in Wichita?
Not on a one- or two-family home that has a building permit for the remodel. Table I says that electrical work is covered by the building permit, unless it starts more than 180 days after the building permit was issued or a water well motor is installed.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
Related guides
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Do I need a solar permit in Albuquerque? Building and electrical permits, the engineer triggers and the fee
- Permits — MABCD, Sedgwick County (2026-10-24)
- Uniform Electrical Code Fees, Table I (Rev. 5/9/2019) — MABCD (2026-10-24)
- MABCD Form #2 Electrical Permit Application (2026-10-24)
- Do I Need a Permit? — MABCD, Sedgwick County (2026-10-24)
- MABCD Permits SDE — City of Wichita GIS (MISC/MABCD MapServer layer 1) (2026-10-19)