Do I need an HVAC permit in Wichita? MABCD's mechanical permit, Table K fees and 5,956 permits

MABCD is the joint City of Wichita and Sedgwick County building office; the same rules apply in unincorporated Sedgwick County, but our numbers count the City of Wichita only.

The rule

MABCD's permits page (read 24 October 2026) lists the Mechanical permit, Form 1, with fees in Table K. Its Do I Need a Permit? page says "You must get a permit" and lets only finish work such as paint, carpet, cabinets and countertops go without one. Table K adds that mechanical work done under a building permit for a one- or two-family home's new construction, repair, remodel or addition is covered by that building permit, but "A separate heating and air-conditioning permit is required" if the work starts more than 180 days after the building permit was issued.

What it costs

Selected residential lines from Table K (Rev. 5/9/2019):

A heat pump with an air handler is $25.00 + $14.00 + $11.00 = $50.00 as well. Permits expire if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days.

Who can pull it

A licensed mechanical contractor, whose license number goes on Form 1. For homeowners, MABCD's Do I Need a Permit? page sends mechanical work to one person: "Must contact Mechanical Chief – (316) 660-1829." The general homeowner terms on that page still apply: you "must own and occupy the home", a non-occupying owner "MUST use a licensed contractor", and the permit holder is responsible for "scheduling and passing all inspections". A contractor who asks you to pull the permit is, in MABCD's words, "a red flag"; look the firm up under Lookup Contractor License in the MABCD Online LookUp.

How to apply

1. List the equipment on Form 1 (furnace cfm, AC tonnage, fireplaces, vents), 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.
2. A homeowner calls the Mechanical Chief first.
3. Pay the issuance fee plus items, then schedule and pass the inspections before MABCD closes the permit.

What 5,956 Wichita HVAC permits show

HVAC filing swings more than Wichita plumbing or electrical: July runs at 151 and December at 64, more than double. Most permits are replacements filed as repair work. The west-side ZIPs 67212 and 67205 lead, with 67206 (east Wichita) third. Monthly counts are on Wichita HVAC permits, all categories on Wichita permit statistics, and rows on Wichita permits.

Related

Check older permits on the house with the Wichita building permit search. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for HVAC replacement and a gas line; prices in HVAC replacement cost.

What this does not tell you

The file names no contractor, carries no job value on mechanical permits and has no final inspection date, so we show no cost or time to final. HVAC work done under a building permit is not counted here.