Most permit delays in Nye County do not come from the county being slow. They come from an incomplete submittal that gets sent back for corrections. If you know what the county needs before you apply, you can get through plan review with fewer rounds. This is the checklist we work from when we get a home ready to submit in Pahrump.
This post covers what to have in hand before you apply. For how permits and inspections fall across the build, read our guide to the Nye County permit process stage by stage.
Step 1: Confirm the Lot Can Be Permitted
Before you spend money on plans, confirm the basics on the parcel. A permit application is only as good as the lot behind it.
- Your parcel number (APN) and a legal, recorded parcel.
- Zoning that allows a single family home, and the setbacks that go with it.
- Legal access to the lot, and whether the road is paved, graded or private.
- A water source: a domestic well permit through the Nevada Division of Water Resources, or a connection to a water utility.
- A septic plan if there is no sewer. See our guide to wells, septic and utilities in Pahrump.
- Whether the parcel sits in a mapped flood zone.
Step 2: Assemble the Plan Set
The building department reviews a set of drawings, not a sketch. Plan on having the following ready, and confirm the current list with the county, because requirements get updated.
- A completed building permit application.
- A site plan that shows the lot lines, the house, the garage, driveway, well, septic tank and drain field, with setbacks dimensioned.
- Floor plans, elevations, sections and a foundation plan.
- Framing, roof and truss information, and structural details or engineering where required.
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical information as the county requires it.
- Energy code compliance documentation for the home.
- Soils or foundation information when the building department asks for it.
Step 3: Line Up the Other Approvals
The building permit is not the only approval. Several items run on their own timelines through other agencies, and they are the ones that most often hold up a start date.
- Well: domestic well approval comes from the state, not from the building department.
- Septic: the septic (ISDS) permit has its own application, its own site evaluation and its own review time.
- Power: Valley Electric Association needs to know where your meter will go and how far service has to run.
- Address and road: confirm the address assignment and that the building site can be reached by inspectors.
We start the well and septic applications in parallel with plan review instead of waiting for one to clear before starting the next.
Step 4: Know What the Fees Look Like
Permit fees in Nye County depend on the size and valuation of the home, and the county can change its fee schedule. Several fees stack up: the building permit and plan review, separate fees for the well and septic approvals, and utility or impact charges that depend on the parcel. Treat any number you read online, including ours, as an estimate and get a current figure from the county before you finalize your budget. Nye County Building and Safety in Pahrump is the best source: 775-751-3773.
For the full budget picture, see our cost to build in Pahrump guide.
What Slows a Permit Down
- A site plan that is missing setbacks, the well or the septic layout.
- Plans that do not match the septic design, such as more bedrooms than the system was sized for.
- Missing energy compliance or structural information.
- Applying before the well or septic approval is underway.
- Changing the plan after submittal, which can restart parts of the review.
- Slow answers to the reviewer's comments. A correction list that sits for two weeks is a two week delay.
Who Should Pull the Permit?
In Nevada, the permit holder is responsible for the work and the inspections. Owner-builder permits exist, but they come with limits and real responsibility, and a licensed contractor normally handles the permit, the subcontractors and the inspection schedule. If you are weighing it, ask the county what an owner-builder permit requires and what it does not cover.
How We Handle Permits at ICH
When a client brings us a lot, we confirm the parcel, finalize the site plan and start the well and septic paperwork before the building submittal goes in. That order keeps the plan review from stalling on an item we could have settled earlier. If you want a second set of eyes on your lot or your plans before you apply, send us the parcel number and we will tell you what to expect. You can also compare how building in Nye County differs from Clark County.
Requirements and fees change. Confirm the current checklist with Nye County Building and Safety before you submit.