Lincoln, NE
Lincoln mechanical and fuel-gas permit cost
Lincoln prices a fuel-gas permit itself rather than leaving it to a schedule you have to ask for.
The Lincoln Gas Piping Systems Code — Ch. 24.05 — charges $25.00 for new construction of one to five outlets and $1.00 for each outlet after that; an appliance replacement is $35.00 on its own or $6.00 when a heating or plumbing permit is taken out for the same job; and altering existing gas piping is $15.00. The table has not changed since January 2013.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel-gas permit — new construction, first five outletsPermit fee | $25.00 for the first 5 outlets, plus $1.00 for each additional outlet | gas work is not provided | — |
| Fuel-gas permit — piping alterationPermit fee | $15.00 flat fee | gas work is gas piping alteration | — |
| Fuel-gas permit — appliance replacement on its ownPermit fee | $35.00 flat fee | gas work is replacement alone | — |
| Fuel-gas permit — appliance replacement under another permitPermit fee | $6.00 flat fee | gas work is replacement with other permit | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
Gas piping for a new house: eight outlets — furnace, water heater, range, dryer, two fireplaces, a patio grill and one spare stub — with no other permit on the same application.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Number of outlets | 8 |
Example total
$28.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 1Rules considered 4
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Fuel-gas permit — new construction, first five outletsPermit feeSec. 24.05.380 — $25.00 for new construction of one to five outlets, then $1.00 for each additional outlet.Show the working
| $25.00 for the first 5 outlets, plus $1.00 for each additional outlet | $28.00 |
| Total | $28.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Fuel-gas permit — piping alteration — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Fuel-gas permit — appliance replacement on its own — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Fuel-gas permit — appliance replacement under another permit — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 1 fee rule in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Sec. 24.05.380 reads as a base with an allowance: $25.00 for the first five outlets and $1.00 for each additional one. Eight outlets is $25.00 plus three dollars, so $28.00. Reading the row as a flat $1.00 per outlet would say $33.00 and charge three dollars too much.
The outlet count is the example's, not the City's. The alternative rows are worth pricing against it: if the same eight outlets were installed alongside a heating permit, the gas permit would be $6.00 rather than $25.00, and if the work were an alteration to existing piping instead of new construction it would be $15.00.
What is different in Lincoln
Two distinctions in Lincoln's gas table decide most real permits. The first is that $25.00 is not a rate per outlet: it covers the first five, and only the sixth and later outlets cost a dollar each. A house with eight outlets is a $28.00 permit, not $33.00.
The second is the replacement split. Replacing a furnace or water heater costs $6.00 if a heating or plumbing permit is being taken out for the same job, and $35.00 if the gas permit stands alone — the City charges the extra $29.00 for the gas work being the only thing on the application. An alteration to existing piping is a third row at $15.00.
Worth knowing before you file: an HVAC equipment permit is a different thing, and Lincoln does not publish its fee — the Mechanical Code's Sec. 109.2 leaves it to a City Council schedule provided by the Code Official. Sec. 25.12.180 is what makes the gas table operative in the first place: it deletes Chapter 4 of the International Fuel Gas Code and sends gas piping installations to the Lincoln Fuel Gas Code.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This covers Sec. 24.05.380's four rows — new construction by outlet, both replacement rates, and an alteration. It excludes:
- The general mechanical (HVAC) permit fee for equipment, ductwork and ventilation, which the Mechanical Code at Sec. 25.06.090 leaves to a schedule set by the City Council and provided by the Code Official. It is not published and this site does not estimate it.
- The plumbing permit fee, which Sec. 24.12.095 defers in the same way.
- Gas fitter, master plumber and HVAC contractor licence fees — examination fees for a master and a journeyman gas fitter, and the annual registration fees, are licences in Sec. 24.05.350 rather than permits.
- The doubling of the fee where work starts before the permit is issued, unless the work was an emergency such as nights, weekends or a holiday on which a permit is secured at the earliest possible time.
- Liquefied petroleum gas facilities, which the code prices separately under its own permit, and the decorative fireplace and gas log permit, which is issued to a registered contractor under the Mechanical Code.
- Inspection and plan review charges on the building permit, which are separate permits under Title 20, and anything charged by Lancaster County or a neighbouring city.
What you need before applying
- A registered master gas fitter, master plumber or HVAC contractor draws the permitRequired
Sec. 24.05.220: no person may install, alter, modify or repair a gas piping system "without first having been registered as a master plumber under the provisions of Chapter 24.12, as a heating, ventilating, and cooling contractor under the provisions of Chapter 25.01 or as a master gas fitter under the provisions of this chapter". The chapter's own examination and annual registration fees are licences rather than permits and are not part of the figures on this site.
- Gas piping plans, submitted in triplicateRequired
Sec. 24.05.030 requires a written application on a City form with "plans, engineering calculations, diagrams and other data ... in triplicate". The Administrative Authority may require them to be prepared by a licensed engineer or architect, and may waive the submission entirely "if he finds that the nature of the work applied for is such that reviewing of plans is not necessary". Sec. 24.05.060 requires notice when the piping is ready for inspection, and Sec. 24.05.080 makes it unlawful to turn gas on before the outlets are approved.
Common questions
Does Lincoln publish a mechanical permit fee?
Not for HVAC equipment. The Mechanical Code's Sec. 109.2 says the fee is charged "as set forth in the schedule for mechanical permit fees as set by the City Council" — the amount is not printed in the code. Lincoln does publish its fuel-gas permit fees, in the Gas Piping Systems Code at Sec. 24.05.380, and those are what this page prices.
How much is a gas permit for a new house in Lincoln?
$25.00 for one to five outlets, and $1.00 for each outlet after that. Eight outlets is $28.00. The $25.00 is not a per-outlet rate: the first five are included in it.
What does it cost to replace a furnace or water heater?
$6.00 if a heating or plumbing permit is being taken out for the same job, and $35.00 if the gas permit is the only permit. Sec. 24.05.380 prices "Replacement with another permit (heating or plumbing)" and "Replacement alone (with no other permit)" as separate rows.
Why is Lincoln's gas code the operative one and not the fuel gas code?
Because Sec. 25.12.180 says so: "Chapter 4 of the International Fuel Gas Code is hereby deleted. Gas piping installations are governed by the Lincoln Fuel Gas Code." The International Fuel Gas Code's own gas piping chapter is switched off, which is what leaves the Lincoln Gas Piping Systems Code's published fee table in force.
Do I need a licensed contractor for gas piping work?
Yes. Sec. 24.05.220 requires registration as a master plumber under Ch. 24.12, an HVAC contractor under Ch. 25.01, or a master gas fitter under Ch. 24.05 before anyone may install, alter, modify or repair a gas piping system.
When can the gas be turned on?
After inspection. Sec. 24.05.060 requires the City to be notified that the piping is ready, and Sec. 24.05.080 makes it unlawful to turn on or reconnect gas unless the piping outlets are properly approved.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Lincoln Municipal Code Sec. 24.05.030 — Application for Permit
Read 2026-09-25. A written application to the Administrative Authority for any gas piping installation, alteration or removal, with "plans, engineering calculations, diagrams and other data ... in triplicate", waivable where "the nature of the work applied for is such that reviewing of plans is not necessary".
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Lincoln Municipal Code Sec. 24.05.220 — Registration Required (gas piping work)
Read 2026-09-25. Gas piping work requires registration as a master plumber under Ch. 24.12, an HVAC contractor under Ch. 25.01, or a master gas fitter under Ch. 24.05. The chapter's own examination and annual registration fees sit in Sec. 24.05.350.
- Municipal codeCityPrimary source
Lincoln Municipal Code Sec. 24.05.380 — Lincoln Gas Piping Systems Code: Permit Fee
Read 2026-09-25. The only trade-permit fee table in Titles 20 through 25: "New construction (1-5 outlets) $25.00, Each additional outlet $1.00, Replacement with another permit (heating or plumbing) $6.00, Replacement alone (with no other permit) $35.00, Gas piping alteration $15.00". Amended by Ord. 19822 §4, January 28, 2013, and unchanged since.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.