HVAC Permits in Reno, Sparks & Washoe County (2026)
Three jurisdictions share one metro and one set of building codes, but each takes its own permit. Here is what each one says on its own pages.
Reviewed November 5, 2026. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Short answer
Yes. As of 2026-11-05, replacing a furnace, central air conditioner or heat pump needs a building permit in the City of Reno, the City of Sparks and unincorporated Washoe County. Reno charges $45 for an A/C change-out or $89 for a furnace, plus a $45 issuance fee (effective July 1, 2026). Unincorporated Washoe County charges per item from its mechanical fee table ($20 for a furnace up to 100,000 Btu/h, $20 for a compressor up to 3 hp, plus $45 issuance). Sparks requires the permit but does not publish the fee.
Which jurisdiction are you in?
A Reno mailing address does not mean City of Reno jurisdiction: Spanish Springs, Sun Valley, Verdi, parts of South Reno and most of the valley's edges are unincorporated Washoe County, and Sparks is its own city. The permit goes to whichever one your parcel sits in. The three agencies below can tell you from the address.
City of Reno
Development Services · 775-334-2063
Permit needed?
Yes: residential "EZ permit" for an A/C change-out, furnace, gas line or water heater.
Fees (effective July 1, 2026)
A/C change-out $45 · furnace $89 · furnace oil-to-gas $133 · gas line $90 · water heater $45 · permit issuance fee $45 on top.
Without a permit
A valuation-based fee instead of the flat EZ fee.
City of Sparks
Building · 431 Prater Way · (775) 353-2306
Permit needed?
Yes: the City lists water heaters and furnaces as work that requires a permit.
How to apply
Online only, through the Accela Customer Access Portal. Paper applications are no longer accepted.
Fee
Not published on the permit page. Ask the Building division or your contractor.
Washoe County (unincorporated)
Planning and Building · 1001 E. 9th St · (775) 328-2020
Permit needed?
Yes. Only portable units, parts replacement that does not alter the equipment's approval, and small self-contained refrigeration systems are exempt (WCC 100.105.2).
Fees (mechanical table)
Furnace to 100,000 Btu/h $20 · compressor to 3 hp $20 · evaporative cooler $10 · permit issuance $45 on top. Estimates: [email protected].
What is exempt in Washoe County, exactly
From the County's "Work Exempt from Building Permits" handout, the mechanical exemptions are: portable heating appliances; portable ventilation equipment; portable cooling units; steam, hot- or chilled-water piping within heating or cooling equipment regulated by the code; replacement of any part that does not alter its approval or make it unsafe; portable evaporative coolers; and self-contained refrigeration systems containing 10 pounds or less of refrigerant actuated by motors of 1 horsepower or less. Replacing a furnace, a condenser or an air handler is a new piece of regulated equipment, not a part, so it is not exempt.
The three questions to settle in the quote
Whose name is on the permit? The contractor's. Nevada requires licensed contractors to show their license number in advertising (NRS 624.720); the permit should carry the same licensee.
Is the fee in the quote? In Reno it is a known number. In Washoe County it is a per-item total from the County's mechanical fee table. In Sparks the contractor should state it from the schedule the City gives them.
Who schedules the inspection? The contractor. Keep the permit number and the inspection result with the invoice.
A licensed contractor can usually pull this permit for you.
Do I need a permit to replace my furnace in Sparks? +
Yes. The City of Sparks lists "Water heaters and Furnaces" among work that requires a building permit, and applications go through its Accela Customer Access Portal (paper applications are no longer accepted). Building division: (775) 353-2306. The fee is not published on that page.
Is a like-for-like AC change-out exempt in Washoe County? +
No. Washoe County Code 100.105.2 exempts only portable heating, ventilation and cooling units, portable evaporative coolers, steam or water piping inside regulated equipment, replacement of parts that do not alter the equipment's approval, and self-contained refrigeration systems with 10 lb or less of refrigerant on a 1 hp or smaller motor. A whole furnace, condenser or heat pump is not on that list, so it needs a permit. Planning and Building: (775) 328-2020.
What does Washoe County charge for an HVAC permit? +
Washoe County's mechanical fee table (Table 4 of the Chapter 100 fee tables its Building Fees page links to) charges per item: $20 per furnace up to 100,000 Btu/h ($26 above that), $20 per compressor up to 3 hp ($30 from 3 to 15 hp), $10 per non-portable evaporative cooler, $13 per repair or alteration of a heating or cooling system, and $5 for a gas-piping system of one to four outlets, plus a $45 permit issuance fee. The table is dated January 2017; the County's permit technicians give current estimates at [email protected].
Who should pull the permit, me or the contractor? +
Have the licensed contractor pull it in the contractor's name and put the fee in the written quote. That way the permit record names the licensee responsible for the work, which is what you want if there is a dispute later. A contractor who asks you to pull the permit yourself, or to skip it, is a red flag.
What happens if the work is done without a permit in Reno? +
The City of Reno fee schedule charges a "work without a permit" fee based on the job's valuation rather than the flat $45 or $89 EZ permit fee, and the work still has to be inspected. Unpermitted HVAC work can also surface at resale.
Does a swamp cooler need a permit? +
A portable evaporative cooler is on Washoe County's exemption list. A roof- or wall-mounted unit with new ducting or wiring is not a portable appliance; confirm with the jurisdiction before assuming it is exempt. This page does not state a rule for that case because none of the three jurisdictions' pages addresses it directly.
Want a licensed contractor who pulls the permit for you?
Describe the job once. An independent, NSCB-licensed Reno contractor follows up. No obligation.