Demolition permits in the OKC metro: city by city

Before a machine touches a building, most cities around Oklahoma City want paperwork on file — and a few want quite a bit of it. Here's what each city posts about demolition permits, followed by the state's asbestos rules that sit on top of them. If you're planning a teardown, our demolition page covers the work itself.

Why the permit matters

Where cities spell out what a demolition permit involves, the utilities come first. Oklahoma City wants signed releases from the electric, gas, water and storm-water side; Yukon wants a utility authorization and the sewer capped; Piedmont wants a gas-company release. The point is that nothing live is left under the rubble — so the paperwork often starts with the utility companies, not the demolition crew. Who applies — the owner or the contractor — is worth settling before the job is scheduled.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City requires a permit to demolish any structure on a property — the main building or an accessory one like a garage or shed. Apply online at okc.gov/access or in person at Development Services, 420 W. Main St., first floor; questions go to (405) 297-2525. The demolition checklist okc.gov posts with its commercial permit requirements asks for:

• The property address and legal description
• Contact information for the owner and the applicant
• The building's overall height, number of stories, and what it was used for before demolition
• A scaled site plan showing property lines, easements, right-of-way, a north arrow and where the building sits
• Signed releases from the electric provider (OG&E or whoever serves the property), Oklahoma Natural Gas, OKC Water/Wastewater Utilities and OKC Storm Water Quality
• For multifamily, commercial and industrial buildings, a DEQ release as well

Edmond

Edmond splits demolition into two permit types: exterior, for taking a structure down or working on its outside, and interior, for gutting the inside with no finish-out afterward. The city only takes permit requests through its online portal, and plan review fees are due when you apply. Edmond's permit desk is at (405) 359-4780.

Norman

Norman takes permit applications through its CityView online portal. The city's current building fee schedule, dated August 2026, lists a demolition permit at $20 for the first story plus $12.50 for each story above it.

Yukon

Yukon issues demolition permits through Development Services, and a utility authorization form has to be signed along the way. The city's posted requirements also call for the sewer to be capped and inspected, foundations, slabs and any secondary structures to be removed, and any well on the property to be sealed or capped.

Piedmont

Piedmont's demolition application covers interior and structure demolition. Taking down a structure calls for a plot plan and a demolition plan, a copy of the deed, an ONG release, a DEQ release for commercial work (and residential where it applies), and proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation. The form on the city's site is an older one, so confirm it's current with City Hall at (405) 373-2000.

Midwest City

Midwest City doesn't currently post demolition-specific rules online. Its Permits & Building Inspections Division, at 100 N. Midwest Blvd., (405) 739-1211, takes permit applications, including through the city's CityWorks portal — call them before scheduling a teardown.

Bethany

Bethany doesn't post a demolition checklist, but its permit fee page says building permits are needed for most demolition work and lists a $50 demolition permit fee.

Stillwater

Stillwater posts its own residential demolition permit application, which asks for an aerial image showing the structures and can be turned in by email or at Development Services, 723 S. Lewis St., (405) 742-8220. If the building is on city sewer, a licensed plumber has to pull a plumbing permit to disconnect the line before the demolition permit is issued.

Shawnee

Shawnee's demolition permit application (the posted form dates from March 2024) calls for a contractor licensed with the city, insured and bonded. Everything but rock and dirt has to go to a legal landfill, the sewer cap has to pass inspection before the permit is closed, and a commercial demolition needs an asbestos (NESHAP) report filed with the application. The permitting clerk is at (405) 878-1666.

Del City

A Del City demolition permit is good for 30 days. Gas, electric and water have to be disconnected before work starts and Public Works has to inspect the sewer cap; when the job's done, the lot has to be left at an even grade with the debris and hard surfaces cleared up to the drive approach. The permits desk is at (405) 677-5741, ext. 7314.

Guthrie

Guthrie's demolition permit form, posted on its building inspection page, costs $25 for a one-story building and $35 for two. The owner or their agent contacts every utility and emails the releases to the Planning Department at code@cityofguthrie.com, and the sewer has to be sealed once the structure is down. Planning: (405) 282-1110.

Chickasha and Choctaw

Neither city posts a demolition checklist, but both publish fees. Chickasha's fee schedule lists $65 for a single-family home, $44 per multifamily unit, $33 for an accessory building and $110 for a commercial or industrial building under 10,000 square feet; permits run through the city's MyGov system and Community Development, (405) 222-6010. Choctaw's fiscal 2027 building fee schedule lists a $45 demolition inspection fee; Development Services is at (405) 390-2999.

Smaller towns around the metro

Tuttle lists a demolition permit among the permits it takes online through MyGovernmentOnline (mgoconnect.org), as its building and code page explains. The city's posted fee schedule doesn't include a demolition fee, so ask Community Development, 221 W. Main St., (405) 381-3872.

Blanchard's city code makes demolition part of the building permit process, which the City Clerk-Treasurer's office runs. The city's building permit page doesn't post a form or a current fee, so call City Hall at (405) 485-9392 before anything comes down.

A Nichols Hills demolition permit costs $1,250. The city's demolition checklist (dated Aug. 2025) asks for a Building Commission Certificate of Approval, photos of the building, a utility-company statement, contractor insurance, proof of rodent extermination and proof that taxes are paid; tearing down a home also takes an approved permit for the replacement house and a bond or deposit. The work has to be done within 30 days of the permit (or 10 days after it starts, if sooner), and the lot sodded within 19 days after. Permits come from Public Works, 1009 NW 75th St., (405) 843-5222.

Minco requires a demolition permit on top of the regular building permit, and its Building / Demo application is on the city's Forms page. The city code sets the demolition fee at $25 for a one-story building plus $10 for each added story (within the fire limits), the building permit application fee is $39, and review by staff, the Planning Commission and the City Council takes at least 30 days. City Hall: (405) 352-4274.

Goldsby's code requires a demolition permit, on top of the regular building permit, before any building comes down. Permits are filed online through MGO Connect (mgoconnect.org); for the current demolition fee, call Town Hall at (405) 288-6675.

Noble requires a demolition permit, though the form on its site dates from 2016, so confirm with City Hall that it's still current. It says the city won't issue the permit until every utility (electric, gas, sewer, phone or internet, and water) has signed a release, and it asks for proof you notified the neighbors, proof of insurance and where the debris will be dumped. No demolition fee is posted. Forms go to City Hall, 304 S. Main St., (405) 872-9251.

Nicoma Park requires a Demo/Building Removal application, listed on its permits page. Call OKIE 811 for utility locates first; the city won't approve or price the permit until every utility release is in, so no fixed fee is posted. Email the application to nputilityclerk@nicomapark.net or take it to City Hall, (405) 769-5673.

Arcadia's demolition application (revised March 2021) sets the fee at $100, the same rate its 2024 building permit form lists. Taking down a structure calls for ONG, DEQ and OG&E releases, the deed, a site plan and demolition plan, a scope of work, general liability insurance and three sets of plans drawn to scale. Review runs about 5–7 working days for a home and 10–14 for commercial. Building Inspector Charlie Butler is at (405) 396-2899.

Washington's fee manual, effective Nov. 12, 2024, puts a structure demolition permit at $87, with $150 added if work starts without one. The town's codified ordinances still show an older $25 fee, so confirm the amount. No demolition form or utility-release rules are posted; permits go through Town Clerk Sherrie Rivera, (405) 288-2578.

Harrah lists a demolition permit on its forms page, and its fee schedule, effective July 2, 2026, charges nothing for it. The form can be filled out online and emailed to the Permit Clerk at permits@cityofharrah.com or turned in at City Hall, (405) 454-2951.

Crescent requires a separate building permit, from the City Clerk-Treasurer's office, to tear down a building. The city's Demolition Application (under Forms & Permits > Building; the posted form was revised in January 2021, so confirm it's current) asks for three scaled sets of plans, a site plan, a deed with the county stamp, gas company and DEQ releases, a bond of at least $50,000 and general liability coverage of at least $100,000; DEQ approval only applies to multi-family, commercial and industrial teardowns. The debris has to go to a permitted landfill or another site the city approves. The city's residential fee sheet, revised December 2022, lists $50, waived if new construction starts within 30 days. City Hall: (405) 310-8200.

Luther has no separate demolition form: you check "Demolish / Remove" on the town's building permit application. An approved permit lapses if work hasn't started within 6 months, and contractors have to get a town license from the permitting clerk, (405) 277-3833, before any work begins.

Kingfisher requires a permit from the building official to tear down any structure. The city code sets the fee at $30 plus a $4.50 state and city fee, and you can apply through the city's online permit portal, where "Demolition" is its own permit type. If debris will sit on the ground more than 7 days, the site needs a 6-foot sight-proof fence. Building inspections: (405) 375-3705 or inspection@kingfisher.org.

McLoud's building code requires a building permit to demolish or remove a structure, and ground-disturbing work also needs an earth-change permit. There's no demolition form online; applications and fees go to the City Clerk at City Hall, 402 E. Broadway, (405) 788-4751.

Purcell puts demolition on its general building permit application under "Wrecking" (the posted form is from 2022), filed with the Codes Department at City Hall, 230 W. Main St. The city's fee table lists a $40 "Demo" permit plus the $4.50 state fee, but it sits with the commercial fees, so confirm what applies to a house. Building Official Clay Crawford: (405) 527-4656, ext. 517.

Anadarko's city code calls for a special demolition permit on top of the regular building permit. The fee is $20 for a residence, $50 for commercial or industrial under 10,000 square feet and $100 above that, and the city clerk has to receive a $1,000 cash or liability bond. Permits go through the city's GOGov online system and Code Enforcement at City Hall, (405) 247-2483.

Tecumseh's fee schedule, adopted in February 2025, lists a $10 demolition permit and requires the sewer to be capped at least 24 inches above grade. Apply at the Building Department in City Hall, 114 N. Broadway, (405) 598-3911.

A Meeker demolition permit is $15, per the town clerk's page. Applications are at Town Hall, the Planning Commission has to approve them, and they're due to the Town Clerk by 11 a.m. the Tuesday ahead of the meeting. Town Hall: (405) 279-3320.

Lexington's code requires a permit from the City Clerk before any building is removed, applied for on the clerk's forms. No separate demolition form or fee is posted; City Hall is at (405) 527-6123.

Watonga's code requires a city permit before a building is removed. The building permit application goes to the City Clerk's Office, 410 W. Main St., (580) 623-4669, with two copies of your plans, after occupational registration. No demolition-specific fee is posted.

Cities without a posted demolition page

Newcastle, Moore, Mustang, El Reno, Weatherford, Warr Acres, The Village, Spencer, Jones, Slaughterville, Perkins, Geary, Hinton, Langston and Okarche don't post a demolition permit page. That doesn't mean no permit is needed — call the city offices before anything comes down. Our El Reno, Weatherford, Warr Acres and The Village pages list the building-permit contacts those cities publish.

Asbestos: the state's rules

On top of any city permit, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality enforces the federal asbestos rule (known as NESHAP). It requires DEQ to be notified before the demolition of commercial, industrial and institutional buildings, and of residential buildings with more than four units.

Residential buildings with four or fewer units are outside the rule unless the project serves a commercial or public purpose, and DEQ notes that a single-family home generally isn't covered. Several homes torn down together for a commercial project can be, though — and DEQ's own fact sheets don't agree on the exact number, so ask DEQ if that describes your job.

For a covered project, the building has to be inspected for asbestos before demolition, and DEQ has to be notified before work begins, on Form 100-960, Notification of Demolition and Renovation. The form asks whether asbestos is present and who the accredited inspector was. Contractors who remove asbestos must be licensed by the Oklahoma Department of Labor. DEQ's Air Quality Division answers questions at (405) 702-4100. Under the federal rule itself, notice for a covered demolition is due at least 10 working days before it begins, and it's required even when the inspection finds little or no asbestos.

The rule reaches past teardowns, too: stripping out enough asbestos-containing material during a renovation — a commercial interior gut-out, say — can bring a project under it. If you're pulling an interior demolition permit on a commercial building, ask DEQ whether yours counts.