Build Guide: Mission Hills, Kansas
Mission Hills, Kansas is a city of roughly 3,600 residents in Johnson County, bordered on the east by State Line Road and the Kansas City, Missouri neighborhoods along Ward Parkway. It is a separate municipality from Kansas City with its own zoning code and Architectural Review Board, and it is not related to Mission Hills, California or Mission Hills, San Diego.
Faust Construction builds new homes, additions, and whole-house renovations in Mission Hills and the surrounding Kansas and Missouri communities of the Kansas City metro.
What defines Mission Hills
Mission Hills was laid out by developer J.C. Nichols beginning in 1914 as part of the Country Club District, and incorporated as a city in 1949. Its street plan follows the terrain rather than a grid, and the landscape architecture, including the Verona columns and reflecting pool designed by S. Herbert Hare in 1924, was planned alongside the homes rather than added afterward.
The result is a two-square-mile city where the mature tree canopy, curving streets, and open lawns carry as much of the character as the houses do. The earliest homes were designed by architects including Clarence E. Shepherd, Edward Tanner, and Edward Buehler Delk, and the housing stock is still dominated by early and mid-twentieth-century work in Tudor, Colonial Revival, and period-eclectic styles.
That history shapes what building here actually involves. A new house, a substantial addition, or a teardown and rebuild in Mission Hills is evaluated on how it sits among its neighbors, how much of the lot stays green, and which trees survive the process.
What homeowners should know
Mission Hills reviews exterior work more closely than most Kansas City metro communities. The requirements below come from the city’s Planning and Building Guide and its Architectural Review Board page.
Architectural Review Board approval is required for exterior work
The Architectural Review Board reviews projects that change the exterior of a property in Mission Hills, including new homes, additions, pools, and outdoor recreational facilities. City staff can approve routine replacements such as fences, patios, windows, and driveways without a board hearing. The ARB generally meets every two weeks, and a project goes on the next available agenda once its submission is complete.
The board can only approve a project after finding that it meets customary architectural requirements in appearance and design, will not adversely affect surrounding property values, and conforms to the city’s Design Guidelines and Comprehensive Plan.
Larger projects go through the Professional Review Panel first
Mission Hills defines a project as substantial construction when it involves a new principal building, an addition of 3,000 square feet or more, an addition that increases the building’s footprint or square footage by 50 percent or more, an outdoor recreational facility of any size, or a pool deeper than two feet.
Substantial projects are reviewed by the Professional Review Panel before the Architectural Review Board sees them. The panel recommends approval, approval with conditions, or denial, and the ARB weighs that recommendation in its own decision. Substantial construction plans must be submitted at least five weeks before the ARB meeting at which review is desired.
Greenspace requirements are tied to lot size
Mission Hills sets a minimum percentage of each lot that must remain greenspace, scaled to the size of the lot. Setbacks, lot coverage, and height limits are also tied to lot size and are set out in the city’s Zoning Regulations. On many Mission Hills lots the greenspace minimum, not the setback line, is what ultimately determines how large a house or addition can be.
Trees are protected, and removing one without approval is expensive
A Tree Protection Plan certified by a landscape architect or arborist is required for new principal or accessory buildings, substantial exterior demolition, any project that adds more than 600 square feet to the footprint of an existing principal building, demolition of 10 percent or more of an existing building, and outdoor recreational facilities that require footing excavation.
Removing a tree without authorization carries a fine equal to the appraised value of the tree, determined under the Guide to Tree and Plant Appraisal using the trunk formula method, and can trigger a stop work order. Pruning and removal must be performed under an Urban Forestry License.
Stormwater has to be handled on site
No land disturbance or construction may increase the quantity or rate of stormwater runoff, or change its direction, without an approved Stormwater Drainage Study. A study is required for projects adding 1,000 square feet or more of impervious surface, projects that push a lot below the greenspace recommended in the Design Guidelines, and projects on lots with documented drainage issues.
Realistic timelines
Mission Hills does not publish an average build duration, but the length of the permits it issues indicates what the city expects. Permit durations run 12 months for an addition, 18 months for a substantial addition of 3,000 square feet or more, 18 months for a new structure, and 24 months for a new structure of 6,500 square feet or more. Extensions run up to half the original duration, to a maximum of six months, at 25 percent of the original fee per month.
Approval time sits in front of all of that. Substantial construction requires a five-week submission window before an ARB meeting, plus the Professional Review Panel step, and a demolition application must be filed at least 45 days before a demolition permit can be issued. If a project needs a variance from the Zoning Regulations, the Board of Zoning Appeals meets on the last Wednesday of each month and requires submissions at least four weeks ahead, and the variance has to be in hand before the building permit is issued.
The practical planning assumption for a new home in Mission Hills is that design, review, and approval occupy several months before ground is broken, and that the build itself is scoped against an 18 to 24 month permit window.
Contractors have to be licensed in the city and the county
Every contractor working in Mission Hills must hold a Mission Hills Occupational License, which requires a certificate of liability insurance naming the city, and must be licensed by trade with Johnson County. Roofing contractors additionally need a Roofing Contractor Registration Certificate from the Kansas Attorney General.
| Lot size | Greenspace required |
|---|---|
| Up to 19,999 sq. ft. | 60% |
| 20,000 to 43,559 sq. ft. | 65% |
| 43,560 sq. ft. and above | 70% |
Why Mission Hills projects take local experience
Faust Construction has built in the Kansas City metro for more than 25 years. In a city like Mission Hills, that experience shows up less in the framing and more in the sequencing: knowing which drawings the Professional Review Panel expects to see, what the Architectural Review Board asks about, how a tree protection plan changes a foundation approach, and how far in advance a demolition application has to be filed so it does not stall a schedule.
Our pre-construction phase exists for exactly this reason. We work as consultants alongside the architect and homeowner before construction starts, pricing the design, testing material and structural alternatives, and building a schedule that accounts for review milestones rather than treating them as a surprise. During construction, we are on site daily, and we hold monthly meetings with the architect, the homeowner, and our team so budget and schedule stay visible.
Pre-construction
We price the design, evaluate materials and alternatives, and build a schedule that accounts for city review milestones.
Construction
We work with a consistent group of craftsmen and trade partners, with daily on-site presence throughout the build.
Management
We track cost against budget transparently and meet monthly with the architect and homeowner.
What we build in Mission Hills
Mission Hills’ housing stock is largely early and mid-twentieth-century, so the work here tends to fall into a few recognizable shapes. Faust Construction takes on all of them.
- Period-appropriate additions. Expanding a kitchen, primary suite, or living space in a way that reads as original to the house and clears ARB review. Additions of 3,000 square feet or more, or that increase the footprint by half, trigger the substantial construction process.
- Whole-house renovations. Reworking layouts, systems, and finishes inside an existing home while preserving the exterior character the city protects.
- Interior renovations. Kitchens, baths, and living spaces where the exterior is untouched and city staff review is typically straightforward.
- New construction. New homes on infill or rebuild lots, designed and sited to work within greenspace, setback, and tree protection requirements.
Our completed work spans new construction, additions, and full renovations across the Kansas City metro. Mission Hills sits inside our regular service area alongside Fairway, Westwood, Prairie Village, Leawood, Overland Park, Brookside, and the Country Club Plaza area.
Recent work
Browse new construction, additions, and full-home renovations from across the Kansas City metro, including projects in established neighborhoods that share this area’s scale and housing stock.
Questions about building here
Answers to what homeowners ask before starting a project in this area.
Is Mission Hills, Kansas part of Kansas City?
No. Mission Hills is an independent city in Johnson County, Kansas, incorporated in 1949, with its own city government, zoning regulations, and Architectural Review Board. It borders Kansas City, Missouri at State Line Road and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, but building permits and design approvals are issued by the City of Mission Hills, not by Kansas City.
Do I need Architectural Review Board approval to build or remodel in Mission Hills, KS?
Yes, for anything that changes the exterior. The Mission Hills Architectural Review Board reviews new homes, additions, pools, outdoor recreational facilities, and other exterior alterations. City staff can approve routine exterior replacements such as fences, patios, windows, and driveways without a board hearing. Purely interior renovations do not require ARB review, though they still require permits.
What counts as substantial construction in Mission Hills?
Mission Hills treats a project as substantial construction if it involves a new principal building, an addition of 3,000 square feet or more, an addition that increases the building’s footprint or square footage by 50 percent or more, an outdoor recreational facility of any size, or a pool deeper than two feet. Substantial construction projects are reviewed by the Professional Review Panel before going to the Architectural Review Board, and plans must be submitted at least five weeks before the ARB meeting at which review is desired.
How long does approval take before construction can start in Mission Hills?
Plan for months, not weeks. Substantial construction plans must be submitted at least five weeks before the Architectural Review Board meeting at which review is desired, and those projects go through the Professional Review Panel first. The ARB generally meets every two weeks. A demolition application must be filed at least 45 days before a demolition permit can be issued, and a zoning variance adds a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing that meets on the last Wednesday of each month with a four-week submission deadline.
How long does a custom home take to build in Mission Hills?
The City of Mission Hills issues new-structure permits with an 18-month duration, extended to 24 months for new structures of 6,500 square feet or more, which indicates the timeframe the city expects a custom home to occupy. Additions carry a 12-month permit, and substantial additions of 3,000 square feet or more carry 18 months. Design and municipal review happen before that clock starts, so a full custom home project in Mission Hills is generally planned as a multi-year undertaking from first design meeting to move-in.
Can I remove trees to build a house in Mission Hills, Kansas?
Only with approval. Mission Hills requires a Tree Protection Plan certified by a landscape architect or arborist for new buildings, substantial exterior demolition, any project that adds more than 600 square feet to the footprint of an existing principal building, demolition of 10 percent or more of an existing building, and outdoor recreational facilities requiring footing excavation. Removing a tree without authorization carries a fine equal to the appraised value of the tree and can trigger a stop work order, and pruning or removal must be done under an Urban Forestry License.
How much of a Mission Hills lot has to stay green?
Mission Hills sets greenspace minimums by lot size: 60 percent for lots up to 19,999 square feet, 65 percent for lots between 20,000 and 43,559 square feet, and 70 percent for lots of 43,560 square feet or more. On many lots this requirement, rather than the setback lines, is what limits the size of a new home or addition.
What makes building in Mission Hills different from other Kansas City metro neighborhoods?
Three things: a two-stage design review, strict site limits, and an older housing stock. Exterior projects go before the Architectural Review Board, and larger ones are reviewed by a Professional Review Panel first. Greenspace minimums, tree protection plans, and stormwater studies constrain how much of a lot can be built on. And because most Mission Hills homes date to the early and mid-twentieth century, new work is judged on whether it fits the scale and character of what is already there.
Does Faust Construction build in Mission Hills, Kansas?
Yes. Faust Construction is a Kansas City metro custom home builder and remodeler working in Mission Hills, Kansas, along with Fairway, Westwood, Prairie Village, Leawood, Overland Park, Brookside, and the Country Club Plaza area. Brian Faust founded the company more than 25 years ago, and it builds new homes, additions, and full-home renovations.
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