Bourbon County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

In Bourbon County one office handles building permits for the City of Paris and the unincorporated county: the Bourbon County Joint Planning Office, Room 112 of the Paris Municipal Center at 525 High Street (859-987-2150). It requires a permit for all new construction, residential or not, and for most alterations, quotes the fee after reviewing a complete file, takes 7 to 10 business days to process it and inspects only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

What requires a building permit in Bourbon County?

The Joint Planning Office states the rule broadly: any owner or agent who plans to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building, or to install or replace an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, must apply to the Building Inspector first. Houses are included, which is not the case in every Kentucky county.

A farmstead exemption is not a free pass. The office’s exemption sheet lists what still applies to new farm construction: a state stream construction permit for property in the regulatory floodplain, state approval of a new manufactured home installation, the septic site evaluation, the state plumbing inspection or affidavit, and an electrical permit with a state electrical inspection.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The county zoning ordinance makes the Administrative Official, designated by the Fiscal Court, responsible for building permits and for certificates of zoning compliance, without which no new or altered building may be used. Local rules include a 1975 Fiscal Court freeze order that limits septic-served homes to lots of at least five acres, a ban on commercial solar generating facilities in agricultural districts, and the Paris Pike corridor overlay. The state keeps the larger buildings in its own plan review jurisdiction, state electrical inspections, the HVAC permit and the trade licenses.

Bourbon County building department: who handles permitting

The Joint Planning Office, governed by the Bourbon County Joint Planning Commission, issues building permits, enforces the building codes and the zoning, nuisance and property maintenance ordinances, and serves as the first stop for building and zoning questions. The joint planning unit dates from a 1968 interlocal agreement among Paris, Millersburg, North Middletown and the county. The state’s contact sheet for Bourbon County (updated November 24, 2025) lists the local building inspector at this office for the City of Paris and the county, and the state electrical, HVAC and plumbing inspectors for the county.

Cities in Bourbon County

Bourbon County permit types

The office posts separate applications for houses, commercial buildings, demolition, decks, pools and signs, a farmstead application and exemption sheet, an address request form and a workers’ compensation affidavit. Applications can also start online through the office’s iWorQ portal; paper files are dropped off at Room 112.

Residential permits

The one- and two-family application warns that no incomplete file is accepted and that work may not begin before the permit is issued. A complete house file holds the application (with the owner’s authorization if someone else applies), a site plan showing setbacks to every property line, the septic site evaluation from the health department, a floor plan labeling each room with hallway and stair dimensions and the furnace, water heater and fireplace locations, footer plans, a cross section through a bearing wall from footer to roof deck, a roof and floor framing plan or truss specs, a list of all subcontractors with addresses and phone numbers, the total construction cost, and the contractor’s details with business license numbers, tax ID and insurance certificate. Any change of subcontractor during the job must be reported to the building file.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit expediting, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

Non-residential buildings use the commercial application. The Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction reviews and inspects the buildings that sections 104.15 and 104.16 of the Kentucky Building Code assign to the state, and the Joint Planning Office handles the rest. Development plans go to the Planning Commission ($300 preliminary, $150 final).

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit applications through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. The parcel’s district under the county, Paris, Millersburg or North Middletown ordinance; variances and conditional uses go to the Joint Board of Adjustment (Millersburg has its own board).
• Land division. Agricultural divisions, minor and major subdivisions and amended plats through the Planning Commission.
• Septic or sewer. A health department site evaluation, on at least five acres for a new septic-served home under the 1975 freeze order; or a City of Paris water and sewer tap applied for five business days ahead.
• Floodplain. The county’s flood damage prevention ordinance (December 14, 2010) and, in the regulatory floodplain, the state stream construction permit the office lists.
• Address. The office’s address request form.
• Road access. A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit on a state highway; in Paris, a city permit to cut or dig in a public street.
• Historic district. In the Paris Historic District (from the north side of Fourth Street to the south side of Second Street, between Main and High streets) the Board of Architectural Review must issue a certificate of appropriateness.
• Paris Pike. Land along US 27 toward Lexington falls under the Paris Pike corridor overlay, overseen with Lexington-Fayette by the Paris Pike Corridor Commission.

Bourbon County permit costs and fees

The house application tells applicants that staff will review the documents and then say what the fee is. The county zoning ordinance (the version posted with a July 23, 2025 date) leaves the schedule to the Fiscal Court and prints this table for building permits by estimated construction cost:

Because the office quotes each fee after review, ask it to confirm the amount before relying on this table. Example from the table: a $40,000 detached garage falls in the $30,001–$50,000 band, so $95 for the permit or $150 with the certificate of zoning compliance.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. Permits and inspections are required for all new wiring and any change to existing wiring. Your electrician pulls the permit at the Joint Planning Office ($25 for a house), and the state electrical inspector does the inspection.
• Plumbing. Pulled by your plumber through the Bourbon County Health Department, where the state plumbing inspector keeps Friday morning office hours; on 10 acres or more a farm exemption affidavit can be filed instead. The state also issues homeowner permits for a home the owner lives in or is building for personal use.
• HVAC. Your HVAC contractor buys the permit from the state; the state division sells permits only to licensed or authorized people.
• Business licenses. Every contractor needs a Bourbon County business license, and work inside Paris also needs the city license ($75 a year). Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors hold state trade licenses.

How to apply for a Bourbon County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Allow 7 to 10 business days once everything is in; the house application asks for at least a week of review and refuses incomplete files outright. There are no same-day permits. Common holdups are a missing septic evaluation, a site plan without setback dimensions, an incomplete subcontractor list and missing business licenses. A variance or conditional use adds a Board of Adjustment hearing. The office can fine contractors and residents who skip permits, and the owner is responsible for making sure the permit is obtained and posted at the job.

Inspections in Bourbon County

Building inspections happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays, never on the day they are requested, so call 859-987-2150 ahead. The permit card must be posted where it can be seen from the job. Electrical work is inspected by the state electrical inspector, HVAC by the state HVAC inspector and plumbing by the state plumbing inspector.

The house application ends with a certificate of occupancy date, and the zoning ordinance makes it unlawful to use or occupy a new or altered building until a certificate of zoning compliance is issued. A manufactured home needs an installation permit from the Building Official before it is moved onto the land, and a certificate of occupancy before anyone moves in, issued only after its water, electrical, sewage system and skirting are approved.

Kentucky building code in Bourbon County

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Bourbon County as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, on a flood map effective February 28, 2025. The county’s flood damage prevention ordinance is dated December 14, 2010, and the City of Paris posts a flood information map with a link to live Stoner Creek levels.

Kentucky has one mandatory statewide building code that local governments may not add to. Cities and counties enforce it and run zoning. The state reviews plans for larger and higher-risk buildings, and the local program reviews smaller ones. Kentucky rules

Permit search and official resources

Permit applications and their status sit with the Joint Planning Office and its iWorQ portal; for copies of permit files, the office posts its own open records request form. Zoning maps, ordinances and meeting schedules are on the planning commission’s site.

• Joint Planning Office: building and electrical permits
• Residential building application and requirements
• Commercial building permit application
• Farmstead exemption information sheet
• Farmstead application
• Zoning ordinances and maps (county, Paris, Millersburg, North Middletown)
• Bourbon County Zoning Ordinance (fees, section 6.1)
• Flood damage prevention ordinance, December 14, 2010
• Subdivision Regulations, section 3 (May 2026)
• Joint Planning Commission and boards
• Address request form
• Open records request form
• City of Paris water and sewer connection application
• City of Paris permits and maps
• State contact sheet for Bourbon County inspectors
• State plumbing permits and fees
• State HVAC permits
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permits
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Bourbon County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Bourbon County?

The Bourbon County Joint Planning Office, Room 112, 525 High Street, Paris; 859-987-2150. It covers Paris and the unincorporated county.

Do I need a permit to build a house in the county?

Yes. A permit is required for all new construction, residential included, unless the building qualifies for the farmstead exemption.

How long does a permit take?

Seven to 10 business days after a complete file is submitted; there are no same-day permits.

Do I need a permit for a shed or deck?

Decks need a permit; sheds need one only when they are over 200 square feet.

How big must a lot be for a septic system?

Under the 1975 freeze order in the zoning ordinance, at least five acres per single-family home, unless the lot was of record before February 6, 1975.

Who inspects the wiring?

The state electrical inspector; the permit itself is pulled at the Joint Planning Office.

Can I build a solar farm on agricultural land?

No. The county zoning ordinance prohibits commercial solar generating facilities in agricultural districts.

When are inspections done?

Tuesdays and Thursdays, booked in advance.

Simplify Bourbon County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Kentucky. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bourbon County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.