Boyd County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Unincorporated Boyd County runs no building inspection program. The county’s own permit contacts page lists residential building permits as “Non Required”, and commercial buildings go to the state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) for plan review and inspection. What the county does require is a site development permit from Code Enforcement at 12327 Anthony Drive, Ashland (606-928-1285) for any ground disturbance, and a floodplain development permit in mapped flood zones. Ashland and Catlettsburg have a local building inspector, according to HBC’s county sheet updated June 12, 2026.

What requires a building permit in Boyd County?

Outside the two cities, nothing in the county’s published rules calls for a county building permit. The fiscal court’s “Construction, Permits & Inspection Contacts” page answers the residential question in two words, “Non Required”, for both new homes and remodeling, and refers commercial buildings and commercial remodeling to the state building inspector. HBC’s building-codes page explains what that means for a house in a county without a single-family program: the builder must still meet the Kentucky Residential Code, but the only inspections are of the mechanical systems, by the state HVAC division, and of the wiring, by an electrical inspector.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The fiscal court’s rules are about land and water rather than buildings: Ordinance 05-0 on erosion prevention and sediment control (second reading April 19, 2005), Ordinance 2010-03 on post-construction stormwater in new developments and redevelopments (dated June 11, 2010), Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance 400-2013 and a property maintenance code (21-03). The construction contacts page lists no county zoning permit and no planning commission.

The building code itself reaches unincorporated land through the state. Section 104.16 of the 2018 Kentucky Building Code gives HBC jurisdiction over every building except dwellings under the residential code wherever no local inspection program exists, and over the larger and higher-risk buildings everywhere: assembly, business, factory and mercantile buildings for more than 100 people (church buildings only above 400 people and 6,000 square feet), all educational, high-hazard and institutional buildings, industrialized building systems, anything over three stories or 20,000 square feet, and state-owned property.

Boyd County building department: who handles permitting

Code Enforcement, the county’s abatement office under director Bobby Stewart, is the one most projects meet first.

HBC’s county contact sheet, updated June 12, 2026, also lists the state building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and other inspectors assigned to Boyd County.

Cities in Boyd County

The same HBC sheet names one local building inspector, for the City of Ashland and Catlettsburg, and states plainly that there is no county building inspector. Below that entry it also lists a separate contact for single-family dwellings without saying which area that person covers; the county’s own page still lists residential permits outside the cities as not required, so ask the Ashland division or HBC (502-573-0373) if a rural house plan raises the question.

Sewer comes from the Ashland or Catlettsburg sewer departments or Sanitation Districts 2 and 4 (the county’s sewer page lists their areas); lots beyond those lines need a septic system.

Boyd County permit types

With no county building permit to obtain, a rural Boyd County project collects site, flood, road, health and state permits instead. Ordinance 05-0 sorts the site permit into four levels by how much ground is disturbed and paved.

Residential permits

A house lot that disturbs less than an acre, adds less than 3,400 square feet of impervious surface and has slopes under 6% is a Level 1 site development permit, filed with a plot plan showing general erosion protection and sediment control. More than 3,400 square feet of new impervious area makes it Level 2, which needs a detailed grading and erosion prevention and sediment control plan.

The house then needs its trade permits (electrical, state plumbing, state HVAC), a septic permit from the health department where no sewer reaches, a floodplain development permit if the lot is mapped in a flood zone, and an encroachment permit for a driveway onto a county road. For a manufactured home, the county’s contacts page sends owners to local dealers for lists of state-certified movers and installers.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial, industrial and apartment buildings of three or more units on unincorporated land go to HBC for plan review, permits and inspection, filed through the department’s SmartGov portal. On the site side, construction disturbing an acre or more is a Level 3 permit: a detailed grading and erosion control plan and a stormwater pollution prevention plan prepared by a qualified professional, a Notice of Intent to the Kentucky Division of Water, and copies of every state application and plan for the fiscal court. Utility companies working on less than an acre use a Level 4 general permit renewed every three years.

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

What comes before the building work

• Floodplain check. The floodplain administrator verifies flood zoning and issues the county development permit; the administrator’s endorsement must come before the state floodplain construction permit can be processed.
• Streams. Ordinance 05-0 makes the contractor check with the Kentucky Division of Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about their permits before work starts.
• Sewer or septic. Confirm the sewer provider, or start the septic process with the health department.
• Road access. County encroachment permit from the Road Department, or a Transportation Cabinet permit on a state highway.

Boyd County permit costs and fees

With no county building permit there is no county building permit fee. Ordinance 05-0 says every site development application must be accompanied by a permit fee, but the posted ordinance and the application form do not print the amount, so Code Enforcement quotes it. Ordinance 400-2013 sets no fee amount in its text. The state fees below come from section 121 of the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and HBC’s 2019 electrical fee sheet; they apply to work the state reviews or inspects.

Worked example: a new 6,000-square-foot office building (business occupancy) reviewed by HBC owes 6,000 x 15 cents = $900 in plan review fees, well above the $285 minimum. The site development permit, electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits are separate.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. HBC’s sheet sends applicants to the County Judge/Executive’s office, or the city office where the work is done, for the local electrical inspector. The county’s own contacts page adds that AEP customer service (1-800-572-1113) will refer a licensed inspector, though AEP itself does not inspect. Electricians and electrical contractors hold HBC licenses; a homeowner may wire his or her own home with a permit.
• Plumbing. State permits and inspections, handled from the Ashland-Boyd County Health Department on Holt Street, where the state plumbing inspector keeps office hours on Monday and Thursday from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; the county lists 606-324-6530 for plumbing permits. HBC issues plumbing permits to licensed master plumbers, or to a homeowner for plumbing in his or her own residence; all other plumbing is installed by a licensed journeyman under a licensed master plumber.
• Heating and air conditioning. State HVAC permits, inspected by the HVAC inspector HBC assigns to the county; a homeowner may do his or her own HVAC work with a permit.
• Contractors. Kentucky has no general contractor license, and the county’s pages show no county contractor license. Code Enforcement helps collect the county business license and payroll taxes.

How to get permits for a Boyd County project

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The county’s public services staff review each site development application and either accept it, accept it with conditions, or deny it with the reasons and the procedure for a revised submission. A flood-zone job waits for the administrator’s endorsement, a site of an acre or more for the Division of Water Notice of Intent, and HBC issues no construction approval on a commercial job until its fees are paid.

Inspections in Boyd County

A house in the unincorporated county gets no building inspections; the wiring is inspected by the electrical inspector and the heating and cooling by the state HVAC inspector, and plumbing is inspected by the state plumbing inspector under the plumbing permit. HBC’s building inspector for the county inspects commercial jobs.

In a flood zone, the elevation of the lowest floor, basement included, must be certified on completion by a registered professional engineer or surveyor and the certificate given to the floodplain administrator; a floodplain development permit lapses if construction has not started within 180 days of issue. On the site side, the county can suspend or revoke a site development permit that harms the public or nearby property, and each violation of Ordinance 05-0 can bring a fine of up to $1,000, with every day counted as a separate offense.

Kentucky building code

Boyd County has no local building inspection program, so the Kentucky Building Code reaches unincorporated land through HBC for every building except dwellings under the residential code (one- and two-family homes and townhouses). FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Boyd County (community 210016) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective flood map dated January 29, 2021; the county’s flood page still refers to maps that took effect on August 5, 2013.

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

Boyd County permit search and official resources

There is no online permit search for county site or floodplain permits. Boyd County takes signed written open records requests, stating how the requester qualifies as a Kentucky resident, by mail, email or NextRequest; name Code Enforcement or the floodplain office.

• Construction, permits and inspection contacts
• Code Enforcement (site development permits)
• Application for site development permit
• Ordinance 05-0, erosion prevention and sediment control
• Ordinance 2010-03, post-construction stormwater
• FEMA projects and floodplain permitting
• Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance 400-2013
• Road Department and encroachment permit
• Sewer service providers
• County ordinances
• Open records requests
• Fiscal court minutes
• HBC county contact sheet, Boyd County (updated June 12, 2026)
• HBC building codes: state and local jurisdiction
• 2018 Kentucky Building Code, Fourth Edition (sections 104 and 121)
• HBC Electrical Division
• HBC Division of Plumbing
• HBC 2019 electrical permit fees
• HBC SmartGov portal
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permits
• City of Catlettsburg
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Boyd County permit FAQs

Do I need a county building permit to build a house in Boyd County?

Not outside Ashland and Catlettsburg: the county lists residential building permits as not required. You still need a site development permit for the ground work, trade permits and, where it applies, septic and floodplain permits.

Who inspects in Ashland and Catlettsburg?

HBC’s county sheet lists one local building inspector covering the City of Ashland and Catlettsburg. Ashland’s Division of Building Inspection is at 1700 Greenup Avenue, Room 208.

What is a site development permit?

The county’s erosion and sediment control permit under Ordinance 05-0, required for all site construction and land disturbance, in four levels by acreage, impervious area and slope. Code Enforcement issues it (606-928-1285).

How high must a house be built in a Boyd County flood zone?

The lowest floor, including any basement, must be at least one foot above the base flood elevation, certified by an engineer or surveyor when the house is finished.

Who reviews a new store or office?

The state: HBC reviews and inspects it, and plan review for a business building is 15 cents a square foot, minimum $285.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Yes, in your own residence: HBC issues plumbing permits to homeowners for their own homes as well as to licensed master plumbers. The state plumbing inspector keeps office hours at the health department on Holt Street.

Simplify Boyd 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 Boyd County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.