Calloway County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Calloway County has a local building inspection program: the fiscal court’s own directory sends anyone needing a new building or electrical inspection to its local building inspector, K&S Building Inspections LLC (270-762-0350), and to two local county electrical inspectors. The fiscal court sits in the Courthouse Annex, 201 South 4th Street, Murray (270-753-2920), where plats are approved; septic permits come from the health department at 602 Memory Lane, and plumbing and HVAC permits from the state.

What requires a building permit in Calloway County?

The county’s rules for building inspection sit in ordinance 02-0716-A, “Building inspector”, amended by 17-0815-A in 2017. The fiscal court lists them on its Ordinances page alongside the other county rules that shape a building project.

The newest item is ordinance 26-1021-A, which the fiscal court lists as establishing a temporary moratorium on data centers; its length and terms are set in the ordinance itself, so anyone planning such a project should ask the Judge/Executive’s office before going further.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Every building in Kentucky is built to the state’s codes, so the county does not write building rules; it decides whether to run inspections, what to charge and how land is divided and addressed. The state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) explains the split: where a local program inspects single-family homes, the local official reviews and inspects them, and where none exists the builder still meets the residential code but only the HVAC and electrical work is inspected. Larger and higher-risk buildings stay with HBC’s own plan reviewers and the state building inspector for the county. Ask K&S which work its program covers under the county’s ordinance before you start.

Calloway County building department: who handles permitting

The county’s directory names a private firm, K&S Building Ins. LLC, as the local building inspector, at 270-762-0350, the same number the directory gives for Murray City Hall at 5th and Main. HBC’s Calloway County contact sheet (updated July 30, 2026) lists the local building inspector at that number and a City of Murray contact at extension 1134, along with the state building, manufactured housing, electrical, elevator, HVAC, plumbing and boiler inspectors who cover the county.

Cities in Calloway County

The county has two incorporated cities. The state sheet gives Murray its own contact; it says nothing separate about Hazel, so builders there should ask the Judge/Executive’s office which inspector covers the city.

Calloway County permit types

The fiscal court posts few application forms of its own: its downloadable forms cover a solar farm application, the 911 address form, road petitions (new county road, closing or renaming a road) and solid waste hauler permits. Building inspection requests go straight to the inspector.

Residential permits

For a house, the steps the county itself publishes are the septic permit from the health department, a 911 address registered when construction is complete (or when a mobile home is placed or moved) and plat approval for any new lot. Where the county’s program covers the house, its building inspections are booked with K&S; electrical work goes to a local county electrical inspector, and HVAC and plumbing to the state inspectors.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings follow the state’s split between local and state plan review: HBC reviews and inspects the buildings its code reserves to the state, and the local program handles the smaller ones. Solar farms file the county’s solar farm application under the 2024 solar installation ordinance, and data centers fall under the 2026 temporary moratorium.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Lot and plat. Divisions follow the county’s subdivision regulations, and plats are approved at the Judge/Executive’s office; subdivisions of six or more lots have their own development ordinances.
• Septic. On a lot without sewer, the health department issues the septic permit before the house is placed.
• Floodplain. The county’s flood damage prevention ordinance, last amended in 2023, is administered by the Solid Waste Coordinator, who is also the floodplain officer.
• Roads. An entrance on a state highway needs a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit; a new road built for county maintenance must meet the 2024 road requirements ordinance.
• Address. Register the 911 address and post numbers at least 3 inches high, visible from the road.

Calloway County permit fees

Calloway County sets its inspection charges by ordinance rather than in a separate fee table. Building inspection charges are set under the building inspector ordinances, and electrical inspection fees under ordinance 15-1117-A, which the county lists with a link to its 2026 electrical inspector contract; ask K&S or the electrical inspector for the charge on your job before work starts. State trade fees are published by HBC.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. Calloway County has local county electrical inspectors, listed on the county’s directory; the state sheet tells applicants to contact the Judge/Executive’s office or the city office where the work is done. HBC licenses electricians and electrical contractors, and a state electrical inspector is also assigned to the county.
• HVAC. Kentucky has run statewide HVAC permitting since January 1, 2011: a permit is bought for all new construction, only licensed or authorized people may apply, and contractors buy permits through HBC’s SmartGov portal. A state HVAC inspector covers Calloway County.
• Plumbing. HBC’s Division of Plumbing issues plumbing permits; its inspector keeps office hours on Monday and Thursday mornings, 8 to 9 Central, at 602 Memory Lane. Permits go to licensed master plumbers, or to homeowners for plumbing in their own residence; all other plumbing is installed by a licensed journeyman under a master.
• Contractors. The county publishes no general contractor license of its own; the trade licenses are the state’s.

How to get a Calloway County building inspection

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The usual holdups are outside the inspection itself: a plat that has not been approved, a septic permit not yet issued, or a lot in a mapped flood zone that needs the floodplain officer’s sign-off. A commercial building may also need HBC plan approval before construction starts, and HBC plan review runs on its own schedule. A data center proposal also meets the temporary moratorium the fiscal court adopted as ordinance 26-1021-A in 2026.

Inspections in Calloway County

Building inspections are requested from K&S at 270-762-0350, and electrical inspections from one of the county’s electrical inspectors. The state plumbing inspector checks rough-in and final plumbing; the inspector’s office hours at the health department are the times to reach the office by phone (270-753-3381). The state HVAC inspector checks heating and cooling systems bought under SmartGov permits. Manufactured homes have their own state inspector, listed on the HBC sheet. Once a new structure is complete, the 911 coordinator assigns the address that the house numbers must show.

Kentucky building code

Construction anywhere in Calloway County follows the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code, whatever office inspects it. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists both Calloway County and Murray as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, each on a flood map dated September 29, 2010.

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

Calloway County permit search and official resources

The county posts no online permit search. Fiscal court minutes from 2021 through September 2026 are listed on its Meeting Minutes page, and its ordinances on the Ordinances page. Plat approvals go through the Judge/Executive’s office at the Courthouse Annex, questions about past inspections go to K&S, and recorded plats and deeds are at the County Clerk’s office in the Old Courthouse, 101 South 5th Street (270-767-0429). State plan approvals for commercial buildings can be looked up through HBC’s online plan search and SmartGov portal.

• Calloway County: Where do I go (inspections, septic, plats)
• Calloway County Fiscal Court contacts
• Calloway County ordinances list
• 911 address registration for new structures
• County forms, incl. solar farm application
• Fiscal court meeting minutes
• HBC Calloway County inspector contact sheet
• HBC Building Codes: state and local jurisdiction
• HBC Division of Plumbing: permits and fees
• HBC Division of HVAC
• HBC Electrical Division
• HBC SmartGov portal
• KYTC Permits Branch: state highway entrances
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Calloway County permit FAQs

Who inspects new buildings outside Murray?

The county’s local building inspector, K&S Building Ins. LLC, at 270-762-0350.

Where do I get a septic permit?

The Calloway County Health Department, 602 Memory Lane, Murray (270-753-3381).

Who approves a plat for a new lot?

The Judge/Executive’s office in the Courthouse Annex, 201 South 4th Street (270-753-2920).

Does a new house need a 911 address?

Yes. Anyone completing a new structure or placing a mobile home must file the Address Registration Form with the Sheriff’s Office.

Who issues plumbing and HVAC permits?

The state: plumbing through HBC’s inspector at the health department, HVAC through HBC’s SmartGov portal.

Is there a moratorium on data centers?

Yes. The fiscal court lists ordinance 26-1021-A as a temporary moratorium on data centers; its terms are in the ordinance.

Who handles floodplain questions?

The county’s Solid Waste Coordinator, who is also its floodplain officer (270-759-3549).

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