Edmonson County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

The state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) contact sheet for Edmonson County, updated May 5, 2026, lists a local building inspector and adds that commercial construction goes to the department for building permits. No county building ordinance or fee schedule appears in the published sources, so the Judge/Executive’s office in Brownsville (270-597-2819, from the Barren River Area Development District’s directory) is the place to ask what the local inspector requires. Septic systems are permitted by the Edmonson County Health Department on Mammoth Cave Road, and plumbing and HVAC permits come from the state.

What requires a building permit in Edmonson County?

The sheet’s split is the best published guide: a local building inspector for the county, and the state for commercial building permits. It does not say what the local inspector permits, and no county ordinance is online, so confirm with the Judge/Executive’s office whether a new house, addition or garage needs a county permit before you start.

HBC’s own explanation is that every single-family home is reviewed and inspected by the local county or city building official where such a program exists; where none does, a house is still built to the Kentucky Residential Code but only its mechanical systems and wiring are inspected. Which of those applies to houses here is the question for the local inspector.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The Fiscal Court, meeting on the second and fourth Mondays at 4:00 p.m., governs the unincorporated county and arranges local electrical inspection. A county inspection program in Kentucky applies the state’s codes and cannot write its own. HBC keeps commercial building permits here, state plan review, every plumbing and HVAC permit (Edmonson is not on HBC’s local HVAC list, updated May 13, 2025), manufactured housing, elevators, boilers and trade licenses.

Edmonson County building department: who handles permitting

Besides the local inspector, the Edmonson County sheet lists two state manufactured housing inspectors and the state electrical, elevator, HVAC, plumbing and boiler inspectors for the county; its state building inspector line is blank on the May 2026 update, so commercial applicants should start with HBC Building Codes.

Cities in Edmonson County

Call Brownsville City Hall about any city zoning or permit rules before building inside the city.

Edmonson County permit types and supporting documents

State applications go through HBC’s SmartGov portal, which handles building, HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing and fire prevention filings and asks first whether a project is local, expanded or state jurisdiction. Septic paperwork is filed at the health department.

Residential permits

For a house, ask the local inspector for any county application; the Judge/Executive’s office or HBC can say how to reach the inspector. The septic file needs the state’s site evaluation application (DFS-319), the district’s owner affidavit, which collects the details used to size the system and must be signed by the property owner, and a drawing of the property. Plumbing permits go to licensed master plumbers, or to owners working personally on a home they live in or are building for their own residence, with an affidavit filed before work and a limit of one new-home homeowner permit in five years. HVAC permits are bought by licensed or authorized applicants.

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

Commercial permits

The county sheet is explicit that commercial construction goes to HBC for building permits. File complete construction documents through the portal and wait for approval before building; commercial plumbing has its own state review and permit. A modular building needs site placement approval each time a model is placed, with a site plan, pier or foundation and tie-down details and any site-built stairs or ramps.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Planning commission. The development district’s directory lists an Edmonson County Planning Commission at 108 Main Street; ask whether your lot split or project needs its approval.
• Septic. Site evaluation, then a permit issued once the certified installer’s drawing is approved.
• Water. Service from the Edmonson County Water District where its lines reach the lot.
• Deeds and plats. Recorded with the County Clerk.
• Floodplain. The county takes part in the flood insurance program; ask the Judge/Executive’s office about floodplain review before building near a stream.
• State road entrance. A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit for a driveway, utility line or drainage change in a state right-of-way, from the District 3 office in Bowling Green.

Edmonson County building-permit costs and fees

No Edmonson County building permit fee schedule or fiscal court fee order is published; get any local inspection charge in writing from the local inspector or the Judge/Executive’s office. The fees that are posted are the health district’s septic fees and the state’s plumbing fees, in effect since March 1, 2022:

Worked example. A cabin with 7 plumbing openings on a new septic system pays $230 + $315 = $545 to the health district and $50 + (7 × $14) = $148 for the state plumbing permit, $693 before the HVAC permit (priced in the portal) and any local electrical inspection fee. If work on the septic system does not begin within a year of the permit, the permit expires and a new one must be bought.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. HBC’s portal sends private-property electrical permits to the local authority; the Edmonson County sheet says to contact the Judge/Executive’s office, or the Brownsville city office for jobs in the city, for the local electrical inspector. A state electrical inspector is also assigned to the county.
• Plumbing. State permit and inspection. The state plumbing inspector keeps desk hours at the health department on Monday mornings from 8:00 to 9:00 Central. Farm homes and farm buildings on 10 acres or more outside Brownsville’s limits may qualify for the state farmstead exemption if the land is in bona fide agricultural use and registered with the PVA.
• HVAC. A state HVAC permit is required for all new construction and is issued only to licensed or authorized applicants; the state HVAC inspector for the county inspects.
• Licenses. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors hold HBC licenses; Kentucky has no state general-contractor license, and the published sources show no Edmonson County contractor license or registration.

How to apply for permits in Edmonson County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The health district will not evaluate a site until two backhoe pits are open in the proposed drain field, 40 to 50 feet apart, 42 inches deep where bedrock or a water table allows, and at least 24 inches wide; arranging and paying for them is the owner’s job. A property drawing that leaves out sinkholes, wells, ponds, streams or easements will be sent back. For commercial projects, building cannot start until HBC approves the plans.

Edmonson County building inspections and final approval

Ask the local building inspector which stages a house is inspected at and whether a final approval is issued. Commercial buildings are inspected by HBC against the approved plans. The health district’s certified inspector checks the septic system after installation and grants final approval once it meets the state onsite sewage rules; only then may it be backfilled and used. Plumbing, HVAC and wiring are inspected by the state plumbing inspector, the state HVAC inspector and the local electrical inspector, and manufactured homes by the state manufactured housing inspectors on the sheet.

Kentucky building code in Edmonson County

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Edmonson County as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current effective flood map dated October 19, 2010, so flood insurance is available and building in a mapped flood zone falls under the county’s floodplain rules.

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

HBC permits for Edmonson County work are applied for and tracked in the SmartGov portal. Ask the Judge/Executive’s office about local permit records, the County Clerk for recorded deeds and plats, and the health department for septic permits.

• State contact sheet for Edmonson County inspectors (May 5, 2026)
• State inspector contact sheets, all counties
• Edmonson County and Brownsville officials directory (Barren River ADD)
• Edmonson County Health Department
• Onsite sewage program and forms
• Onsite sewage installation guide and fees
• State building codes: local and state jurisdiction
• State Division of Building Code Enforcement
• State SmartGov permit portal
• State plumbing permits and fees
• State plumbing FAQ: homeowner and farmstead rules
• State HVAC permits
• State list of local HVAC jurisdictions
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permits
• KYTC district permit offices
• Kentucky highway districts by county
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Edmonson County building permit FAQ

Who issues commercial building permits in Edmonson County?

The state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, as the county sheet updated May 5, 2026 says.

Is there a local building inspector?

Yes, the sheet lists one; ask the Judge/Executive’s office (270-597-2819) how to reach the inspector and what a house needs.

How much do septic permits cost?

$230 for the site evaluation and $315 for the construction permit, at the health department on Mammoth Cave Road.

How many test pits do I need for a septic evaluation?

Two backhoe pits in the proposed system area, 40 to 50 feet apart and 42 inches deep.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Yes, in your own home or one you are building to live in, with a state homeowner permit and affidavit filed before work begins.

When does the Fiscal Court meet?

On the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 4:00 p.m.

Who permits a driveway onto a state highway?

KYTC District 3 in Bowling Green, 270-746-7898.

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