Fayette County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Lexington-Fayette urban county and Fayette County are the same place: the Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimate is 329,751 for both. Building permits for the whole county are issued by the LFUCG Division of Building Inspection.

This guide covers LFUCG building, electrical, fence and certificate of occupancy permits, and the sewer and land disturbance permits that come first. The city’s own pages give two different phone numbers for plumbing, so confirm the plumbing contact with Building Inspection. The published fee schedule is the July 1, 2019 schedule as revised 10/27/21, so confirm current fees.

What requires a permit in Fayette County?

Electrical permits are required for all electrical work in Fayette County. All fences and walls 24 inches or higher above grade need a permit and must comply with the Zoning ordinance. Before a residential new-construction permit is issued you need a Land Disturbance Permit from the Division of Engineering and a Sewer Tap On Permit from Water Quality. Properties in an H-1 (Historic Overlay) or ND-1 Overlay may have added requirements.

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 programme reviews smaller ones. Kentucky rules

Who handles permitting in Fayette County?

Applying in Lexington

Apply at lexingtonky.gov/permits: register an account, select Building Inspection, agree to the disclaimer and pick the permit type. The One-Stop Shop (onestop.lexingtonky.gov) combines zoning, commercial and residential permitting.

The Contractors Registration Ordinance requires every contractor to register with Building Inspection; unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits. Owner-builders apply themselves, tick the Owner/Builder Acknowledgment and file an affidavit.

Residential plan review needs a dimensioned site plan, foundation plan, floor plan, wall section, elevations and framing details, plus a floor elevation callout relative to the closest downstream manhole and Division of Engineering approval of site drainage and erosion control.

Fayette County permit costs and fees

From the fee schedule effective July 1, 2019, revised 10/27/21:

• Residential: plan review fee $25 at submittal; single-family residence .10 x sq. ft. (min. $150) + $180; remodeling, additions and accessory buildings .10 x sq. ft. (min. $150).
• Commercial: plan review .06 x sq. ft. (min. $50); office buildings .062 x sq. ft. (min. $250) + .175 x sq. ft.; commercial remodeling .10 x sq. ft. (min. $250); commercial fence $100.
• Other: electrical permits $10 each; commercial certificate of occupancy $25; Home Office Certificate $10. Work started without a permit pays double fees.

Electrical, plumbing and other trade permits

Electrical contractors need a Master Electrician and an LFUCG business license, and electrical inspections are done by the Commonwealth Inspection Bureau. On commercial work, fences, retaining walls, signs and HVAC are separate LFUCG permits, while plumbing is applied for, reviewed and permitted by the State Inspector. Fire suppression and detection shop drawings are reviewed by Building Inspection and the Lexington Fire Department, and large projects (typically over 50 pages) may need paper plans too.

The trades are permitted separately and done by contractors holding state licences. Kentucky rules

How to get a permit in Fayette County

Inspections in Fayette County

New-construction inspections must be scheduled and are done by a new construction staff inspector free of charge. A final inspection, approval and certificate of occupancy are required before occupancy. The Sanitary Sewer Tap-On Desk inspects sewer line installation.

A business moving into a space as-is applies for the certificate of occupancy and then calls (859) 231-5668 to schedule a life safety inspection with a Fire Inspector; a remodel needs a building permit first.

Official Fayette County permitting resources

These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.

• LFUCG Division of Building Inspection
• Lexington building permits
• New residential construction
• Commercial construction
• Electrical permits and inspections
• Certificates of occupancy
• LFUCG fee schedule (2021 revision)
• Sanitary Sewer Tap-On Desk
• Census Bureau Vintage 2025 city estimates (Kentucky)

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for a fence in Lexington?

Yes, for any fence or wall 24 inches or higher above grade.

Who inspects electrical work in Fayette County?

The Commonwealth Inspection Bureau, (859) 263-7800; the permit itself costs $10.

Can a homeowner pull their own permit?

Yes. Owner-builders apply themselves, tick the Owner/Builder Acknowledgment and file an affidavit.

Simplify Fayette County permitting with Alliance Permitting

• Confirm which office has the address and whether zoning, land disturbance or sewer approvals come first
• Prepare the building, trade and site applications for the portal or office that takes them
• Track review, fees and inspections through to the certificate of occupancy

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