Fort Thomas, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

In Fort Thomas the city’s General Services Department handles building permits, zoning and inspections for houses, from the City Building at 130 North Fort Thomas Avenue (859-572-1210). The state’s contact sheet sends the city’s single-family dwellings to the city inspector and its other buildings to Campbell County’s Planning, Zoning and Building Inspections Department. An electrical permit costs $10, and a house HVAC permit $105 for the first system.

What requires a building permit in Fort Thomas?

General Services’ own answer lists decks, sheds, pools, fences, additions, rehabs, remodels, finished basements, retaining walls and driveways as work that needs a permit. Roofing, painting and replacing windows or siding need none, unless the property is in one of the city’s business districts or regulated residential areas.

Exterior work in the business districts is a different matter: the Central Business District zones are local historic districts, and any change to a building’s exterior visible from the street, a new sign or a demolition there needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Design Review Board.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Kentucky’s codes are statewide, and Fort Thomas enforces them without local amendment. The city’s own layer is the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), its zoning and subdivision code, in force since December 20, 2024 under ordinance O-10-2024, which repealed the 2012 zoning ordinance and the 1990 subdivision rules. Council keeps amending it: ordinance O-07-2026 (second reading August 17, 2026, published September 15, 2026) requires retaining walls taller than 6 feet within a setback to be terraced or offset by twice the lower wall’s height, and sets air conditioners, heat pumps and other outdoor mechanical units at least 5 feet from a side lot line, and units at that 5-foot line must be sound-shielded and screened with fencing or shrubs as tall as the unit. The state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) keeps plumbing and the larger buildings its code reserves to it.

Fort Thomas building department: who handles permitting

General Services, directed by Kevin Barbian, covers building and zoning regulations, building permits, street maintenance, tree requests and zoning violations. Its staff includes a building inspector who also serves as zoning administrator, a code enforcement officer and an administrative assistant who answers the main permit line. HBC’s Campbell County contact sheet (updated November 5, 2026) places Fort Thomas among the cities served by the county’s inspection department and lists the city separately for single-family dwellings, which matches the county’s description of serving unincorporated land and partner cities.

Water and sewer belong to other agencies: the Northern Kentucky Water District (859-578-9898) and Sanitation District No. 1 (859-578-7450), which also mark their lines before digging.

Fort Thomas permit types

The Forms and Brochures page holds the city’s applications and links its online permit portal. The building permit application asks for the owner, the contractor, the type of improvement and its estimated cost, a site plan showing distances to the lot lines, and a Fort Thomas occupational license number, which is required.

Residential permits

A house project uses the building permit application, with the zoning fee and any certificate of occupancy fee recorded on the same form. Deck builders follow the city’s deck construction guidelines. Owners wiring their own home use the homeowner electric affidavit; one- and two-family HVAC work uses its own application signed by a master HVAC contractor. Chicken coops, short-term rentals, home occupations, yard sales and dumpsters each have their own form.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial HVAC applications are priced by the value of the installation, while multi-family HVAC uses the same $105-plus-$50 per-system fee as houses. For the building itself, the state sheet routes Fort Thomas buildings other than single-family dwellings to Campbell County’s department, while business-district exteriors also go to the Design Review Board. Outdoor dining has its own application.

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

• Board of Adjustment. Dimensional variances, conditional uses, changes between nonconforming uses and appeals of the zoning administrator; applications are due on the first Tuesday and heard on the fourth Tuesday.
• Planning Commission. Seven members handle plats, development plans, zone changes and text amendments; submittals are due at least two weeks before the third-Wednesday meeting.
• Design Review Board. Certificates of Appropriateness in the business districts; due the first Tuesday, heard the fourth Thursday.
• Subdivision. Preliminary subdivision plans, improvement drawings, development plans, final plats and convenience plats each have an application.
• Streets. A right-of-way cut permit for work in city streets; no private construction, including wing walls and mailbox piers, in city, county or state right of way. State routes such as I-471, U.S. 27/Alexandria Pike, Grandview Avenue, River Road, Memorial Parkway and North and South Grand Avenue are the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s.

Fort Thomas permit fees

The fee sheet posted with the forms is Article XVIII, Section 19.0, the schedule written into the city’s former zoning ordinance. The UDO that replaced that ordinance in December 2024 leaves fees to a schedule adopted by City Council, so confirm the current amount with General Services when you apply. The sheet refers the building permit fee itself to Title XV, Section 150.04 of the city code: residential permits are based on the estimated cost on the application or on per-square-foot construction data from ICC, F.W. Dodge or the Homebuilders Association, as the building inspector determines, revised yearly.

The commercial HVAC table climbs in bands: $180 for installations of $2,001 to $10,000, $270 to $25,000, $330 to $50,000, $390 to $75,000 and $500 to $100,000, up to $3,965 at $1.6 million plus $200 for each further $100,000. Fees are not refundable, except that half a rezoning fee comes back if the application is withdrawn before the hearing notice is published. Yard sale permits are free. In 2025 General Services issued 502 building and zoning permits and collected $61,904 in permit fees on $15.6 million of construction.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. The city issues the $10 electrical permit; the forms send applicants to a state electrical inspector for the inspection itself and list two, NKYEI (859-746-9111) and IBI (513-381-6080). Electrical and plumbing inspections are an added cost, so ask the inspector for the price and the stages your job needs. A homeowner may wire their own primary residence on a notarized affidavit, attesting that they will do the work personally and have not had a homeowner electrical permit anywhere in Kentucky in the past five years.
• HVAC. General Services issues HVAC construction permits under the state HVAC statute and 815 KAR 8:070. The application needs a master HVAC contractor’s signature and license number, a Fort Thomas occupational license, and the load calculations (design conditions, heat gain and heat loss) for each system. Outdoor condensers must sit at least 5 feet from a side lot line and, at that distance, be screened as tall as the unit.
• Plumbing. HBC’s Division of Plumbing issues plumbing permits and inspects; the city sends callers to the state inspector at 859-341-8228 between 8 and 8:30 a.m. HBC charges a $50 base fee plus $14 per opening for one- and two-family homes, and issues permits to licensed master plumbers or to homeowners for their own residences.
• Licenses. Every contractor needs a Fort Thomas occupational license, applied for on the joint Campbell County and cities form; the electrical and HVAC trades also need their state licenses.

How to apply for a Fort Thomas building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Delays usually come from the boards: a variance waits for the next fourth-Tuesday Board of Adjustment hearing, a plat or zone change for the third-Wednesday Planning Commission, and business-district exteriors for the fourth-Thursday Design Review Board, each with a filing deadline weeks ahead. A portable toilet location must be given to the zoning administrator before the building permit issues, and job-site silt and waste controls are expected from the start. A permit becomes void if work does not start, or stops, for 180 days.

Inspections in Fort Thomas

Call 859-572-1211 for each inspection; skipping one brings a stop-work order and may mean removing work. The city’s schedule runs:

• Footings, foundation, slab and deck piers before any concrete is poured.
• HVAC at framing and final, plus a pressure test for geothermal before it is covered; plans must be on site.
• Air barrier and exterior sheathing before brick; a blower door test can replace it, and a result under 5 air changes per hour means a whole-house fan must be installed.
• Pre-insulation, framing and firestopping once the electrical and plumbing rough-ins carry their approval stickers.
• Insulation before drywall, and driveway apron or sidewalk before placement.
• Final after the electrical and plumbing finals; the building may not be occupied until it passes, and house numbers may be checked.

Commercial projects add above-ceiling, HVAC, fire alarm and sprinkler inspections. Work hours are limited to 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., measured by an audible distance of 150 feet, concrete washout may not enter storm sewers, and site drainage must discharge to the street gutter or the center of the rear yard unless the department approves another outlet.

Kentucky building code

General Services lists the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code as its codes, with the referenced standards in each. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Fort Thomas as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, on a flood map dated August 10, 2021.

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

Fort Thomas permit search and official resources

Permits are tracked in the city’s online permit portal. Approved minutes of the Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment and Design Review Board are posted on each board’s page, and General Services publishes an annual report with permit counts. To see a permit file, use the city’s Request to Inspect Public Records form, which asks what records you want and whether the request is for a commercial purpose. The city keeps no copies of property surveys.

• Fort Thomas General Services Department
• Forms and brochures: permits, boards, subdivision
• Fort Thomas permit portal (iWorQ)
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application ($10)
• Homeowner electric permit affidavit
• HVAC permit application, one- and two-family
• HVAC permit application, commercial
• Building inspection schedule
• Posted fee schedule (Article XVIII)
• When is a permit needed (FAQ)
• Deck construction guidelines
• Unified Development Ordinance and zoning map
• Ordinance O-07-2026: retaining walls and condensers
• Ordinance O-10-2024 adopting the UDO
• Certificate of Appropriateness application
• Design Review Board
• Board of Adjustment
• Planning Commission
• City ordinances
• General Services annual report 2025
• Request to inspect public records
• Campbell County Planning, Zoning and Building Inspections
• HBC Campbell County inspector contact sheet
• HBC Division of Plumbing
• KYTC Permits Branch
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Fort Thomas permit FAQs

Who inspects a new house in Fort Thomas?

The city’s General Services Department; book inspections at 859-572-1211.

Who inspects a commercial building or apartments?

The state contact sheet routes Fort Thomas buildings other than single-family dwellings to Campbell County’s Planning, Zoning and Building Inspections Department in Newport.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or windows?

No, unless the property is in a business district or a regulated residential area.

Does a fence or shed need a permit?

Yes. Fences, sheds and pools each need a permit, and the posted zoning fee for them is $20.

How much is an electrical permit?

$10 from the city; the electrical inspection is an added cost set by the inspector.

Can I do my own wiring?

Yes, in your own primary residence, on a notarized homeowner affidavit, if you have not had a homeowner electrical permit in Kentucky in the past five years.

How long is a permit good for?

It becomes void if work is not started, or stops, for 180 days.

Do contractors need a city license?

Yes. A Fort Thomas occupational license number is required on building, electrical and HVAC applications.

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