Frankfort, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Frankfort runs its own building inspection program: Planning & Community Development, at City Hall, 315 West 2nd Street (502-352-2094), takes building permit applications, reviews site plans and issues certificates of occupancy inside the city. The 2026 fee schedule charges $0.15 per square foot for a house, with a $125 minimum, and small projects such as fences and sheds of 200 square feet or less take a $25 zoning permit instead. Electrical permits for city addresses come from Franklin County Planning, Zoning and Building Code Enforcement, and plumbing and HVAC permits from the state.

What requires a building permit in Frankfort?

The trigger sits in the city’s zoning regulations. Article 21, section 21.02, says no building or structure may be erected, moved, added to or structurally altered, and none of that work started, without a building permit from the building inspector, and the inspector may not issue one that conflicts with the zoning rules unless the Board of Adjustments has ruled. Section 21.03 then bars anyone from using a new, changed, enlarged or moved structure until a certificate of occupancy is issued.

The building page words the shed limit as “under 200 sq. ft.”, so call before building one of exactly that size. A zoning permit expires if the project is not finished within 90 days, and it still needs a final inspection.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Frankfort enforces the statewide Kentucky codes; it cannot write its own. The city’s page sends any structure of 20,000 square feet or more, three or more stories, or an occupant load of 100 or more to the state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC, 502-573-0365) for plan review, and a city building permit is still required after the state approves the plans. The helpful-hints page applies the same 100-occupant rule to tenant spaces. The work-session minutes of June 8, 2026 record that the city’s building inspector had received state certification and that the city intends to take over state projects and apply for expanded jurisdiction; until HBC grants that, plan on state review for buildings above those limits.

Frankfort building department: who handles permitting

Planning & Community Development, led by its director, Eric Cockley, administers building permits and inspections, zoning, floodplain management and historic review for the city. The Franklin County office at 321 West Main Street covers the county outside the city for building permits, but it issues electrical permits for both. HBC’s Franklin County contact sheet, updated September 10, 2026, lists two local building inspectors: one for the county only and one for the City of Frankfort only.

Utility questions that come up on the permit’s easement affidavit go to the Frankfort Plant Board (502-352-4501), the City Engineer (502-352-2092) and the Sewer Department (502-875-2448).

Frankfort permit types

The Applications & Forms page lists every planning and building form, and a few can be filed through the city’s online form center under the Planning & Community Development heading. The building permit itself is a paper application.

Residential permits

A house, addition or garage goes on the building permit application with plans in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the lot’s shape and dimensions, the size and position of existing and proposed buildings, the building lines, the height and the number of dwelling units (section 21.021). Two forms go with it: the “Before You Dig” affidavit, in which the owner acknowledges platted utility easements and agrees that nothing permanent will be built in them, and the sub-contractor list. Small accessory work uses the $25 zoning permit with a site diagram showing lot lines, structures and setbacks.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work starts with the same application. Additions to commercial buildings need a development plan from an engineer, and the city warns that easements may be required. A tenant changing a space’s use needs a building permit before the business license is issued, food or drink service brings a health department and Sewer Department review (a grease trap is generally required), and signs take their own permit.

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

• Zoning and planning. The joint Frankfort/Franklin County Planning Commission handles rezonings, development plans and subdivision plats; the Board of Zoning Adjustment hears variances and conditional uses.
• Historic districts. In the SC, SH and CB historic zoning districts the Architectural Review Board (5 p.m., third Tuesday, City Hall) reviews exterior changes, new construction, additions and demolitions and also acts as the board of adjustment there.
• Floodplain. A local floodplain development permit, and for stream work a Division of Water permit to construct across or along a stream.
• Sewer. The Sewer Department takes sewer permit applications through the city’s online form center.
• State roads. Entrances onto a state highway need a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit from District 5.

Frankfort permit fees

The Planning & Community Development fee schedule posted as “feeschedule2026” sets the city’s building and zoning fees; it prints no adoption date. Building permits are priced per square foot with a floor, and the schedule does not say which floor areas are counted, so ask staff how they measure a project before budgeting.

Electrical inspection fees are Franklin County’s (see the trades section), and HBC charges its own plumbing permit fees: a $50 base plus $14 per opening for one- and two-family homes, $50 for a water heater alone, and a $50 base plus $20 per opening for commercial work.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. Franklin County administers electrical permitting for the whole county, including every structure in the city. The joint city/county application asks for the contractor’s CE and ME license numbers and county business license, and it can be filed in person at 321 West Main Street or by email; the first fee is paid before the inspection, and inspections are booked by calling the office, not by email or voicemail. A homeowner wiring the home they live in or are about to occupy signs a notarized affidavit on the same form (notary service is available at the county office).
• Plumbing. HBC’s Division of Plumbing reviews and approves plumbing (502-573-0397). Its permits go to licensed master plumbers or to homeowners for plumbing in their own residence. The state plumbing inspector’s office hours for Franklin County are Monday and Wednesday, 8 to 9 a.m.
• HVAC. HBC’s Division of HVAC issues permits and inspects (502-573-0395); licensed contractors buy permits through its SmartGov portal. Frankfort is not on HBC’s list of local HVAC jurisdictions.
• Contractors. Every contractor and sub-contractor needs a City of Frankfort business license before working, and permits are not issued until those licenses are checked; tell the department if a sub-contractor changes after issue.

The 2025 application form prices the rough-in and final at $75 with $3 for each circuit over 25 and calls the reconnect a 120-day reconnect; the fee schedule says a 30-day reconnect. A double-pole breaker counts as two circuits.

How to apply for a Frankfort building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Unlicensed sub-contractors stop issue, because the city verifies each business license before releasing a permit. Projects in a historic district wait for the Architectural Review Board’s monthly meeting, and rezonings, plats and development plans follow the Planning Commission’s calendar. Floodplain permits are reviewed against an elevation certificate certified by a licensed surveyor, engineer or architect, and stream work also needs a Division of Water permit. The April 13, 2026 minutes describe staff setting up OpenGov software for permit types and workflows; no launch date has been posted.

Inspections in Frankfort

The city’s building inspector inspects permitted work and issues the certificate of occupancy once the structure and use meet the zoning rules; a temporary certificate can cover up to six months during alterations or partial occupancy. A first failed-inspection revisit costs $25, and later ones $50, $100 and $250. Zoning permits end with a final inspection booked at 502-352-2094. Electrical inspections are booked by phone with the county office; plumbing and HVAC inspections are with HBC’s inspectors. The city suggests a courtesy visit from the building inspector to review a tenant space against building code and ADA needs before you commit.

Kentucky building code

The city posts the 2018 Kentucky Building Code, Fourth Edition, and the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code on its codes page. Its posted Code of Ordinances is the 2014 S-10 supplement, current only through ordinances passed in December 2013, so newer city rules are in later ordinances. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Frankfort as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program on a flood map dated December 21, 2017, with Community Rating System class 8, a 10% flood insurance discount; Planning & Community Development coordinates floodplain management and administers the city’s flood damage prevention ordinance.

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

Frankfort permit search and official resources

Permit files and certificates of occupancy are kept by Planning & Community Development, so ask there for copies; Board of Commissioners, Planning Commission and board agendas and minutes are posted in the city’s Agenda Center.

• Frankfort Building & Construction
• Applications & Forms
• Building/zoning permit fee schedule 2026
• Building permit application
• Before You Dig easement affidavit
• Sub-contractor and business license list
• Zoning permit application (rev. February 13, 2026)
• Zoning Ordinance Article 21: building permits and certificates of occupancy
• Helpful hints for businesses
• Flood regulations and forms
• Local floodplain development permit application
• Division of Water stream construction permit application
• Architectural Review Board
• Codes and regulations
• Agendas and minutes
• Planning Commission packet, November 12, 2026 (Unified Development Code hearing)
• Work-session minutes, June 8, 2026 (expanded jurisdiction)
• Franklin County electric permits
• Franklin County electrical permit fees (rev. January 9, 2025)
• City and county electrical permit application
• HBC Franklin County inspector contact sheet
• HBC Building Codes: state and local jurisdiction
• HBC Division of Plumbing: permits and fees
• HBC Division of HVAC
• HBC SmartGov portal
• KYTC district permit contacts
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Frankfort permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Frankfort?

Planning & Community Development at City Hall, 315 West 2nd Street (502-352-2094). The Franklin County office permits only outside the city, except for electrical work.

How much is a building permit for a house?

$0.15 per square foot with a $125 minimum under the 2026 schedule, plus a $25 plan review fee where it applies.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

A $25 zoning permit covers fences up to 7 feet and storage buildings of 200 square feet or less; larger buildings need a building permit.

Where do I get an electrical permit in Frankfort?

From Franklin County Planning, Zoning and Building Code Enforcement at 321 West Main Street, which inspects electrical work in the city as well as the county.

Can a homeowner do their own plumbing or wiring?

Yes, for the home they live in: HBC issues plumbing permits to homeowners for their own residence, and the county takes a notarized homeowner affidavit for electrical work.

When does the state review my plans?

For buildings of 20,000 square feet or more, three or more stories, or 100 or more occupants; a city permit is still needed afterwards.

Is the city changing its zoning rules?

A Unified Development Code replacing the city and county zoning ordinances went to a Planning Commission public hearing set for November 12, 2026.

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