Grayson County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

The state’s contact sheet for Grayson County, updated May 5, 2026, lists one local building inspector (270-535-5256), and the City of Leitchfield publishes the same contact. In Leitchfield, a project starts with a zoning permit from the city’s Planning and Zoning office at 510 South English Street (270-259-6363); the building inspector then issues the building permit, inspects a new home at least three times and issues the certificate of occupancy. Plumbing permits come from the state plumbing inspector at the county health department, and HVAC permits from the state.

What requires a building permit in Grayson County?

The most detailed published rules are Leitchfield’s. Its combined zoning and building packet says the zoning permit verifies compliance with the city’s zoning ordinance and that the building inspector issues building permits before construction and a certificate of occupancy when the work is done. The packet covers residential homes, duplexes, additions, auxiliary structures and commercial occupancies.

Leitchfield’s zoning ordinance (Article 2, section 2.21) makes it unlawful to start demolition, excavation, construction or placement of any building, including signs, accessory buildings and fences, or to move or alter a building’s exterior, until a permit is issued; recurring maintenance is exempt, and section 1.6 adds that routine maintenance, repairs and renovations that do not enlarge a structure need no building or zoning permit. A building permit is required for new one- and two-family homes, manufactured and modular homes, multi-family and commercial buildings, auxiliary structures, additions and signs; a separate zoning permit is required for multi-family, business, commercial and industrial structures.

For land outside the three cities, no county building ordinance or fee schedule is published online. The local building inspector on the state sheet is the first call for a house or garage in the county, and the state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) handles the buildings its code reserves to the state.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Kentucky’s building and residential codes apply statewide; local governments decide whether to inspect and what to charge. HBC’s Grayson County sheet lists the local building inspector alongside the state building, manufactured housing, electrical, elevator, HVAC, plumbing and boiler inspectors. Leitchfield’s zoning, subdivision rules and comprehensive plan are city documents; no countywide zoning ordinance is posted.

Grayson County building department: who handles permitting

Leitchfield’s code enforcement page lists the local building inspector with the same number as the state sheet, and the city’s permit packet signs the inspection requirements off with that number as a Kentucky-certified residential, commercial and industrial building inspector. The packet labels the inspector “State Building Inspector”; the HBC sheet lists a different person as the state building inspector for the county.

Cities in Grayson County

Grayson County permit types

Leitchfield’s application is a two-page packet: the zoning permit application and the building inspection requirements. The application must be complete, with the required signatures, documents and fees, or it is not processed.

Residential permits

The zoning form asks for the owner, the general contractor and a list of sub-contractors, the property’s PVA map number and zoning district, the occupancy and construction type, length, width, height, stories and area, basement area, and whether the structure is built on or off site. A site plan must show the structure, easements, utilities and setbacks, with rear, front and side setbacks and road frontage entered on the form, and the applicant confirms that deed restrictions have been met. Blueprints showing the building’s size are attached.

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

Commercial permits

For a commercial occupancy the form asks whether state approval has been obtained, so HBC plan review comes before the city zoning permit for buildings in the state’s jurisdiction. Every contractor and sub-contractor needs a City of Leitchfield business license before construction.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning in Leitchfield. The zoning administrator signs the zoning permit; rezonings go to the Planning Commission (second Monday, 5 p.m., City Hall) and variances or conditional uses to the Board of Adjustments, which meets quarterly.
• Utilities. Water, gas and sewer in Leitchfield are run by the Leitchfield Utilities Commission; outside sewer areas, septic approval comes from the health department.
• Digging. The city form tells applicants to call 811 to mark underground utilities before excavating.
• State roads. An entrance onto a state highway needs a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit from District 4 in Elizabethtown.
• Flood zones. Grayson County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program; ask about floodplain review before building in a mapped flood zone.

Grayson County permit fees

No county building permit fee schedule is published online; ask the building inspector (270-535-5256) about inspection charges outside the cities. Leitchfield’s fees are printed in Article 6 of the zoning ordinance the city posts (the 2023 copy). Section 6.1 lets the City Council set fees, the building fee table carries revisions from Ordinance 2003-3 (April 7, 2003) and Ordinance 2004-1 (January 5, 2004), and the packet requires payment at submission.

Worked example (the ordinance’s own). An 1,800 sq ft home at $0.12 is $216; with a full 1,800 sq ft basement at $0.03 (another $54), the building permit is $270.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. The HBC sheet says to contact the Judge/Executive’s office, or the city office where the work is done, for the local electrical inspector; the state electrical inspector for the county is also listed. Leitchfield’s framing inspection expects the rough electric inspection to be done first, and the final needs the electrical work stickered. An owner may wire their own home with a permit; HBC licenses electricians.
• Plumbing. HBC’s state plumbing inspector holds office hours at the health department, 124 East White Oak, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8 to 9 a.m. Central. HBC issues plumbing permits to licensed master plumbers or to homeowners for plumbing in their own personal residence.
• HVAC. Licensed HVAC contractors buy permits from HBC through the SmartGov portal, and a state HVAC inspector covers the county.
• Manufactured homes. A state manufactured housing inspector covers Grayson County.

How to apply for a building permit in Grayson County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Leitchfield’s ordinance gives the inspector 14 calendar days from submission to grant or deny a permit, with any refusal and its reason mailed to the applicant, and it requires the county health officer’s certificate approving water and sewer facilities to accompany the application. A building permit becomes void six months after issue unless substantial progress has been made. The city will not process an application that is missing signatures, documents or fees. Rezonings follow the Planning Commission’s monthly calendar, and the Board of Adjustments meets only in March, June, September and December, so a variance can add months. Unlicensed contractors are another hold-up, because the city requires its business license for every contractor and sub-contractor before construction.

Inspections in Grayson County

Leitchfield’s packet sets at least three inspections for every home and duplex. The footing and foundation inspection comes after excavation with reinforcing steel in place and tied. The framing inspection comes once the outer walls, sheathing, subfloor and roof sheeting are on and the rough electric and plumbing inspections are done, before any insulation or drywall. The final inspection, with final electric and plumbing stickered and the lot at finish grade, leads to the certificate of occupancy from a Kentucky-certified building inspector. Under the zoning ordinance, nobody may occupy a building until the city has been told that water, electricity and, where they apply, sewer and gas are connected and ready. A skipped inspection is noted on the certificate and can stop it being issued, or show up for future buyers and lenders at closing.

Kentucky building code

Inspections in the county are made against the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Grayson County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, on a flood map dated September 19, 2012.

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

Grayson County permit search and official resources

Leitchfield’s ordinance requires a permanent file of every application, plan and permit. Requests to inspect city records go to the City Clerk’s Office, 515 South Main Street, by mail, by fax to 270-259-5858 or by email to openrecords@leitchfield.org. For permits outside the city, ask the local building inspector.

• Leitchfield Planning and Zoning
• Leitchfield zoning permit application and building inspection requirements
• Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023)
• Planning Commission and Board of Adjustments hearing schedule
• Leitchfield Code Enforcement and inspector contacts
• 2026 inspector list (Grayson County)
• Leitchfield city records and open records requests
• HBC Grayson 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

Grayson County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Grayson County?

The local building inspector on HBC’s Grayson County sheet (270-535-5256) issues permits in Leitchfield after the city zoning permit; ask the inspector whether a permit is needed elsewhere in the county.

How much is a building permit for a house in Leitchfield?

$0.12 per square foot of living space including the garage, plus $0.03 per square foot of basement; an 1,800 sq ft home with a full basement is $270.

How many inspections does a new house get?

Leitchfield requires at least three: footing and foundation, framing, and final for the certificate of occupancy.

Where is the Leitchfield zoning office?

510 South English Street (270-259-6363), open 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Do contractors need a Leitchfield license?

Yes. Every contractor and sub-contractor needs a city business license before construction in Leitchfield.

Where do I get a plumbing permit?

From the state plumbing inspector at the Grayson County Health Department, Tuesdays and Fridays 8 to 9 a.m.; homeowners may get one for their own residence.

Is Grayson County in the flood insurance program?

Yes. FEMA lists it as participating, on a flood map dated September 19, 2012.

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