Jeffersontown, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Inside Jeffersontown, building, electrical, HVAC, fire alarm and sprinkler permits come from the city’s Department of Permitting, Planning and Enforcement, 10416 Watterson Trail (502-267-8333), not from Louisville Metro. The city reviews plans under an expanded-jurisdiction agreement with the state, charges $0.15 per square foot for new construction with a $100 minimum, wants half the fee when plans are submitted, and takes applications by email to permits@jeffersontownky.gov, by mail or in person.

What requires a building permit in Jeffersontown?

A building permit is needed whenever an owner or the owner’s agent plans to construct, enlarge, alter or move a building, change its occupancy or use, install an in-ground pool or put up a tent larger than 400 square feet. Interior demolition on its own counts as an alteration. A demolition permit covers razing all or part of a building, and a separate trade permit covers electrical, mechanical/HVAC, plumbing, fire suppression and fire detection work, and repairs or maintenance may need a permit depending on their extent, so the department asks to be called first.

The two shed sizes on the city’s list do not match, so check with the department before building a shed between 120 and 200 square feet.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Jeffersontown’s expanded jurisdiction comes from a written agreement with the state under KRS 198B.060 and 815 KAR 7:110, so the city reviews commercial plans that would otherwise go to Frankfort. The state keeps all plumbing, elevators, manufactured housing, industrialized (KIBS) buildings and high-hazard uses, plus state-owned, state-run and state-licensed facilities such as day cares, schools, universities, nursing homes and hospitals. The state contact sheet for Jefferson County (updated September 10, 2026) lists Louisville Metro as the local building and HVAC inspector for the county but excludes the City of Jeffersontown, which it lists separately at 10416 Watterson Trail.

Jeffersontown building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department is responsible for review, approval, permitting and inspection of all construction and related trade work within the city limits, under Director Scott Thompson. Three inspectors share residential building and HVAC inspections; one also covers commercial building, mechanical and fire protection work, and another all electrical work. Planning, development review, landscaping, tree preservation, fences and signs sit with the department’s planning staff. Before filing, confirm the parcel is inside Jeffersontown on LOJIC, the county’s mapping system; addresses outside the city file with Louisville Metro.

Jeffersontown had 29,193 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate and sits inside the Louisville/Jefferson County metro government boundary while keeping its own permit office.

Jeffersontown permit types

The Permits, Applications & Fees page carries separate commercial and residential building, electrical and HVAC applications, plus demolition, fire detection, fire suppression, sign, portable storage unit or dumpster, and commercial tent forms. Homeowners doing their own work file a notarized homeowner’s building, electrical or HVAC waiver: the owner must live in the house or move in when the work is finished, the house cannot be for sale, all the work must be done by the owner personally, and the city’s inspections, including a final, must be passed.

Residential permits

The residential checklist asks for a Jeffersontown business license or the homeowner’s waiver; the signed application; a notarized affidavit of assurances that every contractor carries Kentucky workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance; a site disturbance permit from Louisville MSD and proof of a drainage bond; a scaled site plan based on an accurate boundary survey, showing existing and new structures, easements and distances to lot lines; a dimensioned floor plan, foundation and footer details, elevations, sections, stair details and framing layouts; manufacturer sheets for engineered lumber and sealed engineering for trusses or other pre-engineered parts; and energy code calculations (REScheck). A variance request letter is added when one is needed. Interior doors on the exit path must give 32 inches of clear width under the Kentucky amendments, though the city may grant individual modifications.

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

Commercial permits

Every commercial project, including a new tenant fit-out, is submitted to the department. The building code page asks for one complete paper set of plans and specifications, with mechanical, electrical and plumbing sheets, plus a digital copy on a USB drive, or PDFs by email (no web links or file-sharing links). The 2024 commercial application checklist lists two sealed sets and an electronic copy, code design data, door, window and fire-rated assembly schedules, COMcheck forms and a statement of special inspections. After approval, a second paper set is stamped and kept on the job. The permit is issued only once the person or general contractor actually doing the work has completed an application.

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. Most reviews under the 2021 Land Development Code (adopted May 4, 2021) are done in-house within a few days. Zoning changes and waivers are filed first with Louisville Metro Planning and Design and then go to the Jeffersontown City Council for final action; variances, conditional uses and appeals are decided only by the Jeffersontown Board of Adjustments.
• Other agencies. Planning and development review, landscaping, Public Works, Louisville MSD, the health department and the Jeffersontown Fire Department may all have to approve before plans are approved.
• Accessory buildings. A detached garage or shed at a house is limited to a 750-square-foot first floor (1,000 square feet over two stories) and the height of the house; a larger one needs a Neighborhood Form District lot, a 10-foot setback from side and rear lines, a footprint no more than 1½ times the house or 25% lot coverage, and signed support from abutting owners.
• Pools. Rear yard only, out of easements, 5 feet from side and rear lines; an in-ground pool needs Louisville Metro Health approval before the city permit.
• State roads. An entrance on a state route needs a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit from the District 5 office, 8310 Westport Road, Louisville (502-210-5400).

Jeffersontown permit costs and fees

The building fee worksheet printed in the April 2024 residential application applies one rate to new floor area of every occupancy class. At least half of the building permit fee is due when plans are submitted. Payment is by cash, check or card in person, check by mail, or card by phone, with a card fee added.

Worked examples. A new house with 2,400 square feet of new floor area pays 2,400 × $0.15 = $360, with $180 due at submittal. A $40,000 kitchen and bath remodel pays $10 + (40 × $2.50) = $110.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. Issued and inspected by the city. An application is accepted only when complete and signed by both the electrical contractor and the master electrician, with their state license numbers; restoring power after a burnout requires a licensed electrical contractor. Wiring must be inspected before insulation or drywall goes in. A homeowner who lives in the house can file the homeowner’s electrical waiver instead.
• HVAC. The city is on the state’s list of local HVAC jurisdictions (updated May 13, 2025) and issues HVAC permits under KRS 198B.6671 and 815 KAR 8:070, signed by a master HVAC licensee or by the homeowner under the HVAC waiver, who also takes responsibility for refrigerant reclaiming.
• Plumbing. Not a city permit. The state Division of Plumbing’s Louisville office on Whittington Parkway handles plan approval and permits, and state plumbing inspectors cover the county by ZIP code. Fees are $50 plus $14 per opening for one- and two-family homes and $50 plus $20 per opening for commercial work; a homeowner may get a permit for plumbing in a home they live in or are building for themselves.
• Fire protection. Fire alarm (detection) and sprinkler (suppression) systems need their own city permits, reviewed by the commercial inspector.
• Business license. Every contractor and subcontractor must hold an active Jeffersontown business license before starting work.

How to apply for a Jeffersontown building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Zoning reviews handled in-house usually take only a few days, but a zoning change or waiver adds a Louisville Metro Planning and Design filing and a City Council vote, and a variance or conditional use adds a Board of Adjustments hearing. Other agencies, including MSD, Public Works and the fire department, may have to sign off before plan approval. Commercial drawings must not be labeled “preliminary” or “not for construction”, and electrical applications missing either license signature are returned unprocessed.

Jeffersontown building inspections and final approval

Every permitted job is inspected, and the work must stay exposed until the department approves it. The professional who did the work requests the inspection (the contractor for building, the electrician for electrical, and so on), by calling 502-267-8333 or emailing the inspector for that trade. Give the contact name and phone, project address, permit number and inspection type (rough, above-ceiling or final). To pass, the work must follow the approved plans and meet state codes and city ordinances; a failed inspection can bring a $50 charge for each re-inspection.

A new single-family electrical permit includes three inspections and a pool electrical permit two. The electrical permit must be kept at the work site, and on commercial jobs the stamped plan set stays there until the project is complete.

Kentucky building code in Jeffersontown

The city states that it applies the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code with all referenced standards, alongside its own 2021 Land Development Code and Sign Ordinance No. 1266 (Series 2019).

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

For a copy of a permit, plan or inspection record for a Jeffersontown address, contact the Department of Permitting, Planning and Enforcement at 502-267-8333. Plot plans come from a Kentucky licensed surveyor, or in part from the Jefferson County Clerk (502-574-5700).

• Jeffersontown Building Department
• Building code information and expanded jurisdiction
• Permits, applications and fees
• When a permit is not required (March 2024)
• Residential building permit application and fee worksheet
• Commercial building permit application
• Residential electrical permit application
• Residential HVAC permit application
• Homeowner’s building waiver
• Demolition permit application
• Accessory building limits
• Inspection information
• Planning and zoning
• 2021 Land Development Code
• Planning and Board of Adjustments fee schedule
• Building FAQs: pools, fences, plot plans
• State contact sheet for Jefferson County inspectors
• State list of local HVAC jurisdictions
• State plumbing permits and fees
• State plumbing FAQ: homeowner permits
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit offices

Jeffersontown building permit FAQ

Does Louisville Metro issue building permits in Jeffersontown?

No. Jeffersontown’s own department permits and inspects inside the city; the state’s Jefferson County sheet excludes the city from Louisville Metro’s coverage.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

$0.15 per square foot of new floor area, minimum $100; a 2,400-square-foot house pays $360, half of it at submittal.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

The city’s FAQ says no city permit is required at this time, but heights are limited: 4 feet in front yards, and in rear and side yards 8 feet for solid fences and 6 feet for chain link. The department’s exemption list covers fences not over 7 feet.

Do I need a permit for a deck?

Yes for an attached deck or one serving an exit door. A detached deck of 200 square feet or less, no more than 30 inches above grade, is exempt.

Can I do my own electrical or HVAC work?

Yes, in a home you live in (or will live in when the work is done) that is not for sale, by filing the notarized homeowner’s waiver and passing the city inspections.

Who issues plumbing permits?

The state Division of Plumbing, through its Louisville office at 312 Whittington Parkway (502-782-6032).

Can I email my plans?

Yes, as PDF attachments to permits@jeffersontownky.gov; links to file-sharing sites are not accepted.

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