LaRue County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

The Land of Lincoln Planning and Zoning Commission, in Suite 12 on the second floor of the LaRue County Courthouse, 209 West High Street, Hodgenville (270-358-0830), issues building/zoning permits for the unincorporated county and the City of Hodgenville under their joint zoning ordinance, revised December 8, 2025. Every dwelling, mobile home and non-agricultural building needs one; the septic permit comes first, the fee is based on square footage, and a permit is good for six months.

What requires a building permit in LaRue County?

Section 3.1.D of the zoning ordinance for Hodgenville and LaRue County says no dwelling, structure or other building may be built in the county until a building/zoning permit has been issued. Amendments adopted by the Fiscal Court and the Hodgenville City Council in 2025 keep one exception: buildings in the A-1 agricultural zone built for agricultural purposes, but not dwellings. The ordinance’s housing definitions add that a new single-family, two-family or multi-family dwelling needs a building permit and a certificate of occupancy.

Where the land matters as much as the building: a house can go only in the A-1, R-1A or R-1B districts; a tract that came from an agricultural division, normally 5 acres or more, needs an agricultural affidavit stating the intended farm use before a permit is issued; and only one residence is allowed per tract.

The R-1A and R-1B districts cap lot coverage at 35% and height at 45 feet, and the ordinance notes that setbacks may be adjusted depending on the zoning of neighboring land.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Locally, the Commission enforces the zoning ordinance, issues zoning permits after checking compliance, approves every land division and boundary survey before it is conveyed, and verifies mobile home foundations and tie-downs. The state’s contact sheet for LaRue County (updated September 15, 2026) lists two local building inspectors, one for residential work at the planning office’s number and one for commercial and non-residential work. The Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction keeps plan review of the larger buildings the state code assigns to it, the HVAC and plumbing permits, manufactured housing installation, elevators and boilers.

LaRue County building department: who handles permitting

The county tells anyone planning to build or buy property to stop first at the Land of Lincoln Planning and Zoning office on the second floor of the courthouse. The Commission and its Board of Adjustments serve both the unincorporated county and Hodgenville; the Commission’s attorney is the Hodgenville city attorney for violations inside the city and the county attorney elsewhere.

Cities in LaRue County

LaRue County permit types

The planning page posts the zoning ordinance and maps, the subdivision regulations, the 2024 comprehensive plan, the meeting calendar, and fillable forms: rezoning, conditional use, variance, and preliminary, record and agricultural plat checklists. Building permits themselves are applied for at the office.

Residential permits

For a new home the county lists the order: get the sewage site evaluation and septic construction permit from the LaRue County Environmental Office (unless the lot is on city sewer); prepare a site plan, floor plan and plumbing riser diagram; have the driveway entrance permanently established so a 911 address can be assigned, with the Road Department approving the driveway and its drainage; then apply for the building/zoning permit, with the septic permit in hand. A mobile home permit is finally approved only after the health department’s final septic inspection, an inspection of the water supply (by the state plumbing inspector for public water on less than 10 acres, by the LaRue County Water District or the City of Hodgenville on 10 acres or more, or by the health department for a private supply), and the Commission’s check of foundation, tie-downs and setbacks. To count as a “qualified manufactured home” under the ordinance, a unit must be no more than five years old when installed, sit on a permanent foundation, be at least 20 feet wide (or two stories) with its entrance facing the street, and have at least 900 square feet of living area.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and other non-residential buildings take the same building/zoning permit and must sit in a district that allows the use, or obtain a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustments. The state sheet lists a separate local inspector for commercial and non-residential work, and buildings in the state’s plan review jurisdiction go to the Division of Building Code Enforcement.

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

• Plat approval. Every division of land and every boundary survey, whatever the size, must be platted and approved by the Commission before the land is conveyed, and deeds must be recorded with the County Clerk within 60 days of the sale. Preliminary plats are due with fees at least 20 calendar days before the meeting.
• Entrances. Agricultural divisions need an encroachment permit or a professional’s approval of the entrance for each tract; agricultural plats show 50 feet of road frontage per lot and a 45-foot front setback, and record plats show the size of each driveway entrance pipe.
• Septic. Site evaluation and permit at 215 East Main Street.
• Floodplain. Agricultural plats must carry a flood certification note and show the floodplain.
• State highways. A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit from the District 4 office, 634 East Dixie Avenue, Elizabethtown (502-764-0744), for an entrance on a state route.
• Rezoning. Through the Planning Commission and the legislative body; a denied request cannot be refiled for a year, and an approved zone change must be put to use within a year or reviewed.

LaRue County permit costs and fees

The county states that the building/zoning permit fee is based on the square footage of the building but does not post the rates, so ask the planning office (270-358-0830) for the amount before you apply. The fees the Commission and the state do publish are:

Plumbing example. A new house with 15 plumbing openings pays the state $50 + (15 × $14) = $260. Septic evaluation and permit fees are set by the health department, and HVAC permit fees are shown in the state portal when the contractor buys the permit. A driveway entrance on a county road costs the landowner the tile, which the county installs.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Plumbing. Permits are sold at the health department’s environmental office at 215 East Main Street. The county’s page says they are sold on Wednesdays only, from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m., and that inspections are booked for Wednesdays by calling 270-358-8665 before 9:30 a.m.; the state’s sheet (September 15, 2026) lists the plumbing desk on Tuesday mornings, so call first. State Division of Plumbing approval is needed before a permit issues, and where there is no city sewer the septic permit must be bought first. The county page says the work must be done by a master plumber; the state’s plumbing rules also allow a homeowner permit for a home the owner lives in or is building for personal use.
• HVAC. LaRue County is not on the state’s list of local HVAC jurisdictions, so licensed HVAC contractors buy permits through the state SmartGov portal and the state HVAC inspector for the county inspects.
• Electrical. The state does not issue electrical permits for private property through its portal; the LaRue sheet sends applicants to the County Judge/Executive’s office (270-358-4400) or the city office where the work is done for the local electrical inspector.

How to apply for a LaRue County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Land questions can hold up a permit as easily as plans: an unplatted division or unrecorded deed, a lot in a district that does not allow a house, a missing agricultural affidavit or a second residence on one tract. A conditional use waits for a Board of Adjustments meeting (6:00 p.m. on January 26, March 30, May 18, July 27, September 28 and November 30 in 2026), and a rezoning for the Planning Commission’s monthly meeting at 7:00 p.m., with filing deadlines about three weeks before. A special called Board meeting costs $1,500.

Inspections in LaRue County

The building/zoning permit stays valid for six months and can be renewed for cause. A new dwelling needs a certificate of occupancy under the zoning ordinance. Ask the planning office when you apply which inspections the local residential or commercial inspector will make and how to request them. Plumbing inspections are scheduled with the health department desk by calling 270-358-8665 before 9:30 a.m.; HVAC work is inspected by the state HVAC inspector and wiring by the local electrical inspector. For a mobile home, the final approval depends on the septic final, the water supply inspection and the Commission’s foundation and tie-down check.

Kentucky building code in LaRue County

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists LaRue County as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood map effective May 23, 2023. The joint zoning ordinance was adopted in May 1978 and was last revised on December 8, 2025.

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

Ask the Land of Lincoln Planning and Zoning office (270-358-0830) about earlier permits and plats on a property; under the ordinance it keeps the register of nonconforming uses, variances and conditional use permits. Recorded deeds and plats are with the County Clerk.

• Land of Lincoln Planning and Zoning (LaRue County)
• Zoning Ordinance for Hodgenville and LaRue County (rev. Dec. 8, 2025)
• Zoning maps
• Subdivision Regulations (rev. Sept. 5, 2024)
• Conditional use permit application
• 2026 Planning and Zoning and Board of Adjustments calendar
• Agricultural plat checklist
• Record plat checklist
• 2024 Comprehensive Plan
• LaRue County Road Department
• LaRue County 911
• State contact sheet for LaRue County inspectors
• State building codes: state and local jurisdiction
• State SmartGov permit portal
• State HVAC permits
• State plumbing permits and fees
• State plumbing FAQ: homeowner permits
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit offices
• Kentucky highway districts by county
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

LaRue County building permit FAQ

Who issues building permits in LaRue County?

The Land of Lincoln Planning and Zoning office, Suite 12, LaRue County Courthouse, 209 West High Street, Hodgenville; 270-358-0830.

Do I need a permit to build a house on my farm?

Yes. Farm buildings in the A-1 zone are exempt, but dwellings are not, and a house on an agricultural division also needs an agricultural affidavit.

How much is a building permit?

The fee is based on the building’s square footage; the county does not post the rate, so ask the planning office.

What do I need before applying?

The septic permit (or city sewer), a site plan, floor plan and riser diagram, and an established driveway entrance for the address.

Is a double-wide treated like a house?

No. The county treats double-wides and modular homes as mobile homes, which need a building/zoning permit with septic, water, foundation and tie-down approvals.

Who installs a driveway pipe on a county road?

The Road Department sizes the tile; the landowner buys it and the county installs and covers it.

When can I buy a plumbing permit?

The county page says Wednesdays from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at 215 East Main Street; call 270-358-8665 to confirm the day.

How long is a building permit good for?

Six months, renewable for cause.

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