Madisonville, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Building permits in Madisonville come from the city’s Zoning & Permit Office, 67 North Main Street (Building Official 270-824-2196; zoning 270-824-2108). The city holds expanded jurisdiction, so its Building Official permits and inspects every project except day cares, nursing homes and hospitals, and also issues HVAC permits. A new house costs $125 plus 8 cents a square foot, zoning compliance is checked before any permit, and the city’s utility departments take 3 to 5 business days to sign off on a residential file.

What requires a building permit in Madisonville?

The city’s permit instructions set a broad rule: a permit for every new structure, for structural alterations and additions, and whenever a project includes electrical, mechanical or plumbing work. Turning a garage or porch into living space, an office into a shop, or a house into a business counts as a change of use that also needs a building permit.

For non-residential repair and maintenance work, the Building Official decides case by case whether a permit is needed once the scope is reviewed, so owners or contractors are asked to call 270-824-2196 before starting.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Under its expanded jurisdiction Madisonville reviews and inspects most non-residential buildings that a city without that status would have to send to the state. The exceptions it names are day cares, nursing homes and hospitals, which go to the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. Plumbing stays with the state plumbing inspector, and larger commercial plumbing plans go to the state’s Plumbing Division in Frankfort. Zoning, the historic district, grading, stormwater, driveway encroachments on city streets and floodplain permits are local decisions.

Madisonville building department: who handles permitting

The Zoning & Permit Office in City Hall handles building, HVAC, demolition, sign and zoning work; the city’s documents name Frank Wallace as Building Official, responsible for commercial and residential building and mechanical inspection under the city’s expanded jurisdiction. The state’s contact sheet for Hopkins County (updated May 5, 2026) lists the City of Madisonville at the same address as the local building inspector and HVAC inspector, and the state’s list of local HVAC jurisdictions (updated May 13, 2025) includes Madisonville/Hopkins County.

Madisonville is the seat and largest city of Hopkins County (19,428 people in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate). Its permits apply inside the city limits; the Joint Planning Commission, created in 1967, plans jointly for the county and the cities of Madisonville, Earlington, Hanson, Dawson Springs and Mortons Gap.

Madisonville permit types

The Zoning & Engineering page posts separate residential and commercial packets (application with notarized affidavit, instructions, fee schedule, insurance forms) and the demolition, grading, encroachment, stormwater, HVAC, sign and zoning forms.

Residential permits

A house file starts with the application and affidavit signed in full. For a new home the office wants a copy of the deed or recorded plat, to get accurate lot dimensions. The general contractor proves workers’ compensation and liability insurance, or files an exemption affidavit under KRS 342.610(5) if it has no employees, and gives a current City of Madisonville occupational license number; when the contractor has no employees, every subcontractor must meet the same two requirements. The site plan shows lot dimensions, every existing and proposed structure with distances to each other and to the front, side and rear lines (front yards measured from the property line or right-of-way edge, not the street pavement), the size and height of new structures, driveways (kept at least 1 foot from the neighbor), easements and adjoining streets. Building plans with floor plan and structural details complete the file; where none exist, the contractor talks the scope through with the Building Official.

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

Commercial permits

Non-residential work begins with a predevelopment meeting with the Zoning Administrator, then a development plan. A minor plan covers a structure of 5,000 square feet or less, or less than 1 acre disturbed, with no new streets or utility extensions; larger projects, or any road or utility extension, need a major development plan. The minor plan checklist requires a Kentucky registered professional engineer when the site is in the FEMA 100-year floodplain, has sensitive features, adds more than 10,000 square feet of hard surface or is a major development. The building application, insurance proof and occupational license numbers for the general contractor and every subcontractor go in with it, and the review time is set case by case by project size.

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 compliance. Checked before any permit, using the official zoning map and chapter 156 of the city code; uses are allowed by right or as conditional uses granted by the Board of Adjustments.
• Address. For a new structure, assigned by the Hopkins County Joint Planning Commission after the site plan is reviewed.
• Utilities. The city’s utility departments review each house file (3 to 5 business days). Water or sewer service outside the city limits needs City Council approval, a $50 application and an agreement not to oppose annexation.
• Driveway. A new driveway gets an encroachment permit with the building permit: from the city’s Engineering Department on a city street, from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on a state highway.
• Grading and stormwater. A grading permit for grading, filling, clearing or paving (a separate addendum over 1 acre), with a state notice of intent and SWPPP where required.
• Floodplain. A city floodplain permit, with elevation certificates or a conditional letter of map revision where the plans call for them.
• Historic district. A certificate of appropriateness from the Historic District Commission.
• Digging. KY811 must be called two business days before any excavation.

Madisonville permit costs and fees

The fee schedule posted by the Zoning & Permits office is dated October 6, 2022, and all fees are rounded to the nearest dollar. Square footage for a house counts living area, garage, porch, finished basement and similar space.

Worked example. A new house with 2,000 square feet of living area, garage and porch pays $125 + (2,000 × $0.08) = $285. The city’s April 2026 permit report shows the same formula at work: a 3,467-square-foot house was charged $402.

Building without a permit. The late charge equals 100% of the normal fee, on top of the fee itself, never less than $25 (or the normal minimum) and never more than $500. Construction is treated as begun once concrete is poured or materials are used on site. Grading and paving plans filed with the building permit add no charge if that work waits for the building permit. Non-franchise work in the public right-of-way needs a $25 encroachment application fee and a performance bond.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• HVAC. A permit is required for all new HVAC installations in every type of structure, and the city’s Building Official issues and inspects them. The application is signed by a master HVAC licensee and includes sizing calculations; a duct blast test is required for residential ductwork in unconditioned spaces. The city states that its HVAC fees follow the state HVAC board: $105 for the first system in a one- or two-family or multi-family dwelling plus $50 for each additional system, and a commercial scale from $125 (jobs of $2,000 or less) to $3,965 (over $1.5 million), with $200 added per $100,000 above $1.6 million.
• Plumbing. Issued through the Hopkins County Health Department, where the state plumbing inspector keeps desk hours on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings, or for larger commercial projects by the state Plumbing Division in Frankfort. State fees are $50 plus $14 per opening for a one- or two-family home and $50 plus $20 per opening for commercial work. Plumbing permits go to licensed master plumbers, or to homeowners for a home they live in or are building for themselves, with an affidavit filed before work begins.
• Electrical. The permit instructions list three electrical inspectors, any one of whom may be called to inspect the electrical work.
• Licensing. Trade work must be done by licensed tradespeople, homeowner plumbing permits excepted.

How to apply for a Madisonville building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A residential file is routed to the city’s utility departments, which take 3 to 5 business days; commercial review time depends on size and complexity and is best agreed with the Building Official or Zoning Administrator at the start. The instructions ask for the application and affidavit to be completed in their entirety, with N/A marked on commercial forms where an item does not apply. Any misstatement on the application, or any change in plans after issuance, is grounds for revoking the permit. Projects needing a conditional use, variance or historic certificate wait for a board hearing.

Madisonville building inspections and final approval

Call the Building Official at 270-824-2196 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, with 24 hours’ notice. At least three inspections are made:

1. Footer: footers clean and correctly sized, reinforcing steel tied and in place, before any concrete is poured.
2. Rough frame: after the electrical and plumbing rough-ins, before insulation or drywall.
3. Final: once all work is finished and the electrical, plumbing and gas inspections have passed.

The Building Official may add other inspections, and commercial projects designed by registered professionals carry special inspections under chapter 17 of the Kentucky Building Code. HVAC jobs get concealed, rough-in and final inspections. When the building passes its final, including the plumbing and electrical finals, the Building Official issues a certificate of occupancy; nobody may occupy the building before then. Some sites also get periodic checks for up to a year after completion, until ground cover is established.

Kentucky building code in Madisonville

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Madisonville as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood map effective May 16, 2008. Within the city, the Historic District Commission applies design standards adopted November 20, 2018: a certificate of appropriateness is needed for any exterior alteration, new construction or addition, signs (except refacing), fences, new parking areas, and demolition or relocation. The commission usually meets on the second Tuesday at 3:00 p.m., as called, and applications are due 7 days ahead.

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

The Zoning & Engineering page posts a monthly building permit report listing each permit number, address, owner, contractor, type, fee, cost and square footage, back to January 2023; for older or detailed records, ask the Zoning & Permit Office.

• Madisonville Zoning & Engineering: permits, maps and reports
• Building permit instructions and procedures
• Building permit application and affidavit
• City fee schedule (Oct. 6, 2022)
• Comprehensive permit guide
• HVAC permit application
• HVAC permit fee schedule
• Zoning & Permit Office contact list
• Minor development review checklist
• Site development and grading permit application
• Encroachment permit application (Engineering)
• Demolition permit application
• Utility connection application (outside city limits)
• How to use the zoning ordinance
• Board of Adjustments process
• Historic district certificate of appropriateness
• Historic District Design Standards (2018)
• Monthly building permit report, April 2026
• Hopkins County Joint Planning Commission
• State contact sheet for Hopkins County inspectors
• State list of local HVAC jurisdictions
• State plumbing permits and fees
• State plumbing FAQ: homeowner permits
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit offices
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Madisonville building permit FAQ

How much is a building permit for a new house in Madisonville?

$125 plus $0.08 per square foot of living area, garage, porch and finished basement; a 2,000-square-foot house pays $285.

Do I need a permit for a fence or deck?

Yes. The city’s instructions list decks and fences among the new structures that need a building permit.

Does replacing my roof or windows need a permit?

No. Replacing shingles, windows, doors or siding and painting are ordinary repairs that need no permit, as long as nothing is extended or structurally altered.

Who issues HVAC permits in Madisonville?

The city’s Building Official, at 270-824-2196; the first system in a home costs $105.

Where do I get a plumbing permit?

From the state plumbing inspector’s desk at the Hopkins County Health Department, 412 North Kentucky Avenue, on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m.; large commercial jobs go to the state Plumbing Division.

Does the state review commercial buildings in Madisonville?

Mostly not. The city has expanded jurisdiction and reviews everything except day cares, nursing homes and hospitals.

What happens if I start before the permit is issued?

The city adds a late charge equal to the normal fee, between $25 and $500, and can issue a notice of violation, fines or an injunction.

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