Nelson County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Outside Bardstown, building permits in Nelson County come from the Nelson County Code Enforcement Department, second floor of the Old Courthouse at 1 Court Square, Bardstown (502-348-1862). Under Ordinance 2023-009 the county permits and inspects one- and two-family homes, townhouses and small apartment buildings as well as commercial work, and it runs its own electrical inspections. Every project starts with a zoning compliance permit from the Joint City-County Planning Commission; a typical new house then pays $225 for the building permit and three inspections.

What requires a building permit in Nelson County?

Section 4 of Ordinance 2023-009, adopted by the Fiscal Court on January 2, 2024, extends the residential code locally: building or altering detached one- and two-family dwellings, apartments and townhouses up to three stories, and their accessory structures, needs a permit, inspections and a certificate of occupancy. Commercial work is covered too, apart from the larger buildings the state reviews itself.

The second list covers the building permit only. The Planning Commission’s zoning compliance permit reaches further: any construction, alteration, addition, demolition or placement of a building, including farm buildings, sheds, decks, pools and fences 5 feet or taller. The county’s fee sheet revised August 24, 2023 still lists accessory structures at $150 with no 1,000 sq ft threshold, so ask which rule applies to a mid-sized garage.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The Fiscal Court sets the rules and fees, and its Code Enforcement Department enforces the state codes with state-certified inspectors. The Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) keeps the buildings that section 104.16 of the Kentucky Building Code assigns to the state, the plumbing permit and the trade licenses. Zoning and subdivisions belong to the Joint City-County Planning Commission, and floodplain permits to the county engineer.

Nelson County building department: who handles permitting

HBC’s contact sheet for the county, updated March 3, 2026, lists Nelson County Code Enforcement at One Court Square, Suite 202, as both the local building inspector and the local HVAC inspector. The county’s pages show the codes office also handles electrical permits, sign permits, addresses and violation complaints.

Cities in Nelson County

Nelson County permit types

One joint form, the Building & Zoning Compliance Permit Application (revised June 9, 2025), serves both offices: the Planning Commission signs off on zoning first, and Code Enforcement then issues the building permit on the same file. Permits can also be searched or submitted through the county’s iWorQ portal linked from the Code Enforcement page.

Residential permits

The county’s New Home Build Guide (November 2024) splits a new house into two stages. Zoning compliance needs the signed application, the deed or plat, a scaled plot plan with distances to the property lines, the approved entrance permit and the septic evaluation, plus the installer’s certification and HUD label for a manufactured home. The building permit then needs the approved zoning permit, one set of floor plans on 8½ by 11 paper, the address request form and the county encroachment permit. Additions and decks have their own Planning Commission checklists.

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

Commercial permits

The Planning Commission’s 2012 reference guide sends commercial, industrial and multi-family projects through development or site plan approval and, in the county, drainage plan approval from the county engineer before the zoning permit; commercial projects may also go before the Development Review Board under the commercial design standards ($450). The county’s plan review fee for new commercial buildings is charged per square foot of floor area by occupancy, with a $300 minimum. Buildings that section 104.16 reserves for the state go to HBC, which charges 15 or 16 cents per sq ft for most occupancies (minimum $285).

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

• Zoning compliance permit from the Joint City-County Planning Commission; variances and conditional uses go to a Board of Adjustment.
• Septic evaluation from the health department where there is no sewer.
• Road entrance. A county encroachment permit from the Road Department on county roads, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit on state routes (District 4 in Elizabethtown, 502-764-0744), or a Bloomfield permit on that city’s streets.
• Floodplain. In a special flood hazard area, a development permit under the county’s floodplain ordinance and the state floodplain construction application, endorsed locally and sent to the Kentucky Division of Water.
• Address from Code Enforcement’s address request form.
• Subdivision. A recorded plat (record plat $175 plus $10 a lot) where land is being divided.

Nelson County permit costs and fees

Building fees come from Section 5.1 of Ordinance 2023-009 and are paid to the Nelson County Fiscal Court; card payments carry a 3% charge. Section 5.4 lets fees rise each July 1 with the Consumer Price Index, so quoted amounts may run slightly above the printed ordinance.

Example from the printed schedules: a 2,400 sq ft house (all floor area under roof) in the unincorporated county pays $384 for zoning compliance (2,400 x 16 cents), $225 for the building permit and $147 for the electrical permit, $756 in all, before any CPI adjustment and before the state plumbing permit ($50 plus $14 a fixture opening) and the septic and HVAC charges. For a commercial electrical contract up to $20,000 the ordinance prints $500 and the 2025 sheet $400.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. Code Enforcement issues electrical permits and inspects with its own electrical inspector. Only a Kentucky-licensed electrical contractor or a homeowner may take out the permit. A homeowner qualifies only for a primary residence they own and wire themselves, bringing photo ID showing the property address and proof of ownership; rentals and commercial property are excluded. A new house gets three electrical inspections: rough-in, temporary power on the main, and final.
• HVAC and mechanical. The ordinance carries a mechanical permit schedule ($105 for a house with one system, $155 with two, $100 for a failed inspection), and HBC’s county sheet names the codes office as the local HVAC inspector. HBC’s list of local HVAC jurisdictions (May 13, 2025) omits Nelson County, so ask Code Enforcement whether your licensed contractor buys the HVAC permit locally or through HBC’s SmartGov portal.
• Plumbing. A state permit from HBC’s Division of Plumbing, handled through the state plumbing inspector’s office hours at the Nelson County Health Department. Licensed master plumbers may obtain it, and so may homeowners for plumbing in their own personal residence; all other work must be installed by a licensed journeyman under a master plumber. The fee for a house is $50 plus $14 per opening.
• Licenses. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors hold HBC licenses. Mail-in electrical and mechanical applications require proof of insurance and copies of the licenses on file with the office first.

How to apply for a Nelson County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The joint application warns that a file submitted without its required documents and fees is incomplete and will not be processed, and the building permit cannot be issued until zoning compliance is approved. Most delays come from outside the codes office: a pending septic evaluation or entrance permit, a plot plan without setbacks, or a variance waiting for a Board of Adjustment hearing. Starting work without a zoning permit doubles the zoning fee through the 100% penalty, and violations of the building ordinance carry fines of $100 to $500, with each day a separate offense.

Inspections in Nelson County

Call Code Enforcement at 502-348-1862 to schedule building and electrical inspections; the ordinance lists weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for electrical scheduling. A new home gets at least three building inspections (footer, framing, final), each with a written report; accessory buildings over 1,000 sq ft get footer and final. Failed or extra visits cost $75 for building work; the ordinance’s electrical schedule charges $49 for each failed or added electrical inspection. The ordinance also requires certificates of occupancy for the homes it covers, and the office charges $75 for a temporary occupancy request. Plumbing is inspected by the state plumbing inspector, and work in a floodplain needs an as-built elevation certification sent to the floodplain administrator.

Kentucky building code in Nelson County

The Fiscal Court’s floodplain ordinance, adopted September 2, 2025 as Ordinance 2024-009.1, appoints the Nelson County Engineer as floodplain administrator with power to grant or deny development permits. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Nelson County and Bardstown as participants in the National Flood Insurance Program, both on a flood map effective October 16, 2025. The county’s current zoning regulations were passed by the Fiscal Court on June 3, 2025 as Ordinance 2025-004.

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

Permits can be searched through the iWorQ portal on the Code Enforcement page, and the office will confirm by phone whether an electrician took out a permit. For copies of files, use the county’s open records request page; the Planning Commission has its own form for zoning records.

• Nelson County Code Enforcement (forms and permit portal)
• Ordinance 2023-009: building code program and fees
• Building permit and inspection fee sheet (August 2023)
• Electrical permit and inspection fees (2025)
• Electrical permit requirements
• New Home Build Guide (2024)
• Address request form
• Zoning compliance permits and checklists
• Planning Commission fee schedule, effective March 24, 2026
• Floodplain management
• Floodplain Ordinance 2024-009.1
• Zoning Regulations as passed June 3, 2025
• Nelson County ordinances
• Open records request
• State contact sheet for Nelson County inspectors
• HBC building codes and jurisdiction
• HBC HVAC permits
• HBC list of local HVAC jurisdictions
• HBC plumbing permits and fees
• 2018 Kentucky Building Code, 4th edition (state fees, section 121)
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit contacts
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Nelson County permit FAQs

Do I need a county permit to build a house in Nelson County?

Yes. Ordinance 2023-009 extends the residential code to one- and two-family homes, townhouses and small apartment buildings, so a new house needs a building permit and three inspections from Code Enforcement after the zoning compliance permit.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

$225 under the ordinance, plus 16 cents a square foot to the Planning Commission for zoning compliance and $147 or $175 for the electrical permit, depending on whether the house is over 3,000 sq ft.

Do I need a permit for a shed or detached garage?

The building ordinance exempts accessory structures under 1,000 sq ft from fees and inspection, but the Planning Commission still requires a zoning compliance permit for sheds and garages of any size, with a $100 minimum.

Can I do my own wiring?

Only in a home you own and live in as your primary residence, doing the work yourself. You sign the permit as homeowner and bring photo ID and proof of ownership.

Who handles permits in Bardstown?

The City of Bardstown’s own Building & Safety Department, under a 2024 city ordinance. City zoning still goes through the Joint City-County Planning Commission.

Where do I get a septic permit?

From the Nelson County Health Department’s environmental office at 325 South Third Street, Bardstown (502-348-3698), before the zoning compliance permit.

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