Newport, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Inside Newport city limits, permits come from the city, not from Campbell County: the Building Department within Planning and Development reviews plans, issues permits and inspects, at the City Building, 998 Monmouth Street (859-292-3637). Applications go through the city’s online Building Portal, with paper still accepted by drop box or mail; most permits are processed within 14 business days, and a building permit starts at $150 for work valued under $10,000.

What requires a building permit in Newport?

Newport’s permit FAQ sets the trigger broadly: a building permit is needed to construct, enlarge, remodel or change the occupancy of a building, and to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system. Separately, a zoning permit is needed whenever a structure is erected, moved, added to, structurally altered or changed to another use, and whenever a lot is graded.

The exempt list covers building permits only. In the local historic districts, window work, porches, gutters and even paint colors on the exterior can still need a Certificate of Appropriateness, so a project that needs no building permit may still need historic approval. When unsure, the city asks callers to ring Code Enforcement at 859-292-3637.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Newport enforces the statewide Kentucky codes; it cannot write its own. What the city controls is its zoning ordinance and map, the boards that grant variances and design approvals, the historic districts, its permit fees and the occupational license every worker needs. Ordinance O-2024-12 (June 17, 2024) gives the Planning and Development Department the job of administering planning and zoning, reviewing development plans, conducting building inspections, issuing building and demolition permits and running the Board of Adjustments, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Urban Design Review Board and the Historic Preservation Commission. The department’s staff includes three building inspectors and two part-time inspectors. Larger and higher-risk buildings stay with the state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC), which also runs plumbing permits.

Newport building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department is part of Planning and Development and sits in the City Building with Code Enforcement and the Historic Preservation office. Campbell County’s Planning, Zoning and Building Inspections Department serves the unincorporated county and its partner cities, and states that Newport is not one of them. HBC’s Campbell County contact sheet (updated November 5, 2026) likewise lists Newport separately from the county inspector.

The FAQ refers to the permit counter as Code Enforcement for building questions and as Development Services for zoning; both answer at 859-292-3637.

Newport permit types

The Building Portal carries five application types: 1–2 family zoning and building, commercial zoning and building, 1–2 family HVAC, commercial HVAC and electrical. Contractors attach a completed, notarized Affidavit of Assurances to the online application. Paper applications go in the drop box at the City Building or by mail to City of Newport, Attn: Building Department, 998 Monmouth Street, Newport, KY 41071.

Residential permits

For a house project, plans must be legibly drawn to scale and fully dimensioned. Paper submittals include two hard copies and one digital copy on a thumb drive or disc with the application form; where a plumbing permit is also needed, one set of plumbing plans goes with it. Homeowners who do their own electrical or HVAC work use the city’s homeowner electric and homeowner HVAC affidavits. Zoning approval rides on the same application for fences, decks, sheds, additions and new houses.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the commercial zoning and building application, with fire alarm, sprinkler and range hood drawings allowed to follow later from the specialty contractor. Design-professional requirements follow state law (KRS 322 and 323) by occupancy, occupant load and area. Review time for commercial plans depends on the size of the project, and the city notes that the Fire Marshal’s Office does not review or inspect new structures, renovations, additions or changes of occupancy.

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. The Zoning Administrator signs every zoning permit; variances and conditional uses go to the Board of Adjustments, and map or text changes and development plans to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
• Historic review. Exterior work in the East Row, York Street and Buena Vista local districts, on Monmouth Street and on individual landmarks needs a Certificate of Appropriateness first. The city is also working on a local historic overlay for the Monmouth Street corridor from Third to Eleventh Street, presented at a July 29, 2026 Historic Preservation Commission meeting where no vote was held.
• Design review. The Urban Design Review Board, three architects or designers who live or work in the city plus two alternates, meets as needed.
• Occupational license. Everyone working in the city first obtains a city occupational license.
• State roads. Driveways or work on a state highway need a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit.
• Floodplain. Campbell County’s floodplain management service covers the unincorporated county and its partner cities, and Newport is not one of them; ask Planning and Development about any project in a mapped flood zone.

Newport permit fees

The city’s Building and Zoning Permit Fees sheet, marked “Updated 10/19”, is the schedule both the Building Department and Planning and Development pages post. Building permit fees for new construction and renovation, residential or commercial, are set by the value of the work. Payment is by check to the City of Newport or cash in person.

Worked example. A home addition valued at $75,000 falls in the $50,000–$99,999 band: $365 plus $4.50 for each of the 25 thousands above $50,000 ($112.50) gives a building permit of $477.50. Because an addition also needs a zoning permit, the residential zoning fee of $150 brings the city total to $627.50, before electrical, HVAC and state plumbing permits. The bands do not join exactly (the $50,000 band reaches $590 at $100,000, while the next band starts at $585.50), so each value is priced only within its own band.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The FAQ is direct: all electrical, HVAC, mechanical and plumbing work must be done by state-licensed contractors, with some exceptions for owner-occupied homes that Code Enforcement explains on request.

• Electrical. The city issues the $25 electric permit through the portal. Under ordinance O-2016-003 the city manager contracts with an electrical inspector, and the attached fee schedule prices the inspections: a new single-family home of 1,500 sq ft or less is $100 for one rough and one final, 1,501 to 2,500 sq ft $112, 2,501 to 3,500 sq ft $124, plus $12 for each further 1,000 sq ft. On an existing home, service only is $65 for the first meter and added wiring $65 a trip; a residential reinspection is $35. Owners doing their own wiring file the homeowner electric affidavit.
• HVAC. The portal takes 1–2 family and commercial HVAC applications, with fees set by the state regulation (815 KAR 8:070). A homeowner HVAC affidavit covers owners doing their own work, and the city posts an HVAC complaint form.
• Plumbing. Plumbing permits come from HBC’s Division of Plumbing, through the state inspector working from the Boone County Health Center in Florence. HBC’s page sets one- and two-family fees at a $50 base plus $14 per opening, and says permits may be issued to licensed master plumbers or to homeowners for plumbing in their own residences.
• Fire protection. Sprinkler, fire alarm and range hood systems are permitted by the city at the fees above, with drawings that the specialty contractor may submit after the building plans.

How to apply for a Newport building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Applications are reviewed in the order received; one- and two-family plans are typically checked within 14 days, and commercial timing depends on size. There is no expedited service, though emergency repairs can be handled sooner. A third plan submittal costs $200 for revisions, so complete drawings save money. Projects that need the Board of Adjustments (which meets at 4:30 p.m. on the third Thursday as needed) or the Planning and Zoning Commission (5 p.m., fourth Tuesday) take substantially longer, and a company, trust or LLC must be represented by an attorney at those hearings. Historic review usually takes about 14 days unless the Commission must hear it.

Inspections in Newport

The Building Department inspects the work it permits, and the contracted electrical inspector checks wiring under the 2016 fee schedule, whose basic permit fee includes one in-progress and one final inspection. A failed inspection costs $100 to re-inspect after one non-compliance, and electrical re-inspections are $35 for homes and $40 for other buildings. Plumbing rough-in and final inspections are booked with the state plumbing inspector, whose office hours at the Florence office are 8 to 9 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Rental units are also inspected by the Code Enforcement Division against the city’s rental inspection checklist.

Starting work before a permit is issued carries a $500 charge on top of the original permit cost.

Kentucky building code

Newport applies the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code; the city’s FAQ still cites the 2013 code’s design-professional table, an older edition. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Newport as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program on a flood map dated August 10, 2021, with a Community Rating System class 9 that gives a 5% flood insurance discount.

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

Newport permit search and official resources

Permit applications and their status run through the city’s iWorQ Building Portal; staff help by phone or email if the portal cannot be used. Board of Adjustments, Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Commissioners agendas and approved minutes are posted in the Agenda Center. For copies of permit files or other records, the City Clerk is the custodian of records and takes open records requests by regular mail, by hand delivery to the City Building or by email, using the city’s request form; a separate certified statement is used when the records are for a commercial purpose. The city is also rewriting its zoning ordinance, with a draft update and a 2025 code audit posted on the Planning and Development page.

• Newport Building Department
• Newport Building Portal (iWorQ)
• Building and zoning permit fee schedule (updated 10/19)
• Building, zoning and historic permit FAQs
• Affidavit of Assurances
• Homeowner electric affidavit
• Homeowner HVAC affidavit
• Ordinance O-2016-003: electrical inspector and fees
• Ordinance O-2024-12: Planning and Development Department
• Planning and Development: zoning ordinance, map and draft update
• Planning and Zoning Code Audit 2025
• Historic Preservation and Certificates of Appropriateness
• Board of Adjustments
• Planning and Zoning Commission
• Urban Design Review Board
• Code Enforcement
• City ordinances
• Agendas and minutes
• City Clerk and open records requests
• Campbell County Planning, Zoning and Building Inspections
• HBC Campbell County inspector contact sheet
• HBC Division of Plumbing: permits and fees
• HBC Building Codes: state and local jurisdiction
• KYTC Permits Branch: state highway entrances
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Newport permit FAQs

Does Campbell County issue permits in Newport?

No. Newport runs its own Building Department; the county states that Newport is not one of its partner cities.

How much is a building permit in Newport?

$150 for work valued under $10,000, rising by value; a $75,000 project is $477.50 before any zoning, trade or state fees.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or windows?

Not a building permit for replacing shingles or like-for-like windows, but in a local historic district exterior changes may need a Certificate of Appropriateness.

How long does plan review take?

Most permits are processed within 14 business days; there is no paid expedited service.

Can I still apply on paper?

Yes. Use the drop box at the City Building or mail the application to the Building Department at 998 Monmouth Street.

Does a fence need a permit?

A fence needs a zoning permit, and a residential fence over 6 feet high also needs a $75 building permit.

Can a homeowner do their own electrical or HVAC work?

The city has homeowner electric and HVAC affidavits for owner-occupied homes; plumbing permits come from the state.

Do contractors need a Newport license?

Everyone working in the city needs a city occupational license, and trade work needs state-licensed contractors.

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