Ohio County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

The state Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) county sheet for Ohio County, updated March 3, 2026, leaves the local building inspector entry blank. Where no local program exists, HBC reviews and permits every building except homes covered by the residential code (one- and two-family homes and townhouses), and the published sources show no county building permit for houses. House sites still need a $200 septic site evaluation from the Ohio County Health Center in Hartford where there is no sewer, plus electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits.

What requires a building permit in Ohio County?

Section 104.16 of the 2018 Kentucky Building Code gives HBC jurisdiction over all buildings, except dwellings under the Kentucky Residential Code, wherever no local building inspection program exists. HBC’s building-codes page puts it more simply: every construction project other than a single-family dwelling in such an area must be submitted to its Division of Building Code Enforcement before work starts.

The second list does not mean houses are unregulated. HBC says a builder in an area without a single-family inspection program must still meet the Kentucky Residential Code; the only inspections are of the heating and air system by the state HVAC division and of the wiring by the electrical inspector. Plumbing still needs its own state permit, and septic systems their own health department permit.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The Fiscal Court could adopt a local inspection program by ordinance, but the state sheet shows none for Ohio County. With no local program, HBC holds commercial plan review and inspection, the HVAC and plumbing permits, the electrical inspector certification and the trade licenses. Inside Hartford, the city’s Planning & Zoning Department enforces zoning and reviews development proposals.

Who handles Ohio County building permits?

For commercial construction and apartment buildings of three or more units the permit office is HBC’s Building Codes section in Frankfort (502-573-0373), which handles plan submittal and approval and runs the SmartGov online portal. The Ohio County sheet points electrical questions to the county judge’s office or the city where the work is done, and lists the state building, HVAC, plumbing, electrical and manufactured-housing inspectors who cover the county.

Cities in Ohio County

Ohio County permit types

Without a county permit office, the permits you deal with depend on what you build. HBC takes commercial and apartment-building plans through SmartGov, the trades each have their own state permit, and Hartford handles zoning inside its city limits.

Residential permits

For a house in the unincorporated county there is no local building permit in the published sources. The permits that do apply are the electrical permit and inspections, the state HVAC permit for the new system, the state plumbing permit and, on a lot without sewer, the health department’s site evaluation and septic construction permit. A manufactured home must be set by a certified installer under HBC’s Manufactured Housing section. In Hartford, ask the Planning & Zoning Department about zoning approval before building.

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

Commercial permits

HBC reviews construction documents and inspects in the field for commercial work. Its fee is the building’s area, measured from the outside dimensions, times the rate for its occupancy: 15 cents per sq ft for business, mercantile, educational, residential and storage uses, 16 cents for assembly, institutional and high-hazard uses, 13 cents for utility buildings and 10 cents for production greenhouses, with a $285 minimum for new buildings and additions. Checks go to the Kentucky State Treasurer, and no construction approval is issued until the fee is paid. Fast-track foundation approval costs another 50%, between $400 and $3,000.

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

• Septic. Apply in person at the Ohio County Health Center with a location map, a site drawing of property lines, structures, wells, ponds and streams, floor plans if the county requires them, and the $200 site evaluation fee payable to GRDHD.
• Sewer. In Hartford, the city’s Water & Sewer Department at 102 South Main Street (270-298-3101).
• State highway access. A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet encroachment permit for a driveway onto a state route, through District 2 in Madisonville.
• City zoning. Hartford’s Planning & Zoning Department reviews development proposals and zoning inside the city.

During the site evaluation, the environmentalist examines soil texture and structure, looks for restrictive soil layers and checks site features that could carry wastewater into groundwater, so mark the house site, driveway and any wells or ponds on the drawing you bring.

Ohio County permit costs and fees

There is no county building permit fee, because the state sheet shows no county building program. The fees that apply come from HBC, the health department and, for city projects, the city:

Example from the state table: an 8,000 sq ft church (assembly) needs 8,000 x 16 cents = $1,280 in HBC plan review fees. A house with 12 plumbing openings pays $50 + 12 x $14 = $218 for its state plumbing permit, and a new septic lot adds the $200 site evaluation. For Hartford’s zoning fees, ask its Planning & Zoning Department.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. Every installation needs an electrical permit and inspection by a certified electrical inspector. The Ohio County sheet lists a state electrical inspector and sends questions about a local electrical inspector to the county judge’s office or the city. Electricians and electrical contractors hold HBC licenses, and a homeowner may wire their own home with a permit.
• HVAC. A state permit from HBC’s Division of HVAC, bought through SmartGov by a licensed or authorized person, required for all new construction; the state HVAC inspector inspects it.
• Plumbing. A state permit from HBC’s Division of Plumbing. It may be issued to a licensed master plumber or to a homeowner for plumbing in their own personal residence; other work must be installed by a licensed journeyman under a master plumber. The state plumbing inspector holds office hours on Friday mornings at the health department in Hartford.
• Septic installers. The health department issues the construction permit to a certified installer once the site is approved.

How to get permits for a project in Ohio County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

HBC will not issue construction approval for a commercial project until all its fees are paid, and alterations and changes of use go through the same review. On a house lot, the health department’s approvals control when power is released: its brochure says a temporary electrical release is issued when the site evaluation is applied for, and the permanent release only after the septic construction permit is approved. If a site fails, the brochure lists the options the health department discusses: site upgrades, a second evaluation, or a referral to the state Division of Water for a home treatment unit, which needs a Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (KPDES) permit with a topographic map, site plan, discharge easements and a $450 application fee.

Inspections in Ohio County

State-reviewed buildings get HBC field inspections against the approved construction documents. On a house, the electrical inspector inspects the wiring, the state HVAC inspector the heating and air system, and the state plumbing inspector the plumbing. The septic system is inspected at installation and again at final by the health department, after the certified installer submits an affidavit. As HBC puts it, where no single-family program exists there are no building inspections of a house beyond its mechanical systems.

Kentucky building code in Ohio County

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Ohio County as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a flood map effective September 1, 2022. Ask the Judge/Executive’s office about local floodplain approval for a mapped lot before building.

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

State plan reviews and permits can be looked up in HBC’s SmartGov portal. Inside Hartford, property complaints go to the city’s code enforcement officer; owners usually get 7 days from a notice to correct a violation and can appeal a citation in writing to the city’s Code Enforcement Board. For Hartford records, the city posts an open records request form; health department records go through the Ohio County Health Center.

• State contact sheet for Ohio County inspectors
• HBC building codes and jurisdiction
• HBC Division of Building Code Enforcement
• HBC SmartGov portal
• 2018 Kentucky Building Code, 4th edition (section 104.16 and fees)
• HBC HVAC permits
• HBC plumbing permits and fees
• Ohio County Health Center (GRDHD)
• Onsite sewage and septic systems (GRDHD)
• Home sewage system permitting brochure
• Hartford Planning & Zoning Department
• Hartford Code Enforcement
• Hartford Water & Sewer Department
• Hartford business licensing
• Hartford open records request form
• Hartford City Hall contact
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit contacts
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Ohio County building-permit FAQ

Does Ohio County issue building permits?

The state’s county sheet names no local building inspector, and no county building program appears in the published sources. Commercial buildings and apartment buildings of three or more units get their permits from HBC.

Do I need a permit to build a house in rural Ohio County?

The published sources show no local building permit for houses, but you still need electrical, HVAC and plumbing permits and, without sewer, a septic permit from the health department.

How much is a septic site evaluation?

$200, paid to the Green River District Health Department when you apply in person at the Ohio County Health Center, 1336 Clay Street, Hartford.

Who reviews plans for a store or church?

HBC in Frankfort (502-573-0373), at 15 or 16 cents per square foot depending on the use, with a $285 minimum.

Who handles zoning in Hartford?

The city’s Planning & Zoning Department at 116 East Washington Street (270-256-5798), open weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Yes, in your own personal residence, with a homeowner plumbing permit from HBC; a house permit costs $50 plus $14 per opening.

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