Owen County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

In Owen County a building permit comes from the Owen County Building Inspector, Matthew Dunaway (502-639-3218), whom the county’s own FAQ names as the person to contact. Ordinance 201, adopted by the Fiscal Court on July 14, 2015, sets a $25 plan review fee and $70 for each inspection of a new home, and the county has no planning and zoning ordinance, so there is no county zoning permit to get first.

What requires a building permit in Owen County?

Ordinance 201 adopts the Kentucky Building Code and the Kentucky Residential Code, makes the Building Inspector the county’s enforcement agent and sets up a building inspection program “for application to all buildings.” Its fee schedule then lists what the inspector actually charges for, which is the clearest guide to what needs a permit here.

The same section of Ordinance 201 says local jurisdictions “may adopt by ordinance detached single family dwellings as provided in the adopted codes,” while its fee schedule charges for new-home inspections. If you are building inside Owenton, Monterey, Gratz or Sparta, ask the inspector whether the county program reaches your lot before you file.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The Fiscal Court adopted the building code locally, chose the inspector and set the fees, and it approves the certified electrical inspectors who work in the county. The Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) keeps plan review of the buildings section 104.16 of the Kentucky Building Code reserves for the state, the HVAC and plumbing permits, manufactured-home installer certification and every trade license. Because the county has no zoning, it does not regulate setbacks or land use through a permit; its land rules come from separate ordinances on roads, solar energy systems, floodplains and sewage disposal.

Who handles Owen County building permits?

The county FAQ sends building permit requests straight to the building inspector by phone, and HBC’s contact sheet for Owen County (updated August 6, 2026) lists the same office number for the local building inspector. For electrical work the sheet points to the county judge’s office or the city where the work is; Ordinance 199 lets certified electrical inspectors approved by the county issue the electrical permits.

Cities in Owen County

Owen County permit types

The county FAQ’s instruction is to call the inspector, who reviews the plans for the $25 fee and then inspects each stage. Ordinance copies are available at the Judge/Executive’s office.

Residential permits

A new house or detached garage is inspected in up to five stages: footing, foundation or wall, floor, framing and final. Decks and pools are single inspections, and a manufactured home is inspected at the footing, the tie-down and final. Remodels follow the same per-inspection charges. A permit is good for one year, with extensions noted in the ordinance as “2-90”, after which a new permit is needed.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings pay $150 for each inspection their engineering specifications call for, again across footing, foundation, floor, framing and final stages; churches pay $50 a stage and self-storage rental buildings $100 an inspection. Large or high-risk buildings that section 104.16 of the state code assigns to HBC are reviewed and inspected by the state, which charges by floor area (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

• No zoning permit. The county has no planning and zoning ordinance, and a subdivision ordinance on its list is marked as having failed to pass.
• Septic. A site evaluation and permit from the Owen County Health Department on lots without sewer.
• Driveway. On a state road, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s encroachment permit (form TC 99-1A) through the Owen County KYTC office; on a county road, Public Works checks the entrance location.
• 911 address. Emergency Management assigns it free, usually within 7 business days, once the property and driveway are located; Ordinance 104 requires it to be posted visibly.
• Floodplain. The county has flood damage prevention ordinances (Nos. 107 and 176); ask the Judge/Executive’s office about a floodplain permit on mapped land.
• Solar. Ground-mounted solar systems fall under the licensing rules of Ordinance 247, which focus on intermediate (2,501 sq ft to 40 acres) and large (over 40 acres) installations. The ordinance relies on KRS 278.718, in effect since June 29, 2023, under which a local solar ordinance or license prevails over conflicting state siting rules, including setbacks.

New roads in a subdivision. Ordinance 218 sets the standards the Fiscal Court applies before taking a road into the county system. A road serving lots with less than 210 feet of frontage is a Class I subdivision street; at least 20% of the lots must be developed, a plat must come with the petition, and the gravel and stone base must have been in place for a year. The street needs a 30-foot right of way and at least 20 feet of surface built on 3 inches of No. 4 stone, 4 inches of dense grade stone, 4 inches of base blacktop and 1 inch of surface blacktop, with ditches, culverts and 2-foot shoulders as the county road supervisor directs.

Owen County permit costs and fees

Building fees come from Ordinance 201, adopted July 14, 2015, which repealed the earlier building code ordinances 141 and 177. Fees are charged after each inspection is done, and a project started before its permit pays double.

Example from Ordinance 201: a new house inspected at all five stages pays $25 for plan review plus five $70 inspections, $375 in building fees. Electrical work is billed separately under Ordinance 199 ($150 for a 2,000 sq ft house; the schedule also lists a $20 basic processing fee for all permits), and the state plumbing permit is $50 plus $14 per fixture opening.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. Under Ordinance 199 the certified electrical inspector doing the work issues the electrical permit, keeps copies for at least three years and charges the county schedule; the basic fee covers one in-progress and one final inspection, and an electrical permit expires six months after issue or after the last inspection. Inspections canceled before 8:30 a.m. carry no charge. Call the Judge/Executive’s office for the inspectors working in the county. State law lets a homeowner wire their own home with a permit.
• HVAC. HBC’s Division of HVAC requires a permit for all new construction, sold through its SmartGov portal to licensed or authorized people; the Owen County sheet lists no local HVAC program.
• Plumbing. A state permit from HBC’s Division of Plumbing, available to licensed master plumbers and to homeowners plumbing their own personal residence, with inspection by the state plumbing inspector, who keeps Tuesday office hours at the health department.
• Licenses. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors are licensed by HBC; no local contractor license appears on the county’s ordinance list, and the county has no occupational tax.

How to apply for an Owen County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

With no zoning review, most of the waiting happens outside the inspector’s office: the health department’s site evaluation, the KYTC or county check of a new entrance, and the address assignment, which the county completes within 7 business days for most requests. Starting construction before the permit doubles the building fees, and electrical work found in progress without a permit pays a double fee capped at $225. A failed electrical inspection costs $70 for a home and $80 for other buildings.

Inspections in Owen County

Inspections are booked with the building inspector at 502-639-3218. Ordinance 201 prices each one separately, which also defines the sequence for a new home: footing, foundation or wall, floor, framing and final. Manufactured homes are checked at the footing, the tie-down and final. The inspector collects each fee once that inspection is complete. Electrical inspections run on their own schedule with the certified electrical inspector, including a temporary-service release before the permanent power, and plumbing is inspected by the state. Ordinance 104 requires the 911 address to be posted where responders can see it: addresses are measured along the road, one possible number every 5.28 feet, so the driveway must be clearly marked, and the county sends each new address to the Kentucky State Police GIS division and the Postal Service.

Kentucky building code in Owen County

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Owen County as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, on a flood map effective December 21, 2017. Ordinance 107, the county’s first flood damage prevention ordinance, was written to the federal flood insurance rules in 44 CFR 60.3; the list also carries a later flood damage prevention ordinance, No. 176.

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 building inspector about a permit’s status, and use the county’s open records request page for copies of permit files or ordinances, which are also available at the Judge/Executive’s office.

• Owen County FAQ (building permits, zoning)
• Ordinance 201: building code program and fees (2015)
• Ordinance 199: electrical inspector fees (2015)
• Owen County ordinances
• Ordinance 247: solar energy system requirements
• Ordinance 218: county road regulations
• 911 mapping and addressing
• 911 address request form
• Ordinance 104: emergency 911 addressing
• Owen County Public Works
• Office of the Judge/Executive
• Open records request
• KYTC encroachment permit application (TC 99-1A)
• State contact sheet for Owen County inspectors
• HBC building codes and jurisdiction
• HBC HVAC permits
• HBC plumbing permits and fees
• 2018 Kentucky Building Code, 4th edition
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit contacts
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Owen County building-permit FAQ

How do I get a building permit in Owen County?

Call the Owen County Building Inspector at 502-639-3218, the contact the county’s FAQ gives, to start the permit and the $25 plan review.

How much does a permit for a new house cost?

Under Ordinance 201, $25 for plan review plus $70 for each inspection: $375 if all five stages are inspected. Electrical permits are separate.

Does Owen County have zoning?

No. The county says there is no planning and zoning ordinance on the books, so there is no county zoning permit or setback review.

Do I need a permit for a deck or pool?

Yes, both are on the county fee schedule: a deck inspection is $70 and a swimming pool inspection $50.

Who issues electrical permits?

The certified electrical inspector doing the inspection, under Ordinance 199. A house of 1,501 to 2,500 sq ft pays $150.

How do I get an address for a new house?

Request a 911 address from Owen County Emergency Management (502-484-3405). It is free and usually done within 7 business days.

What happens if I start without a permit?

Building fees are doubled under Ordinance 201, and electrical work found without a permit pays double, up to $225.

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