Inside Shelbyville, building permits come from the city’s Building Inspector & Code Enforcement office at City Hall, 315 Washington Street (502-633-8000 ext. 1108; walk-in Monday to Friday 8:30 to 11 a.m., afternoons by appointment). The zoning permit comes first, from the Triple S Planning Commission, which the city shares with Shelby County and Simpsonville. A new house is charged $0.14 per square foot plus a $35 plan review fee, and the city also reviews most commercial buildings.
What requires a building permit in Shelbyville?
The city’s forms are organized by job:
Houses
- A new single-family house, on the New Residential Single-Family permit package
- Room additions, decks, finished basements, remodels and accessory structures on an existing one- or two-family home, on the Existing One- and Two-Family package
- Swimming pools, public or private
- Demolition of a house or commercial building
- Tents and temporary structures
Other work
- Commercial and multifamily buildings, additions, alterations and changes of use under the city’s plan review fee schedule
- Sprinkler, fire detection, standpipe, suppression and commercial range hood systems, each with its own review fee
- Electrical work, on the contractor or homeowner electrical permit
- Land disturbance on development sites, through the City Engineer before a building or zoning permit
Work started before a building permit is issued doubles the permit fee, a rule Triple S also applies to its zoning permit.
What the city decides and what the state holds
The code is the state’s; what the city controls is how far its own review reaches. Its plan submission guide says Shelbyville has expanded jurisdiction over all projects except high hazard buildings, institutional buildings (day care, nursing homes, hospitals, jails) and state-owned buildings, which go to the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC). Its fee table marks day care, high hazard and institutional uses as “State Jurisdiction” accordingly.
Shelbyville building department: who handles permitting
The Building Inspector & Code Enforcement office is part of city government at City Hall. Its building official and chief code enforcement officer is Barry Edington. Zoning questions go to Triple S: the city’s guide says it has no authority over the Triple S commissions.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Building Inspector & Code Enforcement (building permits, inspections, certificates of occupancy) | City Hall, 315 Washington Street, Shelbyville, KY 40065 (mail: P.O. Box 1289, Shelbyville, KY 40066); 502-633-8000 ext. 1108; fax 502-633-4292; Monday to Friday 8:30 to 11 a.m., afternoons by appointment only |
| Triple S Planning Commission (zoning permits, addresses, plats, Board of Adjustments and Appeals) | 419 Washington Street, Shelbyville; 502-633-1718; Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| City Engineer / Public Works (grading, land disturbance, stormwater, driveway entrances) | 787 Kentucky Street; 502-633-1094; Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. |
| Historic District Coordinator | City Hall; 502-633-8000 ext. 1112 |
| Shelbyville Municipal Water & Sewer Commission | 1059 Washington Street; 502-633-2840 |
| Shelby County Health Department, environmental office (septic; state plumbing inspector) | 615 11th Street; 502-633-9377 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The plan submission guide prints a different number (502-487-8208) and HBC’s Shelby County contact sheet (updated September 23, 2026) another (502-633-8757); the city’s page gives extension 1108.
Outside the city limits the Shelby County building inspector issues permits (419 Washington Street, 502-633-0692), and Simpsonville has its own building inspection department (502-722-8110), as the Triple S zoning application lists them. In March 2026 the mayor told the city council that, while the county worked to retain a certified building inspector, the city’s code enforcement office would help complete county inspections; HBC’s September sheet again lists a county inspector for single-family dwellings.
Shelbyville permit types and forms
Residential permits
A new house file includes the completed two-page application, the address Triple S assigned, copies of the Triple S zoning permit, the Shelbyville sewer and water usage permit and the Shelbyville driveway entrance permit, and energy performance documents if the house does not simply meet the Kentucky Residential Code minimums (a ResCheck or a HERS rater’s report, per the plan review data sheet). Drawings must be to scale on sheets at least 11 by 17 inches, with footer and foundation details, framing sizes, spacing and spans, a full-height wall section and all four elevations.
For an existing home (additions, decks, finished basements, remodels, accessory buildings), the same drawing set applies, plus a Triple S zoning permit for every room addition, wood deck, covered deck or patio and carport, and a Shelbyville grading permit where one is needed. Decks follow the city’s Residential Deck Construction Guide and the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code. That application is notarized and marks whether the lot is in the floodplain.
Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit applications, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.
Commercial permits
Commercial and multifamily work goes through the city’s Plan Submission Application Guide for Building Construction: one complete set of architectural plans, specifications if available, and an application naming the building or tenant, owner, architect, engineer and contractor; in a multi-tenant center, name the building too. Corrections come back as one set with a cover letter naming the project and permit number. The guide’s occupancy chart sends high hazard, institutional and state-owned buildings to HBC instead.
For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial building permits through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →What comes before the building permit
- Zoning permit (Triple S). A house needs a site plan drawn to scale by a surveyor, engineer or architect, showing setbacks, easements, the floodplain boundary with its flood map panel number, and the driveway (at least 18 by 18 feet in a subdivision), plus the driveway permit, sewer or septic permit and one set of house plans. A new address costs $20.
- Land disturbance. The City Engineer issues a land disturbance permit before Triple S or the city issues theirs on development sites; sites disturbing half an acre or more file the site plan review checklist, and sites of one acre or more need the state Division of Water notice of intent.
- Sewer, water and driveway. The Water & Sewer Commission issues the usage permit and Public Works the driveway entrance permit. A state highway frontage needs a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit; Triple S lists the state highway office at 555 Old Seven Mile Pike (502-633-1744).
- Historic district. A certificate of appropriateness is required for work such as demolition in the historic district; the coordinator is at City Hall.
- Rentals. Under an ordinance adopted March 20, 2025, a short-term rental needs a city permit, a Triple S conditional use permit and a fire department safety inspection; long-term rentals need a yearly city business license under Ordinance 2025-08-07(B).
Shelbyville permit fees
House fees are printed on the city’s own applications; commercial plan review fees are in Table 121.3.1 of its plan submission guide. The table names no adopting ordinance or date, and the city’s code of ordinances is kept on American Legal Publishing’s site. Fees are paid by cash or check to the City of Shelbyville.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| New house: all finished floors, basements, attached and basement garages, covered porches, stoops, breezeways and decks | $0.14 per sq ft |
| Existing home: addition, remodel or accessory structure | $0.14 per sq ft, $50 minimum |
| Residential plan review | $35 |
| Commercial plan review: assembly, business, educational, factory, mercantile, residential, storage, utility | $0.16 per sq ft; $100 minimum for new buildings, additions and changes of use |
| Commercial alterations and repairs | 0.0030 of the cost, or the per-square-foot rate, whichever is less; $100 minimum |
| Automatic sprinkler review | $150 (4–25 heads) to $375 (401–750 heads), plus 30 cents per head over 750 |
| Fire detection system review | $275 up to 20,000 sq ft, plus $30 per extra 10,000 sq ft |
| Commercial range hood | $225 per hood |
| Electrical permit (contractor application) | $25 |
| Work started before a permit | Permit fee doubled |
Fast-track review is not available. Triple S charges separately for the zoning permit, under its Planning Commission fee schedule (effective January 1, 2017, updated March 18, 2020):
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Zoning permit, dwelling up to 1,499 sq ft under roof | $175 |
| Zoning permit, dwelling 2,000–2,499 sq ft | $275 |
| Zoning permit, dwelling 9,500 sq ft or more | $1,025 |
| Zoning permit, other structures | By construction cost: $30 up to $2,999, rising to $1,500 for the first $1,000,000 |
| Swimming pool zoning permit | $50 above-ground, $100 in-ground |
| Design review, Shelbyville downtown districts | $150 |
| New address | $20 per address |
| Variance, agricultural or residential zone | $175 plus $7 per adjoining owner plus $50 CLUR fee |
| Conditional use permit, agricultural or residential zone | $600 plus $7 per adjoining owner plus $50 CLUR fee |
Worked example. A new house whose finished floors, garage and covered porch add up to 2,400 square feet on the city’s measure costs 2,400 × $0.14 = $336 for the building permit, plus the $35 plan review fee, or $371 at City Hall. If its area under roof on the Triple S measure is also 2,400 square feet, the zoning permit is $275 and the new address $20. The two offices measure area slightly differently, so their figures can differ.
Trade permits and who may pull them
- Electrical. The contractor’s electrical permit application ($25) asks for the state electrical contractor and master electrician license numbers. A homeowner who owns and lives in a single-family dwelling may instead sign a notarized homeowner’s electrical permit application, agreeing to do all the work personally and to have a rough-in and a final inspection by a Kentucky certified electrical inspector. Electrical inspections are booked by phone with the inspector listed on the city’s page, Monday, Wednesday or Friday between 6:30 and 8 a.m.
- HVAC. The city’s page lists the state HVAC inspector for heating and air inspections; HBC issues those permits to licensed contractors.
- Plumbing. State plumbing permits are issued at the Shelby County Health Department. The city’s page gives the plumbing inspector’s office hours as Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8 to 9:30 a.m. (office 502-633-5380); HBC’s sheet gives 8 to 9 a.m. at 615 11th Street. HBC’s plumbing division issues permits to licensed master plumbers, or to homeowners for plumbing in their own residence.
- Sequence. On a house, framing and final inspections can only be scheduled after the plumbing, electrical and HVAC inspections have passed.
How to apply for a Shelbyville building permit
File with Triple S at 419 Washington Street: site plan, driveway and sewer documents, house plans and the zoning fee.
Land disturbance or grading permit from the City Engineer, sewer and water usage permit, and driveway entrance permit.
To scale, at least 11 by 17 inches, with every detail on the city’s checklist; commercial work follows the plan submission guide.
Bring the application, attachments and copies of the Triple S permit during the 8:30 to 11 a.m. window, or book an afternoon appointment.
Cash or check; no work before issue, or the fee doubles.
Electrical permit at the city, plumbing at the health department, HVAC from HBC.
Footer, foundation, framing, insulation and final, ending with the certificate of occupancy.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Review, corrections and what causes delay
A missing checklist item makes the submission incomplete and delays review. Typical gaps are a missing Triple S permit or address, drawings below 11 by 17 inches or not to scale, and no energy documents on a house that goes beyond the code minimums. Because zoning sits with Triple S, a variance or conditional use permit from its Board of Adjustments and Appeals must be settled first. Demolition carries the longest checklist: insurance naming the city, notice to owners within 50 feet, an asbestos and lead report, utility disconnections and, in the historic district, a certificate of appropriateness; work may begin 24 hours after issue and the permit lasts 30 days.
Inspections and the certificate of occupancy
Once the permit is issued, the contractor, or the homeowner who pulled the permit, contacts the building official for the house inspections in this order: footer, foundation (if there is a basement), framing, insulation and final. The certificate of occupancy is issued by the office on the final inspection and is needed before anyone moves in; a pool also needs a certificate of occupancy or final approval before use. Trade work is inspected separately by the electrical, plumbing and HVAC inspectors.
Kentucky building code in Shelbyville
The city’s forms cite the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code for houses and decks and the 2018 Kentucky Building Code for public pools and commercial review. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Shelbyville as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with a current flood map dated October 16, 2025.
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
Shelbyville permit search and official resources
Shelbyville has no online permit search; ask the Building Inspector & Code Enforcement office at City Hall for a permit or certificate of occupancy on file. Triple S sells an e-mailed monthly report of the zoning permits it issues ($80 a year or $10 a month), and council agendas and minutes are posted in the city’s Agenda Center.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- City of Shelbyville Building Inspector & Code Enforcement
- Plan Submission Application Guide for Building Construction
- New residential single-family permit documents
- Existing one- and two-family permit documents
- Residential deck construction guide (2022)
- Contractor’s electrical permit application
- Homeowner’s electrical permit application
- Swimming pool permit application
- Demolition permit requirements and application
- Tent and temporary structure permit
- Historic District
- Stormwater approval process and land disturbance permit
- Business license, short-term and long-term rental rules
- City council agendas and minutes
- Triple S Planning Commission
- Triple S applications, including the zoning permit
- Triple S Planning Commission fee schedule (updated March 18, 2020)
- Triple S Board of Adjustments and Appeals fee schedule
- Shelbyville and Shelby County zoning regulations
- HBC Shelby County inspector contact sheet
- HBC Building Codes Enforcement
- HBC Division of Plumbing
- HBC Division of HVAC
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permits
- FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Shelbyville building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in Shelbyville?
$0.14 per square foot of finished floors, basements, attached garages, covered porches and decks, plus $35 for plan review; a 2,400 sq ft house comes to $371. The Triple S zoning permit is extra.
Do I need a permit for a deck or shed?
Yes. Decks and accessory structures go on the existing-home application at $0.14 per square foot with a $50 minimum, and wood decks also need a Triple S zoning permit.
Who handles zoning for a Shelbyville lot?
The Triple S Planning Commission at 419 Washington Street (502-633-1718), shared with Shelby County and Simpsonville. City Hall has no authority over it.
When can I visit the building office?
Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 11 a.m., at City Hall, 315 Washington Street; afternoons by appointment only.
Can I do my own electrical work?
Yes, in a single-family home you own and live in, on the notarized homeowner’s electrical permit, with rough-in and final inspections by a certified electrical inspector.
Can a homeowner get a plumbing permit?
Yes, for plumbing in the homeowner’s own residence; HBC issues it, and the state plumbing inspector keeps office hours at the Shelby County Health Department.
Does the city review commercial buildings?
Most of them: the city has expanded jurisdiction over all projects except high hazard, institutional and state-owned buildings, which HBC reviews.
What happens if I start before the permit?
Both the city building permit fee and the Triple S zoning permit fee are doubled.
Simplify Shelbyville 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.
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Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Shelbyville permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Kentucky permitting guides
Shelby County
Read guide →Spencer County
Read guide →Franklin County
Read guide →Simpson County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Somerset Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Taylor County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Shelbyville permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.