Simpson County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Simpson County, permits come from Simpson County Planning and Zoning at 100 Courthouse Square, Franklin (270-586-3356), where the county’s chief building official and zoning administrator work. A house is charged $0.12 per square foot under Ordinance 920.118, and the county inspects houses as well as most commercial buildings. Since July 2025 the county has its own planning commission; Franklin issues permits inside the city.

What requires a building permit in Simpson County?

Simpson County’s zoning regulations (Section 11.4) make it unlawful to start excavating for, building, moving, adding to or structurally altering any structure until the building inspector has issued a permit. Excavation, cut and fill need a permit too, except for agricultural work, public utilities and approved subdivisions. The county’s residential application and rate schedule show what that covers in practice:

Restoring electrical power after a hazardous interruption, or after a supply has been disconnected for more than a year, also needs an electrical permit, according to the county’s electrical permits page.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Ordinance 920.112 (May 5, 2020) adopted the Kentucky building and residential codes and made the local inspector the plan reviewer and inspector for commercial and residential structures to the extent the state allows, except high-hazard (Group H) buildings and institutional buildings in Groups I-1, I-2 and I-3, which the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (HBC) keeps. The same ordinance requires permits, inspections and a certificate of occupancy for a single-family home, so houses here are inspected locally. It also adopted the National Electrical Code for electrical inspections.

Simpson County building department: who handles permitting

For years Franklin and the county shared the Franklin-Simpson Planning and Zoning Commission. After their interlocal agreement ended, the fiscal court passed two emergency ordinances on July 15, 2025: Ordinance 920.129 created a five-member Simpson County Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustments, appointed by the county judge/executive with the fiscal court’s approval, and Ordinance 920.128 readopted the joint commission’s zoning regulations, building and electrical codes and stormwater rules for the county body. The county’s page names Jon Chandler as chief building official.

Franklin

HBC’s Simpson County contact sheet, updated September 29, 2026, lists only the City of Franklin’s zoning office as a local contact and does not yet show the county’s own building official.

Simpson County permit types

Applications can be started on paper at the office or through the county’s online application portal, which also takes inspection requests; after an online submission, the office sends an invoice for the fees.

Residential permits

The residential building permit application, headed “Simpson County Building Department”, asks for the construction cost and, separately, the plumbing, HVAC and electrical costs; the total square feet under roof and of finished and unfinished basement; the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and stories; whether water comes from a well or public supply and sewage goes to a septic tank or public sewer; and whether power comes from EPB or WRECC. Under Section 11.6.1 of the zoning regulations, the application needs a plan drawn to scale showing lot dimensions, buildings and yard depths, plus the health officer’s certificate approving water and sewage facilities and a state plumbing permit.

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

Commercial permits

The 2025 commercial and industrial application requires a contractor e-mail, the total area of new and existing buildings, the use (restaurant, office, storage, factory and so on), the start date and the costs of the general, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contracts. Its lower half stays on site during construction, and its inspection line adds an energy inspection between framing and final. Larger projects start with a development plan; the county posts a development plan packet.

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. The project must fit the county zoning regulations (amended February 3 and April 21, 2026); otherwise the building inspector may issue a permit only on a written order from the Board of Adjustments (variance, conditional use permit or administrative review).
• Septic. The health department’s approval of water and sewage facilities goes in with the application.
• Road entrance. A county road connection permit: mark the entrance with stakes, and Public Works inspects it and installs the owner-supplied tile (at least 15 inches by 24 feet); the county right-of-way is at least 30 feet. State highways need a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet permit.
• Floodplain. Under Ordinance 310.41 (February 3, 2026) a development permit is required before any building in a special flood hazard area; the county judge/executive or a designee is floodplain administrator, and the county’s endorsement is needed before a state floodplain construction permit can be processed.
• Data centers and energy systems. Ordinance 440.70 (December 2, 2025) limited data centers and integrated energy systems to the heavy industrial (I-2) zone with a conditional use permit; those rules now sit in the zoning regulations through Ordinance 920.133, and 440.70 was repealed on May 18, 2026.

Simpson County permit fees

Fees come from Ordinance 920.118, the permit and inspection rate schedule adopted on October 19, 2021 and effective January 1, 2022, which Ordinance 920.128 carried over to the county commission in 2025.

Worked example. A new 2,000 sq ft house costs 2,000 × $0.12 = $240 for the building permit. The schedule lists the $30 address point and the $75 certificate of occupancy as separate items, and electrical work has its own $50 permit. A 300 sq ft accessory building is 300 × $0.07 = $21, so the $30 minimum applies.

Two rules interact with these fees. Section 11.6.4 of the zoning regulations voids a permit after 180 days without substantial progress but lets the office renew it without a fee before it lapses; the rate schedule separately lists a $30 renewal. Ask which applies to your permit. HBC’s own plumbing fees apply on top: for a one- or two-family home, a $50 base fee plus $14 per opening.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. The county issues electrical permits ($50) and inspects under the National Electrical Code it adopted in Ordinance 920.112. HBC licenses electricians; a homeowner may wire their own home with a permit.
• Plumbing. HBC’s plumbing inspector holds office hours at the health department on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Permits go to licensed master plumbers, or to homeowners for plumbing in their own personal residence, and a plumbing permit is part of the county building permit file.
• HVAC. HVAC permits are bought from HBC by licensed contractors; the county’s forms page lists an HVAC plan-review form for commercial work.
• Manufactured homes. The county application covers placing a mobile home; HBC’s sheet lists a state manufactured housing inspector for the county.

How to apply for a Simpson County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Section 11.6.2 gives the office two weeks from submission to issue or refuse a permit, with written reasons for a refusal. Missing health department approval or plumbing permit is the clearest hold-up, since both must come with the application. Work found in violation can be stopped by a stop work order lasting up to 60 days, and a permit can be suspended or revoked with written reasons; an appeal goes to the planning commission within 10 days. Projects in a flood zone wait for the county’s development permit and the elevation information the flood ordinance requires.

Inspections in Simpson County

The residential application lists four inspections (footer, foundation, framing and final); the commercial form adds an energy inspection. Inspections can be requested through the county’s online portal. Section 11.8.2 of the zoning regulations obliges the office to make the final inspection within one week of the owner’s notice that the building is ready, and then issue the certificate of occupancy or a written refusal; no building may be occupied until the certificate is issued. Electrical inspections are made by the county; plumbing and HVAC by HBC’s inspectors. Ordinance 920.112 lets anyone affected appeal a local building or electrical inspector’s decision to an inspector appeals board, and from there to the state Board of Housing, Buildings and Construction.

Kentucky building code in Simpson County

Ordinance 920.112 adopts the Kentucky Building Code and the Kentucky Residential Code as the county’s mandatory codes, as state law requires. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Simpson County as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program on a flood map dated March 17, 2011, the same date as the flood study the 2026 ordinance adopts.

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

Simpson County permit search and official resources

The county’s online application portal handles its own permit and inspection requests; for older permits and certificates of occupancy, ask the Planning and Zoning office, which the zoning regulations require to keep permanent records of permits, certificates and inspections. Zoning, flood and fee ordinances are posted on the county’s ordinances page.

• Simpson County Planning and Zoning
• Online application and inspection request portal
• Permits and forms
• Residential building permit application
• Commercial and industrial building permit application (2025)
• Electrical permits
• County road connection permit
• Simpson County zoning regulations (amended April 21, 2026)
• Ordinance 920.118: permit and inspection rate schedule
• Ordinance 920.112: building inspector program
• Ordinance 920.128: regulations and codes readopted (2025)
• Ordinance 920.129: Simpson County Planning and Zoning Commission
• Ordinance 310.41: flood damage prevention (2026)
• Ordinance 440.70: data centers (2025)
• Ordinance 440.71: repeal of 440.70 (2026)
• Simpson County ordinances
• City of Franklin permit applications
• HBC Simpson County inspector contact sheet
• HBC Building Codes Enforcement
• HBC Division of Plumbing
• HBC Division of HVAC
• KYTC district permit contacts
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Simpson County permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a house in Simpson County?

$0.12 per square foot under Ordinance 920.118, so $240 for 2,000 sq ft; the address point ($30) and certificate of occupancy ($75) are listed separately.

Does the county inspect houses?

Yes. Ordinance 920.112 requires permits, inspections and a certificate of occupancy for single-family homes.

Where do I apply if I live in Franklin?

With the City of Franklin’s Planning and Zoning office (270-596-2756), which has its own applications and fees.

Do I need a permit for a fence or deck?

Yes. A privacy or security fence is $30 and a deck $0.04 per square foot with a $30 minimum.

How long does the county take?

The zoning regulations give the office two weeks to act on a permit application and one week to make a final inspection after notice.

Who issues electrical permits?

The county: $50 per permit plus $75 per inspection visit, or 1.3% of the electrical contract on commercial and industrial jobs.

Can I build in a flood zone?

Only with a county development permit under Ordinance 310.41; the county’s endorsement also comes before any state floodplain construction permit.

Can data centers locate in Simpson County?

Only in the heavy industrial (I-2) zone with a conditional use permit, under the rules now in the zoning regulations.

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