Trigg County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Trigg County and its only city, Cadiz, share one local building inspector: the state’s contact sheet for the county, updated July 8, 2026, lists the inspector under “City of Cadiz & Trigg County.” The sheet gives an individual contact rather than an office, and it does not show which building types the program permits or what it charges. The state Division of Building Code Enforcement (502-573-0373) keeps plan review of the larger and higher-risk buildings, HVAC and plumbing permits come from the state, and septic permits from the Trigg County Health Department at 196 Main Street in Cadiz.

What requires a building permit in Trigg County?

Because a local building inspection program is listed for Trigg County, the local inspector, not the state, is the first stop for most projects in Cadiz and the county. Kentucky’s building code divides the work: the local building department takes the buildings section 104.15 assigns to it, and the state’s Division of Building Code Enforcement keeps plan review and inspection of those in section 104.16, which the state describes as buildings for more than 100 people, buildings over three stories or 20,000 square feet, and all schools, hospitals, care homes, high-hazard and state-owned buildings.

Single-family houses are reviewed and inspected by the local building official where a single-family inspection program exists. The Trigg County sheet names the program’s coverage by place (Cadiz and the county) but not by building type, so ask the inspector whether a house needs a local permit before you schedule a builder. If it does not, the state’s rule for houses without a local program applies: the Kentucky Residential Code must still be met, and only the HVAC system and wiring are inspected.

What the county decides and what the state holds

Locally, one inspector covers Cadiz and the county, the county judge/executive’s office is the route to the electrical inspector on county land, and the county health department handles septic systems. Ask the county about any planning or zoning rules before subdividing or changing land use. The state holds plan review of the section 104.16 buildings, all HVAC and plumbing permits, modular approvals, manufactured housing, elevators, boilers and trade licenses.

Trigg County building department: who handles permitting

The Trigg County contact sheet lists the local building inspector for Cadiz and the county, the state building, manufactured housing, electrical, elevator, HVAC, plumbing and boiler inspectors, and a separately named local electrical inspector. Most entries are personal contacts, so the table gives office numbers where an official page shows one.

Cities in Trigg County

Cadiz is the only incorporated city, so every address outside its limits is county land, which the sheet places under the same inspector.

Trigg County permit types and supporting documents

A Trigg County project usually needs a local permit from the shared inspector and one or more state permits bought in the SmartGov portal, which handles building plan review, HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing and fire prevention filings. The portal first asks whether a project is under local, expanded or state jurisdiction.

Residential permits

For a house, ask the local inspector what the program requires, then add the state trade permits. The HVAC permit goes only to licensed or authorized applicants. The plumbing permit goes to a licensed master plumber or to the homeowner, for a home the owner occupies or is building for personal use; the owner applies before starting, files an affidavit, does the work personally to the state plumbing code and is limited to one new-home homeowner permit in five years. Manufactured homes are set under the state manufactured housing section’s rules, with an inspector assigned to the county.

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

Commercial permits

A small commercial building in Cadiz or the county goes to the local program; a building in the state’s share, such as a school, a care home or a building over 20,000 square feet, goes to the Division of Building Code Enforcement with full construction documents, and work waits for approval. Modular buildings of any size or use need state site placement approval with a site plan, foundation and tie-down details. Elevators and boilers have separate state permits and inspectors.

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. Off sewer, a site evaluation and septic permit from the Trigg County Health Department on Main Street in Cadiz.
• Lake Barkley shoreline. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Nashville District manages the Lake Barkley shoreline under a Shoreline Management Plan it reviews every five years (the 2025 update held a public workshop at Lake Barkley State Resort Park in Cadiz); ask the Corps’ Lake Barkley office before planning a dock or shoreline work.
• Floodplain. Trigg County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program; for a lot in a mapped flood zone, ask the local inspector or the judge/executive’s office about floodplain review.
• State roads. A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet encroachment permit from the District 1 office in Paducah for a driveway or utility work on a state route.

Trigg County permit costs and fees

The published sources give no fee schedule for the shared Cadiz and Trigg County inspection program, so ask the local inspector for the current local fee before you budget. The state’s plumbing permit fees, effective March 1, 2022, are fixed:

Worked example. A lake cabin with 10 plumbing openings pays $50 + (10 × $14) = $190 for the state plumbing permit; a restaurant with 16 openings pays $50 + (16 × $20) = $370. HVAC fees are shown in SmartGov at purchase, the electrical inspector quotes the electrical fee, and the health department (270-522-7189) quotes septic evaluation and permit fees.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. Electrical permits for private property are not sold through the state portal. The Trigg County sheet sends applicants to the county judge/executive’s office or the city office where the work is done, and it also lists a named local electrical inspector for the county; the state electrical inspector assigned to Trigg County is listed too.
• HVAC. Trigg County and Cadiz are not on the state’s list of local HVAC jurisdictions (updated May 13, 2025), so new construction needs a state HVAC permit, inspected by the state HVAC inspector for the county.
• Plumbing. State permits cover new plumbing, a relocated fixture or drain, a new or replacement house sewer, water service or water heater, and an added backflow preventer. The plumbing inspector’s desk is at the health department in Cadiz on Mondays from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Central (270-505-2166). A farm dwelling with its farm buildings on 10 acres or more outside Cadiz, in bona fide agricultural use and registered with the county PVA, may qualify for the farmstead exemption.
• Licenses. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors hold state licenses; a homeowner may do the electrical and heating and air work on their own home without the trade license, with a permit. The published sources show no local contractor license or registration.

How to apply for permits in Trigg County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Projects in the state’s share cannot start until the state approves the plans, so a missing set of construction documents delays the start. Splitting a project wrongly between the local program and the state is the other common hold-up; if the inspector and the portal point different ways, the Division’s jurisdiction line, 502-573-0373, settles it. Homeowner plumbing permits must be in hand before the first pipe is cut.

Trigg County inspections and final approval

The local building inspector inspects the projects it permits in Cadiz and the county; ask at the permit stage which visits are required and whether a certificate of occupancy is issued at the end. State-reviewed buildings are inspected by the state building inspector for Trigg County against the approved plans. Every new building’s HVAC system is inspected by the state HVAC inspector and its plumbing by the state plumbing inspector, and the wiring by the electrical inspector the county or city arranges. Manufactured home set-ups, elevators and boilers have their own state inspectors on the county sheet.

Kentucky building code in Trigg County

Unincorporated Trigg County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, according to FEMA’s Community Status Book, and its current effective flood map is dated April 19, 2019. Check the map before buying a lot near the lake or a creek, because a mapped flood zone affects both insurance and floodplain review.

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, HVAC and plumbing permits for Trigg County jobs are tracked in the SmartGov portal under the applicant’s account. Local permit records are kept by the shared inspection program; ask through the county judge/executive’s office or Cadiz city hall. Septic permit files are held by the health department.

• Trigg County inspector sheet (July 8, 2026)
• Kentucky inspectors by county
• Local and state jurisdiction under the Kentucky Building Code
• State plan review and inspections
• State online permitting (SmartGov)
• State plumbing permits and fee table
• Homeowner plumbing permits and farmstead rule
• State HVAC permit program
• Places with local HVAC programs
• Transportation Cabinet permit contacts
• Transportation Cabinet districts
• Lake Barkley Shoreline Management Plan update (March 2025)
• FEMA flood program status, Kentucky

Trigg County building permit FAQ

Who is the building inspector for Cadiz and Trigg County?

One local building inspector covers both, per the state sheet updated July 8, 2026; ask the county judge/executive’s office, Cadiz city hall or HBC (502-573-0373) how to reach it.

Does a new house in Trigg County need a local building permit?

The published sources do not say which building types the local program covers; ask the inspector before you build. State HVAC, plumbing and electrical permits are needed either way.

Which buildings go to the state for plan review?

Buildings for more than 100 people, over three stories or 20,000 square feet, and all schools, hospitals, care homes, high-hazard and state-owned buildings.

Can I build a dock on Lake Barkley?

Shoreline use is managed by the Corps of Engineers’ Nashville District under its Lake Barkley Shoreline Management Plan; ask the Corps first.

When is the plumbing inspector in Cadiz?

Mondays from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Central at the Trigg County Health Department, 196 Main Street (270-505-2166).

Can a homeowner pull a plumbing permit?

Yes, for the home they live in or are building for themselves, with an affidavit filed before work starts.

How much is the local building permit?

The published sources give no local fee schedule; ask the inspection program. A house’s state plumbing permit is $50 plus $14 per opening.

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