Union County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Union County’s page on the state’s inspector contact sheet, updated June 15, 2026, has a heading for a local building inspector with nothing written beside it. That is not the “None” entry the state uses for counties without a program, so the published sources do not settle whether a local building permit is required here; ask the county judge/executive’s office or the state’s Division of Building Code Enforcement (502-573-0373) first. What is certain: HVAC and plumbing permits come from the state, and a septic site evaluation ($200) comes from the Union County Health Center at 218 West McElroy Street in Morganfield.

What requires a building permit in Union County?

Which rules apply in Union County turns on a question the state sheet leaves open: whether a local building inspection program covers the site. Kentucky’s system works one of two ways. Where a city or county runs a local program, the local building department reviews and inspects the buildings section 104.15 of the Kentucky Building Code assigns to it, and single-family homes too if it has a single-family program. Where there is no local program, every project except dwellings under the Kentucky Residential Code (one- and two-family homes and townhouses) goes to the state’s Division of Building Code Enforcement for approval before construction, and houses receive no building inspections at all.

Under the state rules for a place without a single-family program, a new house must still meet the Kentucky Residential Code; only its heating and cooling system, inspected by the state HVAC division, and its wiring, inspected by the local county electrical inspector, are checked, along with any permitted plumbing.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The fiscal court decides whether the county runs a building inspection program and sets any land-use rules; ask the judge/executive’s office for them. The pieces that official sources do show: the county judge/executive’s office is the route to electrical inspection on county land, and the Green River District Health Department’s Union County Health Center runs septic permits. The state holds plan review of its share of buildings in all cases, every HVAC and plumbing permit, manufactured housing, elevators, boilers and the trade licenses.

Union County building department: who handles permitting

The Union County contact sheet lists the state building, manufactured housing, electrical, elevator, HVAC, plumbing and boiler inspectors assigned to the county, gives the health department as the plumbing desk, and leaves the local building inspector blank. Its individual contacts are not repeated here; use the offices below.

Cities in Union County

Each city sets its own zoning, utility and nuisance rules; treat city hall as the first call for any lot inside city limits.

Union County permit types and supporting documents

State filings for a Union County job are made in the SmartGov portal, which takes building plan review, HVAC, manufactured housing, plumbing and fire prevention applications and asks at the start whether the project is under local, expanded or state jurisdiction. Answering that question correctly is the reason to call the county or the Division before you file.

Residential permits

Plan on these for a new house: a state HVAC permit, bought by a licensed or authorized applicant; a state plumbing permit, bought by a licensed master plumber or by an owner who will live in the home; an electrical permit arranged locally; and, without sewer, the health department’s septic permit. An owner doing their own plumbing applies before work begins, files the homeowner affidavit, does every part of the job personally and to code, and may get only one new-home homeowner permit every five years. Ask the county whether a local building permit is also needed. Manufactured homes follow the state manufactured housing section’s installation rules.

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

Commercial permits

Buildings in the state’s share go to the Division of Building Code Enforcement with complete construction documents, and work cannot begin until the state approves them. Smaller commercial buildings go to the local program if one covers the site, or to the state if none does, so ask the Division at 502-573-0373 which applies. Modular buildings need state site placement approval (site plan, foundation, tie-downs, site-built stairs and ramps), and elevators and boilers have their own state permits.

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 site evaluation. Required before construction on any home or commercial property not served by a municipal sewer system. Apply in person at the Union County Health Center with a location map, a site drawing (property lines, lot size, existing buildings, wells, ponds, streams, easements and driveways), floor plans if the county asks for them, and the $200 fee payable to GRDHD; after approval, the permit is issued to a certified installer.
• City approval. Inside a city, ask city hall about zoning and sewer or water taps first.
• Floodplain. The county participates in the flood insurance program; for land in a mapped flood zone, ask the judge/executive’s office about floodplain review.
• State highways. A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet encroachment permit from District 2 in Madisonville for a new entrance or utility work on a state route.

Union County permit costs and fees

No local building permit fee schedule for Union County or its cities appears in the published sources, so ask the county judge/executive’s office or city hall about local charges. Two sets of fees are published by official bodies. The Green River District Health Department charges a $200 site evaluation fee for a septic system. The state’s plumbing permit fees, effective March 1, 2022, are:

Worked example. A farmhouse off sewer with 18 plumbing openings pays $200 for the site evaluation and $50 + (18 × $14) = $302 for the state plumbing permit, $502 before the septic construction permit, HVAC permit and electrical fees, which are quoted separately by the health center, the state portal and the electrical inspector.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. The state’s portal sends private-property electrical permits to the local authority, and the Union County sheet names it: the county judge/executive’s office, or the city office where the work is. A state electrical inspector is also assigned to Union County.
• HVAC. Union County is not one of the local HVAC jurisdictions on the state’s list (updated May 13, 2025), so new construction needs a state HVAC permit and the state HVAC inspector for the county inspects it.
• Plumbing. State permits for new plumbing, relocated fixtures, a new or replacement house sewer, water service or water heater, and an added backflow preventer; the plumbing inspector keeps desk hours at the Morganfield health center on Fridays from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Central. Outside city limits, a farm dwelling and farm buildings on 10 acres or more, in bona fide agricultural use and registered with the county PVA, can qualify for the farmstead exemption.
• Licenses. State licenses cover electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors; homeowners may do the electrical and heating and air work on their own homes without a trade license but still need the permit. The published sources show no local contractor license or registration.

How to apply for permits in Union County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

In Union County the risk of delay starts before any review: filing with the wrong authority. Settle jurisdiction first. A septic site evaluation can hold up a rural house if the soil is unsuitable, and the health department may ask for a plat or survey and floor plans. State plan review must finish before a commercial job starts, so submit complete documents; a homeowner plumbing permit must be issued before work begins.

Union County inspections and final approval

State-reviewed buildings are inspected by the state building inspector assigned to Union County. On a house, the state HVAC inspector checks the heating and cooling system, the local electrical inspector the wiring and the state plumbing inspector the plumbing; the health department inspects the septic system its certified installer builds. If the county or a city tells you a local building permit applies, ask which framing, footing and final inspections it requires and whether it issues a certificate of occupancy. Manufactured homes, elevators and boilers have separate state inspectors listed on the sheet.

Kentucky building code in Union County

FEMA’s Community Status Book shows Union County, the unincorporated county government, as a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program with a current effective flood map dated October 5, 2023. Look up the lot on that map before planning any building, since a mapped flood zone brings floodplain review and flood insurance questions.

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 HVAC and plumbing permits for Union County are held in SmartGov, where an applicant can follow a permit’s status. Septic evaluation and permit files are kept by the Union County Health Center; ask there for a copy. For any local permit, ask the office that issued it.

• Union County state inspector sheet (June 15, 2026)
• All county inspector sheets
• Union County Health Center
• Green River District onsite sewage program
• Who reviews what under the state code
• Division of Building Code Enforcement sections
• SmartGov applications
• Plumbing permit fees
• Plumbing permit questions
• HVAC permits for new construction
• Local HVAC programs (May 2025)
• Encroachment permit offices
• Counties in each highway district
• FEMA Community Status Book for Kentucky

Union County building permit FAQ

Does Union County have a local building inspector?

The state sheet updated June 15, 2026 leaves that line blank, so it does not say either way. Ask the county judge/executive’s office or call the state at 502-573-0373.

How much is a septic site evaluation in Union County?

$200, paid to the Green River District Health Department when you apply in person at the Union County Health Center in Morganfield.

Where is the plumbing inspector?

At the Union County Health Center, 218 West McElroy Street, Morganfield, on Fridays from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Central.

Who issues electrical permits?

The local electrical inspector, reached through the county judge/executive’s office or the city office where the work is.

Can I do my own plumbing?

Yes, in the home you live in or are building for yourself, with a state homeowner permit and affidavit obtained before work starts.

Does a new store need state plan review?

Yes if it is in the state’s share (over 100 occupants, over three stories or 20,000 square feet, among others); otherwise ask whether a local program covers it.

Who permits a driveway on a state highway?

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s District 2 office, 1840 North Main Street, Madisonville (502-764-1320).

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