Woodford County, Kentucky Building Permit Guide

Woodford County has one permit office for every address in the county: the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission, Suite 204 of the courthouse at 103 South Main Street, Versailles (859-873-8611). Its Division of Building Inspection permits houses as well as commercial work, charging $0.20 per square foot for residential construction under the schedule in force since February 13, 2025, and it says a complete residential plan set is usually reviewed in 2 to 5 days.

What requires a building permit in Woodford County?

The joint zoning ordinance makes it unlawful to start building, moving or altering a structure, or to begin or change the use of a property, until the Building Inspector has issued a building permit. Smaller items that do not need a full building permit still need a zoning permit, and grading that changes how a site drains needs a grading permit. The Planning Commission’s permit FAQ gives these examples:

Houses are covered: the county has a local single-family inspection program, so a new home, an addition or a residential remodel is permitted and inspected locally.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The Fiscal Court and the two city councils adopted one zoning ordinance for the county and both cities, and the Planning Commission sets its own application fees under section 400.3 of that ordinance. The Planning Director serves as the Administrative Official, and the Building Inspector takes final action on building permits and certificates of occupancy. The state keeps plan review and inspection of the larger buildings that the Kentucky Building Code assigns to the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction, the HVAC permit, the plumbing permit and all trade licenses.

Woodford County building department: who handles permitting

The Planning Commission office, run by Planning Director Steve Hunter, houses both the zoning staff and the Division of Building Inspection. The state’s inspector contact sheet for Woodford County (updated November 14, 2025) lists a local building inspector at the county and names no city as excluded, plus the state building, electrical, HVAC, plumbing and manufactured-housing inspectors who work the county.

Cities in Woodford County

Woodford County permit types

The office posts separate applications for single-family construction; commercial, industrial and multi-family construction; zoning permits; electric permits; demolition; grading; signs; certificates of appropriateness; plats; variances and conditional uses. Applications are filed at Suite 204 with the fee, and the zoning ordinance lets staff take up to five working days to decide whether a file is complete.

Residential permits

A house or addition file holds the signed application, building plans and a site plan drawn to scale with every easement and setback, a copy of the deed or plat, the building permit affidavit, a workers’ compensation certificate, a homeowner’s responsibility acknowledgement where it applies, and, as the job requires, an entrance (access) permit, an electrical permit, a water and sewer certification letter or a health department site evaluation. The square footage you declare must include porches, garages and unfinished areas, and basements count toward the fee. An energy code report is optional. The building permit affidavit binds the builder to repair any sidewalk, grading or stormwater work in the subdivision that the job disturbs before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

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

Commercial permits

Buildings other than one- and two-family homes need a site plan showing access, parking and loading, refuse areas, water and sewer service sizes, screening, sign locations, health department sign-off, stormwater design and whether the site lies in the floodplain. New development usually needs a site development plan approved by the Planning Commission after its Technical Review Committee, and the buildings that fall under state jurisdiction also go to the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction for plan review.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial building permits through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. Variances and conditional uses go to the Board of Adjustments; zone changes go to the Planning Commission and then the legislative body. Applications must be filed at least 21 days before the hearing.
• Agricultural land. Certain conditional uses in the Agricultural and Conservation districts first go to the Agricultural Advisory Review Committee.
• Plats. Minor and major subdivision plats pass the Technical Review Committee before final approval.
• Septic or sewer. A health department site evaluation, or a water and sewer letter from Versailles, Midway or the serving utility.
• Road access. An entrance permit from the city, the county Road Department or the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, depending on who owns the road.
• Floodplain. A floodplain development permit and an elevation certificate; the building or zoning permit is held until the floodplain permit is approved.
• Historic overlay. Projects on property in a Historic Overlay district go to the Board of Architectural Review for a certificate of appropriateness.

Woodford County permit costs and fees

The fees below come from the Planning Commission’s fee schedule effective February 13, 2025. The $25 plan review fee is paid when the application is filed; the building permit fee is set from the square footage.

Worked example. A new house with 2,400 square feet across all floors, counting the attached garage, porches and basement, costs 2,400 × $0.20 = $480 for the building permit, plus the $25 plan review fee paid at filing, for $505. The electrician’s $10 electrical permit and the state plumbing and HVAC permits are separate.

Planning fees in the same schedule include variances and conditional use permits at $300 each, administrative appeals $100, minor subdivision plats $295, major plats and site development plans $595, zone changes from $325 to $595 by district, and certificates of appropriateness $75 before the board or $25 when staff can approve them.

Trade permits and who may pull them

• Electrical. The Planning Commission sells the electric permit for $10; the form asks for the electrician’s master and contractor license numbers. The work is inspected by the local electrical inspector named on the residential acknowledgement, and the permit holder usually books it. The office’s FAQ says a licensed electrician or the homeowner may do the work.
• Plumbing. The state plumbing inspector issues and inspects plumbing permits, keeping office hours at the Woodford County Health Department on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 to 9:30 a.m. The state’s plumbing division issues permits to licensed master plumbers and to homeowners for plumbing in their own residence; the Planning Commission’s permit FAQ says only a licensed plumber may do the work, so a homeowner should confirm with the state inspector first. State house fees: $50 plus $14 per opening.
• HVAC. Every installation or replacement needs a state HVAC permit, bought through the state’s SmartGov portal by a licensed or authorized person, and a state mechanical inspection.
• Fire protection. Sprinkler and fire alarm systems carry a $200 local permit.
• Licenses. The checklist asks for a business license registered with the city and/or county where one applies. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors hold state licenses.

How to apply for a Woodford County building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A complete residential file with no technical problems is normally reviewed in about 2 to 5 days, and the office says most permits are processed within a week. Delays come from a missing site evaluation, a site plan without easements, a missing workers’ compensation certificate, a floodplain permit that has not yet been approved, or a project that first needs a variance, conditional use or development plan with a public hearing. Work that starts without a permit can draw a stop-work order and double fees.

Inspections in Woodford County

Call the Planning Commission at 859-873-8611 to schedule residential building inspections. The residential acknowledgement lists the stages: footing, slab, poured wall, framing, fire wall, insulation, rough-in and final plumbing, rough-in and final HVAC, rough-in, bonding and final electrical, and a final building inspection. Additions and remodels must bring smoke and carbon monoxide alarms up to date throughout the house, and pools need a 4-foot barrier with self-closing, self-latching gates.

No new or altered building may be used until the Building Inspector issues a certificate of occupancy (or a final approval or certificate of completion for an addition, deck or remodel). The office’s FAQ says a permit stays active only with at least one inspection in every 180 days; the acknowledgement adds that work must start within 90 days and finish within one year, with one six-month extension available on written request.

Kentucky building code in Woodford County

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Woodford County as a participant in the National Flood Insurance Program, on a flood map effective December 21, 2017. The flood article of the zoning ordinance requires the lowest floor of a new or substantially improved home, basement, mechanical equipment and ductwork included, to sit at least 1 foot above the base flood elevation, certified by an engineer or surveyor. After the April 2025 flood the Fiscal Court authorized a recovery buyout program on September 23, 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

Permit search and official resources

Permit files are kept by the Planning Commission office; it posts its own open records request form, and its meeting agendas, livestreams and archived minutes are linked from its website.

• Planning Commission applications and fees
• Fee schedule effective February 13, 2025
• Single-family building permit application and checklist
• Commercial, industrial and multi-family building permit application
• Zoning permit application and farmstead exemption affidavit
• Electric permit application
• Building, zoning and floodplain permit FAQ
• Woodford County Zoning Ordinance (all articles)
• Zoning Ordinance Article IV: permits and certificates of occupancy
• Zoning Ordinance Article X: flood damage prevention
• Floodplain information and flood studies
• Planning Commission, Board of Adjustments and other boards
• Open records request form
• Planning Commission agenda, November 12, 2026
• Woodford County: Planning Commission contact
• Woodford County Road Department
• State contact sheet for Woodford County inspectors
• State building code jurisdiction
• State plumbing permits and fees
• State HVAC permits
• Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 7
• FEMA Community Status Book, Kentucky

Woodford County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Woodford County?

The Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission, Suite 204 of the courthouse, 103 South Main Street, Versailles; 859-873-8611. It covers the unincorporated county, Versailles and Midway.

How much does a permit for a new house cost?

$0.20 per square foot, counting garages, porches, unfinished areas and basements, plus a $25 plan review fee.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

A fence over 48 inches and a shed of 200 square feet or less need a $30 zoning permit; a shed over 200 square feet needs a building permit at $0.20 per square foot.

Can a farm house skip the building permit?

Yes, if the farm is registered with the PVA, the house sits on at least 10 acres outside city limits and the owner files the farmstead affidavit ($50). Farm buildings qualify on 5 acres ($20).

How long does review take?

About 2 to 5 days for a complete residential application.

Can I do my own wiring?

The office’s FAQ says a homeowner may do electrical work; the $10 electrical permit is still required.

Who handles septic systems?

The Woodford County Health Department, 229 North Main Street, Versailles (859-873-4541).

Will the permit fees change in 2027?

A draft revision effective January 1, 2027 is on the Planning Commission’s November 12, 2026 agenda; it is not adopted yet.

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