Administrative overview · FIPS 21011
Bath County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
State Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked State Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (Bath County state building inspection)
For a project in or near Bath County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
606-362-3495
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Bath County Fiscal Court, P.O. Box 39, Owingsville, KY 40360; plumbing office: Bath County Health Department, 68 Oberline Street, Owingsville, KY 40360
Operating hours
N/A for building inspection; plumbing office hours are Wednesday, 12:00-1:00 p.m. EST.
Review expectation
N/A. No published building-plan review timeline was found.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Bath County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked State Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 606-362-3495.
How long might review take?
N/A. No published building-plan review timeline was found.
How are inspections scheduled?
For building permits and inspections contact Chris Ferguson at 606-362-3495 or Chris.Ferguson@ky.gov. Ferguson also handles RV and manufactured-housing inspections. State electrical inspector Jonathon Chandler is 270-349-7361; HVAC inspector Richard Gulley is 606-748-9008. Plumbing inspector Chris Ferguson is available Wednesday noon-1:00 p.m. at Bath County Health Department, 68 Oberline Street, Owingsville, KY 40360, 606-674-2731.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
The official Kentucky inspector sheet lists no local Bath County building inspector and assigns building inspection to state inspector Chris Ferguson. The statewide framework is the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, based on the 2015 IBC/IRC with Kentucky amendments. No newer 2026 code adoption was verified. No Bath County-specific minor-work exemption list was published. Applicable Kentucky code exemptions generally include qualifying small detached sheds/playhouses, fences up to 7 feet, retaining walls up to 4 feet, sidewalks/driveways, ordinary finish work, qualifying awnings and decks, and certain minor electrical, mechanical, gas, or plumbing work; verify with the state inspector before relying on an exemption.