County Permit SearchU.S. compliance directory
KentuckyCarter County

Administrative overview · FIPS 21043

Carter 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

County

This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.

Responsible agency

Carter County local building inspection / Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction

For a project in or near Carter 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

606-923-8732

Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.

Permit counter

Carter County Fiscal Court, 300 West Main Street, Room 227, Grayson, KY 41143; plumbing inspection office: Carter County Courthouse, 909 Main Street, Grayson, KY 41143.

Operating hours

Carter County Judge Executive office: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; plumbing inspection office Friday 8:00-9:30 a.m. EST.

Review expectation

N/A. No published Carter County or DHBC plan-review turnaround time was found.

Compliance workbench

Choose the next project decision.

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 Carter County

Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?

Carter County local building inspection / Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area 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 606-923-8732.

How long might review take?

N/A. No published Carter County or DHBC plan-review turnaround time was found.

How are inspections scheduled?

For county building inspections outside Olive Hill contact Sean Miller at 606-923-8732. For Olive Hill contact city inspector Taylor Duncan at 606-255-0148 or 225 Roger Patton Drive, Olive Hill, KY 41164. For commercial/state-jurisdiction plan review and permits contact state building inspector James Allen at 502-395-3375 or jallen@ky.gov. State manufactured-housing inspector Dillion Tolliver is 502-229-3860; electrical inspector James Burt is 502-330-3513; elevator inspector Dan Stifle is 606-748-9337; HVAC inspector Charles Caldwell is 606-305-3409. Plumbing inspector Bobby Saylor is 606-316-9167, with office hours Friday 8:00-9:30 a.m. EST at the Carter County Courthouse, 909 Main Street, Grayson, 606-474-6685.

Which codes and exemptions should I review?

The current DHBC assignment lists local inspector Sean Miller for Carter County outside Olive Hill and Taylor Duncan for the City of Olive Hill; commercial construction is directed to the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. The applicable 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. The county/state assignment specifically routes commercial construction to DHBC for building permits, while local inspectors handle the county’s local residential jurisdiction. No current Carter County-specific minor or cosmetic exemption list was published; confirm any ordinary maintenance, small accessory, or other potentially exempt work with the applicable inspector.

Before contacting the permit counter

Have the project facts ready.

A productive call starts with a clear description of the property and proposed work. Keep the site address, parcel or assessor number, project valuation, existing occupancy, approximate square footage, structural scope, contractor information, and desired start date in front of you. Those facts help the Authority Having Jurisdiction route the question to building, planning, fire, environmental health, or another reviewing discipline.

Questions worth asking

  • • Is the parcel inside an incorporated city or county service area?
  • • Does this scope require building, trade, zoning, fire, or site permits?
  • • What plans and supporting documents make the submittal complete?
  • • How much lead time is needed for each inspection?