Administrative overview · FIPS 21051
Clay 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 / Clay County Fiscal Court and Clay County Health Department
For a project in or near Clay 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
606-312-9428
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Clay County Fiscal Court, 102 Richmond Road, Suite 201, Manchester, KY 40962; DHBC, 500 Mero Street, Frankfort, KY 40601; Clay County Health Department, 330 Shamrock Road, Manchester, KY 40962.
Operating hours
N/A. The official county site publishes contact information but no building-office hours. Clay County plumbing inspection office hours are Thursday, 8:00-9:30 a.m. EST.
Review expectation
N/A. No published Clay County or DHBC plan-review turnaround time 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 Clay 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 606-312-9428.
How long might review take?
N/A. No published Clay County or DHBC plan-review turnaround time was found.
How are inspections scheduled?
For commercial/state building permits and inspections contact DHBC State Building Inspector Dillon Fields at 606-312-9428 or dillon.fields@ky.gov. Local electrical matters are directed to the Clay County Judge Executive’s office or the city office where the work occurs. State electrical inspector James Burt is 502-330-3513; elevator inspector Benjamin Pennington is 502-234-8725; HVAC inspector Joey Pratt is 606-671-7130; manufactured-housing inspector Tracee Brewer is 606-359-4656; boiler inspector David Miller is 606-594-8146. Plumbing inspector Mike Doolin is 606-622-7666, with office hours Thursday 8:00-9:30 a.m. EST at Clay County Health Department, 330 Shamrock Road, Manchester, 606-598-2425 ext. 224.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
The current Kentucky framework is the 2018 Kentucky Building Code, Fourth Edition, and 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, Third Edition, based on the 2015 IBC and IRC with Kentucky amendments; associated statewide references include the 2015 International Mechanical Code, Kentucky plumbing law and code, and applicable electrical and fire standards. DHBC announced July 2026 NEC updates, but no new 2026 KBC or KRC adoption was verified. Clay County has no local building inspector on the current DHBC assignment, so state jurisdiction applies to commercial construction; single-family homes must still meet the KRC even where no local building inspection program exists. Because Clay County has no local building inspection program, single-family homes still must meet the Kentucky Residential Code but generally have no building inspections except mechanical systems inspected by state HVAC and the local county electrical inspector. New plumbing installations and relocated fixtures require plumbing permits; permits are not required for repairing leaks, cocks, or valves, or for cleaning out waste or sewer pipes. Confirm any other minor or cosmetic exemption with DHBC or the county health department.