Fees, valuation & enforcement
Permit fees are a project input. Enforcement exposure is a project risk. Use the official schedule where available, then confirm valuation, trade permits, plan review, and inspection charges with the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Official fee pathway
The final charge may depend on declared construction value, occupancy classification, square footage, plan review, state surcharges, trade permits, technology fees, and inspection activity. Do not use a neighboring city’s fee table as a substitute for this jurisdiction.
Fee desk contact
270-687-8665
Ask the counter to confirm current charges before submitting a project with multiple trades or a change of use.
Financial exposure
Plan for building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, energy, zoning, septic, right-of-way, or other reviews that the project scope triggers. The lowest initial permit fee is not always the lowest project cost.
Enforcement exposure
When work begins without authorization, the agency may halt the site, require corrective plans, impose additional fees, withhold inspection release, or require concealed work to be exposed for review.
Closeout exposure
A missing final inspection or certificate can complicate occupancy, refinancing, sale, insurance, and utility connection. Preserve the approved plans and signed inspection record through closeout.
Professional field note
Even when a cosmetic or minor project does not require a building permit, zoning, floodplain, shoreline, historic, utility, fire, or right-of-way controls may still apply. Confirm the full jurisdictional picture before work starts.
Source trail
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
Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission Building & Electrical Division / Daviess County Fiscal Court / 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.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 270-687-8665.
N/A. No published Daviess County or OMPC plan-review turnaround time was found.
Direct building-permit and inspection questions to Matthew Warren at 270-687-8665 or matthew.warren@owensboro.org. New construction, additions, and remodeling require at least three field inspections: footer/foundation, framing, and final occupancy. Electrical work requires a permit and at least rough-in and final inspections, with electrical clearance before utility energization. HVAC work requires permitting and inspection; local HVAC inspector Bruce Crowe is listed by OMPC. State building inspector Travis Albin is 270-662-9038 or travis.albin@ky.gov; state electrical inspector Pat O’Bryan is 270-645-8903; elevator inspector Jim Morris is 270-999-8241; state HVAC inspector Rick Sims is 270-702-0340; manufactured-housing inspector James Blackburn is 270-704-7171. Plumbing inspectors Mark Thomas and Anthony Mattingly are 270-314-9933 and 270-282-1123, with office hours Monday-Friday 8:00-9:00 a.m. CST at Daviess County Health Department, 270-852-2906.
The OMPC Building & Electrical Division issues building and electrical permits for Owensboro-Daviess County and reviews HVAC work under the Kentucky Residential Code, Kentucky Building Code, International Mechanical Code, NFPA 54, and Manual J. Daviess County ordinances adopt the Commonwealth Residential and Building Codes. The applicable 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 KBC or KRC adoption was verified. DHBC announced July 2026 NEC updates for electrical work. The OMPC states that new construction, additions, and certain remodeling require plan review and permits; building, electrical, HVAC, sign, parking-lot, and certificate-of-occupancy permits are issued through the division. No current Daviess County-specific minor or cosmetic exemption list was published. Confirm ordinary maintenance, small accessory work, and any exemption with OMPC before beginning; plumbing permits are handled through the state/local plumbing program.
Why permit costs vary
Building departments commonly calculate charges from valuation, occupancy, floor area, project type, plan review effort, trade scope, state surcharges, and inspection activity. A remodel that appears small on paper may still trigger structural, energy, fire, or utility review. Ask the permit counter which disciplines apply before you finalize the construction budget.
The same discipline applies to enforcement. Correcting unpermitted work after finishes are installed can require demolition, revised plans, additional inspections, and schedule disruption. Authorization is usually the less expensive project-management decision.