Administrative overview · FIPS 21091
Hancock 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
Hancock County Building Inspection / Hancock County Urban Planning & Zoning / Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
For a project in or near Hancock 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
270-339-4188
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Hancock County Urban Planning & Zoning, 200 Court Square, P.O. Box 692, Hawesville, KY 42348; Hancock County Fiscal Court, 225 Main Cross Street, Hawesville, KY 42348.
Operating hours
Building-inspector hours were not separately published. Hancock County Urban Planning & Zoning is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CST; county fiscal court office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Review expectation
N/A. No published Hancock County building-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 Hancock County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Hancock County Building Inspection / Hancock County Urban Planning & Zoning / 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 270-339-4188.
How long might review take?
N/A. No published Hancock County building-plan review turnaround time was found.
How are inspections scheduled?
For local building inspections contact Pat Rhodes at 270-339-4188. The county directory lists local electrical inspector Greg Carwile at 270-570-8538; state electrical inspector Tony Mercer at 270-601-1698; state building inspector Kelly Meadows at 270-823-3921 or Kelly.meadows@ky.gov; manufactured-housing inspector Rodney Farrar at 270-404-5327; HVAC inspector Rick Sims at 270-702-0340; elevator inspector Jim Morris at 270-999-8241; plumbing inspector Anthony Mattingly at 270-282-1123, with office hours Thursday 8:00-9:00 a.m. CST; Hancock County Health Department environmentalist Matt Goetz at 270-927-8803; and boiler inspector Billy Yarbrough at 502-682-2839. Planning and zoning inquiries go to Troy Mills at 270-302-7105 or statelineinspections1@gmail.com.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Hancock County’s current inspector directory lists a local building inspector, Pat Rhodes, with state building inspector Kelly Meadows as the state counterpart. Building work is governed by 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. No current Hancock County-specific list of minor or cosmetic building-permit exemptions was published. Confirm ordinary maintenance, small accessory structures, agricultural or farmstead work, manufactured housing, and other potentially exempt projects with Pat Rhodes before beginning; electrical, plumbing, HVAC, septic, floodplain, and city zoning requirements may be separate.