Administrative overview · FIPS 21103
Henry 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
Henry County Planning & Zoning / Henry County Building Inspection / Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
For a project in or near Henry 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
502-639-3218
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Henry County Planning & Zoning, 19 South Property Road, New Castle, KY 40050; Henry County Health Department, 75 Park Road, New Castle, KY 40050.
Operating hours
Henry County offices generally operate Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; Planning & Zoning’s published public contact is 502-845-5707, extension 2.
Review expectation
The county ordinance says zoning-permit applications should ordinarily be approved or disapproved within three days; no separate current building-plan review timeline was published.
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 Henry County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Henry County Planning & Zoning / Henry County 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 502-639-3218.
How long might review take?
The county ordinance says zoning-permit applications should ordinarily be approved or disapproved within three days; no separate current building-plan review timeline was published.
How are inspections scheduled?
For county building inspection contact Matthew Dunaway at 502-639-3218; the DHBC sheet lists jstanley.hcgov@mail.com as the associated email, while county Planning & Zoning is at 502-845-5707 ext. 2. The county ordinance requires a dimensional building drawing and preliminary county health-officer approval of water and sewage facilities before the building-permit step. Local electrical matters are directed to the county judge executive’s or city office; state electrical inspector Darryl Morgan is 859-473-5176, elevator inspector Alex Taylor is 502-330-2565, HVAC inspector Steve Shively is 502-871-1452, manufactured-housing inspector Michael Carter is 502-229-6437, plumbing inspector Guy Dwayne Crase is 502-229-6274 with Tuesday 8:00-9:00 a.m. EST office hours at the Henry County Health Department, and boiler inspector Ben Tate is 502-604-5072.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
The current DHBC county assignment lists Matthew Dunaway as local building inspector and John Orthober as state building inspector. Henry County’s ordinance requires building permits under the locally adopted State Building Code regulations; 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. Henry County zoning exceptions include recurring maintenance regardless of cost; alterations to existing buildings with replacement value of $500 or less; construction or service connections to publicly owned and operated utilities; grading, streets, ditch digging, cutting, and filling associated with site improvements before building development; required improvements under an approved preliminary subdivision or planned-development plat; and structures other than signs containing less than 15 square feet of floor space. Confirm building-code and trade-permit requirements separately.