Administrative overview · FIPS 21107
Hopkins 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
Hopkins County Joint Planning Commission Building Permit Department
For a project in or near Hopkins 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
270-825-4457
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Hopkins County Joint Planning Commission Building Permit Department, 67 North Main Street, Madisonville, KY 42431.
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday.
Review expectation
Five to seven business days for permit processing after a complete submittal; new 911 address assignment is also estimated at five to seven business days.
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 Hopkins County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Hopkins County Joint Planning Commission Building Permit Department 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 270-825-4457.
How long might review take?
Five to seven business days for permit processing after a complete submittal; new 911 address assignment is also estimated at five to seven business days.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the completed application, deed or recorded plat, scaled plans when applicable, plot/site plan, environmentalist approval when applicable, notarized affidavit, and workers-compensation form to the Building Permit Department. Allow five to seven business days after a complete submittal and call 270-825-4457 for an appointment. Give the building official at least 24 hours’ notice for footer, rough-frame, and final inspections; final inspection is required before occupancy. Electrical inspection is separate: Mathis Conrad 270-821-1363, or Rodney Croft 270-424-8826 / Terrill Snodgrass 270-338-0982. Plumbing and septic: Hopkins County Health Department 270-821-5242. HVAC: Earnest Bates 270-499-2927.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
The county ordinance establishes the Hopkins County Fiscal Court as the local enforcement agency for the state building code and requires state-certified building inspections. 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; electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and floodplain work may require separate state or local approvals. Ordinary nonstructural repairs are exempt from the building permit requirement, but work involving structural changes or water, sewer, drainage, gas, electrical, mechanical, or similar systems is not ordinary repair. The county agricultural affidavit covers qualifying farm dwellings and farm structures outside municipal boundaries that are incidental to an owner-occupied agricultural operation and not retail, a regular workplace for 10 or more people, or timber processing/storage. Federal-HUD manufactured homes and completely above-grade swimming pools are also listed as exemptions, but manufactured-home exterior electrical, water, sewer connections, and additions are not exempt. Confirm any exemption with the Building Permit Department.