Administrative overview · FIPS 21121
Knox 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
Knox County Fiscal Court / Knox County Local Building Inspector Wes Finley, with Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction trade-inspection support
For a project in or near Knox 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
Wes Finley, local building inspector: 606-416-4182; Knox County Fiscal Court: 606-546-6192; DHBC plan-review jurisdiction questions: 502-573-0373.
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Knox County Fiscal Court, 401 Court Square, Barbourville, KY 40906; plumbing inspection office, Knox County Health Department, 261 Hospital Drive, Barbourville, KY 40906.
Operating hours
Knox County Fiscal Court courthouse hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Saturday 8:30 a.m.-noon for County Clerk and Circuit Clerk offices. Plumbing inspection office hours: Tuesday 8:00-9:30 a.m. EST.
Review expectation
N/A. No current Knox County permit-review turnaround time was published on the verified official pages.
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 Knox County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Knox County Fiscal Court / Knox County Local Building Inspector Wes Finley, with Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction trade-inspection support 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 Wes Finley, local building inspector: 606-416-4182; Knox County Fiscal Court: 606-546-6192; DHBC plan-review jurisdiction questions: 502-573-0373..
How long might review take?
N/A. No current Knox County permit-review turnaround time was published on the verified official pages.
How are inspections scheduled?
Contact local building inspector Wes Finley at 606-416-4182 for county building-permit review and inspection scheduling. Local electrical questions are directed to the County Judge Executive’s office or the city office where the work occurs; state electrical inspector Anisa Ross is 606-278-4383. State manufactured-housing inspector Mark Pruitt is 606-224-7464; elevator inspector Benjamin Pennington is 502-234-8725; HVAC inspector Joey Pratt is 606-671-7130; plumbing inspector Mike Doolin is 606-622-7666 and holds office hours Tuesday 8:00-9:30 a.m. EST at the Knox County Health Department, 261 Hospital Drive, Barbourville; and boiler inspector David Miller is 606-594-8146. DHBC plan-review jurisdiction questions: 502-573-0373.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Kentucky’s current statewide framework applies: the 2018 Kentucky Building Code, Second Edition/Fourth Edition amendment publication, based on the 2015 International Building Code with Kentucky amendments, and the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, based on the 2015 International Residential Code with Kentucky amendments. Knox County’s DHBC assignment lists a local building inspector for local enforcement; DHBC handles state-jurisdiction work and trade inspections. No newer 2026 KBC or KRC adoption was verified. No current Knox County-specific minor-work exemption list was published on the verified county pages. Kentucky’s code exemptions and local determinations should be confirmed with Wes Finley before work; ordinary maintenance and finish work may be treated differently from structural alteration, additions, new construction, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, manufactured-housing, floodplain, or zoning work. Agricultural and accessory-building treatment was not verified from a current Knox County source.