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
Land of Lincoln Planning and Zoning / residential building inspector Gordon Ireland: 270-358-0830; commercial building inspector Edwin Alicea: 270-769-5479; County Fiscal Court: 270-358-4400; plumbing permits and inspections: 270-358-8665.
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
Land of Lincoln Planning and Zoning Commission / LaRue County Fiscal Court Building Inspection 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 Land of Lincoln Planning and Zoning / residential building inspector Gordon Ireland: 270-358-0830; commercial building inspector Edwin Alicea: 270-769-5479; County Fiscal Court: 270-358-4400; plumbing permits and inspections: 270-358-8665..
N/A. No current LaRue County building-permit review timeline was published.
Contact Gordon “Bud” Ireland at 270-358-0830 for residential building inspection and Edwin Alicea at 270-769-5479 for commercial/non-residential inspection. Before a building permit, obtain the septic/site evaluation permit from the LaRue County Environmental Office when not on city sewer, submit site/floor/risor plans, and establish the entrance for address assignment. For plumbing, call 270-358-8665 before 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday; state plumbing inspector Robert Skaggs is 270-506-9537 and the office is at 215 East Main Street. Local electrical questions go to the County Judge Executive’s office or city office; state electrical inspector Jerry Skinner is 270-899-1254. Manufactured housing Carl Lee: 270-283-8297; elevator Ben Pennington: 502-234-8725; HVAC Jason DeMurray: 270-283-1042; boiler Billy Yarbrough: 502-682-2839.
The current state assignment lists Gordon “Bud” Ireland for residential and Edwin Alicea for commercial/non-residential local building inspection, with Dale Henderson as the state building inspector. Kentucky’s current statewide code framework is the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, based on the 2015 IBC/IRC with Kentucky amendments. The county’s December 8, 2025 zoning ordinance adopts the most recent Kentucky Residential Code on file for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses up to three stories. The December 2025 LaRue/Hodgenville zoning ordinance requires a building/zoning permit for dwellings, structures, and other buildings, but exempts structures or buildings in the A-1 agricultural zone constructed for agricultural purposes; agricultural dwellings still require a permit. The county page also requires an agricultural affidavit for qualifying agricultural divisions. No broader cosmetic or ordinary-maintenance exemption list was published; confirm finish work, repairs, accessory structures, utilities, floodplain work, and trade permits with the local inspector.
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.