Administrative overview · FIPS 21179
Nelson 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
Nelson County Code Enforcement Department / Joint City-County Planning Commission of Nelson County
For a project in or near Nelson 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
Code Enforcement: 502-348-1862; Code Office Manager Vanessa Linton: codesclerk@nelsoncountyky.gov; Planning and Zoning: 502-348-1805; Nelson County Fiscal Court: 502-348-1800; plumbing inspector Brian Sandusky: 502-286-0490; state Building Inspector Dave Ulinski: 502-489-2357
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Nelson County Code Enforcement Department, 1 Court Square, Second Floor, Bardstown, KY 40004; Nelson County Health Department, 325 South Third Street, Bardstown, KY 40004
Operating hours
Code Enforcement electrical inspection scheduling is listed Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; DHBC's county roster lists plumbing office hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8:00-9:30 a.m. EST. Contact Code Enforcement for building-counter availability.
Review expectation
Zoning compliance applications are to be approved or disapproved within one week of submission under the current zoning regulations. No guaranteed 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 Nelson County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Nelson County Code Enforcement Department / Joint City-County Planning Commission of Nelson County 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 Code Enforcement: 502-348-1862; Code Office Manager Vanessa Linton: codesclerk@nelsoncountyky.gov; Planning and Zoning: 502-348-1805; Nelson County Fiscal Court: 502-348-1800; plumbing inspector Brian Sandusky: 502-286-0490; state Building Inspector Dave Ulinski: 502-489-2357.
How long might review take?
Zoning compliance applications are to be approved or disapproved within one week of submission under the current zoning regulations. No guaranteed building-plan review timeline was published.
How are inspections scheduled?
Use the Nelson County iWorQ portal to submit applications and request/search permits; inspection requests require a contractor access code, with homeowner code 000000 when the homeowner is connected to the application. The 2024 home-building guide identifies required building inspections as footer, framing, and final, and electrical inspections as rough-in, temporary service on the main, and final. Call Code Enforcement at 502-348-1862 for scheduling. Plumbing inspector Brian Sandusky: 502-286-0490 at the Health Department on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings; HVAC Kristopher Ahlers: 502-655-5061; state building Dave Ulinski: 502-489-2357; elevator Billy Mudd: 502-330-3886; manufactured housing Carl Lee: 270-283-8297; boiler Ben Tate: 502-604-5072.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Nelson County Ordinance 2023-009 adopts the Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code, including periodic amendments and updates. The county extends KRC permit, inspection, and certificate-of-occupancy requirements to detached one- and two-family dwellings, apartments, and townhouses up to three stories with separate egress and their accessory structures. The DHBC roster identifies local Code Enforcement as the building inspector; the current state code vintage is the 2018 KBC/KRC with Kentucky amendments. Routine maintenance and repair does not require a zoning compliance permit. The county ordinance states that accessory structures below 1,000 square feet are exempt from the listed county inspection fee and inspection requirement, but applicants should confirm whether a permit or zoning review is still required. Qualified agricultural structures may receive a waived zoning-compliance fee when supported by an agricultural affidavit; public facilities have waived zoning-compliance fees. Non-commercial demolition is exempt from plan-review and inspection fees.