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
Pendleton County Planning & Zoning: 859-654-1108; State Building Inspector Keith Ransdell: 502-591-9896, keith.ransdell@ky.gov; Pendleton County Judge/Executive David Fields: 859-654-4321; Code Enforcement: 859-654-1376; electrical inspectors Robert Scott: 606-402-0172, Steve Helmer: 859-746-9111, Larry Rice: 859-338-6109; plumbing inspector Bobby Saylor: 606-316-9167; HVAC inspector Steve Shively: 502-871-1452
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
This record is marked State Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel 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 Pendleton County Planning & Zoning: 859-654-1108; State Building Inspector Keith Ransdell: 502-591-9896, keith.ransdell@ky.gov; Pendleton County Judge/Executive David Fields: 859-654-4321; Code Enforcement: 859-654-1376; electrical inspectors Robert Scott: 606-402-0172, Steve Helmer: 859-746-9111, Larry Rice: 859-338-6109; plumbing inspector Bobby Saylor: 606-316-9167; HVAC inspector Steve Shively: 502-871-1452.
N/A. No current Pendleton County or DHBC plan-review turnaround guarantee was published; contact Planning & Zoning or Keith Ransdell for the project queue and required review sequence.
Submit the residential or commercial zoning permit application to Pendleton County Planning & Zoning at 233 Main Street, Falmouth, and contact State Building Inspector Keith Ransdell at 502-591-9896 for commercial building-code plan review and inspections. The county's inspection page lists contracted electrical inspectors Robert Scott, Steve Helmer, and Larry Rice. The current DHBC roster lists plumbing inspector Bobby Saylor at 606-316-9167 on Wednesdays, 8:00-9:00 a.m. at the Pendleton County Health Department, HVAC inspector Steve Shively at 502-871-1452, manufactured housing Bruce Hall at 502-682-8544, elevator Chris Hetterman at 502-226-0819, and boiler Gary Shoemaker at 859-339-4458. Sanitary-sewage inspections are handled by Don Jacobs / Three Rivers District Health Department at 859-654-6985.
The latest DHBC county roster, updated April 7, 2026, identifies no local building inspector and routes commercial building permits to the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. Applicable state codes are the 2018 Kentucky Building Code and 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, based on the 2015 International Building Code and 2015 International Residential Code with Kentucky amendments, plus applicable trade codes. Pendleton County separately administers its June 2025 zoning ordinance and related land-use requirements for the unincorporated county and City of Falmouth. The county applications page states that zoning permits are required for all new construction, new uses, additions, demolition, sheds, detached garages, carports, pools, decks, fences, off-street parking, and signage. No current minor or cosmetic exemption list was published; confirm any proposed repair or agricultural work with Planning & Zoning and DHBC before beginning.
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.