Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Princeton, Kentucky

Princeton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, moving, alteration or demolition of buildings inside Princeton city

  • Permit issued by the administrative/enforcement officer under zoning chapter 80
  • Dog houses under 18 sq ft floor area and 4 ft height are exempt if yards and setbacks are kept
  • No permit needed for recurring maintenance work or installing improvements under an approved subdivision plat

  “it shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for or the construction of any building, including accessory buildings, or to commence the moving, alteration, or demolition of any building, including accessory buildings, until the administrative/enforcement officer has issued a building permit for such work.”

• Building code adoptedPartial

  Electrical wiring inside Princeton city; the city code adopts the electrical codes. Other building code adoption not confirmed.

  • Only the electrical article (§ 70.001) was confirmed; residential building code adoption by the city or state was not located

  “all electrical wiring shall be in full compliance with the national electrical code, and the national electrical safety code, if in effect at the time of installation or substantial modification of said wiring;”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Princeton city limits (Caldwell County, KY)

  • Administered by the city planning commission, with a board of adjustment for variances
  • Code on the city site is codified through end of 2017 plus later listed amendments

  “while cities are not required to enact planning and zoning, princeton has chosen to do so.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Princeton city (R-1, R-2, R-3, B-1, B-2 and others in chapter 80); zoning map PDF on the city site

  • Code on site is codified through 2017 with later amendments listed separately

  “§ 80.421 low density residential district (r-1) the low density residential classification is the most restrictive residential district.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Low density residential district (R-1) inside Princeton city

  • District-specific; R-2, R-3, B and agricultural/rural districts differ

  minimum lot area R-1: >= 10000 sq ft · minimum lot width at building line R-1: >= 75 ft

  “minimum lot area 10,000 sq. ft. minimum lot width at building 75 feet line minimum front yard 30 feet minimum side yard (each side) 10 feet minimum rear yard 25 feet maximum building height 30 feet or 2 stories”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Two-family residential district (R-2) inside Princeton city

    “minimum lot area 8,000 sq. ft. for single-family; 10,000 sq. ft. for two-family dwellings minimum lot width at building line 60 feet for one-family; 70 feet for two-family dwellings minimum front yard 25 feet minimum side yard (each side) 8 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Low density residential district (R-1) inside Princeton city

  • Other districts have different yards

  front yard: >= 30 ft · side yard each side: >= 10 ft · rear yard: >= 25 ft

  “minimum lot area 10,000 sq. ft. minimum lot width at building 75 feet line minimum front yard 30 feet minimum side yard (each side) 10 feet minimum rear yard 25 feet maximum building height 30 feet or 2 stories”

• Building heightSpecified

  Low density residential district (R-1) inside Princeton city

  • R-2 and R-3: 36 feet or 3 stories; district-specific

  maximum building height R-1: <= 30 ft or 2 stories

  “minimum lot area 10,000 sq. ft. minimum lot width at building 75 feet line minimum front yard 30 feet minimum side yard (each side) 10 feet minimum rear yard 25 feet maximum building height 30 feet or 2 stories”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Princeton or Caldwell County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Princeton city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Princeton city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Princeton city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Princeton city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Princeton city

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.