Calloway County, Kentucky lists a local building inspector and appears to require building permits, but the published sources do not spell out the complete permit scope.1 Kentucky does not require permits, inspections or occupancy certificates for a single-family dwelling unless a local ordinance does, so confirm your parcel and project with the local inspector before building.2
At a glance
- Building permit
- Confirm with the local inspector; the available county material does not publish the complete scope13
- Zoning
- Countywide zoning could not be confirmed; subdivision rules still apply45
- Septic
- Site evaluation, permit and installation inspection required67
- RV living
- Long-term occupancy on private land is unconfirmed; ask the local inspector8
- Tiny home
- No county-specific occupancy or minimum-size rule was confirmed4
- Owner-builder
- No general building-permit exemption confirmed; homeowners may obtain their own septic and plumbing permits9610
- Private well
- Kentucky requires certified drillers; a separate owner-applied construction permit was not established11
Who to call
Building permits
Local Building Inspector — K&S Building Ins. LLC
New building inspections in Calloway County
Septic permits
Calloway County Health Department
Site evaluations, permits and inspections for onsite wastewater systems
602 Memory Lane Murray, Ky 42071
Floodplain permits
Calloway County Floodplain Officer
Local floodplain questions and development-permit coordination
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 28, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Calloway County, Kentucky?
Calloway County appears to require a building permit and the state directory identifies a local inspector, but the published material does not define every covered project or inspection stage.1 Local inspection applies to single-family homes where the local inspection program applies.3
That distinction matters because Kentucky's residential rule says a single-family home needs no permit, inspection or occupancy certificate unless a local ordinance requires one.2 Before ordering materials, give the Local Building Inspector your parcel location, whether it lies inside Murray or Hazel, the proposed use, and whether the work is a new home, addition, accessory building or conversion. The county directs questions about new building inspections to that office.12
Who handles Calloway County building inspections and permits?
Calloway County directs new-building inspection questions to the Local Building Inspector at K&S Building Ins. LLC, by phone at the number listed above.12 Start there for an unincorporated parcel and ask which application, plans, fees and inspection stages apply to the specific structure.
Land division is a separate county process. All subdivision of land covered by the county regulations requires Fiscal Court approval.5 A final plat for covered subdivision property must be approved and recorded with the Calloway County Clerk before certain sales, transfers or recordings.13 The subdivision rules generally cover county territory outside the area regulated, or permitted to be regulated, by the City of Murray.14 For land inside a city, begin with that city's office rather than assuming the county process controls.
Does Calloway County have zoning?
We could not confirm a countywide Calloway County zoning ordinance or an official statement that the county has no zoning.4 Kentucky law allows fiscal courts and legislative bodies to enact zoning after the required comprehensive-plan elements are adopted, but that authority does not prove Calloway County adopted countywide zoning.15
Do not treat a rural parcel as unrestricted. Calloway County regulates subdivision of land and requires Fiscal Court approval for covered subdivisions.5 The available sources also do not settle parcel-specific setbacks, lot coverage, building height, minimum dwelling size or accessory-dwelling rules. Ask the Local Building Inspector about those issues and confirm whether the parcel is within Murray, Hazel or another special jurisdiction before relying on a seller's description.12
How do septic permits work in Calloway County?
The Calloway County Health Department decides whether site and soil conditions are suitable for an onsite wastewater system.16 The process has a site evaluation and a Permit to Construct, with applicable fees due before work begins; the permit may be obtained only by a Kentucky-certified installer or the homeowner who will install the system.6 The system is inspected during installation for compliance with Kentucky regulations.7
Call before choosing a house site: only 1.5% of mapped county soils lack severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.17 That soil rating is a screening signal, not a parcel decision, so the health department's site evaluation is essential. Where sewer is unavailable, Kentucky plumbing rules require the house drain to connect to an approved private sewage-disposal system.18
Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Calloway County?
We could not confirm a Calloway County rule that authorizes long-term RV residence on private land, temporary private-property camping, or tiny-home occupancy. Kentucky's rule allowing a person to sleep temporarily in a lawfully parked vehicle on a public road, street or parking lot for less than 12 hours does not establish permission to live in an RV on private land.8
For a tiny home, the available county material does not answer minimum size, setbacks or whether a unit on wheels is treated as an RV.4 Ask the Local Building Inspector how the proposed unit is classified and what inspections apply.12 If it will use onsite sewage, obtain the health department's site determination and construction permit; an unconventional dwelling does not bypass wastewater review.6
Building a home in Calloway County: what are the steps?
- Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction and describe the project to the Local Building Inspector; the county publishes that office as the contact for new building inspections.12
- If creating or changing lots, resolve Fiscal Court plat approval and recording before transfer or construction dependent on the plat.13
- Have the Calloway County Health Department evaluate the site and obtain the Permit to Construct before septic work begins.6
- Obtain the plumbing construction permit before plumbing installation or alteration; Kentucky allows a homeowner permit for the owner's personal residence.10
- If the site is in an identified floodplain, obtain both state and local floodplain permits before development.19
- Apply in writing to the state highway district engineer before adding a farm or single-family driveway on a state right-of-way.20
What should you check before buying land in Calloway County?
Put septic suitability near the top of due diligence because only 1.5% of mapped soils avoid a severe conventional-drain-field limitation.17 Ask for the health department evaluation before treating a proposed homesite as buildable.16
Check the flood map and contact the county Floodplain Officer if any proposed driveway, fill, utility or structure is in a mapped floodplain.21 Kentucky requires both state and local permits for development in an identified floodplain.19 Confirm legal access and whether the connecting road is county, city or state maintained; a new driveway on a state highway has its own application requirement.20 Finally, budget around a 0.7% effective property-tax rate and a $1,215 median annual property-tax bill, while verifying the actual parcel assessment and exemptions.2223
Watch-outs
- A local inspector is listed, but the available official material does not publish a complete building-permit scope; call before construction or material delivery.112
- Countywide zoning, long-term RV occupancy, tiny-home standards and minimum dwelling size remain unconfirmed; ask the Local Building Inspector about the parcel and proposed use.412
- A mapped floodplain project needs both state and local floodplain permits before development begins.19
Sources
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) - Calloway County local inspector sheet (2026 county census)
- 815 KAR 7:125, Kentucky Residential Code (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Building Codes, quoted and re-checked
- (2026 county census)
- Subdivision Regulations of Calloway County, Kentucky, quoted and re-checked
- Environmental Services, quoted and re-checked
- Environmental Services, quoted and re-checked
- KRS 511.110 — Unlawful camping (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- (2026 county census)
- Division of Plumbing Fee Change and Permit Information (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- 401 KAR 6:320. Certification of water well drillers and water well driller assistants (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Local Building Inspector — K&S Building Ins. LLC (callowaycountyky.gov)
- Subdivision Regulations of Calloway County, Kentucky, quoted and re-checked
- Subdivision Regulations of Calloway County, Kentucky, quoted and re-checked
- KRS 100.201 — Interim and permanent land use regulations authorized (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Environmental Services, quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- 815 KAR 20:130. House sewers and storm water piping; methods of installation (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Find Your Flood Zone (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- 603 KAR 1:020 Driveway approaches, entrances; construction and maintenance (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Calloway County Floodplain Officer (callowaycountyky.gov)
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
Written September 28, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.