Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Alexandria, Kentucky

At a glance

Building permit

Required for erection, relocation, additions and structural alterations¹

Zoning

Alexandria zoning code; city zoning department managed by Campbell County²³

Septic permits

Northern Kentucky Health Department; site evaluation before installation approval⁶⁵

Occupancy approval

Certificate of occupancy required for buildings or premises created, changed, converted or enlarged⁷

Minimum lot area

R-1D: 12,000 square feet, with an exception for specified previously established lots⁸

Private wells

No owner permitting application or fee under Kentucky’s well rule; certified driller required⁹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Alexandria, KY?

Alexandria requires a building permit from the Building Inspector before a public or private building or other structure is erected, moved, added to or structurally altered.¹ The Alexandria building-permit application needs an approved zoning permit, the required fee, approved plans in duplicate and a site plan when required.¹ Kentucky’s single-family permit exception depends on the absence of a local requirement; Alexandria’s local building-permit rule supplies that requirement.¹⁰¹ A changed, converted or enlarged Alexandria building or premises also needs a certificate of occupancy before use.⁷

Who handles Alexandria building permits and zoning applications?

Start Alexandria zoning inquiries with Campbell County Planning, Zoning & Building Department: the city’s own zoning page identifies that department as the current manager and reviewer.³ The county department provides building permits and inspections and encourages permitting questions by email to [email protected].¹¹ Alexandria’s forms page directs new-development site plans, grading/erosion applications and related development applications to the county planning website.¹² Ask that counter to confirm the building-permit submission route, city fee schedule and inspection stages for your project; we could not confirm Alexandria’s complete inspection program or building and zoning fee amounts.

Does Alexandria have zoning, lot-size rules and agricultural exemptions?

Alexandria adopts and administers its own zoning code, with an official zoning map maintained by the city.² In Alexandria’s R-1D district, the minimum lot area is 12,000 square feet, subject to the stated exception for certain existing R-1D and R-1E lots established before the referenced provision.⁸ In Alexandria’s R-RE district, agricultural buildings, uses and accessory uses have a zoning exemption except for setback requirements; that provision does not establish a blanket exemption from building permits.¹³¹ Ask the city’s designated county zoning counter to identify your parcel’s district, applicable setbacks and whether the proposed use qualifies as agricultural.³

How do septic permits work inside Alexandria?

Northern Kentucky Health Department handles septic-system approval in Campbell County, including property inside Alexandria; the city’s building and zoning approvals do not replace health-department approval.⁵⁴ The site-evaluation application carries a $300 evaluation fee, and a suitable or provisionally suitable rating allows the certified installer to apply for an installation permit with the required paperwork and permit fee.⁶ A homeowner installing an Alexandria septic system personally must obtain a homeowner’s permit through the local health department.¹⁴ Inspection must occur before the installed system is covered.¹⁵ Campbell County’s soil rating shows only 0.2% rated not limited for conventional drain fields; that countywide figure calls for a parcel evaluation, not a conclusion that septic is impossible.¹⁶

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Alexandria?

We could not confirm a complete Alexandria rule for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the city’s designated county zoning counter about the specific parcel and proposed living arrangement.³ Kentucky’s temporary sleeping provision for lawfully parked vehicles on public roads, streets or parking lots does not establish permission for permanent RV living on private Alexandria land.¹⁷ A small home that involves erecting a structure still falls under Alexandria’s building-permit requirement, and Alexandria requires occupancy approval for buildings or premises created or changed.¹⁷ Ask about minimum dwelling size and manufactured-home conditions before choosing a unit; we could not confirm those city requirements.

Building a home in Alexandria: what are the steps in order?

1. Confirm the parcel’s Alexandria zoning district and proposed use with Campbell County, which now manages the city zoning department.²³
2. Resolve wastewater: if using septic, request Northern Kentucky Health Department’s site evaluation before seeking the installation permit.⁶
3. Obtain zoning approval and assemble the Alexandria building-permit application with the fee, approved plans in duplicate and any required site plan.¹
4. Obtain a plumbing construction permit before plumbing work begins.¹⁸
5. Arrange septic inspection before covering the system, and obtain Alexandria’s certificate of occupancy before using the newly created building or premises.¹⁵⁷

What should you check before buying land in Alexandria?

For an Alexandria parcel without available sewer, Kentucky requires the house drain to connect to an approved private sewage-disposal system; a building needs an independent connection to a public or private sewer system.¹⁹ Kentucky requires a certified water-well driller but no property-owner permitting application or fee for constructing or abandoning a well.⁹ Ask the zoning counter about local utility-connection conditions and the local floodplain coordinator for floodplain review: development in an identified Kentucky floodplain requires state and local floodplain permits.²⁰ For land outside Alexandria city limits, use the Campbell County guide for the county zoning framework rather than applying Alexandria’s city code.²²¹

Watch-outs

• Alexandria’s zoning department is now managed by Campbell County; use the city’s referral when arranging zoning review.³
• The R-RE agricultural zoning exemption retains setback requirements and is not a general building-permit exemption.¹³¹
• We could not confirm Alexandria’s RV-living rules or minimum dwelling size; ask Campbell County in its role administering city zoning before buying a unit.³

Sources

1. § 13.2 Building Permits (Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
2. § 154.01 Adoption by Reference (Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
3. City of Alexandria Zoning Department (alexandriaky.gov)
4. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program (Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
5. Septic Systems - Northern Kentucky Health Department, quoted and re-checked
6. Septic Systems - Northern Kentucky Health Department, quoted and re-checked
7. § 13.3 Certificate of Occupancy (Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
8. § 4.11 Residential One-D Zone (Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
9. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. 815 KAR 7:125, Kentucky Residential Code (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Campbell County Planning, Zoning and Building Inspections (campbellcountyky.gov)
12. City of Alexandria Permit Forms (alexandriaky.gov)
13. § 4.7 Residential Rural Estate & Agricultural Zone (Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
14. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program (Alexandria), quoted and re-checked
15. Septic Systems - Northern Kentucky Health Department, quoted and re-checked
16. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
17. KRS 511.110 — Unlawful camping (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Division of Plumbing Fee Change and Permit Information (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. 815 KAR 20:130. House sewers and storm water piping; methods of installation (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Find Your Flood Zone (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. § 154.002 Authority, quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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.