Bolthole Index

Campbell County, Kentucky

Building permits, zoning and septic in Highland Heights, Kentucky

For building-permit questions in Highland Heights, Kentucky, start with Campbell County’s building inspection department, the city’s designated building-code enforcement agency.1 Highland Heights has its own adopted zoning regulations, but the municipal website directs zoning applicants to Campbell County Planning and Zoning.23 Septic evaluations, installation permits and inspections stay with Northern Kentucky Health Department.45

At a glance

Building permits
County department designated for enforcement; ask which building permit your project needs1
Zoning
City zoning regulations; county planning counter is the city-listed contact23
Residential inspections
County inspection program includes residential plan review and inspections6
Septic permits
Northern Kentucky Health Department; site evaluation precedes installation permit4
Septic evaluation fee
$300 for site evaluation; installation permit fee is separate4
Private wells
No owner construction or abandonment permit application or fee; certified driller required7

Who to call

Building permits

Campbell County Planning and Zoning — Highland Heights service contact

Highland Heights zoning applications and building-permit inquiries; the city code designates the county department for building-code enforcement.

859-292-3880

[email protected]

1098 Monmouth St. #343 Newport, KY 41071

Planning & zoning

Highland Heights City Clerk-Treasurer

Public inspection of the city’s complete official zoning regulations; ask for the current text and amendments.

859.441.8575

[email protected]

Septic permits

Northern Kentucky Health Department

Septic site evaluations, installation permits and inspections inside Highland Heights.

859-341-4264

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

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Highland Heights means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Highland Heights, KY?

Highland Heights adopts the Kentucky building, residential and plumbing codes and designates the County Fiscal Court Department of Building Inspections as its local building-code enforcement agency.8 Highland Heights’ residential inspection program includes plan review and inspections of structures subject to the State Residential Code.6

Ask that department to identify the building permit, submission documents, fee and occupancy approval required for your proposed home or alteration.1 Kentucky’s statewide single-family building-permit exception depends on local ordinances, so the statewide exception alone does not establish that a Highland Heights project is exempt.9

Who handles Highland Heights building permits and zoning applications?

Highland Heights’ municipal zoning page directs applicants to Campbell County Planning and Zoning for planning, zoning needs and applications.3 Use the contact listed below and identify the property as being inside Highland Heights when asking about zoning approval or a building permit.3 The city’s code separately confirms the county department’s building-code enforcement role and ties fees to the Campbell County and Municipal Planning and Zoning Commission fee schedule.1

Septic approval follows a separate route: Northern Kentucky Health Department handles site evaluations and installation permits for Campbell County properties, including Highland Heights.4

Does Highland Heights have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Highland Heights has adopted its own zoning regulations, and the complete official regulations are retained by the City Clerk-Treasurer for public inspection.2 Highland Heights’ regulations establish zoning districts; use the parcel’s district rather than assuming a citywide lot-size or setback standard.10

Ask Campbell County Planning and Zoning to identify the district and confirm the permitted residential use, minimum lot size, setbacks, building height and lot coverage for the parcel before commissioning a house plan.3 Ask the City Clerk-Treasurer for the current official zoning text if you need to inspect the adopted regulations yourself.2

How do septic permits work inside Highland Heights?

A septic system in Highland Heights needs a local health department permit before construction, installation or alteration.11 Northern Kentucky Health Department serves Campbell County and starts new-system approval with a site-evaluation application and a $300 evaluation fee.124 After a suitable or provisionally suitable site rating, the certified installer can apply for the installation permit with the required paperwork and a separate permit fee.4

The $50 state permit fee described in Kentucky’s regulation is additional to any fee established by the local board of health; it is not the complete local approval cost.11 The installer must request the Health Department inspection before covering the installed system.5

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Highland Heights?

We could not confirm permission for long-term RV living, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on private land in Highland Heights; ask Campbell County Planning and Zoning about the proposed use before buying a vehicle or placing a small dwelling.3 Highland Heights has adopted zoning regulations and state building codes, so ask about both land-use approval and the building-code classification of your proposed dwelling.28

Kentucky’s event-related RV parking exception concerns temporary parking associated with publicly announced events and does not establish permission for permanent RV occupancy or displace applicable local zoning and health rules.13 An approved sewage disposal arrangement remains a separate requirement for a building where public sewer is unavailable.14

Building a home in Highland Heights: what should you check first?

Start with the parcel’s zoning and intended use: ask Campbell County Planning and Zoning for the applicable Highland Heights district requirements.103 Next, ask the county building inspection department about plan review, the building-permit application and the inspections needed for your design.1 If the project needs septic, arrange the Health Department site evaluation before pursuing the installation permit.4

For a proposed private well, Kentucky requires a certified water well driller, although the property owner does not need a construction or abandonment permit application or fee.7 Development in an identified Kentucky floodplain requires state and local floodplain permits; ask the city to identify the local floodplain coordinator for your address.15 For land outside city limits, consult the Campbell County guide for the unincorporated-area answer.16

Watch-outs

  • Highland Heights uses city-adopted zoning regulations even though its municipal website sends applicants to the county planning counter.23
  • We could not confirm a general Highland Heights owner-builder exemption; ask the designated building inspection department before assuming owner work avoids building permits or inspections.1
  • A septic site-evaluation fee does not include the separate installation permit fee.4

Sources

  1. § 150.01 Adoption of state building codes and inspection program (Highland Heights), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 152.01 Adoption by reference (Highland Heights), quoted and re-checked
  3. Campbell County Planning and Zoning — Highland Heights service contact (hhky.com)
  4. Septic Systems - Northern Kentucky Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  5. Septic Systems - Northern Kentucky Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  6. § 150.01 Adoption of state building codes and inspection program (Highland Heights), quoted and re-checked
  7. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 150.01 Adoption of state building codes and inspection program (Highland Heights), quoted and re-checked
  9. 815 KAR 7:125, Kentucky Residential Code (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Highland Heights), quoted and re-checked
  11. 902 KAR 10:110 Issuance of on-site sewage disposal system permits (Highland Heights), quoted and re-checked
  12. Septic Systems - Northern Kentucky Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  13. KRS 219.410 — Exclusions for personal or farm use, festivals, and events (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. 815 KAR 20:130. House sewers and storm water piping; methods of installation (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Find Your Flood Zone (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. § 154.002 Authority (2026 county census)

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Highland Heights

Highland Heights’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Buildings subject to the Kentucky State Building Code, State Residential Code, State Plumbing Code, and State Standards of Safety inside Highland Heights.

    • The County Fiscal Court Department of Building Inspections is the local enforcement agency for the State Building Code and State Residential Code.
    • Building inspections must be performed by persons certified by the State Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction.
    “The State Building Code, as contained in 815 KAR 7:120; the State Residential Code, as contained in 815 KAR 7:125; the State Plumbing Code, as contained in 815 KAR Chapter 20, of the State Administrative Regulations ; the State Standards of Safety, as contained in 815 KAR 10, together with any amendments, are hereby adopted by reference as if fully set forth in this code of ordinances.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Buildings inside Highland Heights subject to the State Building Code or State Residential Code.

    • The County Fiscal Court Department of Building Inspection program includes plan review and inspections of structures subject to the State Residential Code.
    • Inspectors must be certified by the State Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction.
    “The building inspection program of the County Fiscal Court Department of Building Inspection shall include plan review and inspections of structures subject to 815 KAR 7:125, the State Residential Code.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Highland Heights city limits; the city adopts and administers zoning regulations by reference.

    • The complete official zoning regulations are retained by the City Clerk-Treasurer at the city building for public inspection.
    “The zoning regulations adopted by Ord. 16-83, enacted on 6-23-1983, and the goals and policies of the comprehensive plan, adopted by Ord. 6-88, enacted 3-10-1988 and Ord. 9-94, enacted 3-10-1994, with appendices and appendix of corrections is hereby incorporated by reference, and adopted and approved.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Highland Heights zoning districts and regulations.

    • The code confirms official zoning regulations and districts exist, but the complete district schedule was not published in the accessible code page; it is retained by the City Clerk-Treasurer.
    “The zoning regulations and districts as set forth in the official zoning regulations are also employed to protect highways and other transportation facilities, public facilities including schools with public grounds, the central business district, natural resources and other specific areas in the city which need special protection by the city. [...] The complete official zoning regulations shall be retained by the City Clerk-Treasurer at the city building for record and inspection by the public.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-permit and inspection administration inside Highland Heights.

    • The County Fiscal Court Department of Building Inspections is the local enforcement agency for the State Building Code and State Residential Code.
    • Fees are set by the Campbell County and Municipal Planning and Zoning Commission fee schedule.
    “The County Fiscal Court Department of Building Inspections shall be designated as the local enforcement agent/agency for the State Building Code and State Residential Code. [...] The building inspection program of the County Fiscal Court Department of Building Inspection shall include plan review and inspections of structures subject to 815 KAR 7:125, the State Residential Code.”

Rules another office applies inside Highland Heights

Highland Heights does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    On-site sewage disposal systems serving property inside Highland Heights; Kentucky regulates the program while local health departments administer evaluations, permits, and inspections.

    • The state source describes administration through local health departments; the specific Campbell County local health department was not separately verified in the available search budget.
    “The Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program is administered through local health departments and begins with the use of onsite evaluations to determine if the site and soil conditions are suitable for onsite wastewater systems. Local health department onsite septic system inspectors will perform site evaluations and inspections in Kentucky.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction, installation, or alteration of an on-site sewage disposal system inside Highland Heights.

    • The permit must be obtained from the local health department before construction, installation, or alteration.
    • The regulation provides a $50 state permit fee plus any fee established by the local board of health.

    state permit fee: 50 USD (plus the fee established by the local board of health)

    “KRS 211.350 provides that no person, firm, or corporation shall construct, install, alter or cause to be constructed, installed, or altered any on-site sewage disposal system subject to administrative regulation by the cabinet without having first obtained an on-site sewage disposal permit from the local health department.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Highland Heights or Campbell County directly.

  • Building permit — Building construction inside Highland Heights.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Highland Heights.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Highland Heights.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Highland Heights by zoning district.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Highland Heights by zoning district.
16 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Highland Heights publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Campbell County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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