Bolthole Index

Grayson County, Kentucky

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Leitchfield, Kentucky

Inside Leitchfield, Kentucky, a permit is required before you build, place, move, demolish or exteriorly alter a building1. The planning commission and its authorized agent run the city's zoning2. Septic permits for Leitchfield addresses come from the Grayson County Health Department, not the city3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside city limits before construction, placement, demolition or exterior alteration1
Zoning
City zoning ordinance, administered by the planning commission and its agent2
Permit decision time
Granted or denied within 14 calendar days of application4
Septic
Grayson County Health Department; city requires sewer hookup when a main is within 500 feet35
Minimum lot, R-1
14,725 sq ft and 95 ft wide6
Minimum lot, RR
87,120 sq ft and 200 ft wide7
Tiny homes
State code allows tiny houses on permanent foundations up to 400 sq ft; city rules unconfirmed8

Who to call

Planning & zoning

City of Leitchfield Planning and Zoning

Zoning questions and the building/zoning permit application inside Leitchfield city limits

270-259-6363

510 South English Street Leitchfield, KY 42754

Building permits

Grayson County Local Building Inspector

Local building inspector listed by the City of Leitchfield's Code Enforcement page

270-535-5256

Septic permits

Grayson County Health Department, Environmental

Septic site evaluations, permits and inspections for Grayson County, including addresses in Leitchfield

270-259-8046

124 East White Oak Leitchfield, KY 42754

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Leitchfield, Kentucky have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Leitchfield administers its own zoning ordinance through the planning commission and its authorized agent or inspector2. The ordinance sets up districts including A (agricultural), RR (rural residential), R-1 and a long list of residential, business and industrial districts9.

Dimensions depend on the district. In R-1, lots need 14,725 square feet and 95 feet of width6, with a 25-foot front yard, 25-foot rear yard and 15-foot side yards10. In RR, lots need 87,120 square feet and 200 feet of width7, with a 45-foot front yard, 25-foot rear yard and 25-foot side yards11. In the A district, lots need 217,800 square feet and 250 feet of width12, with a 50-foot front, 50-foot rear and 35-foot side setbacks13. In all three districts, lot coverage tops out at 35 percent14 and buildings at two stories or 34 feet15. Where the health department requires more lot area for a private septic system, the larger figure controls6.

Short-term rentals are a conditional use in R-1 and RR, allowed only with Board of Adjustment approval16.

Do you need a building permit in Leitchfield, and who issues it?

Yes. Under the city's ordinance it is unlawful to begin excavation, construction, placement, moving, demolition or exterior alteration of a building, including accessory buildings and fences, until the planning commission or its authorized agent or inspector has issued a permit1. Recurring maintenance work is exempt1.

The application must state the existing and intended use and the lot dimensions, and the permit is issued only if the work conforms to the ordinance4. The agent must grant or deny the permit within 14 calendar days of submission4. Call the city planning and zoning office to get the application17.

Kentucky's residential code applies statewide to single-family homes, two-family homes and townhouses18. Whether Leitchfield adopts its own separate building code, and what the building and zoning permit fees are, we could not confirm. The city's Code Enforcement page lists a Local Building Inspector, reachable at the number in the offices list19.

How do septic permits work inside Leitchfield?

Septic permits do not come from the city. Grayson County's health department handles onsite sewage evaluations, permits and inspections for the county3, and it is the office to call for a Leitchfield address20.

The city has a sewer-first rule: new buildings for human occupancy must connect to the sewer where a main is accessible within 500 feet5. Only where no main is that close does an individual disposal system apply, under state plumbing inspector requirements5. A permit application for sewage facilities must include the county health officer's certificate4.

If you do need a septic system, a site evaluation comes first and the permit must be obtained before any part of the system is built21. Grayson County's published fees are $300 for a basic site evaluation and $300 for a new-system permit to install22. A permit expires one year after issuance unless the Cabinet grants an extension21.

Soils matter countywide: USDA rates only about 10% of Grayson County soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so most lots need a site evaluation and some need an engineered system23.

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

We could not confirm whether Leitchfield allows people to live in an RV on private land; the zoning ordinance defines recreational vehicle parks, but the city's residential RV rule is not established. Ask the planning office before parking an RV on a lot17.

For tiny homes, Kentucky's residential code covers tiny houses used as single dwellings on a permanent foundation, with floor area of 400 square feet or less excluding lofts8. Local zoning, septic and floodplain rules can still add requirements8. Leitchfield's own tiny-home and manufactured-home rules we could not confirm, so confirm district by district with the planning office.

Building a home in Leitchfield: the steps, in order

  1. Call the planning and zoning office to confirm the lot's district and what the ordinance allows there17.
  2. Check whether a sewer main is within 500 feet of the building site5.
  3. If not, ask the Grayson County Health Department for a site evaluation before you design the house21.
  4. Apply for the building and zoning permit, stating the intended use and lot dimensions4.
  5. Expect a decision within 14 calendar days4.
  6. Build to the Kentucky Residential Code18, and get the septic permit before any part of a septic system is built21.

What stays with Grayson County, and what to check before you buy

Septic, and the county health officer's sign-off on sewage facilities, stay with the Grayson County Health Department3. Land outside Leitchfield city limits follows the county's rules, not the city's; see the Grayson County page for those.

Kentucky requires a development permit for construction in a mapped floodplain such as A and AE zones24, so check the flood map for any lot. A driveway onto a state highway needs approval from the Kentucky Department of Highways25; driveway rules on city streets we could not confirm.

Taxes are set countywide: Grayson County's effective property tax rate is 0.6%26, with a median bill of $896 per year27.

Watch-outs

  • Whether Leitchfield adopts its own building code, and what its building and zoning permit fees are, we could not confirm; ask the planning and zoning office17.
  • Residential RV living, tiny homes, manufactured homes, minimum dwelling size, driveways and floodplain rules inside city limits are not confirmed; ask the planning and zoning office before you buy17.
  • The city zoning ordinance we reviewed is the 2023 edition and may have been amended since, so confirm the current text with the planning and zoning office2.
  • Private water well rules inside city limits are unconfirmed, although Kentucky does not require a permit for an owner to build a private well28.

Sources

  1. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  8. 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, Third Edition, quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  14. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  15. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  16. City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF, leitchfield.ky.gov) (Leitchfield), quoted and re-checked
  17. City of Leitchfield Planning and Zoning (leitchfield.ky.gov)
  18. 815 KAR 7:125 Kentucky Residential Code, quoted and re-checked
  19. Grayson County Local Building Inspector (leitchfield.ky.gov)
  20. Grayson County Health Department, Environmental (dhbc.ky.gov)
  21. 902 KAR 10:085 Kentucky on-site sewage disposal systems, quoted and re-checked
  22. Grayson County Health Department Environmental Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
  23. 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
  24. Find Your Flood Zone (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. 603 KAR 1:020 Driveway approaches, entrances; construction and maintenance (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  27. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  28. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 23, 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 Leitchfield

Leitchfield’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, placement, demolition, moving or exterior alteration of buildings inside Leitchfield city limits.

    • Permit issued by the planning commission or its authorized agent or inspector before the work begins; construction may proceed after the permit is issued.
    • Exceptions in section 2.22: 2.22a recurring maintenance work; 2.22b those structures and uses exempted by section 3.8.1a and 3.8.1b.
    • Section 2.2 also states a building/construction permit is required for new residential single-family, single-family manufactured/modular, two-family construction, multi-family, business, commercial and industrial structures, and for auxiliary structures, additions and signs.
    “it shall be unlawful to commence the demolition, excavation for or the construction or placement of any building, including signs, accessory buildings or fences, or to commence the moving or exterior alteration of any buildings, including accessory buildings, until the planning commission or its authorized agent or inspector has issued a permit for such work.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Leitchfield city limits, under the City of Leitchfield Zoning Ordinance (2023 PDF).

    • The ordinance is administered by the planning commission and its authorized agent or inspector.
    • Amendments are marked in the text (for example 'revised 12/2021' and 'revised 10/2022'); the 2023 PDF was not checked against the current American Legal Publishing code, whose zoning title was not opened.
    • Zoning permits are required under Article 2 (see the building-permit-required claim).
    “the planning commission and its authorized agent or inspector shall administer and enforce this ordinance.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning district list for land inside Leitchfield city limits.

    • Status reflects that a district list is published, not a use permission.
    • The district map itself was not opened; the district list appears in the ordinance purpose/zone section.
    “3.7 establishment of zoning districts these regulations establish the following zoning districts within the city as a means to implement the stated purpose of this ordinance: a rr r-1 r-2 r-2a r-3 r-4 r-5 r-6 b-1 b-2 c-1 i-1 i-2 p-1 ex-1 agricultural rural residential single family”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots in the A agricultural district inside Leitchfield city limits.

    • If the health department required lot area for private sewage is greater than this minimum, the health department lot size controls (section 3.8.1f).

    lot area: 217800 square feet (health department lot size controls if larger) · lot width: 250 feet

    “3.8.1d. a-yard area minimum requirements: 1. lot area is 217,800 square feet. 2. lot width is 250 feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Principal buildings on lots in the A agricultural district inside Leitchfield city limits.

    • The corner-lot front-setback rule stated for other districts was not quoted for the A district.

    front yard setback: 50 feet · rear yard setback: 50 feet · side yard setback (each side): 35 feet

    “3.8.1d. a-yard area minimum requirements: 1. lot area is 217,800 square feet. 2. lot width is 250 feet. 3. front yard setback is 50 feet. 4. rear yard setback is 50 feet. 5. side yard setback is 35 feet on both sides of each lot.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Specified — Principal buildings on lots in the R-1 single family low density district inside Leitchfield city limits.
      “3.8.3d. r-1 yard area minimum requirements: 1. lot area is 14,725 square feet. 2. lot width is 95 feet. 3. front yard setback is 25 feet. 4. rear yard setback is 25 feet. 5. side yard setback is 15 feet on both sides of each lot.”
    • Specified — Principal buildings on lots in the RR rural residential single family district inside Leitchfield city limits.
      “3.8.2d. rr yard area minimum requirements: 1. lot area is 87,120 square feet. 2. lot width is 200 feet. 3. front yard setback is 45 feet. 4. rear yard setback is 25 feet. 5. side yard setback is 25 feet on both sides of each lot.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the A agricultural district inside Leitchfield city limits.

    lot coverage: <= 35 percent

    “a - maximum requirements: 1. lot coverage is 35 percent (35%). 2. building height is two stories or 34 feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    Principal buildings in the R-1 single family low density district inside Leitchfield city limits.

    • The ordinance states the limit as two stories or 34 feet; the two-stories alternative is stated in words, not as a separate numeric value.

    building height: <= 34 feet (or two stories)

    “r-1 - maximum requirements: 1. lot coverage is 35 percent (35%). 2. building height is two stories or 34 feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    New buildings for human occupancy inside Leitchfield city limits where a sewer main is accessible.

    • Connection required where sewer mains are accessible within 500 feet.
    • Where no main is within 500 feet, individual sewage disposal meeting state plumbing inspector requirements applies.
    • Water connection rule was not found in the pages opened.

    distance to sewer main: <= 500 feet (otherwise individual sewerage disposal per state plumbing inspector)

    “wherever sewer mains are accessible (within 500 feet), buildings shall be connected to such mains.”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Short-term rentals in the RR rural residential single family district inside Leitchfield city limits.

    • Listed as a permitted conditional use: uses permitted only with board of adjustment approval after consideration of the intent and purpose of the regulations.
    • Standards for short-term rentals beyond the use listing were not located.
    “4. outdoor commercial recreation facilities such as golf courses, zoological gardens, sportsman farms, riding stables, fishing lakes, swimming pools, ball fields, tennis courts and campgrounds. 5. short-term rentals. *revised 12/2021”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Limited — Short-term rentals in the R-1 single family low density district inside Leitchfield city limits.
      “4. outdoor commercial recreation facilities such as golf courses, zoological gardens, sportsman farms, riding stables, fishing lakes, swimming pools, ball fields, tennis courts and campgrounds. 5. short-term rentals. *revised 12/2021”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning and building permit applications inside Leitchfield city limits.

    • Permit issued only if the work conforms to the ordinance and other city ordinances in force.
    • Applications for sewage facilities must include the county health officer's certificate per section 4.1.8.
    • The application must state the existing and intended use and lot dimensions (section 2.31).

    decision deadline: <= 14 calendar days (from date the application is submitted)

    “the authorized agent or inspector shall grant or deny the permit within fourteen calendar days from the date the application is submitted.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for building work inside Leitchfield city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Adoption of a building code inside Leitchfield city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area of a dwelling inside Leitchfield city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Leitchfield city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Leitchfield city limits.
7 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Permit fees

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 Leitchfield publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Grayson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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