Bolthole Index

Jackson County, Kentucky

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in McKee, Kentucky

McKee, Kentucky requires a city building permit before excavation, construction, moving a building or exterior alterations, including work on accessory buildings.1 McKee requires evidence of sewer connection for new premises where municipal sewers are available; onsite sewage systems go through the local health department serving Jackson County.23 We could not confirm McKee’s zoning or RV and tiny-home occupancy rules; ask the City Clerk before buying for those uses.4

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the city before covered work begins1
Building codes
McKee adopts Kentucky building, plumbing and safety provisions5
Zoning and setbacks
Unconfirmed; ask the McKee City Clerk4
Sewer connection
Required for new premises where sewers are available; $400 connection fee per residence plus installation costs2
Septic systems
Local health department site evaluation and construction-permit process6
RV and tiny-home living
Unconfirmed; ask the McKee City Clerk about the proposed use4
Floodplain development
City permit required in special flood-hazard areas7
Private wells
No owner permitting application or fee under state rules; certified driller required8

Who to call

Building permits

McKee City Clerk

Municipal starting contact for city building-permit applications, current zoning questions, sewer connections and referral to the city floodplain administrator.

606-287-8305

[email protected]

526 Main Street P.O. Box 455 McKee, KY 40447

Septic permits

Jackson County Health Center

Local health contact for onsite sewage site evaluations, septic construction permits and inspections.

(606) 287-8421

[email protected]

P.O Box 250 McKee, KY 40447

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 McKee means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in McKee, KY?

McKee requires a city building permit before excavating for or constructing a building, moving a building, or making exterior alterations; accessory buildings and outdoor advertising signs are included.1 McKee also adopts Kentucky building, plumbing and safety provisions, with copies available for public inspection in the City Clerk/Treasurer’s office.5 For a house, shed or exterior renovation, obtain the city building permit before starting the covered work rather than treating a small project as automatically exempt.1

Who handles building-permit questions in McKee?

Start with the McKee City Clerk at City Hall; the municipal website lists the clerk’s email and the city’s main telephone contact.4 Ask the clerk for the current building-permit application, fee schedule, plan requirements and the official responsible for reviewing your project.4 McKee’s ordinance requires the building permit to come from the city, so a county contact sheet is not a substitute for city approval.1 For land outside city limits, consult the Jackson County guide for the county’s separate building-permit answer.9

Does McKee have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

We could not confirm McKee’s zoning status, zoning districts, minimum lot size, setbacks or minimum dwelling size; ask the City Clerk to identify the current rules for the parcel and proposed home.4 We also could not confirm whether McKee permits occupied RVs, temporary camping, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings on private land; describe the intended use and duration to the clerk before committing to a purchase.4 McKee’s confirmed building-permit requirement still covers construction and accessory buildings, even while those land-use questions remain unanswered.1

How do sewer connections and septic permits work in McKee?

For new premises in McKee where municipal sewers are available, the city requires satisfactory evidence that sanitary sewage drains and outlets will connect to the system before the premises are erected.2 McKee’s residential sewer connection fee is $400, and the customer also pays installation costs from the building to the sewer main, including tapping the main.2 Where an onsite sewage system is proposed, the local health department process begins with a site evaluation; an approved site proceeds to a certified installer’s design and an OSDS construction-permit application.6 The Jackson County Health Center lists septic inspections among its services, making the Health Center the local contact for that separate approval.10

What floodplain and water rules should you check before buying in McKee?

McKee requires a city permit for development covered by its flood-damage regulations in special flood-hazard areas.7 New or substantially improved residential structures in those areas must have the lowest floor elevated to or above base flood elevation, and mobile homes must be anchored.7 Ask the City Clerk for the city floodplain administrator before choosing a building location.4 Kentucky requires no property-owner permitting application or fee for constructing or abandoning a private well, but construction, modification and abandonment must be performed by a Kentucky Certified Water Well Driller.8 A well proposal therefore needs a certified driller even when the owner has no state well-permit application to file.8

What are the steps to building a home in McKee?

First, take the parcel address and proposed use to the McKee City Clerk and request the current city building-permit requirements and answers on zoning, occupancy and setbacks.4 Next, establish municipal sewer availability with the city; new premises where sewers are available need evidence of connection before erection.2 If proposing septic instead, arrange the health department site evaluation before proceeding to system design and the construction-permit application.6 Resolve any special flood-hazard development approval with the city before the covered development proceeds.7 Obtain the city building permit before excavation or construction starts, and build to McKee’s adopted codes.15

Watch-outs

  • McKee’s building-permit rule includes accessory buildings and exterior alterations; ask the city before starting a shed or exterior project.1
  • A McKee sewer connection fee does not include the customer’s installation and tapping costs.2
  • We could not confirm McKee’s certificate-of-occupancy requirements or a city owner-builder exemption; ask the City Clerk before planning to occupy or personally build the home.4

Sources

  1. § 150.15 Permit Required (McKee), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 52.18 Connections with New Premises (McKee), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
  4. McKee City Clerk (mckee.ky.gov)
  5. § 150.01 Adoption of Kentucky Building Code; Standards of Safety (McKee), quoted and re-checked
  6. Application & Permitting Process for Individual Home Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
  7. § 152.01 Adoption of Flood Damage Regulations by Reference (McKee), quoted and re-checked
  8. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Jackson County building and inspection contacts, quoted and re-checked
  10. Jackson County Health Center (jacksoncounty.ky.gov)

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 McKee

McKee’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Excavation, construction, moving, or exterior alteration of buildings inside McKee city limits, including accessory buildings and outdoor advertising signs.

    • A city building permit must be obtained before the covered work begins.
    “It shall be unlawful to commence the excavation for or the construction of any buildings, including outdoor advertising signs and accessory buildings, or to commence the moving or exterior alteration of any building, including accessory buildings, until a building permit for such work has been obtained from the city.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside McKee city limits.

    • The adopted provisions include Kentucky Building Code Title 815 Chapter 7, Kentucky Plumbing Code Title 815 Chapter 20, and Kentucky Standards of Safety Title 815 Chapter 10, together with amendments.
    • Copies are to be kept in the City Clerk/Treasurer’s office for public inspection.
    “The State Building Code, as contained in of the Kentucky Administrative Regulations Title 815, Chapter 7; the State Plumbing Code, as contained in the Kentucky Administrative Regulations Title 815, Chapter 20; the State Standards of Safety, as contained in the Kentucky Administrative Regulations Title 815, Chapter 10, together with any amendments, are hereby adopted by reference and incorporated herein as if set out in full.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    New premises inside McKee city limits where municipal sewers are available.

    • Before erecting new premises, satisfactory evidence must be provided to the city that all sanitary sewage drains and outlets will connect to the system.
    • Each residence connecting to the municipal sewer system owes a $400 connection fee.
    • The customer bears installation costs from the building to the sewer main, including tapping the main.

    sewer connection fee: 400 USD per residence (Customer also bears all installation costs to the sewer main, including tapping the main.)

    “All architects, engineers, contractors, builders, or other persons who shall hereafter erect new premises where sewers are available shall, before erecting the same, exhibit to the city, through such officer or employee as may be designated from time to time for the purpose, satisfactory evidence that a means has been or will be provided for connecting all sanitary sewage drains and outlets from the building or structure with the system.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Structures and land in areas of special flood hazard inside McKee city limits, as identified by the Federal Insurance Administration.

    • No structure or land may be located, extended, converted, or structurally altered without complying with the adopted flood-damage regulations.
    • A city permit is required, with the city acting as administrator.
    • Mobile homes must be anchored in special flood-hazard areas.
    • New construction and substantial improvements must use flood-resistant materials and utility equipment.
    • Residential lowest floors must be elevated to or above base flood elevation; nonresidential structures must be elevated to or above base flood elevation or floodproofed.
    “This section shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the city, as identified by the Federal Insurance Administration, and mandates that no structure or land in those areas shall hereafter be located, or extended, converted, or structurally altered without compliance with its provisions; requires the obtaining of a permit from the city as administrator; makes provision as to the anchoring of mobile homes within the areas of special flood hazard; requires that all new construction and substantial improvements be constructed with materials and utility equipment resistant to flood damage; and provides that in all areas of special flood hazard, the lowest floor of any residential structure constructed or substantially improved shall have the lowest floor area elevated to or above base flood elevation, and any nonresidential structure constructed or substantially improved shall either have its lowest floor elevated to or above base flood elevation or has that floor floodproofed.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside McKee city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside McKee city limits.
  • Local zoning — Land inside McKee city limits.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside McKee city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside McKee city limits.
18 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • 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 McKee publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Jackson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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