Bolthole Index

Jefferson County, Kentucky

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Forest Hills, Kentucky

Forest Hills, Kentucky routes building-permit questions to Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Codes and Regulations and requires a city Letter of Compliance with applicable building-permit applications.1 Forest Hills, in Jefferson County, applies the Metro Land Development Code but does not have zoning authority.1 New sanitary facilities must connect to public sewer, and Forest Hills prohibits installation of septic tanks or other sewage-disposal systems.23

At a glance

Building permits
Ask Metro Codes and Regulations; applicable applications also need a city Letter of Compliance1
City review fee
$50 for application review and a Letter of Compliance; sign permits are excluded4
Zoning
Metro Land Development Code adopted; the city says it has no zoning authority15
Sewage disposal
New sanitary facilities must use public sewer; installation of septic systems is prohibited23
Temporary residence
Tents, trailer coaches, mobile homes, garages and detached buildings cannot serve as temporary or permanent family residences6
Setbacks and home size
Minimum yards and ground-floor area refer to Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission regulations78
Driveways
New or enlarged driveways and off-street parking areas must be poured concrete and at least 9 feet wide9

Who to call

Building permits

Forest Hills City Engineer

City review and Letters of Compliance; municipal guidance on adopted land-development requirements

Also useful

Forest Hills City Clerk

City contact for routing questions to the City Engineer

(502) 261-0348

[email protected]

P.O. Box 99604 Louisville, KY 40269

Building permits

Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Department of Codes and Regulations

Building-permit requirement questions and applications for Forest Hills projects

(502) 574-3321

444 South 5th Street, Suite 100, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-4314

Septic permits

Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness

County health contact for onsite-sewage questions; Forest Hills separately prohibits new septic installation

(502) 574-6520

400 E. Gray Street, Louisville, KY 40202

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

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Do you need a building permit in Forest Hills, KY?

For construction or work affecting a building’s structure in Forest Hills, ask Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Codes and Regulations to determine whether a building permit is required.1 When a Metro building permit is required, the Forest Hills Letter of Compliance must accompany the Metro application.1 Forest Hills has adopted the Kentucky Building Code for construction and remodeling of single-family dwellings.10 Treat the city review and the underlying building permit as separate approvals: Forest Hills explicitly cautions that city approval does not guarantee other required agency approvals.1

Who handles building applications in Forest Hills?

The Forest Hills City Engineer is the municipal point of contact for requests for Letters of Compliance and city approvals.1 Reach the Forest Hills City Clerk at (502) 261-0348 or [email protected] to ask how to submit your request to the City Engineer.11 The city’s services page directs building-permit questions to Metro Codes and Regulations at (502) 574-3321.12 Forest Hills charges $50 for reviewing the application and issuing a Letter of Compliance, payable with the application; the charge excludes sign permits handled separately.4 A Forest Hills Letter of Compliance expires after 1 year.13

Does Forest Hills have zoning, setbacks and a minimum home size?

Forest Hills applies the Louisville Metro Land Development Code, while the city’s own services page states that Forest Hills does not have zoning authority.1 Residential uses in Forest Hills are limited to uses allowed by the Land Development Code.5 Forest Hills refers minimum yards and minimum ground-floor area to Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission regulations rather than stating a single citywide measurement in the cited provision.78 Ask the City Engineer which requirements apply to the proposed site and design; for locating property lines, easements or setbacks on the ground, the city directs residents to a professional land surveyor.1

How do septic and sewer rules work inside Forest Hills?

New sanitary facilities in Forest Hills must empty into the public sanitary sewer system, and the municipal code prohibits installation of septic tanks or other sewage-disposal systems.23 A proposal to build in Forest Hills therefore needs a public-sewer plan rather than a new septic-system plan.23 Kentucky’s onsite sewage program is administered through local health departments, but that statewide program does not remove the Forest Hills prohibition on new septic installation.143 For questions about an existing onsite system, contact Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness; ask the City Engineer about compliance with the city’s sanitary-facility rule.151

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Forest Hills?

Forest Hills prohibits use of a trailer coach, mobile home, tent, basement, shack, garage or detached building as a temporary or permanent family residence.6 That restriction matters if your construction plan depends on living in a camper, tent or outbuilding while a house is built.6 We could not confirm a separate Forest Hills rule specifically defining RV occupancy or tiny-home occupancy; ask the City Engineer to review the proposed dwelling and use before buying.1 A small dwelling proposal also needs to satisfy the applicable ground-floor-area requirement and permitted residential uses, and new sanitary facilities must use public sewer.852

What are the steps for building a home in Forest Hills?

  1. Ask Metro Codes and Regulations whether the proposed work requires a building permit.1
  2. Ask the City Engineer to review the proposed use and applicable city requirements, including the public-sewer requirement for new sanitary facilities.12
  3. Submit the required plans and specifications to Forest Hills with a written request for a Letter of Compliance, and pay the $50 review charge with the application.134
  4. Include the city Letter of Compliance with the applicable Metro building-permit application; city approval does not guarantee other required agency approvals.1

Schedule city review so the underlying application can use the Letter of Compliance before its 1-year validity ends.13

What should you check before buying land in Forest Hills?

Ask the City Engineer about the proposed residential use, the applicable minimum yards and ground-floor area, and the route for obtaining a Letter of Compliance.1578 Budget for poured concrete when adding or enlarging a Forest Hills driveway or off-street parking area: the city requires a minimum width of 9 feet.9 Confirm how new sanitary facilities will connect to public sewer before relying on the lot for a home.2 For land outside Forest Hills, use the Jefferson County guide for the county building-permit and zoning answers.1617

Watch-outs

  • A Forest Hills Letter of Compliance is valid for 1 year, and city approval does not guarantee other required approvals.131
  • New septic tanks or other sewage-disposal systems cannot be installed in Forest Hills.3
  • We could not confirm Forest Hills-specific tiny-home, accessory-dwelling or minimum-lot-size rules; ask the City Engineer before committing to a design or purchase.1

Sources

  1. Forest Hills City Engineer (city-of-forest-hills.com)
  2. Forest Hills Code § 150.03, Building restrictions—sanitary facilities (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  3. Forest Hills Code § 150.03, Building restrictions—sanitary facilities (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  4. Forest Hills Code § 150.02, Permits and letters of compliance (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  5. Forest Hills Code § 150.03, Building restrictions—uses and residences (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  6. Forest Hills Code § 150.03, Building restrictions—uses and residences (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  7. Forest Hills Code § 150.03, Building restrictions—yards and floor area (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  8. Forest Hills Code § 150.03, Building restrictions—yards and floor area (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  9. Forest Hills Code § 150.03, Building restrictions—driveways (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  10. Forest Hills Code § 150.01, Adoption of the Kentucky Building Code (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  11. Forest Hills City Clerk (city-of-forest-hills.com)
  12. Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Department of Codes and Regulations (city-of-forest-hills.com)
  13. Forest Hills Code § 150.02, Permits and letters of compliance (Forest Hills), quoted and re-checked
  14. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness (louisvilleky.gov)
  16. Louisville Metro Construction Review - Permits (2026 county census)
  17. Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Code of Ordinances (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 Forest Hills

Forest Hills’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings inside Forest Hills city limits that are constructed or remodeled.

    • The city adopts the Kentucky Building Code as contained in the Kentucky Revised Statutes and Kentucky Administrative regulations, including amendments, and incorporates local additions and amendments.
    “The Kentucky Building Code [...] together with all amendments thereto, is hereby adopted by reference as if fully set forth in this code of ordinances.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Residential districts and lots inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • Permitted uses are limited to those allowed in the Land Development Code; no other uses are permitted.
    “The uses permitted in the residential districts in the city shall be limited to those allowed in the Land Development Code. No other uses shall be permitted.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Residential districts inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • The opened municipal code identifies residential districts but incorporates permitted uses from the Land Development Code rather than publishing district names in the cited section.
    “The uses permitted in the residential districts in the city shall be limited to those allowed in the Land Development Code.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Lots inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • The applicable minimum ground-floor area is the amount required by Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission regulations.
    “The minimum ground floor area shall be that required in the regulations of the Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Lots inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • The applicable minimum yards are those in Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission regulations.
    “The minimum yards requirement shall be those that are set out in the regulations of the Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Use of a tent as a temporary or permanent family residence inside Forest Hills city limits.

    “No trailer coach or mobile home, basement, tent, shack, garage or detached building shall be used as a temporary or permanent family residence.”
  • Off-grid sanitationProhibited

    New sanitary facilities inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • All new sanitary facilities must empty into the public sanitary sewer system.
    “No septic tanks or other sewage disposal systems shall be installed.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    All new sanitary facilities inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • All new sanitary facilities must empty into the public sanitary sewer system.
    • Septic tanks and other sewage-disposal systems may not be installed.
    “All new sanitary facilities shall empty into the public sanitary sewer system.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    New or enlarged driveways and off-street parking areas for new or existing buildings or structures inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • The construction or enlargement must occur after the effective date of Chapter 150.
    • Driveways and off-street parking areas must be poured concrete and at least nine feet wide.

    minimum driveway width: >= 9 feet

    “All new driveways and/or off-street parking areas constructed or enlarged after the effective date of this chapter [...] shall be made of poured concrete and shall have a minimum width of nine feet.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    City review of applications for permits, certificates of use and occupancy, and other special permits or certificates inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • The stated $50 charge is for the city's review and Letter of Compliance, excluding a sign permit handled specifically in Chapter 151.
    • The charge must be paid contemporaneous with the application.

    Letter of Compliance application review and issuance fee: 50 USD (Does not include a sign permit handled specifically in Chapter 151; payment must be contemporaneous with the application.)

    “The cost for reviewing such applications and issuing a Letter of Compliance (not to include a sign permit handled specifically in Chapter 151) shall be $50, which must be paid contemporaneous with the application thereof.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Applications for permits, certificates of use and occupancy, and other special permits or certificates inside Forest Hills city limits.

    • The city requires plans and specifications required for the underlying permit or certificate to be submitted to the city with a written request for a Letter of Compliance.
    • The city may reject nonconforming applications in writing stating reasons.
    • Letters of Compliance are effective for one year from issuance and then expire.

    Letter of Compliance validity: 1 year (Effective from the date of issuance and thereafter expires.)

    “All plans and specifications required [...] shall additionally be submitted to the city along with a written request for the issuance of a Letter of Compliance. [...] the city may reject the application in writing to the applicant stating the reasons therefore. [...] Letters of Compliance from the city are effective for one year from the date of their issuance and thereafter expire.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Forest Hills or Jefferson County directly.

  • Building permit — Construction inside Forest Hills city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Forest Hills city limits.
  • Inspections — Construction inside Forest Hills city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Forest Hills city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Lots inside Forest Hills city limits.
14 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Forest Hills publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Jefferson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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