Bolthole Index

Jefferson County, Kentucky

Building permits, zoning and septic in St. Matthews, Kentucky

St. Matthews, Kentucky requires a city Letter of Compliance before construction, additions or remodeling; Louisville Metro issues the building permit after city approval.1 St. Matthews has its own Development Code and zoning regulations.2 Septic systems in Jefferson County go through the local health department under Kentucky’s onsite sewage program.3

At a glance

Building permit
City Letter of Compliance first; Louisville Metro building permit after city approval1
Zoning
St. Matthews Development Code with local amendments2
City approval fee
No charge for the Letter of Compliance4
Septic
Local health department permit before construction, installation or alteration53
Owner-performed work
No city business license required for an owner doing the work; city construction approval still applies41
Private well
No owner permitting application or fee under Kentucky’s rule; certified driller required6

Who to call

Building permits

St. Matthews City Engineer

City building-plan review and Letters of Compliance

502-899-2518

[email protected]

Planning & zoning

St. Matthews Planning Officer

Questions about St. Matthews zoning and development regulations

(502) 899-2512

Building permits

Louisville Metro building-permit office

Building permits after the St. Matthews Letter of Compliance

502-574-3321

Septic permits

Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness

Local health department contact for the Onsite Septic System Program

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

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Do you need a building permit in St. Matthews, KY?

St. Matthews requires detailed plans for construction of a building, additions or remodeling, approval by the City Engineer and Director of Public Works, and a Letter of Compliance before construction begins.1 Louisville Metro issues the building permit after the city approval step.1 St. Matthews also adopts the Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code, including their amendments and supplements.7

The city Letter of Compliance has no charge; that does not establish the price of the separate Metro building permit.4 Ask the Metro building-permit office for the applicable building-permit fee and the inspection and occupancy requirements for your project.8

Who handles building plans and zoning questions in St. Matthews?

The St. Matthews City Engineer handles building-plan approval and works with building-permit applicants; call 502-899-2518 or email [email protected].9 The Louisville Metro building-permit office can be reached at 502-574-3321.8

St. Matthews directs questions about its development regulations to the city Planning Officer at (502) 899-2512, while planning and zoning applications are initially processed by Louisville Metro Government.10 Use the city contact to establish which St. Matthews standards govern the proposal before proceeding with an application.10 Septic approval is a separate local-health-department process, rather than part of the city’s Letter of Compliance.3

Does St. Matthews have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

St. Matthews adopts its own Development Code and zoning district regulations with specified local amendments.2 The city’s adopted text incorporates the Jefferson County Development Code as in effect April 2001, subject to St. Matthews exceptions and additions.11

We could not confirm residential RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, minimum dwelling size, lot size or setback standards inside St. Matthews; ask the St. Matthews Planning Officer to identify the parcel’s district and the current rules for your proposed dwelling.10 The city’s zoning guidance also identifies Development Code amendments not incorporated into the linked online document, so request the applicable amendments along with the district requirements.11

How do septic permits work inside St. Matthews?

Kentucky requires a local health department permit before construction, installation or alteration of an onsite sewage disposal system, following a site evaluation and submission of drawings, specifications and fees.5 In Jefferson County, local health departments administer the onsite program and perform site evaluations and inspections.3 Contact Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness for its Onsite Septic System Program.12

The installer must arrange the installation inspection before backfilling the system.13 Kentucky requires a building to connect to a public or private sewer system; where sewer service is unavailable, the house drain must connect to an approved private sewage disposal system.14 Establish the wastewater route before treating a St. Matthews building approval as the complete project approval.15

How do you build a home in St. Matthews, step by step?

  1. Ask the St. Matthews Planning Officer which city development regulations apply to the property and proposal.10
  2. Submit the completed Letter of Compliance application to the City Engineer with contractor and subcontractor names and addresses and copies of the scaled site plan; interior remodeling does not require a site plan.4
  3. Resolve contractor business licensing and any required City Council development-plan approval before obtaining the city letter.4
  4. After city approval, request the Louisville Metro building permit.1
  5. For onsite sewage disposal, obtain the health department’s site evaluation and septic construction permit, and arrange inspection before backfill.513

What should you check before buying or doing your own work in St. Matthews?

An owner performing the work personally does not need a St. Matthews business license, but the city still requires construction approval and a Letter of Compliance for building, additions or remodeling.41 Kentucky’s owner-occupied-property HVAC license exemption still requires a permit before installation of an initial HVAC system and allows inspections.15

For a proposed private well, Kentucky requires no owner permitting application or fee for construction or abandonment, but construction, modification and abandonment must be performed by a Kentucky Certified Water Well Driller.6 For land outside St. Matthews, consult the Jefferson County guide; the city’s construction approval rule applies inside St. Matthews city limits.1

Watch-outs

  • Owner-performed work is exempt from the city business-license requirement, not from the St. Matthews construction approval process.41
  • We could not confirm St. Matthews RV or tiny-home occupancy rules; ask the city Planning Officer before buying land for either use.10
  • We could not confirm the St. Matthews inspection schedule or certificate-of-occupancy requirement; ask the Metro building-permit office before scheduling construction or moving in.8

Sources

  1. § 152.10 Building or remodeling permit required (St. Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 150.01 Development Code adopted by reference (St. Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  3. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
  4. Planning & Design — Letter of Compliance for Building Permits (St. Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  5. 902 KAR 10:110. Issuance of on-site sewage disposal system permits (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 152.01 State building code adopted (St. Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  8. Louisville Metro building-permit office (stmatthewsky.gov)
  9. St. Matthews City Engineer (stmatthewsky.gov)
  10. St. Matthews Planning Officer (stmatthewsky.gov)
  11. § 150.01 Development Code adopted by reference (St. Matthews), quoted and re-checked
  12. Louisville Metro - Onsite Septic System Program (2026 county census)
  13. 902 KAR 10:085. System Installation Inspection (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. KRS 198B.674 — Exemptions (Kentucky statewide rule), 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.

Answers from the rulebook for St. Matthews

St. Matthews’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction of any building, additions, or remodeling inside St. Matthews city limits.

    • Detailed plans must be submitted to and approved by the City Engineer and Director of Public Works.
    • A St. Matthews letter of compliance must be issued before construction begins.
    • After city approval, the applicant may request the building permit from Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government.
    • Plans are reviewed for city ordinance compliance, transportation, drainage, and Development Code compliance.
    • Contractors and subcontractors must comply with city business-license and occupational-tax requirements.
    “a letter of compliance issued before construction is begun.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    All buildings located within St. Matthews city, including single-family dwellings.

    • The Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code are adopted as amended and supplemented from time to time.
    • The ordinance was amended by Ordinance 24-03, Series 2024, passed May 28, 2024.
    “The city hereby adopts the Kentucky Building Code, and the Kentucky Residential Code latest edition”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside St. Matthews city limits; the city adopts and administers its own Development Code and zoning district regulations, with specified local amendments.

    • The adopted text incorporates the Jefferson County Development Code as in effect April 2001 and lists St. Matthews amendments and exceptions.
    “The City of St. Matthews does hereby approve, re-adopt and enact in full the full text of the Development Code”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts governing land inside St. Matthews city limits.

    • The city code adopts the Development Code including Zoning District Regulations.
    • The city page directs users to the St. Matthews Development Code and identifies amendments not incorporated into the online code, including Ordinance 22-02.
    “The City of St. Matthews does hereby approve, re-adopt and enact in full the full text of the Development Code for all of Jefferson County, Kentucky, including Zoning District Regulations, as in effect April 2001; along with all amendments to said version of the Development Code recommended by the Planning Commission, excepting only the following amendments, substitutions and additions:”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit process inside St. Matthews city limits.

    • A completed Letter of Compliance application is required.
    • Contractor and subcontractor names and addresses must be provided.
    • Contractors and subcontractors generally must have a current city business license before the letter is issued.
    • Two copies of a scaled site plan are required; interior remodeling does not require a site plan.
    • Owner-performed work does not require a business license.
    • Projects meeting the stated parking, floor-area, or dwelling-unit thresholds require City Council development-plan approval.

    off-street parking threshold: >= 25 spaces · non-residential/mixed-use building footprint threshold: >= 3000 square feet · single-family dwelling-unit threshold: > 5 units · multi-family dwelling-unit threshold: >= 10 units · letter of compliance fee: 0 USD

    “A ‘Letter of Compliance” however is required from St. Matthews before a permit will be issued.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder projects inside St. Matthews city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside St. Matthews city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside St. Matthews city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in residential zoning districts inside St. Matthews city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in residential zoning districts inside St. Matthews city limits.
18 more unanswered
  • 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
  • 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 St. Matthews publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Jefferson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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