Bolthole Index

Jefferson County, Kentucky

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Windy Hills, Kentucky

Windy Hills, Kentucky, in Jefferson County, follows Metro Louisville building-permit requirements: obtain a required building or mechanical permit before work begins.12 Windy Hills handles applications for driveway work crossing city-controlled rights of way; Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness handles onsite sewage review.34 We could not confirm Windy Hills’ zoning authority or rules for living in an RV or tiny home; ask City Hall before buying for those uses.5

At a glance

Building permits
Metro Louisville requirements apply; obtain a required permit before work begins.12
Zoning
Authority, districts and dimensional rules unconfirmed; ask Windy Hills City Hall.5
Septic permits
Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness; a local-health permit is required before installation or alteration.46
RV and tiny-home living
Occupancy rules unconfirmed; ask City Hall about the proposed use.5
Driveway approval
City Right of Way Encroachment Application for covered driveway work; existing-drive resealing is exempt.3
Public sewer and water
Connection required where available, subject to approved exemptions.7
Private wells
Kentucky requires a certified driller; the state requires no owner construction application or fee.8

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Windy Hills City Hall / Code Enforcement

City community standards, right-of-way applications and the starting contact for unconfirmed land-use questions.

502-895-4778

[email protected]

4350 Brownsboro Road, #110, Windy Hills, KY 40207

Building permits

Metro Government / Construction Review

Building-permit questions for construction inside Windy Hills, as directed by the city.

502-574-3321

Septic permits

Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness

Onsite Septic System Program: septic permitting, site suitability determinations and inspections for Jefferson County / Louisville Metro

(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 Windy 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 Windy Hills, KY?

Windy Hills follows Metro Louisville Building Code Permit requirements, and the city directs building-permit questions to Metro Government Construction Review at 502-574-3321.19 Construction and mechanical-system improvements or replacements in Windy Hills require a permit when Metro Louisville requires one; obtain that permit before starting work, whether the owner or a contractor performs the work.2 During construction, display the permit in plain sight on the property for inspection.10 Ask Construction Review to identify the building and mechanical permits, inspection sequence and current fees for the specific project; we could not confirm a complete Windy Hills application workflow or fee schedule.9

Does Windy Hills have zoning, lot-size or setback rules?

We could not confirm which office administers zoning inside Windy Hills, the applicable zoning districts, or district-specific lot size, setbacks, building height and lot coverage; start with Windy Hills City Hall and request the governing map and regulations for the address.5 Kentucky zoning regulations are enacted through local zoning text and maps, rather than automatically imposed statewide.11 Ask City Hall to identify the reviewing office for a proposed new house, addition, accessory dwelling or lot split before commissioning plans.5 For land outside Windy Hills, use the Jefferson County guide for the county’s building-permit and zoning answers.1213

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Windy Hills?

Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness reviews, approves and inspects onsite treatment systems serving an individual property in Windy Hills.4 Kentucky requires a local-health-department permit before constructing, installing or altering an onsite sewage system; the construction permit follows a site evaluation and requires drawings, specifications and fees.6 The installer must arrange the installation inspection before backfilling.14

Where public sewer and water are available, Windy Hills properties are subject to mandatory connection, generally within 12 months after notice.7 The existing-residence exemption requires a lot of at least 4.5 acres, a home more than 400 feet from the sewer connection, and a functioning onsite system as determined by Public Health and Wellness inspection; other exemptions require that department’s approval.7 Ask the health department about sewer availability and exemption eligibility before planning a new septic system.7

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

We could not confirm permission for RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or manufactured-home occupancy on private land in Windy Hills; ask City Hall about the exact dwelling type and intended duration before buying for that purpose.5 Request an answer about occupancy as well as the applicable building-permit requirements, since Windy Hills follows Metro Louisville’s construction-permit rules.15 Kentucky’s provision about brief sleeping in a lawfully parked vehicle on a public road, street or parking lot does not establish permission for long-term RV living on private land.15 We also could not confirm Windy Hills’ minimum dwelling size or accessory-dwelling permission; ask City Hall to identify the applicable land-use review.5

Building a home in Windy Hills: what are the steps?

  1. Ask Windy Hills City Hall to identify the zoning authority, parcel-specific dimensional rules and any approval needed for the proposed dwelling.5
  2. Resolve public sewer and water availability with Public Health and Wellness before designing an onsite sewage system; mandatory connection rules may control the choice.7
  3. If onsite sewage is applicable, obtain the health-department site evaluation and septic construction permit before installation.6
  4. Ask Metro Construction Review which building and mechanical permits the project requires, obtain required permits before work starts, and display them during construction.210
  5. Obtain Windy Hills’ Right of Way Encroachment Application for covered driveway work crossing city-controlled rights of way.3
  6. Arrange the septic installation inspection before backfilling, and ask Construction Review which building inspections and occupancy approvals apply before moving in.149

What should you check before buying in Windy Hills?

For driveway replacement, resurfacing, expansion or a new driveway crossing a Windy Hills city-controlled right of way, the city requires a Right of Way Encroachment Application; resealing an existing driveway is exempt.3 City Hall or the city website supplies the application, and Code Enforcement answers questions about that work.3

For a private well, Kentucky requires construction, modification and abandonment by a Kentucky Certified Water Well Driller, although the state requires no property-owner permitting application or fee for construction or abandonment.8 Ask City Hall and Public Health and Wellness whether parcel-specific approvals or utility-connection requirements affect the proposed water supply.57 We could not confirm Windy Hills-specific floodplain-development requirements or an owner-builder exemption from building permits; ask City Hall and Construction Review before relying on either.59

Watch-outs

  • Doing construction yourself does not remove Windy Hills’ instruction to obtain a required permit before starting work.2
  • A large lot with a functioning septic system is not automatically exempt from public sewer connection: the existing-residence exemption also has distance and health-inspection conditions.7
  • RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy and zoning dimensions remain unconfirmed in Windy Hills; obtain an address-specific answer from City Hall before committing to those uses.5

Sources

  1. City of Windy Hills Community Standards Resolution 1, Series 2019-2020 (Windy Hills), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Windy Hills Community Standards Resolution 1, Series 2019-2020 (Windy Hills), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Windy Hills Community Standards Resolution 1, Series 2019-2020 (Windy Hills), quoted and re-checked
  4. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program (Windy Hills), quoted and re-checked
  5. Windy Hills City Hall / Code Enforcement (cityofwindyhillsky.gov)
  6. 902 KAR 10:110. Issuance of on-site sewage disposal system permits (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 50.04 Mandatory Connection to Sanitary Sewers (Windy Hills), quoted and re-checked
  8. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Metro Government / Construction Review (cityofwindyhillsky.gov)
  10. City of Windy Hills Community Standards Resolution 1, Series 2019-2020 (Windy Hills), quoted and re-checked
  11. KRS 100.203 — Content of zoning regulations (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Louisville Metro Construction Review - Permits (2026 county census)
  13. Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Code of Ordinances (2026 county census)
  14. 902 KAR 10:085. System Installation Inspection (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. KRS 511.110 — Unlawful camping (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 Windy Hills

Windy Hills’s own rules

  • Driveway accessRequired

    Replacing, resurfacing, expanding, or installing a drive inside Windy Hills where the work crosses a City Controlled Right of Way.

    • A Right of Way Encroachment Application is required.
    • Driveway resealing to existing drives is exempt from the application process.
    • Applications are available from City Hall or the City website.
    “Windy Hills requires a Right of Way Encroachment Application, when replacing or resurfacing existing drives, including expansion of existing drives, or installation of new drives, where such work crosses a City Controlled Right of Way.”

Rules another office applies inside Windy Hills

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

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, mechanical-system improvements, or replacements inside Windy Hills when Metro Louisville requires a permit.

    • The permit must be obtained before work begins.
    • The permit must be displayed in plain sight while construction is in progress.
    • The source does not enumerate every permit-exempt activity.
    “If you are doing construction, improving or replacing mechanical systems, either on your own, or by contractor, if a permit is required please be sure to obtain one, before work begins.”
  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Construction and permit requirements inside Windy Hills city limits are handled under Metro Louisville building-code permit requirements.

    • The City community standards document does not reproduce the full adopted building code.
    • The document directs permit questions to Metro Government Construction Review at 502-574-3321.
    “Windy Hills complies with Metro Louisville Building Code Permit requirements.”
  • Who permits septicLocal

    Onsite sewage systems inside Windy Hills city limits.

    • Kentucky's program is administered through local health departments.
    • Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness is the applicable local health authority identified by the Metro sewer code for onsite treatment systems.
    “The Public Health and Wellness Department shall be responsible for plan review, approval and inspection of all plans for construction of on-site treatment systems that serve no more than one individual property, all holding tanks, and any other constructed sewerage components not reviewed by MSD.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Occupied structures on lots inside Windy Hills city limits where a public sewer and water supply are available or the lot abuts a public sewer.

    • Connections must comply with the Kentucky State Plumbing Code and Division of Water regulations.
    • Connection is generally required within 12 months after notification that the sewer connection is available.
    • Existing residential property may be exempt if the lot is at least 4.5 acres, the home is more than 400 feet from the sewer connection, and the onsite system is functioning as determined by Public Health and Wellness inspection.
    • Other exemptions require Public Health and Wellness approval.

    connection deadline after notice: 12 months · minimum exempt lot size: >= 4.5 acres (existing residential property) · home-to-sewer distance for exemption: > 400 feet (existing residential property)

    “No person, firm, corporation, public utility, municipality, public agency, or institution shall maintain, upon any original lot, subdivisional lot or parcel of ground, situated on any street, alley or road in Jefferson County, where there is a public sewer and water supply available for use of such unit, any system of disposal of human excrete except by means of water closets connected with such sewer and water supply.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Construction permitting inside Windy Hills city limits.

    • Obtain a required permit before work begins.
    • Display the permit in plain sight during construction for inspection.
    • Questions are directed to Metro Government Construction Review at 502-574-3321.
    • The source does not provide the complete application, review, payment, and inspection workflow.
    “If you are doing construction, improving or replacing mechanical systems, either on your own, or by contractor, if a permit is required please be sure to obtain one, before work begins. After receipt, permits must be placed in plain sight on the property while construction is in progress for inspection.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built construction inside Windy Hills city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Construction inside Windy Hills city limits.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Windy Hills city limits.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts applicable inside Windy Hills city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Windy Hills city limits.
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • 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 Windy Hills publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Jefferson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Jefferson County: county rules, score and offices