Building permits, zoning and land rules in Paintsville, Kentucky

At a glance

Building permits

City Code Enforcement Officer issues building permits for work covered by the state-code permit requirement¹

Zoning

City zoning code applies inside Paintsville²

Water and sewer

Buildings and mobile homes must connect to city systems³

RV living

Residential use of self-propelled recreation vehicles prohibited; recreational use excepted⁵

Building-permit fee

$2 per $1,000 of estimated total building costs⁶

Septic authority

Johnson County Health Department under Kentucky rules; city connection requirement still applies⁴³

R-1 dimensions

Maximum building height 30 feet; maximum building coverage 50%⁷⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Paintsville, KY?

Paintsville requires a city building permit before building, construction, reconstruction, renovation or demolition whenever the activity requires a permit under the Uniform State Building Code.¹ Kentucky exempts single-family dwellings from building permits unless a local ordinance requires them, so ask the Paintsville Code Enforcement Officer to determine how the city ordinance applies to your project.⁹¹ Paintsville has adopted the Kentucky Building Code and names its Building Inspector or Division as the local enforcement agent.¹⁰ Applicants must submit building plans or drawings with the building-permit application.¹

Who handles building permits in Paintsville, and what do they cost?

The Paintsville Code Enforcement Officer issues city building permits under the adopted Uniform State Building Code.¹ Call Paintsville City Hall at (606) 789-2600 to request the appropriate city contact.¹¹ Paintsville building-permit fees are $2 per $1,000 of estimated total building costs.⁶ Repair and remodeling estimates use the latest Means Repair & Remodeling Cost Data; initial residential or commercial construction uses Means Square Foot Costs, with a notarized executed construction contract allowed as an alternative.⁶ Ask the city for the inspection schedule and certificate-of-occupancy requirements before arranging construction; we could not confirm those details.

Does Paintsville have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Paintsville has a city zoning code for land inside city limits.² In Paintsville’s R-1 District, buildings may be no taller than 30 feet, and all buildings together may cover no more than 50% of the lot.⁷⁸ Those standards are specific to R-1; ask city planning staff to identify the parcel’s district before using them to sketch a home.⁷² We could not confirm the Farm District’s minimum lot size or setbacks, or a minimum dwelling size; request the applicable dimension schedule and zoning map from the city before buying.

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Paintsville?

Paintsville requires approved water supply and sewage-disposal facilities, with approval from both the County Health Officer and the city, and requires buildings and mobile homes to connect to city sewer and water systems.³ Do not budget for an independent septic system as a substitute without first resolving that city connection requirement.³ For an onsite sewage proposal, the Johnson County Health Department administers site evaluations, inspections and homeowner permits under Kentucky’s framework.⁴ Kentucky requires an onsite sewage permit before construction, installation or alteration, following a site evaluation and submission of drawings, specifications and fees.¹² The ordinary state septic-permit fee is $50 plus the required local health-board fee; ask Environmental Services for the local amount.¹³

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

Paintsville prohibits residential, commercial, industrial or other nonrecreational use of self-propelled recreation vehicles, even if wheels can be removed or the vehicle placed on a permanent foundation.⁵ The Paintsville prohibition excepts recreational use of those vehicles.⁵ We could not confirm a separate rule for temporary camping, towable RV occupancy, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask city planning staff about the proposed structure and duration of use. A small dwelling still needs a district-specific zoning review, and Paintsville’s water-and-sewer connection requirement applies to buildings and mobile homes.²³

Building a home in Paintsville: what steps come first?

1. Ask Paintsville City Hall to connect you with city building and planning staff; request the parcel’s zoning district and a building-permit determination for the proposed work.¹¹²¹
2. Resolve city water and sewer connections, then obtain the Utilities Commission’s written authorization before excavation and before the city grants a building permit.³¹
3. Submit plans or drawings with the city building-permit application; ask the Code Enforcement Officer for the inspection schedule.¹
4. If an onsite sewage system is approved for the proposal, obtain the health-department permit before construction and arrange certified inspection before backfilling.¹²¹⁴

What should you check before buying land in Paintsville?

Ask the city to confirm the municipal boundary and parcel zoning; use the Johnson County guide for land outside Paintsville, because the city zoning code concerns land inside city limits.² Confirm water and sewer connection feasibility with the city before treating a lot as an off-grid site.³ Kentucky does not require a property-owner application or fee for constructing or abandoning a private well, but a Kentucky Certified Water Well Driller must perform the work; Paintsville’s city-water requirement remains a separate constraint.¹⁵³ We could not confirm Paintsville’s operative floodplain-development requirements or ordinary municipal driveway rules; ask City Hall for the responsible city offices before excavation or access work.

Watch-outs

• Paintsville’s mandatory city water and sewer connections are a major constraint on an independent off-grid sanitation plan.³
• Paintsville’s residential-use prohibition specifically covers self-propelled recreation vehicles; ask city planning staff about towable RVs rather than assuming the same answer.⁵
• We could not confirm Paintsville’s inspection schedule, certificates of occupancy or owner-builder building exemption; ask the city Code Enforcement Officer before starting work. Paintsville’s Code Enforcement Officer issues city building permits.¹

Sources

1. Paintsville Code Enforcement Officer — building-permit ordinance (codelibrary.amlegal.com)
2. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Paintsville), quoted and re-checked
3. § 154.037 Approved Water Supply and Sewage Disposal for Buildings (Paintsville), quoted and re-checked
4. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
5. § 152.02 Application of Prohibition (Paintsville), quoted and re-checked
6. § 150.05 Building Permits; Fees; Submission of Plans and Drawings (Paintsville), quoted and re-checked
7. § 154.112 Schedule of Dimension and Area Regulations (Paintsville), quoted and re-checked
8. § 154.112 Schedule of Dimension and Area Regulations (Paintsville), quoted and re-checked
9. 815 KAR 7:125, Kentucky Residential Code (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. § 150.01 Adoption of Kentucky Building Code and Standards of Safety; Enforcement Agents (Paintsville), quoted and re-checked
11. Paintsville City Hall (cityofpaintsville.net)
12. 902 KAR 10:110. Issuance of on-site sewage disposal system permits (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. 902 KAR 10:110, Issuance of on-site sewage disposal system permits, quoted and re-checked
14. 902 KAR 10:085. System Installation Inspection (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Water Well Information for Home Owners (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.