Bolthole Index

Madison County, Kentucky

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Berea, Kentucky

Berea, Kentucky administers building permits and zoning through the city’s Codes and Planning Department.1 Berea, in Madison County, applies the Kentucky Building and Residential Codes, including to single-family dwellings.2 Septic approvals stay with Madison County Health Department, while Berea requires public sewer connection where the city’s availability conditions apply.34

At a glance

Building permits
City Codes and Planning Department; applications available online1
Zoning
City land-use regulations apply inside Berea5
Septic approvals
Madison County Health Department; private wastewater disposal where public sewer is unavailable36
Public sewer
Connection required after official notice when sewer is within 100 feet of the property line4
Floodplain development
Development permit required before work in special flood hazard areas7
Private wells
No state owner application or fee; certified water-well driller required8

Who to call

Building permits

Berea Codes and Planning Department

City building applications, plan review and construction inspections

(859) 986-8528

212 Chestnut Street Berea, KY 40403

Online permits →

Zoning

Berea Codes and Planning Department

City zoning and development review; contact for Floodplain Coordinator

(859) 986-8528

212 Chestnut Street Berea, KY 40403

Septic permits

Madison County Health Department Environmental Office

Septic site evaluations, sewage permits and existing-system inspections

(859) 623-7312

[email protected]

216 Boggs Ln Richmond KY 40475

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

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Do you need a building permit in Berea, KY?

Berea applies the current Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code within city limits, specifically including single-family dwellings.2 The city offers residential building-permit applications for construction, additions, decks, porches, alterations and repairs to one- and two-family homes.1 Berea’s code requires the applicable building-permit fee at application filing.9 Ask the city permitting counter to identify the approvals and current fee for your proposed work; additional plans or approvals may be required before a building permit can be issued.1

Who issues building permits in Berea, and how do you apply?

Berea Codes and Planning Department oversees city building applications, plan review and inspections; reach the department at (859) 986-8528 or 212 Chestnut Street Berea, KY 40403.1 The city’s application links open in OpenGov, where applicants can upload documents, track application status and coordinate necessary inspections.1 Use the residential building-permit application for a house project and ask the city which additional plans or approvals the project needs before a building permit can be issued.1

Does Berea have zoning, and what about RVs and tiny homes?

Berea has adopted land-use, development and subdivision regulations through its Comprehensive Land Development Ordinance; the adopted-by-reference copy is available from the City Clerk’s office.510 Berea Codes and Planning administers the city’s zoning and reviews development proposals.11 We could not confirm Berea’s parcel-specific rules for RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings; ask Codes and Planning about the proposed use before buying. We also could not confirm district-specific minimum lot sizes, dwelling sizes, setbacks, height or lot coverage; request the applicable district’s requirements from the same office.

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Berea?

Berea requires a compliant private wastewater disposal system where public sanitary sewer is unavailable, with Madison County Health Department provisions and applicable local and state regulations governing that system.3 The Health Department Environmental Office takes applications for septic site evaluations, sewage permits and existing-system inspections.6 A site evaluation must precede the septic construction permit, and the permit must be obtained before any portion of the system is built.12 For occupied properties with city sewer within 100 feet of the property line, Berea requires connection within 90 days after official notice; an existing private system must connect within 60 days when public sewer becomes available.4

Building a home in Berea: what are the steps, in order?

  1. Ask Berea Codes and Planning to review the proposed land use and development against the city’s zoning regulations.11
  2. Establish the wastewater route: Berea requires public sewer connection under its availability rules, while private wastewater disposal where sewer is unavailable must meet Health Department requirements.43
  3. For septic, obtain the site evaluation and then the construction permit before system construction.12
  4. Submit the city building application and supporting documents through OpenGov, paying the applicable fee when filing.19
  5. Obtain a floodplain development permit before development in a special flood hazard area and coordinate required construction inspections with the city.71

What should you check before buying land in Berea?

Berea’s special flood hazard areas require a development permit before development begins; application forms come from the Floodplain Administrator.7 Ask the city’s Floodplain Coordinator about the parcel and proposed work.11 For septic planning, only 2% of Madison County soils are rated “not limited” for conventional drain fields; this county-level rating calls for a site evaluation, and possibly an engineered system, rather than proving septic is impossible on a Berea lot.13 Kentucky requires a certified water-well driller even though the property owner has no state well-construction application or fee; we could not confirm additional Berea well requirements.8 For land outside Berea, use the Madison County guide: the county building and zoning rules cited there apply outside Richmond and Berea.1415

Watch-outs

  • Berea’s public sewer connection requirement can prevent continued reliance on a private wastewater system when public sewer becomes available.4
  • A Berea floodplain development permit is required before development in a special flood hazard area.7
  • We could not confirm Berea’s owner-builder exemption, occupancy-certificate procedure or driveway-access requirements; ask Codes and Planning before scheduling work or moving in.1

Sources

  1. Berea Codes and Planning Department (bereaky.gov)
  2. Berea Code § 71.301, Adoption of Kentucky Building Code (Berea), quoted and re-checked
  3. Berea Code § 31.320, Public sewer not available (Berea), quoted and re-checked
  4. Berea Code § 31.310, Mandatory sewer connections (Berea), quoted and re-checked
  5. Berea Code § 81.001, Comprehensive Land Development Ordinance adopted by reference (Berea), quoted and re-checked
  6. Madison County Health Department Environmental Office (madisoncohd.com)
  7. Berea Code § 75.006, Establishment of development permit (Berea), quoted and re-checked
  8. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Berea Code § 71.202, Schedule of permit fees (Berea), quoted and re-checked
  10. Berea Code § 81.001, Comprehensive Land Development Ordinance adopted by reference (Berea), quoted and re-checked
  11. Berea Codes and Planning Department (bereaky.gov)
  12. 902 KAR 10:085 Kentucky on-site sewage disposal systems, quoted and re-checked
  13. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  14. Building Construction Conditions and Inspections, quoted and re-checked
  15. Applications & Regulations, 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 Berea

Berea’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Buildings, structures, or alterations requiring a building permit inside Berea city limits.

    • Required permit fee is due when filing the permit application.
    “On all buildings, structures or alterations requiring a building permit, the required fee shall be paid at the time of filing an application for the permit in accordance with the following schedule:”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    All buildings and structures within Berea corporate limits, specifically including single-family dwellings.

    • The adopted editions are the current Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code, including subsequent deletions or amendments.
    “there is hereby adopted the current edition of the Kentucky Building Code”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Berea city limits.

    • The ordinance is adopted by reference; a copy is available in the City Clerk's office.
    “The city hereby adopts a Comprehensive Land Development Ordinance to include land use regulations”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Private wastewater disposal inside Berea city limits.

    • Private wastewater disposal is only the interim requirement where public sanitary sewer is not available.
    • It must comply with Madison County Health Department provisions and applicable local and state regulations.
    “Where a public sanitary sewer is not available [...] connected [...] to a private wastewater disposal system”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Occupied properties inside Berea city limits served by, or within 100 feet of, a City public sanitary sewer.

    • Connection is required within 90 days after official notice when sewer is within 100 feet of the property line.
    • When public sewer becomes available to a private wastewater system, direct connection is required within 60 days.

    public-sewer distance from property line: <= 100 feet (Connection condition applies after official notice.) · connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days (Public sewer must be within 100 feet of property line.)

    “within ninety (90) days after date of official notice [...] within one hundred (100) feet [...] a direct connection shall be made [...] within sixty (60) days”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision development inside Berea city limits.

    • The City adopts subdivision regulations by reference in its Comprehensive Land Development Ordinance.
    “The city hereby adopts a Comprehensive Land Development Ordinance to include land use regulations, development regulations, and subdivision regulations by reference.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development activities in special flood hazard areas inside Berea city limits.

    • Application must be made on forms furnished by the floodplain administrator.
    • Requirement applies before development activities commence in an SFHA.
    “A development permit shall be required [...] prior to the commencement of any development activities in the special flood hazard areas (SFHA).”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Buildings, structures, or alterations requiring building permits inside Berea city limits.

    • Fee is due when filing the permit application.
    • The schedule varies by estimated valuation.

    valuation not exceeding $1,000: 3 USD · valuation over $1,000 through $15,000: per 3.5 USD per $1,000 or fraction

    “in accordance with the following schedule:”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit applications inside Berea city limits.

    • The applicable permit fee must be paid at the time of filing the application.
    “paid at the time of filing an application”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Berea city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of residential construction inside Berea city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Berea city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Berea city limits.
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside Berea city limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Berea publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Madison County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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