Building permits, zoning and land rules in Marshall County, Kentucky

Yes. Marshall County requires a building permit for residential and commercial construction throughout the county¹. The Marshall County Building Office enforces the Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code and inspects construction in Benton, Calvert City, Hardin and the county¹. Published fees depend on project type and size, and fees must be paid before a permit to begin work is valid⁷. The county does not publish a general owner-builder exemption from its building-permit requirement. Kentucky allows an owner who owns and occupies the property to perform covered HVAC work without an HVAC license, but an initial HVAC system still requires an HVAC permit and inspection⁸.

The Marshall County Building Office issues building permits, reviews plans and conducts construction inspections for Benton, Calvert City, Hardin and the rest of Marshall County¹. The office is at 1101 Main Street, Ste. 205, Benton, KY 42025, and the phone number is 270-527-4744¹. Arrange a meeting by telephone because field duties can affect staff availability¹. The published application calls for project, construction and contact information, plus one paper plan set and a digital copy⁹. Ask the Building Office for the inspection sequence and final occupancy requirements before work begins; Marshall County's published materials do not confirm a countywide certificate-of-occupancy procedure.

Unincorporated Marshall County has no county zoning regulations or county zoning districts². County zoning therefore sets no minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setbacks, lot-coverage cap or building-height limit on unincorporated land². Building-code, septic, floodplain, subdivision, deed and road-access requirements can still constrain a project. Benton and Calvert City have their own zoning requirements, and a zoning permit or letter of compliance must accompany the building-permit application where municipal zoning applies². Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction before relying on the unincorporated-county answer.

The Marshall County Health Department administers local onsite wastewater evaluations, permits and inspections³. Obtain the septic construction permit after the site evaluation and before installing or altering the system¹⁰. Each lot in a subdivision that will use onsite sewage must be evaluated individually; a proposed cluster system also requires documents providing for perpetual ownership, operation and maintenance¹¹. Installed, constructed, altered or repaired systems require inspection before backfilling, subject to the regulation's installer-affidavit procedure¹⁰. A homeowner may obtain a permit to install their own system, but the Health Department limits homeowner permits to once every five years³. Only about 1.5% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility a purchase contingency¹².

County zoning does not restrict RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured-home occupancy or accessory dwellings on unincorporated Marshall County land². That answer is limited to county zoning; building, septic, health, floodplain, subdivision, deed and utility rules can still apply. A tiny home used as a dwelling remains subject to Marshall County's building permit, inspections and residential code¹. Benton and Calvert City have municipal zoning, so ask the relevant city before placing or occupying an RV, tiny home, manufactured home or accessory dwelling there².

1. Confirm whether the parcel is unincorporated or inside Benton or Calvert City; municipal projects need the applicable zoning permit or compliance letter with the building application².
2. Check the flood map; development in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires both Kentucky and Marshall County floodplain permits⁵.
3. Arrange the onsite evaluation with the Marshall County Health Department and obtain the septic construction permit^3,10.
4. Submit the building application, one paper plan set and a digital copy to the Marshall County Building Office⁹.
5. If a new driveway enters a state highway, submit a written application to the Kentucky Department of Highways District Engineer¹³.
6. Schedule construction inspections with the Building Office and have the septic system inspected before backfilling^1,10.

Start with septic feasibility because only about 1.5% of Marshall County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹². Check flood status because development in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires both state and county permits⁵. For a private well, budget for a Kentucky-certified water-well driller; the owner does not file a separate private-well permit application or pay a permit fee, but the driller must submit the required documentation⁶. Confirm legal road access and ask the road owner about driveway approval; a driveway entering a state highway requires written application to the District Engineer¹³. If land was recently divided, verify plat and onsite-sewage approval because each proposed septic lot must be evaluated individually¹¹.