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

For a single-family home in unincorporated Perry County, confirm the building-permit requirement with the Perry County Local Building Inspector: Kentucky requires single-family building permits only where a local inspection program applies¹. Local review and inspections depend on that program, and a single-family certificate of occupancy depends on established local enforcement jurisdiction^1,11. Kentucky residential-code standards still apply even without a local single-family inspection program¹¹. Inside Hazard, the city Administrative Officer issues building permits before excavation, construction or alteration, subject to specified exceptions including recurring maintenance³. Hazard’s city building-permit requirement leaves sewage approval with the County Health Officer through the local health department^5,6.

For unincorporated Perry County residential building-permit and inspection questions, contact the Perry County Local Building Inspector at 606-416-4182 or wf.skils@gmail.com¹². Describe the parcel address, structure type and proposed work, and request the applicable application, inspections and occupancy steps^1,11. We could not confirm county building-permit fees; ask the inspector for the current fee schedule¹². Inside Hazard, apply to the city Administrative Officer with scaled plans and the County Health Officer’s water and sewerage certificate³. Septic approval remains with the health department rather than the city building-permit office^5,6.

Unincorporated Perry County has no county zoning ordinance². Inside Hazard, the city sets zoning through its zoning districts and map⁴. Septic approval in Hazard remains with the County Health Officer through the local health department^5,6. Hazard’s Planning Commission also administers subdivision control within its jurisdiction; that municipal authority does not establish countywide subdivision regulation¹³. Establish whether the parcel is inside city limits before relying on the unincorporated-county answer¹⁴. Outside city limits, the absence of county zoning still leaves Kentucky residential-code standards, septic permits and floodplain permits applicable to covered work^8,11,15.

Septic permits in Perry County, including Hazard, go through the local health department within the Kentucky River District Health Department^5,6. Call the Perry County Health Department Environmental Office at 606-436-2196 for a site evaluation^12,16. Submit the application and basic site plan, then obtain the onsite sewage construction permit before building any part of the system¹⁷. Installed, constructed, altered or repaired systems require certified inspection before backfilling; an installer’s affidavit can replace the initial inspection in eligible cases, but not the installation inspection¹⁷. USDA rates 0% of county soils “not limited” for conventional drain fields; that rating makes parcel-specific evaluation essential rather than proving septic impossible¹⁰.

In unincorporated Perry County, county zoning does not restrict RVs, tiny homes, manufactured homes, accessory dwellings or temporary camping, or set minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage or building height². Kentucky building-code standards and onsite sewage permitting still apply to covered structures and systems^8,11. Ask the Perry County Local Building Inspector how the proposed tiny home is classified, and ask the Perry County Health Department how sewage must be handled¹². We could not confirm approval of alternative off-grid sanitation; ask the health department about the proposed system, since Kentucky generally prohibits seepage pits, cesspools and dry wells for sewage disposal, subject to narrow exceptions^12,17. Inside Hazard, ask the city Administrative Officer which zoning and building approvals apply before placing or occupying the unit^3,4.

1. For unincorporated land, ask the Perry County Local Building Inspector at 606-416-4182 which building approvals apply; inside Hazard, apply to the city Administrative Officer^1,3,12.
2. Confirm land-use jurisdiction; unincorporated Perry County has no county zoning, while Hazard has municipal zoning and subdivision control^2,4,13.
3. Request the health department's site evaluation before finalizing the septic layout^16,17.
4. Obtain the onsite sewage permit before construction⁸.
5. Obtain a plumbing permit before plumbing work; an eligible owner-builder must apply before starting, personally perform the work and file the required affidavit⁹.
6. Apply to the state highway district engineer if the driveway enters a state highway¹⁸.
7. Secure state and local permits before development in an identified floodplain¹⁵.
8. Arrange required building and septic inspections before covering work^11,17.

Start with buildable area, septic feasibility, flood exposure and legal access. Only 5.8% of Perry County land is at a 15% slope or less, while 93% is wooded, so a parcel can require substantial site, driveway and drainage planning even when the acreage looks generous¹⁰. USDA rates none of the county’s soils “not limited” for conventional drain fields, so use a health-department evaluation to determine parcel suitability before the due-diligence period ends^10,12. Development in an identified floodplain requires both state and local floodplain permits; consult the Kentucky Division of Water and the local floodplain coordinator before site work¹⁵. A Kentucky water well must be constructed, altered, repaired or abandoned by a properly certified driller or driller assistant, and the state's well rule states that no permitting application or fee is required of the property owner for constructing or abandoning a private water well^19,20. Typical county figures are about a 0.7% effective property-tax rate and a $661 median annual tax bill; verify the actual parcel with the property valuation and taxing offices¹⁰.