Bolthole Index

Shelby County, Kentucky

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Simpsonville, Kentucky

Simpsonville, Kentucky has a city building inspector with residential building-permit applications, and requires building inspections, including for single-family homes.12 Simpsonville in Shelby County has its own zoning rules, with Triple S Planning and Zoning representing the city.34 Sewer connection is mandatory unless unavailable; septic permits go through the North Central District Health Department where onsite sewage is appropriate.567

At a glance

Building permits
City residential applications available; ask the Simpsonville Building Inspector about project requirements and exemptions1
Building inspections
Required under the adopted codes, including single-family dwellings2
Zoning
City zoning applies; Triple S Planning and Zoning represents Simpsonville34
Sewer and septic
Sewer connection mandatory unless unavailable; septic permits through North Central District Health Department567
Occupancy
Certificate required before occupying or re-occupying a dwelling and before utility supply8
Private wells
No owner permit application or fee for construction or abandonment; certified driller required9

Who to call

Building permits

Simpsonville Building Inspector

City building-code questions and published residential building-permit applications

(502) 722-8110

[email protected]

108 Old Veechdale Road Simpsonville, KY 40067

Zoning

Triple S Planning and Zoning

Shared planning commission representing Simpsonville, Shelbyville and Shelby County

Also useful

Simpsonville Sewer Department

City wastewater treatment and sewer-service questions

502.722.8110

108 Old Veechdale Rd

Septic permits

North Central District Health Department — On-Site Sewage

Onsite sewage site evaluations, permits and inspections serving Shelby County, including Simpsonville

502-633-1243

1020 Henry Clay St. Shelbyville, KY 40065

Floodplain permits

Kentucky Division of Water

State floodplain permits for development in, along or across streams

[email protected]

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

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Do you need a building permit in Simpsonville, KY?

Start with the Simpsonville Building Inspector: the city publishes separate new-residential and existing-residential building-permit applications.1 Simpsonville requires inspections for all buildings, including single-family dwellings, as provided in its adopted codes.2 We could not confirm the exact city building-permit triggers or exemption list; ask the city inspector to identify the application and approvals for your proposed work.1

Kentucky’s single-family building-permit default allows local ordinances to require a permit, so that statewide default alone does not settle a Simpsonville project.10 Simpsonville also requires an occupancy certificate before occupying or re-occupying a dwelling, and before city or utility water, electric or gas is supplied.8

Who handles building-code and zoning questions in Simpsonville?

The Simpsonville Building Inspector’s published building-code email is [email protected]; the city administration office can be reached at (502) 722-8110.1 The city office is at 108 Old Veechdale Road Simpsonville, KY 40067, with published administration hours Monday through Friday, 8am to 4pm; ask about inspector availability before visiting.1

Simpsonville’s municipal website identifies Triple S Planning and Zoning as the planning commission representing Simpsonville, Shelbyville and Shelby County.4 Ask Triple S for the city zoning map and regulations applicable to the parcel.4 Sewer-service questions belong with the Simpsonville Sewer Department, which operates the city wastewater treatment plant; septic permitting remains with the North Central District Health Department.116

Does Simpsonville have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

Simpsonville has zoning inside city limits, with a Subdivisions and Zoning chapter and an official zoning-map provision in the city code.3 Triple S Planning and Zoning represents the city; ask for the parcel’s city zoning district before deciding whether the proposed dwelling fits.4

We could not confirm Simpsonville’s private-land RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or accessory-dwelling rules; ask Triple S about the proposed use and the city inspector about building-code treatment.41 We also could not confirm city district schedules for minimum lot area, dwelling size, setbacks, lot coverage or height; request the applicable city standards from Triple S rather than relying on a county agricultural-lot rule.4

How do sewer connections and septic permits work in Simpsonville?

Simpsonville requires sewer connection for wastewater-generating structures and uses unless connection is unavailable, and its code deems sewer service available when the structure or use is within the city.5 New buildings capable of emitting liquid wastes must provide or plan for a sewer connection before erection or installation; ask the Simpsonville Sewer Department how the connection requirement applies to your parcel.511

If sewer is unavailable, Kentucky requires an approved private sewage-disposal system and a local-health-department septic permit before construction, installation or alteration.127 North Central District Health Department serves Shelby County and lists a $250 site evaluation and a $250 on-site permit; request the full project fee total.13 A certified inspector must complete the installation inspection before backfilling.14

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

  1. Ask Triple S Planning and Zoning for the city zoning district and whether your intended dwelling and site layout comply with Simpsonville’s rules.43
  2. Ask the Simpsonville Sewer Department about sewer availability and the required connection before planning an onsite system.115
  3. If an onsite system is appropriate, arrange the health department site evaluation and obtain the septic construction permit before installation.713
  4. Contact the Simpsonville Building Inspector for the residential building-permit application and required city inspections before starting the project.12
  5. Obtain any required Kentucky Division of Water floodplain permit for development in, along or across a stream.15
  6. Obtain the city occupancy certificate before occupying or re-occupying the dwelling and before utility supply.8

What should you check before buying land in Simpsonville?

For land outside Simpsonville city limits, use the Shelby County guide for the county building-permit answer; the county requires building permits for regulated construction outside the city.16 Inside Simpsonville, use the city building inspector and the shared planning commission representing the city.14

A private well in Simpsonville does not require an owner permit application or fee for construction or abandonment, but well construction, modification and abandonment require a Kentucky Certified Water Well Driller.9 Development in, along or across a stream requires a Kentucky Division of Water floodplain permit.15 For parcels needing septic, only 1.6% of Shelby County soils are rated not limited for conventional drain fields; that county-level rating calls for a site evaluation and may mean an engineered system, rather than proving septic impossible on a Simpsonville lot.17

Watch-outs

  • Simpsonville requires an occupancy certificate for dwelling occupancy or re-occupancy and before utility supply; ask the city inspector about an existing home as well as a new build.81
  • Confirm sewer availability with the Simpsonville Sewer Department before budgeting for septic because the city requires sewer connection unless unavailable.511
  • We could not confirm a general Simpsonville owner-builder exemption; ask the city building inspector which work you may perform and which approvals still apply.1

Sources

  1. Simpsonville Building Inspector (cityofsimpsonvilleky.com)
  2. § 150.03 Building Inspection Program (Simpsonville), quoted and re-checked
  3. Title XV: Land Usage (Simpsonville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Triple S Planning and Zoning (cityofsimpsonvilleky.com)
  5. § 50.05 Use Regulations (Simpsonville), quoted and re-checked
  6. North Central District Health Department - On-Site Sewage (2026 county census)
  7. 902 KAR 10:110. Issuance of on-site sewage disposal system permits (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Simpsonville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Simpsonville), quoted and re-checked
  10. 815 KAR 7:125, Kentucky Residential Code (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Simpsonville Sewer Department (cityofsimpsonvilleky.com)
  12. 815 KAR 20:130. House sewers and storm water piping; methods of installation (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. North Central District Health Department — On-Site Sewage (ncdhd.com)
  14. 902 KAR 10:085. System Installation Inspection (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Permits, Certifications, and Approvals Division of Water (Simpsonville), quoted and re-checked
  16. Permit Requirements - Shelby County, quoted and re-checked
  17. 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

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 Simpsonville

Simpsonville’s own rules

  • InspectionsRequired

    All buildings inside Simpsonville city limits, including single-family dwellings, as provided in the adopted codes.

    • Inspections apply as provided in the adopted codes.
    • The inspection program is established pursuant to KRS 198B.060(8).
    “a building inspection program is hereby established in the city”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Occupancy or re-occupancy of dwellings, dwelling units, rooming houses, and rooming units inside Simpsonville city limits.

    • City or utility water, electric, or gas may not be supplied until the certificate is issued.
    “until an occupancy certificate has been issued.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Simpsonville city limits; the city code contains a Subdivisions and Zoning chapter and an official zoning map provision.

    “150. BUILDING REGULATIONS; CONSTRUCTION 151. FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION 152. SUBDIVISIONS AND ZONING”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Structures and uses generating wastewater inside Simpsonville city limits.

    • Sewer connection is mandatory unless sewer connection is not available.
    • The code deems sewer service available when the structure or wastewater-generating use is within the city.
    • New buildings capable of emitting liquid wastes must provide or plan for a connection before erection or installation.
    “Sewer connection is mandatory for all structures and uses generating waste water unless sewer connection is not available.”

Rules another office applies inside Simpsonville

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

  • Well permitNot required

    Water wells serving property inside Simpsonville city limits.

    • Well construction, modification, and abandonment must be performed by a Kentucky Certified Water Well Driller.
    • The certified driller must complete and submit required documentation within sixty days.
    “there are no permitting applications or fees for constructing or abandoning a water well required of the property owner.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development inside Simpsonville city limits that is in, along, or across a stream.

    • The Kentucky Division of Water administers the floodplain permit requirement under KRS 151.
    “Any type of development in, along, or across a stream requires a floodplain permit from the Division.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Simpsonville city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Simpsonville city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential districts inside Simpsonville city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Simpsonville city limits.
  • Setbacks — Residential districts inside Simpsonville city limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • 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 Simpsonville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Shelby County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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