Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Versailles, Kentucky

At a glance

Building permits

Apply through the joint Planning Commission; building permit fees must be paid before issuance¹⁶

Zoning

Versailles incorporates the Woodford, Versailles, and Midway Zoning Ordinance²

Septic

Woodford County Health Department handles site evaluation, construction permits and final inspection when private disposal is applicable⁷⁵

Public sewer

Connection required after official notice when the abutting public sewer is within 100 feet of the property line; deadline is 30 days⁸

Floodplain

Development permit required before development in designated special flood-hazard areas⁹

Private wells

Kentucky requires a certified water well driller; no owner permitting application or fee for construction or abandonment¹⁰

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 Versailles, KY?

Versailles directs building and zoning permit applicants to the joint Planning Commission, and the city requires payment of building permit fees before a building permit is issued.¹⁶ Versailles has adopted the Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code, as amended, and designates the joint Commission as its local building-code enforcement agency.¹¹ The city inspection program includes plan review and inspections of structures covered by the Kentucky Residential Code.³ Ask the Commission which building permit application and inspections match your proposed home, addition or alteration.¹

Who issues building and zoning permits in Versailles?

The Versailles–Midway–Woodford County Planning Commission is the building and zoning permit contact named by the City of Versailles.¹ Use the city-listed phone number, (859) 873-8611, to ask about your parcel and proposed construction.¹ The Commission lists its office at 103 South Main Street, Suite 204 Versailles, KY 40383, and publishes building, zoning and floodplain permit information.¹² Versailles assigns building permit and inspection fee-setting to the Commission; request the current fee schedule before budgeting your application.⁶ Water and sewer service questions go separately to the Versailles Water Office.¹³

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

Versailles incorporates the Woodford, Versailles, and Midway Zoning Ordinance, with a copy on file with the City Clerk/Treasurer/Tax Administrator.² Take the parcel address and your intended use to the joint Planning Commission before choosing a house design or buying an RV for residential use.¹ We could not confirm the Versailles rules for RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, accessory dwellings, minimum dwelling size, lot size or setbacks; ask the Commission for the applicable city district provisions.¹ A tiny home proposed as a covered residential structure still needs the city’s residential-code plan review and inspections.³

How do septic permits and sewer connections work inside Versailles?

Versailles requires an occupied property to connect after official notice when a public sanitary sewer lies in the abutting street, alley or right-of-way within 100 feet of the property line; the connection deadline is 30 days.⁸ Where public sewer is unavailable, Versailles requires a private wastewater disposal system that meets local and state regulations.⁵ Woodford County Health Department starts septic approval with a DFS-319 site-evaluation application, then requires a construction permit and final inspection.⁷ The department lists a $200 site evaluation, a $275 regular installation permit and a $280 wetland installation permit.⁷ Protect the marked system area: grading or compaction can invalidate the evaluation.⁷

Building a home in Versailles: what should you do first?

Start by asking the joint Planning Commission to identify the applicable Versailles zoning provisions and building permit application for your address.¹ Next, ask the Versailles Water Office about public water and sewer service, since the city limits private wastewater disposal to properties where public sewer is unavailable.¹³⁵ If private disposal is applicable, arrange the Health Department site evaluation before grading the proposed septic area.⁷ Submit the building plans for the city’s residential-code review, pay the required building permit fees and arrange the required inspections with the Commission.³⁶ Before development in a designated special flood-hazard area, obtain the city-required development permit.⁹

What should you check before buying land in Versailles?

Confirm whether the parcel is inside Versailles before using a rural county rule; use the Woodford County guide for land outside city limits, and ask the joint Commission about the city zoning ordinance for a Versailles parcel.²¹ Versailles also incorporates a Subdivision Code, so ask for the applicable subdivision provisions if you plan to divide land.¹⁴ Check sewer availability with the Water Office before assuming septic is possible.¹³⁵ For a proposed private well, Kentucky requires a certified water well driller even though the property owner has no construction or abandonment permitting application or fee.¹⁰ We could not confirm a general Versailles owner-builder exemption or certificate-of-occupancy requirement; ask the Commission before planning to build or move in.¹

Watch-outs

• Versailles requires a development permit before development in designated special flood-hazard areas; ask the Commission about the parcel’s floodplain review.⁹¹²
• Private septic facilities are generally unlawful where Versailles public sewer service is available, subject to the city’s private-disposal exceptions.⁸
• Kentucky’s owner-occupied HVAC exemption concerns HVAC contractor provisions; it does not establish a general Versailles building permit exemption.¹⁵⁶

Sources

1. Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission (versailles.klc.org)
2. § 153.01 Incorporation by Reference (Versailles), quoted and re-checked
3. § 150.10 Adoption of Kentucky Building and Residential Codes (Versailles), quoted and re-checked
4. Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program, quoted and re-checked
5. § 51.20 Public Sewer Not Available (Versailles), quoted and re-checked
6. § 150.01 Building Permit Fees (Versailles), quoted and re-checked
7. Woodford County Health Department, Onsite Sewage Program (wchd.com)
8. § 51.10 Mandatory Sewer Connection (Versailles), quoted and re-checked
9. § 154.01 Flood Damage Prevention (Versailles), quoted and re-checked
10. Water Well Information for Home Owners (Kentucky statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. § 150.10 Adoption of Kentucky Building and Residential Codes (Versailles), quoted and re-checked
12. Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission (woodfordplanning.org)
13. Versailles Water Office (versailles.klc.org)
14. § 152.01 Incorporation by Reference (Versailles), quoted and re-checked
15. KRS 198B.674 — Exemptions (2026 county census)

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.