Boone County, KY Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Section 150.31(A) bars anyone from beginning construction on a commercial or industrial building or structure without first obtaining a commercial/industrial building permit from the County Building Inspector's Office. A companion provision, § 150.31(B), extends the same requirement to residential buildings or structures, expressly including in-ground swimming pools. Section 150.32 separately requires a demolition permit before tearing down any structure. Fees are set by § 150.34(B) on a sliding scale tied to estimated construction cost, from $20 for projects under $1,000 up to $6,500 plus $1,000 per additional $1,000,000 for projects at $6,000,000 and above; § 150.34(C) prices specific components such as garages, basements, decks, sheds and pools.

Section 150.16 designates the County Building Inspector as the local enforcement agent for the Kentucky Building Code and Kentucky Residential Code, with inspections performed only by persons certified by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Building and Construction, and gives the Inspector authority to issue stop-work orders. Anyone who begins construction before securing the required permit has every applicable fee doubled under § 150.35. A property owner may appeal a building official's decision to the local Building Code Appeals Board created under §§ 150.45 through 150.48, which must schedule a hearing within 15 days of a written appeal. These rules govern only unincorporated Boone County.