Owensboro, KY Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

The Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission (OMPC) is the local enforcement agency for the Kentucky Building Code chapter under § 5-16, and it fixes the building permit fee schedule, subject to city board of commissioners approval, and collects and accounts for every permit fee the city charges. Section 5-18 requires a written application before any construction, enlargement, alteration, or change to a building or structure; simply staking out a site does not start the clock, but any excavation or change other than ordinary general repair does, and the application must include at least two sets of scaled plans and specifications plus the required fee.

The building official rejects a nonconforming application in writing with reasons, or issues the permit as soon as practicable, and a copy must stay on the job site for public inspection until the work is finished. Section 5-19 sets a tiered fee schedule keyed to the total valuation of the work, starting at $20 for jobs up to $3,000 and rising in graduated increments, as low as $0.50 per additional $1,000, for work above $10 million; the OMPC's inspection department maintains a construction-cost chart tied to the Kentucky Building Code's Table 505 to value each project.

Buildings that fall under city jurisdiction while already under construction must obtain a permit and pay the pro-rata fee for the unfinished portion. Moving an entire building carries its own $50 fee under § 5-19(c)(3), and remodeling, converting, or altering an existing structure needs its own permit under § 5-22, though ordinary repairs and seasonal maintenance are excluded.