Bowling Green, KY Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Sec. 6-8.01.c lists swimming pool installation among the activities that always require a building permit, alongside fence construction, demolition of structures and placement of manufactured housing, even though these may fall outside the Kentucky Building Code's general construction triggers. For those four categories specifically, including pools, the same subsection states no plan review fee will be charged, a carve-out from the plan review fee that otherwise applies to building permit applications under Sec. 6-4.01.c. The applicant remains responsible for accurately estimating the cost of construction to determine the building permit fee itself, and the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services may request documentation supporting that estimate.

The permit fee schedule in Sec. 6-8.01.c runs from $20.00 for pools valued up to $3,000, rising by $2.50 per $1,000 above $3,000, with higher tiers above $500,000 and $10,000,000. If pool construction begins before the permit is issued, Sec. 6-8.01.d doubles the fee, capped at $1,000. Once issued, Sec. 6-8.02 requires the permit be posted at the pool construction site until a certificate of occupancy is granted by the Chief Building Inspector. Sec. 6-8.01.e lets the Department waive the fee entirely for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit's residential construction project or any City-sponsored project, though the waiver does not remove the requirement to obtain the permit itself.