Kentucky Building Code, Permit and Licensing Information
Kentucky Code Agency:
Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
500 Mero Street, 1st Floor
Frankfort, KY 40601
What Are The Current Adopted Kentucky Building Code and Editions:
- 2018 Kentucky Residential Code
- 2015 International Building Code (IBC)
- 2015 International Residential Code (IRC)
- 2015 International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC)
- 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
- 2012 International Fire Code (IFC)
- 2012 International Mechanical Code (IMC)
- 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC)
- 2017 National Electric Code (NEC) – The 2018 KBC and the 2018 KRC went into effect on Aug. 22, 2018. The mandatory effective date for the 2018 KBC and the 2018 KRC is Jan. 1, 2019.
- State Energy Code 2012 IECC and 90.1-2010
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 101 Life Safety Code 2018
Applicability (statewide, local, limited): STATEWIDE
State owned building construction projects require review and inspection by the Division of Building Codes Enforcement. For all other commercial projects enforcement of the Kentucky Construction Code is shared between the Division of Building Codes Enforcement and the local government (city or county) building departments. If a local building department does not exist, plans must be submitted to the State Division of Building Codes Enforcement. For one and two family dwellings, enforcement takes place at the local level. If no local building department exists, builders are still required to comply with the Kentucky Residential Code.
| State Website | https://kentucky.gov/Pages/home.aspx |
| State Licensing | No state license for general contracting. License required for plumbing, and HVAC. |
| State Licensing Division | https://dhbc.ky.gov/ |
| State Fire Marshall | https://ksfm.ky.gov/ |
| State Environmental Permit | https://eec.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx |
Additional Building Codes by State
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming