Guidelines For Sewage, Plumbing and Building Permits

Below is a step-by-step procedure for obtaining permits for sewage, building and plumbing.

The sewage system must be installed and approved before the building is occupied.

1. Before buying a lot contact the health department to perform a soil evaluation. An application must be completed and turned in with a set of floor plans for your home. A backhoe will be required for the evaluation. It will also be necessary to flag the house location on the lot. The site evaluation will determine the suitability of the soil for an onsite sewage disposal system. The soil evaluation fee is $150.00 payable to the Jessamine County Health Department.
   
   
2. Once the soil evaluation is completed and a suitable area determined, the environmentalist will give you a report of the results and your system options. If a suitable area is not available there may be system modifications available to upgrade the suitability of your lot. This report must then be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission to obtain a building permit.
   
   City of Nicholasville
   Planning and Zoning Commission
   517 N. Main Street
   Nicholasville KY 40356
   859-885-9385
   
   Jessamine County
   Planning and Zoning Commission
   103 N. Main Street
   Nicholasville KY 40356
   859-885-6415
   
   
3. Before the plumbing permit is issued the permit for the onsite sewage disposal system must be issued. A list of certified installers in Jessamine County is available by request at the health department. Before the permit is issued the installer must provide the health department with a drawing of the system showing all component locations, any required modifications and grade shots on lateral lines.
   
   
4. To obtain a plumbing permit contact Terry Belcher, State Plumbing Inspector. He is available in Jessamine County on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. His office is located in the environmental section of the health department he may be reached by phone at 859-881-3471.
   
   
5. Other steps are necessary on any type of business or commercial building. Contact the health department for more information.

Please feel free to contact an environmentalist with any questions or concerns. Office hours are Monday – Friday 8:00a.m. –9:30a.m.

For additional information on onsite sewage disposal, please download the Kentucky Public Health’s Homeowners’ Manual for Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems: http://chfs.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/CA014E47-2256-444D-8FE4-84C9FF456C8E/0/onsitesewagemanual.pdf. You will need Adobe Reader to view this document. Download it here.