Lexington, KY
Lexington Building Permit Cost
Lexington building permits are priced by the Division of Building Inspection's published fee schedule
effective July 1, 2019. Residential work charges $0.10 per square foot with a $150 minimum, plus $180.00 for a new single-family home — about $580 on a 2,500-square-foot house — or $100.00 per dwelling unit on duplexes, townhouses, apartments and condos. Commercial work prices by occupancy: $0.28/sq ft warehouse through $0.90/sq ft educational and restaurant (min $250), with printed second adders, plus plan review at $0.06/sq ft commercial ($25.00 residential).
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| All other commercial additional-cost adder ($.119 per sq ft)Permit fee | $0.119 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of business, mercantile, office other, church, nursing home, all other | — |
| Hotel/motel additional-cost adder ($.189 per sq ft)Permit fee | $0.189 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of hotel, motel | — |
| Office building additional-cost adder ($.175 per sq ft)Permit fee | $0.175 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of office | — |
| Restaurant additional-cost adder ($.252 per sq ft)Permit fee | $0.252 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of restaurant | — |
| Retail sales additional-cost adder ($.119 per sq ft)Permit fee | $0.119 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of retail | — |
| Warehouse additional-cost adder ($.077 per sq ft)Permit fee | $0.077 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of warehouse | — |
| All other commercial, including churches and nursing homes ($.42 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.42 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of business, mercantile, office other, church, nursing home, all other or building use is not provided and Occupancy is commercial and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $250.00 |
| Canopies ($.42 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.42 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of canopies and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $250.00 |
| Commercial remodeling ($.10 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.1 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of business, mercantile, office, retail, warehouse, restaurant, hotel, motel, educational, canopies, church, nursing home, all other or building use is not provided and Occupancy is commercial and Work type is one of remodel, alteration, other | min $250.00 |
| Educational facility ($.90 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.9 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of educational and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $250.00 |
| Hotel or motel ($.68 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.68 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of hotel, motel and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $250.00 |
| Office building ($.62 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.62 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of office and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $250.00 |
| Residential construction ($.10 per sq ft, $150 minimum)Permit fee | $0.1 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of residential 12 family, residential other, apartments, condominium, duplex, townhouse or building use is not provided and Occupancy is residential | min $150.00 |
| Single Family Residence adder ($180.00)Permit fee | $180.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential and Work type is new construction and Project area at least 1 and Dwelling units is not provided | — |
| Duplex, townhouse, apartment or condo adder ($100.00 per dwelling unit)Permit fee | $100.00 per dwelling unit | Occupancy is residential and Work type is new construction and Dwelling units at least 1 | — |
| Restaurant ($.90 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.9 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of restaurant and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $250.00 |
| Retail sales ($.42 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.42 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of retail and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $250.00 |
| Warehouse ($.28 per sq ft, $250 minimum)Permit fee | $0.28 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and building use is one of warehouse or building use is not provided and Occupancy is industrial and Work type is one of new construction, addition | min $250.00 |
| Commercial plan review ($.06 per sq ft, $50 minimum)Plan review | $0.06 per sq ft | Project area at least 1 and Occupancy is not residential | min $50.00 |
| Residential plan review ($25.00, required at plan submittal)Plan review | $25.00 flat fee | Occupancy is residential | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A new 2,500-square-foot single-family home in Lexington-Fayette County.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project area | 2,500 sq ft |
| Occupancy class | Residential |
| Type of work | New construction |
Example total
$455.00
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 3Rules considered 20
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Residential construction ($.10 per sq ft, $150 minimum)Permit feeFee Schedule, Residential Section: Single Family Residence, Duplex/Townhouse, Apartments/Condos, Remodeling (includes finishing basements), Additions (attached garages, decks, dormers) and Accessory Buildings (detached garages, sheds) are each $.10 per square foot with a $150.00 minimum on the area portion. The new-dwelling adder ($180.00 flat, or $100.00 per unit) prices separately.Show the working
| $0.1 per sq ft | $250.00 |
Single Family Residence adder ($180.00)Permit feeFee Schedule, Residential Section: Single Family Residence is '.10 X Sq. Ft. (Min. $150) + $180'. Applied when no dwelling-unit count is given (a single residence).Show the working
| $180.00 flat fee | $180.00 |
Residential plan review ($25.00, required at plan submittal)Plan reviewFee Schedule, Residential Section: 'Residential Plan Review Fee (Required at time of plan submittal) — $25'.Show the working
| $25.00 flat fee | $25.00 |
| Total | $455.00 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- All other commercial additional-cost adder ($.119 per sq ft) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Hotel/motel additional-cost adder ($.189 per sq ft) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Office building additional-cost adder ($.175 per sq ft) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Restaurant additional-cost adder ($.252 per sq ft) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Retail sales additional-cost adder ($.119 per sq ft) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Warehouse additional-cost adder ($.077 per sq ft) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- All other commercial, including churches and nursing homes ($.42 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Canopies ($.42 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial remodeling ($.10 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Educational facility ($.90 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Hotel or motel ($.68 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Office building ($.62 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Duplex, townhouse, apartment or condo adder ($100.00 per dwelling unit) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Restaurant ($.90 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Retail sales ($.42 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Warehouse ($.28 per sq ft, $250 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Commercial plan review ($.06 per sq ft, $50 minimum) — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 3 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
Area: $0.10 × 2,500 sq ft = $250.00 (above the $150.00 minimum). Single-family adder: $180.00. Residential plan review: $25.00. Total: $455.00.
What is different in Lexington
Building Inspection, at 101 E. Vine St., issues building permits across Fayette County's merged government and enforces the Kentucky Building Code. Applications go through Lexington's One-Stop Shop; residential plan review needs a full drawing set (site plan, floor plan, wall section, elevations, framing details) and commercial projects can go before the Tuesday Morning Plan Review Board. All contractors must register with the division before pulling a permit. Work started without a permit doubles the fee, per the schedule's own warning.
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This estimate covers the LFUCG building permit fee and plan review. It excludes:
- Mechanical (HVAC) permits — priced by construction cost on the same schedule but permitted separately.
- Fire detection and sprinkler permits reviewed with the Lexington Fire Department.
- Zoning approvals, Certificates of Appropriateness and impact fees handled through the One-Stop Shop.
- Sign, paving, fence and pool permits priced as their own schedule rows.
- Reinspection fees ($50.00, $100.00, $200.00 by occurrence).
What you need before applying
- Dimensioned plans for plan reviewRequired
Residential plan review requires a dimensioned site plan, foundation plan, floor plan, wall section, elevations, framing details and a floor-elevation callout relative to the closest downstream manhole; commercial applications go through the One-Stop Shop and may go before the Tuesday Morning Plan Review Board.
- Contractor registration with Building InspectionRequired
Under the Contractors Registration Ordinance, all contractors must register with Building Inspection before pulling permits — over 1,600 registered — and unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits.
Common questions
How is a Lexington building permit fee calculated?
From square footage on the Division of Building Inspection's published schedule. Residential work — new homes, remodels, additions, accessory buildings alike — is $0.10 per square foot with a $150 minimum, and new dwellings add $180.00 (single family) or $100.00 per dwelling unit (duplex/townhouse/apartment/condo).
LFUCG Building Inspection Fee Schedule (rev. 10/27/21)
How much is a permit for a new house in Lexington?
A 2,500-square-foot single-family home pays $0.10 × 2,500 = $250.00 for the area, plus the $180.00 new-dwelling adder, plus the $25.00 residential plan review — $455.00 total.
LFUCG Building Inspection Fee Schedule (rev. 10/27/21)
What do commercial building permits cost in Lexington?
By use, per square foot: $0.90 educational and restaurant, $0.68 hotel/motel, $0.62 office, $0.42 retail/canopies/all-other (including churches and nursing homes), $0.28 warehouse — each with a $250 minimum — plus the schedule's printed second adder ($.119-.252/sq ft depending on use). Commercial remodeling is its own row: $0.10 per square foot, $250 minimum.
LFUCG Building Inspection Fee Schedule (rev. 10/27/21)
How much is plan review in Lexington?
Commercial plan review is $0.06 per square foot with a $50 minimum. Residential plan review is a flat $25.00, required at the time of plan submittal.
LFUCG Building Inspection Fee Schedule (rev. 10/27/21)
Does the residential rate differ for remodels and decks?
No — the schedule prices remodeling (including finishing basements), additions (attached garages, decks, dormers) and accessory buildings (detached garages, sheds) at the same $0.10 per square foot, $150 minimum. The $180/$100-per-unit adders apply only to new dwellings.
LFUCG Building Inspection Fee Schedule (rev. 10/27/21)
When did Lexington's current permit fees take effect?
July 1, 2019. A comprehensive review and restructuring of building permit fees was part of the FY20 city budget, with changes primarily in the residential sector; the published document was last revised October 27, 2021.
Division of Building Inspection department page
What happens if I build without a permit in Lexington?
The schedule's header states it directly: double permit fees will be imposed for work started without a permit. Reinspections carry their own ladder — $50.00 first, $100.00 second, $200.00 third.
LFUCG Building Inspection Fee Schedule (rev. 10/27/21)
Do contractors need to register before pulling a permit?
Yes. Under the Contractors Registration Ordinance, every contractor must register with Building Inspection — unregistered contractors cannot obtain building permits — and electrical contractors additionally need a state Master Electrician license (or employ one) plus an LFUCG business license.
Electrical permits, licensing and inspections page
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
Fees effective July 1, 2019 (FY20 budget restructure); the document was revised 10/27/21. Commercial section prices by occupancy phrase per square foot ($.28 warehouse to $.90 educational/restaurant) with printed second adders; residential section prices $.10 per square foot with a $150 minimum plus a $180/$100-per-unit adder; plan review is $.06 per square foot commercial (min $50) and $25 residential. Plumbing is absent from the schedule; HVAC and fire sections documented but not calculator pages.
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.