Louisville Metro’s Office of Construction Review is the primary authority for building-code review, construction permits, and inspections. It issues building, electrical, HVAC/mechanical, fire-protection, moving, tent, and demolition permits, while applications, plans, payments, permit tracking, and inspection requests are available through the Louisville Metro Business Portal. Electronic building-plan review is integrated through DigEplan.
Zoning and land-development approvals are handled separately through the Office of Planning under the Louisville/Jefferson County Land Development Code. New construction and changes of use can require zoning review, while projects may also need development-plan approval, a conditional use permit, variance, waiver, rezoning, or subdivision review. Jurisdiction deserves particular attention in Louisville Metro: several incorporated suburban cities exercise their own zoning or sign authority, and Construction Review does not review plans or perform inspections within Jeffersontown.
Historic and design districts create another approval layer. Exterior changes to locally designated landmarks and properties within preservation districts require a Certificate of Appropriateness when applicable. Louisville also has Design Overlay Districts—including Downtown, NuLu, and the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue corridor—where qualifying exterior development requires an Overlay Permit under district-specific design guidelines.
Floodplain and public-space approvals involve additional agencies. Louisville MSD requires local floodplain permits for development, repairs, grading, filling, and other work within regulated floodplains, alongside applicable Kentucky floodplain approval. Louisville Metro Public Works separately permits encroachments, dumpsters, outdoor seating, loading zones, and other uses of public right-of-way. Applicants can begin with the Louisville Metro Business Portal and then confirm the zoning, historic, floodplain, and right-of-way requirements for the project location.