Kentucky building code
Kentucky has adopted 2018, Fourth Edition (February 2024) KBC based on 2015 IBC. The table below lists the governing edition for every discipline a plan check touches, followed by the Kentucky cities and counties that amend it locally.
- Current edition
- 2018 Kentucky Building Code, Fourth Edition (Feb 2024) / 2018 Kentucky Residential Code, Third Edition (Aug 2024) — both based on the 2015 I-codes with Kentucky amendments
- Code authority
- Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Public Protection Cabinet: Division of Building Code Enforcement; Office of the State Fire Marshal (fire); Division of Plumbing (plumbing)
Adopted code by discipline
| Discipline | Adopted code | Local amendment |
|---|---|---|
| Building | 2018, Fourth Edition (February 2024) KBC based on 2015 IBC | n/a |
| Residential | 2018, Third Edition (August 2024) KRC based on 2015 IRC | n/a |
| Existing buildings | 2015 IEBC (via KBC) based on 2015 IEBC | n/a |
| Fire | 2023 compilation (815 KAR 10:060, eff. 2023-09-26) Kentucky Standards of Safety (Fire Prevention Code) based on NFPA 1-2018 and NFPA 101-2018 (plus NFPA 1124-2006; NFPA 70-2017 for fire-code purposes) | n/a |
| Electrical | 2023 NEC based on 2023 NFPA 70 | n/a |
| Mechanical | 2015 IMC (via KBC referenced standards) based on 2015 IMC | n/a |
| Plumbing | current 815 KAR Chapter 20 compilation (continuously amended; no model-code edition year) Kentucky State Plumbing Code | n/a |
| Energy | 2012 (commercial); 2009 Ch. 4 (low-rise residential R-2/R-3/R-4) IECC (via KBC Ch. 13 / KRC) based on 2012 IECC (commercial); 2009 IECC (residential) | n/a |
| Fuel Gas | 2015 IFGC (via KBC referenced standards) based on 2015 IFGC / NFPA 54-2015 | n/a |
Overlays that can apply
Mapped hazard and district overlays stack on top of the adopted code. These are the overlays recorded for Kentucky. They apply by parcel, not jurisdiction-wide, so confirm the parcel before assuming one is in play. Check CAL FIRE's fire hazard severity viewer and FEMA's flood map service.
- Seismic design category overlay
- FEMA mapped flood hazard area
Sources
- https://dhbc.ky.gov/newstatic_info.aspx?static_id=297
- https://dhbc.ky.gov/Documents/2018%20Kentucky%20Residential%20Code%203d%20Ed.pdf
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/007/120/
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/007/125/
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/010/060/
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/020/
- https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/kar/titles/815/035/020/
- https://dhbc.ky.gov/Documents/2023%20NEC%20Update%20Announcement.pdf
- https://www.energycodes.gov/status/states/kentucky
- https://up.codes/codes/kentucky
- https://up.codes/viewer/kentucky/ibc-2015/chapter/13/energy-efficiency
- https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/adoptions-map/kentucky/
Common questions
What building code does Kentucky use?
Kentucky uses 2018, Fourth Edition (February 2024) KBC based on 2015 IBC. It is administered by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), Public Protection Cabinet: Division of Building Code Enforcement; Office of the State Fire Marshal (fire); Division of Plumbing (plumbing).
Do cities in Kentucky amend the state code?
Local amendments are adopted by ordinance at the city or county level. Confirm with the building department that reviews your permit.
Check a plan set against Kentucky code
Knowing the adopted edition is the easy half. Architechtura reads your drawings, resolves which of these provisions actually apply to the project, and returns the corrections a plan checker would write up, each one cited to the section it came from.
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Compiled from published state and municipal adoption ordinances. Local governments amend their codes on their own schedule, and a pending ordinance can change what applies to your permit. Confirm the governing edition with the building department before you submit. This page is reference information, not a code determination.