Official sources checked September 8, 2026

Jefferson County, Kentucky septic permits and requirements

Louisville Metro is the local septic permitting authority

Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness states that all work performed on an onsite sewage treatment and disposal system requires a permit from LMPHW. Kentucky’s statewide onsite-sewage program is administered through local health departments, so Jefferson County property owners should use the Louisville Metro Onsite Septic System Program for the current local permit process.

New systems start with a Louisville Metro site evaluation

For a new installation, LMPHW directs applicants to submit its Application for Site Evaluation to the Onsite Program and pay the published site-evaluation fee. The current program page lists a $375 site-evaluation fee. After the application and payment are submitted, the applicant works with a septic installer to schedule the evaluation, and LMPHW completes the site evaluation before the system design and construction-permit steps move forward. Confirm the current fee and form version before submitting.

Design review, construction permit, and inspection come before cover

Louisville Metro’s published sequence says the installer designs the system after the site evaluation, submits the drawings and grade shots to LMPHW, and LMPHW reviews that submission. The program currently lists a $425 onsite sewage disposal system construction-permit fee. After installation, all system components must be inspected before they are covered with soil. Do not treat the site evaluation alone as authorization to install or cover the system.

Repairs and alterations have separate local permit paths

The Louisville Metro onsite program separately lists repair and alteration permit fees in addition to the new-system construction permit. Its current fee schedule lists $175 for a repair permit and $300 for an alteration permit. Because scope, fees, and forms can change, confirm whether the planned work is classified as a repair, alteration, or new installation with LMPHW before paying or scheduling construction.

Existing septic records are requested through Louisville Metro open records

LMPHW directs requests for septic-system information through the Louisville Metro Government open-records process. The onsite program says a request should include the property address, requester and contact information, subdivision and lot number, any former address if applicable, and the property acreage. That route is useful for owners, buyers, inspectors, and contractors trying to locate an existing septic record before planning work.

Residential plan review can also apply to septic-served property

Louisville Metro Public Health Plan Review states that residential property served by an onsite sewage disposal system must submit a site plan showing structures, property lines, and the entire septic system, along with a floor plan for proposed structures and existing occupied structures. The page currently lists a $25 residential plan-review fee. Confirm the current submittal and payment instructions with the agency for the specific project.

Kentucky installer and homeowner-permit rules still apply

Kentucky CHFS states that local health department septic inspectors perform site evaluations and inspections and that certified Kentucky onsite septic installers install systems based on the approved evaluation. A homeowner who wants to install his or her own system must obtain the applicable homeowner permit through the local health department. Louisville Metro’s local instructions and the current Kentucky regulations should be checked together before work begins.

Official sources

• Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness — Onsite Septic System Program
• Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness — Public Health Plan Review
• Kentucky CHFS — Onsite Sewage Disposal Systems Program
• 902 KAR 10:110 — Issuance of onsite sewage disposal permits
• 902 KAR 10:085 — Kentucky onsite sewage disposal systems

SepticScope summarizes public-agency information for planning purposes. The permitting agency's current instructions control if they differ from this guide.