Single Family, Small Commercial or Demolition Permit

Area of Disturbance: Single family residences, demolition work, and/or land disturbance less than 2,000 ft².

Description: In accordance with the Louisville/Jefferson County Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Ordinance, land disturbing activities in excess of 2,000 square feet require a Site Disturbance Permit from MSD. Projects that disturb less than 2,000 square feet, as well as single family home and demolition projects are reviewed and permitted at the MSD Customer Counter. These reviews are conducted on a customer “walk-in” basis and are typically completed in one day. The MSD Customer Counter is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (EST). In some instances, MSD may elect to require the applicant to obtain a Small Site Disturbance permit if, in MSD’s judgement, it is determined that the a proposed project may could have potential impact sewer, grading, or drainage impacts features.

Typical projects covered by a Single Family, Demolition, or Small Commercial Permit include:

  • Construction of single family homes
  • Construction of most garages
  • Construction of driveways, decks, and / or patios
  • Construction of building additions less than 2,000 square feet
  • Land disturbance for construction of swimming pools
  • Building demolitions (less than 2,000 square feet)
  • Commercial construction less than 2,000 square feet

Minimum Required Submittals:

  • Site Plan
  • Single Family, Demolition, or Small Commercial Permit Application
    • The Permittee must be the property owner and/or responsible party for the work being performed. For new single family construction, a person holding a current Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Certification must oversee EPSC measures for construction for the project. The EPSC representative must be listed on the application.

Additional Considerations:

  • Bonds:
    • Builder Bond: A bond in the amount of $2,500 is required when a single family home is to be constructed in a subdivision lot or parcel that is not currently under a MSD bond. Subdivision bonds are typically released when 80% of the lots in the subdivision are developed.
       
      • Builder bonds are typically released after a MSD inspector has verified construction is complete and the site has been stabilized. The customer should contact MSD Customer Service at (502) 540-6000 to schedule a Bond Release inspection.
         
    • Elevation Certificate Bond: A bond in the amount of $1,000 is required when construction of a structure is proposed in, or immediately adjacent to, a mapped floodplain (FEMA and/or Local Regulatory).
       
      • Elevation Certificate Bonds are released when final Elevation Certificates are submitted and accepted by MSD.

Acceptable Forms of Bond Payment:

  • Certified Check
  • Letter of Credit
  • Surety Bond
  • Cash
  • Property Service Connection: The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness determines if a property can utilize an on-site system (septic) for wastewater. If a property is required to connect to sanitary sewers, the MSD Customer Service Department can assist to determine if a Property Service Connection is available, as well as determine if any required impact fees have been paid to allow a connection to be utilized. MSD’s Customer Service Department can be reached at (502) 540-6000. New connections require the completion and approval of a the Downstream Facilities Capacity Request Form.
     
  • Pools: Pools utilizing a sand filtration system require a connection to the sanitary sewer and are subject to the requirements of the Kentucky State Plumbing Code. A separate property service connection is required for sand filters. Pools utilizing a cartridge filtration system do not require a separate connection to the sanitary sewer system.  All new pool construction also requires approval from Louisville Metro and the Department of Public Health and Wellness (at a minimum).
     
  • Floodplain: If a project is located within a mapped floodplain (FEMA and/or Local Regulatory), additional permits may be required. To see if your project is located in a mapped floodplain and for additional permitting requirements, click here. Please be sure to turn all floodplain layers on in LOJIC.

    • Structures proposed within a floodplain will require a “Foundation Only” permit initially. A “Foundation Only” permit allows the foundation of the structure to be constructed, with a requirement that the specified Lowest Finished Floor elevation foundation be verified at or above a specified elevation. Once MSD receives and accepts an Elevation Certificate from a licensed surveyor verifying the elevation requirement was met, MSD can approve “Full Construction” of the proposed structure.

      There are two types of floodplains in Jefferson County, the FEMA floodplain as well as the Local Regulatory Floodplain. All work within the FEMA floodplain requires approval from the Kentucky Division of Water. This includes both interior , and exterior work. The typical time frame for this approval process is four to six weeks upon receipt of a complete application. At a minimum, a complete application consists of a site plan, Kentucky Division of Water floodplain application, local floodplain application, and an itemized construction estimate (on the restoration company’s letterhead). Approval of work within a local floodplain follows a similar permit process as described above, but does not require Kentucky Division of Water approval.
       

  • MSD Easements: MSD may require the property owner to grant MSD a Sanitary Sewer and Drainage Easement on the a project site for public sanitary and storm sewer infrastructure and conveyance. For more information about MSD easement requirements please click here.
     
  • Permits or approvals from other agencies may be required including, but not limited to: Louisville Metro government, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), Louisville Metro Public Health Department, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW), cities outside MSD's drainage service area (Shively, Anchorage, St. Matthews, and J-Town), etc.

Forms:

Contact Information:

Louisville Metro
444 South 5th Street
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 574-3321 (Construction Review)
(502) 540-5810 (Public Works)

Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness
400 East Gray Street
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 574-6520

Kentucky Division of Plumbing
101 Sea Hero Road
Suite 100
Frankfort, KY 40601

Oldham County Sanitation District

Bullitt County