Daviess County, Kentucky

Towns in Daviess County

• Owensboro
• Whitesville

Permits

Building department: Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission (OMPC) Building & Electrical Division, 200 E. 3rd Street, Owensboro, KY; building, electrical and HVAC permits 270-687-8665 (planning and zoning 270-687-8650), open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Who issues permits. The OMPC Building & Electrical Division issues all building, electrical and HVAC permits required by the Kentucky Building Code and National Electrical Code for the City of Owensboro and unincorporated Daviess County. In the City of Whitesville, the City Clerk oversees residential construction (12 units or less). Source
• Plan review and required inspections. Inside Owensboro and Daviess County, new construction, additions and certain types of remodeling need a construction permit with plan review against the Kentucky Building Code, and at least three field inspections: footer-foundation, framing, and a final inspection to grant occupancy. Source
• Building permit fees. OMPC's posted building permit fee schedule (form 303, dated 05/17) charges $20 for work up to $3,000, then $20 plus $3 for each $1,000 above $3,000 up to $100,000, and $311 plus $2 for each $1,000 from $100,000 to $500,000. Source
• HVAC/furnace permits and fee. OMPC says HVAC work in Daviess County generally requires a permit issued to a contractor holding a Kentucky HVAC license. Its one- and two-family HVAC permit form (03/26) lists $105.00 for the first system plus $50.00 for each additional system and has a box for replacement work. Source
• Homeowner HVAC permits. A homeowner HVAC permit (same $105 first-system fee) requires a duct layout and sizing drawing, a computer-generated Manual J load calculation, and an affidavit that the owner lives in the home. Source
• Electrical permits and fees. All electrical installations in Owensboro and Daviess County need an OMPC permit and at least a rough-in and a final inspection; OMPC gives the electric utility a clearance before new work can be energized. Fees include $0.05 per square foot ($75 minimum) for a new single-family home and $35 for a service change-out or repair, including storm damage repairs. Source
• Plumbing and water heater permits. Plumbing permits in Kentucky come from the state Division of Plumbing, not OMPC. A permit is required to install or replace a water heater, replace a house sewer or water service, move a fixture or drain opening, add a backflow preventer, or for repairs needing more than 10 feet of soil, waste or vent pipe. Source
• Daviess County plumbing inspector. The state plumbing inspector itinerary lists Mark Thomas for Daviess County, with office hours 8:00-9:00 a.m. on weekdays at 270-852-2906; plumbing permits can also be bought online through the state's SmartGov portal. Source
• Floodplain permits. OMPC checks each building site for floodplain status. If the property is in a floodplain, the applicant must also apply to the Kentucky Division of Water for a Stream Construction Permit, the first floor must be above the 100-year base flood elevation, and a Flood Elevation Certificate is required. Source
• Demolition permits. Demolition permits inside Owensboro come from the city (not OMPC): $75 for houses and one-story commercial buildings under 3,000 sq ft, $150 for larger buildings, and $10 for accessory structures over 150 sq ft. Contractors also need a $25 sewer cap permit from RWRA. Source
• Fences (no permit). OMPC says permits are not required for fences, but fences must be on your own property, not in the street right-of-way (often about six inches behind the back of the sidewalk), and not in a utility easement without permission. Source
• Kentucky plumber license rule. Under KRS 318.030, no one may do plumbing work in Kentucky unless they hold an active master plumber license or a journeyman plumber license issued by the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. A plumbing business must also carry at least $250,000 in general liability coverage and show proof of workers' compensation and unemployment insurance. Source
• Homeowner plumbing permit. Under 815 KAR 20:050, a Kentucky plumbing permit is issued only to a master plumber or to a homeowner working on a home they live in (or are building for their own use). The homeowner must apply before starting, file an affidavit, do all the work personally, and may not have had another homeowner permit for a new home in the last five years. Source
• State plumbing permits and inspections. The Kentucky Division of Plumbing sells plumbing permits online through its SmartGov portal or through the state plumbing inspector for your county, and homeowner permits are approved only for the owner's own home, not rental or short-term rental property. All plumbing must be tested, inspected and approved by the state plumbing inspector before it is covered or concealed. Source
• Kentucky HVAC license rule. Under KRS 198B.656, a person may not practice heating, ventilation and air conditioning contracting in Kentucky without meeting the state HVAC license law (KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689). The holder of a master HVAC contractor license may pull the needed permits and is primarily responsible for the work; journeyman HVAC mechanics hold their own state license. Source
• When an HVAC permit is needed. Under 815 KAR 8:070, a Kentucky HVAC installation permit is required for the first heating or cooling system in new construction, in an addition that gets its own added system, or in an existing building getting its first system. For replacement furnaces, condensing units, heat pumps and similar equipment, a permit is issued and an inspection done on request; the permit fee for a one- or two-family home is $105 for the first system. Source
• HVAC owner exception. KRS 198B.674 says Kentucky's HVAC license law does not apply to an individual owner doing heating or cooling work on property they own and live in. It also does not apply to people installing, repairing or replacing residential window air conditioners. Source
• Check a plumbing or HVAC license. The Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction has a free online licensee search that covers plumbing and HVAC license holders. You can search by name, trade name, license type or license number to check a license's status. Source
• Kentucky Residential Code. Under 815 KAR 7:125, the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code (based on the 2015 International Residential Code) is the mandatory statewide code for one- and two-family homes and townhouses. Building permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy are not required for a single-family home unless a local ordinance requires them. Source

Rules change, so check with the department before work starts. A provider can usually tell you whether they pull the permit.

Utilities and rebates

• Owensboro electric and water (OMU). Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU), 2070 Tamarack Road, 270-926-3200, is the city-owned electric, water and internet provider for Owensboro and says it is the largest municipally owned electric and water system in Kentucky, with more than 27,000 electric and 26,000 water customers. Source
• Rural electric (Kenergy). Kenergy, a member-owned electric cooperative (800-844-4832), serves rural western Kentucky including Daviess County, where it lists 24,384 accounts, its largest county. Source
• Kenergy inspection before connection. Kenergy requires an electrical inspection before it connects a new home or any service that has been disconnected for 12 months or more; the inspector or government charges the inspection fee. Source
• Natural gas (Atmos Energy). Atmos Energy supplies natural gas in the City of Owensboro through a distribution system it owns under a city franchise, and lists its principal Kentucky office at 3275 Highland Pointe Drive, Owensboro. Source
• County water supply. OMU's Cavin Water Treatment Plant (4067 KY-144), expanded to 30 million gallons per day in March 2021, supplies all OMU customers plus the two county water utilities, East Daviess County Water Association and Daviess County Water District. Source
• Daviess County Water District merger. Daviess County Water District was formed on January 1, 2021, when West Daviess County Water District merged into Southeast Daviess County Water District, which was renamed. Source
• County water districts (EPA). EPA records list Daviess County Water District (KY0300387) serving about 33,655 people through 13,742 connections and East Daviess County Water Association (KY0300109, Knottsville) serving about 11,997 people through 5,766 connections; both buy treated water rather than running their own sources. Source
• Sewer (RWRA). Regional Water Resource Agency (RWRA) provides sewer service for Owensboro and Daviess County, except the City of Whitesville. Sewer charges appear on the OMU or water district bill; RWRA's sewer emergency line is 270-687-8451. Source
• Sewer rates (FY2027). For July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, RWRA charges a $28.45 monthly customer service charge for a 5/8-inch or 1-inch meter plus $4.99 per 1,000 gallons, along with a $9.95 Environmental Improvement Fee, a $0.53 capacity fee and a $9.98 Facilities Compliance fee each month for those meter sizes. Source
• Energy rebates status. Kentucky's federally funded Home Energy Rebates (HEAR/HOMES) program is not yet taking applications; the state says anyone offering these rebates now is misinformed. No current OMU or Kenergy equipment rebate program was found. Source
• Solid waste: Owensboro trash and bulky pickup. City of Owensboro Sanitation (1410 W. 5th St., 270-687-8760) serves about 22,000 households for $18.00 a month. Bulky items such as furniture, appliances and tires are picked up by appointment as special loads: $15 per pickup-truck-sized load, plus $20 for items with Freon and a per-tire charge. Source
• Solid waste: Free neighborhood bulky cleanups. In 2026 the city's Neighborhood Cleanups let residents put junk furniture, appliances, tires and bagged trash at the curb for free pickup on their neighborhood's date (spring 2026 dates ran March 7 to June 20); construction debris, yard waste, paint and liquids are not taken. Source
• Solid waste: Transfer station, tires and electronics. Daviess County's Grimes Avenue Transfer Station and Convenience Center (2129 Grimes Ave., 270-688-8138) takes resident loads with an $8.00 minimum charge, car tires for $3 off-rim or $5 on-rim, and Freon appliances for $20; it is also an electronics drop-off site with the Opportunity Center. Hours since Nov. 3, 2024 are Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday 7 a.m.-noon. Source
• Solid waste: Household hazardous waste day. Daviess County holds a free Tox Away Day for household hazardous waste once a year at the County Operations Center, 2620 Highway 81 (most recently posted for Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, 8 a.m.-noon). It takes items like oil-based paint, lawn chemicals, batteries and fluorescent bulbs, but not latex paint, appliances, tires or computers; questions go to the Solid Waste Department, 270-229-4484. Source
• Call 811 before you dig. Contacting Kentucky 811 before digging is free for homeowners, and Kentucky 811 asks for at least two full working days' notice before digging starts; a locate request is valid for 21 calendar days. Marked lines may be up to 24 inches off on either side, so hand dig within that zone. Source
• Who regulates utilities. The Kentucky Public Service Commission regulates rates and service of investor-owned electric, natural gas, water and sewer utilities, electric cooperatives, and water districts and associations. It does not regulate utilities run by cities or other political subdivisions, or those served by the Tennessee Valley Authority; its consumer hotline is 1-800-772-4636. Source

Flooding

• Ohio River at Owensboro flood stage (minor). 40 ft Source
• Ohio River at Owensboro flood categories. NWS flood categories for the Ohio River at Owensboro gauge are action 24 ft, minor 40 ft, moderate 44 ft and major 49 ft. Source
• Ohio River at Owensboro record crest (Jan. 29, 1937). 54.8 ft Source
• Recent Ohio River crests at Owensboro. Recent high crests at Owensboro include 47.72 ft on April 11, 2025, 47.3 ft on Feb. 28, 2018 and 49.0 ft on March 9, 1997, all above the 44 ft moderate flood level. Source
• Ohio River flood impacts in Owensboro. NWS impact statements for the Owensboro gauge: bottomland begins to flood at 35 ft; at 44 ft parts of Smothers Park may flood; at 50 ft moderate flooding affects the lowest land in Owensboro well back from the river because sewers back up; at 54.8 ft evacuation of many homes and businesses becomes necessary. Source
• Panther Creek flash flooding. The city says Daviess County flooding comes from both the Ohio River and Panther Creek. In the 1997 flood, more than 12 inches of rain in three days over the Panther Creek basin put water 9 ft higher on South Frederica Street than at the foot of Frederica at the river. Source
• South Fork Panther Creek gauge near Whitesville. NWS gauge PANK2 on the South Fork of Panther Creek near Whitesville has no set flood categories; NWS says water overflows onto State Highway 764 at 18.8 ft, and its listed crest is 17.14 ft on March 1, 2021. Source
• Repetitive flood-loss properties. The city reports ten repetitive flood-loss properties in Daviess County and seven in the City of Owensboro (at least two flood claims over $1,000 within 10 years). Source
• Floodplain building rules. Under Article 18 of the Owensboro Metropolitan Zoning Ordinance, a new or substantially improved home in a mapped flood zone must have its lowest floor (including basement) and mechanical equipment at least 1 ft above the base flood elevation, with ductwork above the ceiling unless the floor is at least 2 ft above it. Source
• Flood maps and NFIP. Owensboro and Daviess County take part in the National Flood Insurance Program. Flood maps can be viewed at the Planning Office, 200 E. 3rd St., but OMPC does not make flood zone determinations for insurance, which is up to your lender or insurance agent. Source
• Sewer backups during rain. RWRA says sewage backing up into drains during rain is most common in the older combined sewer area, and customers can call RWRA customer service at 270-687-8450 about ways to reduce it; RWRA and the city also ask owners to disconnect roof downspouts from the sewer and send them to lawn areas. Source
• Stormwater problems. Storm drain problems belong to local government, not RWRA: inside Owensboro call the City Engineer at 270-687-8641; outside the city call the Daviess County Engineer at 270-685-8456. Source
• Mine subsidence coverage. Daviess and Henderson counties are among the 37 Kentucky counties taking part in the Kentucky Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund, so a mine subsidence endorsement is automatically added to property policies there. It covers damage from the collapse of underground coal mines, up to $500,000 per structure plus up to $50,000 in additional living expense, which a typical homeowners policy does not cover. Source