Rowan County officials said new housing developments that began construction after March 1 must now comply with the Kentucky Residential Code.
Justin Caudill is the Rowan County Building Inspector. He said the 2018 Kentucky Residential Code sets criteria for safe construction on residential projects from the foundation all the way through final completion.
Caudill said following those guidelines is important to ensure the safety and well-being of future occupants.
“If all of the necessary construction steps aren’t in place, it potentially puts the homeowner at risk. When somebody buys a house, they have the right to know that that house was built safe for their family,” he said. “You know, it’s important that Rowan County adopt this process.”
The Rowan County Fiscal Court passed an ordinance back in December to adopt the Kentucky code, and officials said it brings new construction in the county up to national standards.
However, Caudill added the code won’t affect much when it comes to the actual construction process.
“The only difference will be inspections during construction throughout the various phases. Nothing essentially will change with the construction, but there will be inspections and permitting along the way just to ensure that it is built according to standard,” he said.
The building inspector said the code will be enforced on all new construction of single and two-family dwellings.
More information and guidance on how to acquire building permits can be found online.