ADU Pass
Springfield
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Springfield, Washington County, Kentucky navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 3 ZIP codes.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: with-restrictions
Springfield ADU pathway is two-track: (a) inside city limits, file Conditional Use Permit + city zoning permit + state DHBC residential permit; (b) outside city limits, DHBC permit + county health septic only, no county building permit. The county's bourbon-tourism economy (adjacent to Bardstown / Loretto / Maker's Mark) drives growing STR interest.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 400 | $1,850 | $76,000 | $77,850 |
| 600 | 600 | $2,200 | $114,000 | $116,200 |
| midpoint | 750 | $2,450 | $142,500 | $144,950 |
| maximum | 1,100 | $3,100 | $220,000 | $223,100 |
Fee breakdown (as of 2026-04)
Permitting process
- Confirm zoning district at Springfield City Hall (~3d)
Walk-in to 127 W. Main St. (Mon-Fri 8:00-16:00, +1-859-336-5440). City clerk confirms parcel zoning (typically R-1, R-2, R-3, or B-2 on the downtown fringe) and pulls the relevant Construction Application Checklist. - File Conditional Use Permit application (DOCX) (~14d)
Download the Conditional Use Permit Application (DOCX) from the Springfield Forms page, fill out, attach site plan + floor plan + elevations, and submit to City Hall. Form must be filed in time to make the next monthly Planning Commission agenda. - Public notice + neighbor mailing (~10d)
City clerk publishes hearing notice in the Springfield Sun and mails to property owners within statutory radius. - Planning Commission hearing (~1d)
Springfield-Washington Joint Planning Commission monthly meeting. CUP approved, conditioned, or denied. - City Zoning Permit Review (single or multi-family DOCX) (~7d)
After CUP, file the matching Zoning Permit Review form (single- or multi-family variant) with City Hall. - Kentucky DHBC residential permit (~21d)
State residential construction permit + plan review. - Septic review (if outside city sewer area) (~21d)
If on septic, file on-site sewage system application with Washington County Health Department (Lincoln Trail District). Site evaluation required before slab pour. - Construction inspections + final / CO (~7d)
DHBC field inspector handles foundation/framing/MEP/insulation/final. City clerk issues a 911-address verification letter on final.
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes (Permitted as accessory residence under CUP) LTR of CUP-approved ADU is permitted; rental income subject to Springfield occupational license.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions (Springfield zoning appendix - tourist home / B&B treated as conditional use in residential zones) Bourbon-trail STR demand is the most active driver of new ADUs in Springfield. CUP required in residential zones; transient-room tax + occupational license required from City Hall.
- Office rental: no Residential zoning does not permit commercial office tenancy.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with limits on signage, employees, and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Owner / family use is unrestricted.
- Agriculture: yes Substantial Washington County AG zoning permits farmhand / caretaker accessory residences.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU is the most common CUP basis.
Incentives
- KHC Welcome Home Grant — Up to $10,000 toward down payment / closing (First-time-homebuyer income limits; Washington County eligible)
- SWEDA development liaison — Springfield-Washington County Economic Development Authority provides free pre-permit consultation; published a permitting matrix at sweda.org/community-data/regs-permits/.
- Bourbon-trail tourism grants (regional) — Bourbon Trail Welcome Center / Kentucky Distillers' Association programs for properties hosting tourism-related ADU / B&B use.
Contacts
Staff: Springfield City Clerk (CUP / zoning intake), Washington County Planning Commission (County subdivision intake (outside city)), Springfield-Washington County Economic Development Authority (SWEDA) (Permit / development liaison)
Utilities
- Water: City of Springfield Water Department · 21d connect · $700
- Sewer: City of Springfield Wastewater (Beech Fork WWTP); on-site septic via Lincoln Trail District Health Dept outside city sewer area · 30d connect · $800
- Electric: Inter-County Energy Cooperative · 14d connect · $750
- Gas: Springfield Gas (city utility) · 21d connect · $1,100
Property values & taxes
Market rent by ADU size
| Sq ft | Rent |
|---|---|
| 400 | $750/mo |
| 600 | $950/mo |
| 800 | $1,175/mo |
| 1,100 | $1,450/mo |
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 10mo · worst 16mo
Bardstown / Lebanon GC pool serves Springfield; lead times moderate.
Modular pathway Kentucky DHBC Manufactured/Modular Housing Program · inspectors are occasional with modular · 1 modular permits (last 24mo)
US-150 / KY-55 access; no width-restricted bridges between Springfield and the Tennessee modular plants. Bourbon-trail historic-district streets in Springfield core are the binding constraint, not transport.
Financing
State ADU loans:
- KHC First Mortgage Programs (Kentucky Housing Corporation)
- KHC Down Payment Assistance Program (DAP) (Kentucky Housing Corporation) up to $12,500
- USDA Rural Development Section 502 (Washington County eligible outside city limits) (USDA RD Kentucky)
Insurance impact
Karst sinkhole rider available and recommended in Washington County; central-KY hail/wind exposure modest.
HOA prevalence & preemption
HOAs limited to a few newer subdivisions on the north / east edges of Springfield. Older town blocks are fee-simple. Kentucky has no HOA-ADU preemption.
Regulatory overlays (3)
- other — Karst / sinkhole exposure: Washington County sits squarely in the central-Kentucky karst belt; sinkhole formation common around Springfield. · +14d · +6% cost
Geotech / soils investigation typical for slab foundations; KY DHBC may condition foundation type on a karst report. (map) - flood-zone — Beech Fork River floodplain crosses the south side of Springfield; FEMA Zone A on adjacent parcels. · +10d · +6% cost
Lowest finished floor 1 ft above BFE; flood vents on enclosed below-base areas. (map) - historic-district — Springfield Historic District (NRHP) covers downtown commercial blocks and select residential side streets near Main / Cross / Walnut. ADU on a contributing parcel may require Certificate of Appropriateness review. · +21d · +8% cost
Springfield Architectural Review Board (ARB) reviews exterior changes in the historic core. (map)
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Kentucky deletion of IRC R313 sprinkler mandate — KY does not require residential fire sprinklers.
- Springfield Code of Ordinances - Land Usage chapters — City sets setbacks, parking, lot coverage; building code is the state KRC.
Contractor market (aggregate)
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Springfield, KY Code of Ordinances + Zoning Regulation Appendix, adopted 2010-01-01, last amended 2025-08-15
- 2008-09-01 — Washington County Subdivision Regulations adopted (city-ordinance)
County subdivision regulations governing land division in unincorporated Washington County.
Effect: Controls lot creation but does not regulate dwellings on existing lots. - 2020-01-01 — Kentucky Residential Code (IRC 2018) effective for Springfield (state-law)
DHBC adopted IRC 2018 with state amendments.
Effect: Construction-code floor for any ADU-style second unit; KY amendments delete IRC R313 sprinkler mandate; Appendix Q tiny-house path available. - 2025-02-25 — Kentucky HB 576 (2025) - statewide ADU enabling bill (stalled) (state-law)
Would have required local governments to allow at least one ADU on every residential lot.
Effect: Did not pass; Springfield retains discretionary CUP framework. - 2025-08-15 — Springfield Code of Ordinances reissue (2025-08 dated PDF) (city-ordinance)
Most recently posted Code of Ordinances for the City of Springfield.
Effect: Maintains prior land-use chapter framework; CUP-driven ADU pathway unchanged.
Known issues (2)
Kentucky state — ADU law and programs
State financing programs
Kentucky does not operate an ADU-specific statewide loan, grant, or forgivable-loan program. The Kentucky Housing Corporation (KHC) is the state housing finance agency and administers first-time-homebuyer mortgage products, the Welcome Home Grant (down-payment assistance), the KHC Down Payment Assistance Program (up to $12,500 second mortgage), and Mortgage Credit Certificates. None target ADU construction directly. ADU costs may be financed through standard renovation or construction-loan products under KHC programs when the ADU is part of a qualifying primary-residence transaction.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Codes
- 40040
- 40069
- 40078
Post Office
- 202 E Main St, 40069