What's Required in Louisville
- Panel replacements and service upgrades need a Metro electrical permit from Construction Review.
- The fee is $75 for work costing $750 or less and $100 for work over $750, one inspection included.
- Replacing a breaker with one of the required capacity in the same location needs no permit.
- Only a licensed electrical contractor or the homeowner may obtain the permit.
- Homeowners sign a notarized certification that they live in the home and it is not for sale.
- Homeowners must do all the electrical work themselves and pass the final inspection.
- Work must meet the Kentucky Building Code and the National Electrical Code.
- Electrical work started without a permit carries a minimum $1,000 penalty.
Do You Need a Permit to Replace an Electrical Panel in Louisville?
Yes. Kentucky law requires every city, county or consolidated local government to require a permit before construction, alteration or repair of an electrical system, and Louisville Metro's Construction Review issues residential electrical permits. A panel replacement or a service upgrade from 100 to 200 amps is covered. The exemptions in the Kentucky Residential Code are narrow: replacing a breaker with one of the required capacity in the same location, replacing lamps, reinstalling plug receptacles but not the outlets, and similar minor work.
Louisville Electrical Panel Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Panel replacement or 100 to 200 amp service upgrade | Electrical permit, $100 (work over $750) | LMCO 150.096, Electrical item 3 |
| Small repair or added wiring costing $750 or less | Electrical permit, $75 | LMCO 150.096, Electrical item 3 |
| Replacing a breaker with the same type in place | None | KRC R105.2, Electrical item 3 |
| Homeowner doing the work on the home they live in | Permit with notarized homeowner certification | KRS 227.480(2)(a); Metro electrical application |
| Hiring someone else | Licensed electrical contractor must pull the permit | KRS 227.480(2) |
| Inspection beyond the one included | $50 each | LMCO 150.096, Electrical item 7 |
| Work done before the permit | Penalty, $1,000 minimum for electrical | LMCO 150.096, Penalty |
How Much Does a Panel Permit Cost in Louisville?
Metro's promulgated fee schedule (LMCO 150.096, revised February 6, 2024) sets one fee for service upgrade, new service, repairs or additional wiring in a one- or two-family home: $75 for work costing $750 or less and $100 for work costing over $750, with one inspection included. A panel swap almost always costs more than $750, so expect $100. The fee does not change with amperage. Each inspection beyond the included one is $50. The schedule's penalty for starting work without a permit is the standard fee, except that electrical work carries a minimum penalty of $1,000. New wiring of an entire new house is a different line, $200 with three inspections.
Can You Replace Your Own Panel in Louisville?
Yes, if it is your own home. Kentucky's licensing law says nothing in it prohibits a homeowner from installing or repairing electrical wiring on their own property, and KRS 227.480 exempts a homeowner working on their own premises from showing an electrical contractor license to get a permit. Metro's electrical permit application includes a Homeowner Electrical Permit Certification Statement, sworn before a notary. In it you state that you own the home and live there, or will live there when the work is done; that the home is not for sale; and that you are doing all the electrical work yourself. You also acknowledge that the work must meet the Kentucky Building Code and the National Electrical Code and that you must get the inspections, including a final.
Anyone else needs a licensed electrical contractor; the application asks for the contractor's and the master electrician's state license numbers. Contractors apply online through the Louisville Metro Business Portal under the Electrical Residential record type. If the service has to be disconnected, ask the electrician how they will coordinate that with the utility and the inspection.
How to Get a Electrical Panel Permit in Louisville
Decide who files
Hire a licensed electrical contractor, or file yourself if you own and live in the home.
Complete the application
Contractors list state license numbers; homeowners sign the notarized certification statement.
Pay the fee
$75 for work up to $750 or $100 above; contractors file in the Louisville Metro Business Portal.
Coordinate the service
Arrange the utility disconnect and reconnect with your electrician before work day.
Pass the inspection
Request the Construction Review inspection; each additional inspection is $50.