A construction schedule can look simple until one unresolved public-infrastructure question stops the next trade. In Louisville, land disturbance, drainage, sanitary-sewer service, floodplain, easements, and other-agency approvals can form a connected approval stack.
This is a general owner’s planning map derived from current Louisville MSD sources. It does not evaluate any private property or replace project-specific engineering, legal, code, zoning, plumbing, or environmental review.
The seven-layer approval stack
1. Define the disturbance and project category
MSD says its development review covers land-disturbing activity in Jefferson County and sanitary-sewer extensions within its service area. The current permitting page distinguishes single-family/demolition/small commercial, small site disturbance, and large site disturbance. MSD states that land disturbance above 2,000 square feet requires a Site Disturbance Permit, with additional requirements above one acre.
2. Map drainage before design hardens
Development review may analyze drainage adjacent to and downstream of a project, grading, erosion prevention and sediment control, water quality, and floodplain issues. A site plan that ignores downstream or watershed constraints can create redesign risk later.
3. Verify sanitary-sewer service and downstream capacity
MSD’s small-project guidance says Customer Service can help determine whether a property service connection is available and whether required impact fees were paid. New connections require a Downstream Facilities Capacity request. A visible sewer structure or a contractor assumption is not the same as capacity approval.
4. Resolve easements and encroachments
MSD publishes separate easement, right-of-way, release, and encroachment procedures. Corporate or partnership owners may need a notarized corporate resolution; LLCs may need to provide an operating agreement for certain easement or encroachment plats. Ownership authority and survey documentation should be planned early.
5. Check floodplain and outside-agency gates
MSD states that floodplain development may require both Kentucky Division of Water and local MSD permits. Depending on the project, approvals may also involve Louisville Metro, Public Health and Wellness, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, or other jurisdictions.
6. Price the written fees—not just construction labor
The current FY2027 rate schedule includes connection, capacity, drainage, inflow-and-infiltration, system-development, inspection/location, and other potential charges. Which charges apply is property- and project-specific. Obtain written, dated determinations instead of carrying an unsupported allowance.
7. Define release and closeout evidence
For sanitary-sewer extensions, MSD’s published process includes capacity approval, design approval, permits/contracts, construction, inspection, as-built information, possible charges, and final release items. “Installed” and “released for connection” are different states.
The owner’s one-page control sheet
- Project scope and square feet of disturbance
- Parcel, zoning/use, and jurisdiction
- Drainage and floodplain layers checked
- Property service connection evidence
- Downstream-capacity request and response
- Easements/right-of-way/encroachment status
- Required agencies and named decision owner
- Applications, fees, bonds, and payment proof
- Inspection sequence and release criteria
- Open unknown, owner, deadline, and next trigger
Why this reduces stress
Stress grows when multiple authorities, technical terms, and deadlines are compressed into one vague word—“permit.” The antidote is a state map: requested, under review, approved with conditions, paid, inspected, accepted, and released. Each state needs its own proof.
Good ownership means protecting people, time, money, and relationships with a record that shows what is known, what remains unknown, and who controls the next decision.
Official sources
- MSD — Development and Stormwater Permitting
- MSD — Single Family, Small Commercial or Demolition Permit
- MSD — Easements, Right-of-Way and Right-of-Way Entry
- MSD — Lateral Extension of Sanitary Sewers
- MSD — Current Rates, Rentals and Charges
Source review: October 22, 2026. Recheck current forms, fees, design standards, and agency requirements for each project.