The Codes and Planning Department regulates building and planning in the City. This department is supervised directly by the Codes Administrator and works under the control, in part, of the Planning Commission. The department assures that the building code is consistently applied, provides building inspections for new construction, assures the directives of the Planning Commission are followed and assures that nuisance violations are cited and abated . The department adheres to the International Code, Kentucky Building Code, and the Kentucky residential Code in building design and construction inspection and It adheres to Chapter 5, 7 and 8, of the City of Berea Codes of Ordinances for city planning and additional construction regulations. Specific duties of this department are listed in the Berea Code of Ordinances.
The City of Berea Codes Department, in its current form, has been in existence since 1982. Berea instituted its first zoning regulations in 1959. Later in 1978 building regulations were also put into place. These regulations were administered by the Fire Department until the work load became too much.