How do you get a building permit in Tennessee?

You need Tennessee’s state residential building permit for houses and townhouses where the state program applies¹. Your local government can enforce its own residential code or vote to opt out of state enforcement⁴. Before applying, ask the State Fire Marshal’s residential inspection section which program covers your address⁶.

Tennessee’s state program uses the 2018 International Residential Code and International Energy Conservation Code, with amendments⁴. A state building permit excludes zoning approval, electrical permits, septic or sewer approval, grading approval, and floodplain compliance¹. Ask your local building office about each separately when you discuss your project¹.

Buy your Tennessee state residential building permit through CORE or a local issuing agent where the state program applies⁶. New CORE users must register an account before buying a building permit or requesting inspections⁶. Use CORE to print your building permit and manage inspection requests⁶.

Ask the State Fire Marshal’s Residential/Electrical Contract Inspection Section about Tennessee state residential building permits and inspections⁶. Use the agency contact below for help with the state application route⁶. To request an inspection by email, include your full building permit number and the date your project will be ready⁶. Local governments administer their own adopted codes and requirements, so a state application does not replace your local building office’s requirements¹.

Your Tennessee state residential building permit fee depends on construction cost³. You pay a $100 base fee for construction costing $0–$5,000³. For construction costing $5,001–$100,000, you pay a $350 base fee³. The state valuation cannot be less than $60.57 per heated square foot³.

New construction also needs a plumbing and HVAC inspection, with a listed additional fee of $100³. You pay another $100 for a slab inspection when the slab and footing are cast separately³. Tennessee’s state program allows one free re-inspection, then charges $100 for each additional re-inspection⁴. These are Tennessee state-program fees, so ask your local building office for its fee schedule if your address uses local enforcement³.

You can use Tennessee’s owner-builder licensing exemption for a residence you build for your own use, not for sale, lease or rent⁵. You are allowed one owner permit every two years⁵. If you hire a prime contractor, that contractor must be licensed and get the building permit for inspections⁵.

In Tennessee, detached garages, sheds and barns need no state residential building permit when they are not used for living⁶. You need no state residential building permit to install a manufactured or modular home, but custom exit work such as a deck, patio or stoop needs one⁶. Tennessee’s agricultural zoning exemption covers qualifying structures incidental to farming on agricultural land, with location exceptions⁸. That county zoning exemption does not apply inside municipalities⁸.

You need no residential building permit in unincorporated areas of 19 Tennessee counties². Examples include Pickett County, Stewart County and Hancock County². Find the full group in the Tennessee counties with no building codes list².

Another 17 Tennessee counties require residential building permits only in some cases, such as particular structures or floodplain locations⁷. You need a residential building permit in 59 counties’ unincorporated areas⁷. These county counts cover land outside city limits, and a city can have different residential building code rules^2,4. A county’s opt-out from Tennessee’s state program does not tell you whether local zoning or other approvals apply¹.

You need your Tennessee septic system permit before dirt work or construction, including the building pad⁹. For development review in a mapped floodplain, ask your city floodplain administrator inside city limits or your county floodplain administrator outside them¹⁰.

Tennessee state residential inspections cover the foundation before pouring, framing and rough-in work, and final construction⁶. Schedule your inspections through CORE as the project reaches each stage⁶. In an opt-out or non-code jurisdiction, you can get a state building permit to request state construction inspections¹¹. The State Fire Marshal issues a certificate of occupancy through that route only when your dwelling meets statewide construction safety standards¹¹.