Residential Building Permits
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About
The State Residential Building Code Enforcement Program applies to one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses in areas of the state that have not: 1) received an exemption from the State Fire Marshal's Office by having local building codes enforced by the local government, or 2) opted out of state residential building codes and enforcement by a 2/3 vote of the city or county's legislative body. View a list of municipalities and counties where a state residential permit is required.
Requirements
A building permit must be purchased online or at a local Issue Agent. The cost of the building permit is based on the estimated cost of construction. A permit is not required for the installation of a manufactured or modular home; however a permit is needed if there will be custom site work that is a part of exiting the home such as a deck, patio or stoop. An additional slab inspection fee must be paid if a building has a slab under a living space that is not a monolithic pour. A monolithic poured slab has the footings poured at the same time as the slab. A slab inspection is not required for garages or unfinished basements.
Inspections are performed by state contracted inspectors. Inspections are performed of the foundation prior to pouring, the framing/rough-in construction and the final construction. Permits purchased on or after October 1, 2011 will have the plumbing and mechanical systems inspected at the rough-in and final inspections. On each project, one free re-inspection may be performed if one of the required inspections is not passed the first time. However, each additional re-inspection will require payment of an additional fee. Inspections are scheduled by visiting https://core.tn.gov.
A homeowner may build a home as long as the construction is to be the residence of the homeowner (not to be sold or leased) and the homeowner has not been issued a homeowner building permit for the 24 month period prior to the application. Contractor registration verification will be a part of the permitting process.
View a list of municipalities and counties where a state residential permit is required.
Fees
The permit fee is based on the cost of construction.
Residential Building Permit Fees
* The cost of construction cannot be less than $60.57 per heated square foot of construction
** An HVAC and Plumbing Inspection is required for all new construction
*** Slab other than Monolith Pour Inspection is required when slab and footing are cast separately
One re-inspection per permit may be performed without any additional fee. A second or subsequent re-inspection costs $100 each, which may be paid online or to any Issuing Agent.