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Tennessee permit requirements, by jurisdiction

Who enforces the residential code at your job — the local department, the state (SFMO) permit, or nobody (opted-out county) — plus permit triggers for 14 common scopes, each linked to its source. Data as of 2026-07-29.

General information, not code interpretation and not legal advice. Permit rules change and local amendments are real; the building official's determination controls. Call the listed authority before you price, promise, or pour.

Unincorporated Davidson County

Local permits

This jurisdiction runs its own building department — permits and inspections are local.

Consolidated city-county government listed jointly as 'Davidson County/Nashville' in source PDF

License threshold

TN contractor's license required at $25,000+ total project cost (T.C.A. 62-6-102).

Homeowner rule

An owner may self-build a residence for their own use once every 24 months (T.C.A. 62-6-103).

Verify a license

verify.tn.gov ↗ before hiring or subbing.

Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County

High confidenceLocal permitsVERIFY flags

Metro Nashville Department of Codes & Building Safety ↗ · 615-862-6500 · ePermits ↗

Last verified 2026-07-29 · not yet human-verified · Codes: 2024 International Building Code, 2024 IRC, 2024 International Existing Building Code, 2024 International Fuel/Gas Code, 2024 International Mechanical Code, 2024 International Plumbing Code, 2024 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, 2024 IECC, 2023 National Electrical Code, 2017 ICC A117.1 (adopted via BL2025-898)

Metro Nashville/Davidson is a consolidated city-county government and runs its own SFMO-exempt residential code program (sfmo_jurisdictions.csv: Davidson County status EXEMPT). Construction plans (not just a site plan) required for residences over 5,000 sq ft or more than 3 stories. Most questions routed through [email protected].

ApplyPermit portal ↗Call 615-862-6500
How to apply

Registered/licensed contractors apply online via ePermits (email [email protected] to obtain a username/password). Homeowners self-permitting, or any application needing zoning review, submit the Residential Permit Application PDF plus a site plan to [email protected]; self-permits also require a notarized Affidavit of Exemption and Self Permit Affidavit.

Deck

Permit required
Trigger:
New accessory structure (deck, porch, patio cover) or addition thereto
Item 5 of permit-trigger list; a site plan is required.
source ↗

Roof replacement

Conditional
Trigger:
Roof repair/replacement exceeding 33% of roof area
Exempt:
Repairs to an existing roof not exceeding 33% of the roof area qualify as normal maintenance and do not require a permit.
Full or partial re-roofs beyond the 33% normal-maintenance threshold require a permit (item 8: 'install siding, roofing...').
source ↗

Shed / accessory structure

Conditional
Trigger:
Portable/accessory storage building of 100 sq ft or more
Exempt:
Storage buildings under 100 sq ft are not named as requiring a permit under item 5.
Item 5: 'storage buildings including portable storage buildings of 100 square feet or more' require a permit and a site plan.
source ↗

Kitchen remodel

Conditional
Trigger:
Work altering/removing load-bearing timbers, supporting walls, or partitions
Exempt:
Normal maintenance repairs (painting, papering, glazing, floor finishing, minor repairs) are exempt.
Falls under item 8's general repair/alteration/rehabilitation trigger; page does not name 'kitchen remodel' specifically.
Medium confidencesource ↗

Bath remodel

Conditional
Trigger:
Work altering/removing load-bearing timbers, supporting walls, or partitions
Exempt:
Normal maintenance repairs (painting, papering, glazing, floor finishing, minor repairs) are exempt.
Falls under item 8's general repair/alteration/rehabilitation trigger; page does not name 'bath remodel' specifically.
Medium confidencesource ↗

Water heater

Permit required
Trigger:
Installation/replacement of a water heater or circulation tank
Named explicitly as a fixture on the Gas/Mechanical fee schedule (16.16.400); permitted as a trade permit, not the building permit.
Trade permits: gas, mechanical
source ↗

Fence

Not published
The residential-permits page does not name fences among the accessory-structure triggers (garages, carports, patio covers, decks, porches, storage buildings); no fence-specific threshold is stated. Do not infer from other jurisdictions. VERIFY
Not published — call Metro Nashville Department of Codes & Building Safety at 615-862-6500.
Low confidencesource ↗

Addition

Permit required
Trigger:
Any addition to a new or existing residential building
Item 1 of permit-trigger list; a site plan is required.
source ↗

New construction

Permit required
Trigger:
Construction of a new residential building
Item 1 of permit-trigger list; a site plan is required; construction plans required over 5,000 sq ft or 3 stories.
source ↗

Pool

Permit required
Trigger:
Construction or installation of any swimming pool, above- or below-ground
Item 6 of permit-trigger list; requires a 48-inch barrier/fence around the pool and a site plan.
source ↗

Demolition

Permit required
Trigger:
Demolition of any structure or portion thereof
Item 9 of permit-trigger list; demolition permits are also called out as exempt from the plans-examination fee (not from the permit itself).
source ↗

Solar

Permit required
Trigger:
Installation of solar panels
Item 8 of permit-trigger list names solar panels explicitly alongside siding/roofing/fireplaces.
source ↗

HVAC replacement

Permit required
Trigger:
Installation/replacement of HVAC equipment (furnace, AC unit, package unit, etc.)
Covered by the Gas/Mechanical trade permit (16.16.400); fixture list includes air-conditioning unit, furnace, package unit, condensing unit.
Trade permits: mechanical
source ↗

Electrical service

Permit required
Trigger:
Installation or alteration of any electrical system
Covered by the Electrical trade permit (Metro Code 16.20.250).
Trade permits: electrical
Medium confidencesource ↗

Homeowner rules

A property owner who presently occupies or intends to occupy a single-family residence may obtain a 'Self Permit' and assumes all responsibility for code compliance; a self-permit cannot be pulled for a detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU). Self-permit requires a notarized Affidavit of Exemption and Self Permit Affidavit. Statewide homeowner 24-month rule (T.C.A. 62-6-103) also applies; not separately restated on this Nashville page.

Fees

Zoning Examination Fee $25 + Building Valuation Fee (tiered: $40.39 for $0-$2,000; +$6.92/thousand to $50,000; +$5.57/thousand to $100,000; +$4.19/thousand to $500,000; +$2.79/thousand above $500,000) + Codes Tech Fee (10% of Building Valuation Fee) + Building Plan Review Fee (one-half of building permit fee up to $275,000 valuation, then tiered). Re-inspection fee $50.

Plan review

A site plan is required for items 1-6 of the permit-trigger list (new construction, additions, accessory structures/decks/pools, converting accessory space to habitable, siding/roofing/solar/repairs beyond normal maintenance). Construction plans and elevation drawings required for residences exceeding 5,000 sq ft or more than 3 stories in height.

Inspections

Field inspections during construction check compliance with Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Model Energy Code, and Gas/Mechanical codes; specific inspection-stage sequence (foundation/rough-in/final) is not itemized on the residential-permits page the way SFMO's is.

Official sources (6)

Ask about Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County

Grounded only in the jurisdiction data above, not the open web.