Residential Building Permits

The Building Codes Department issues permits for the unincorporated Rutherford County only (area located outside of any city jurisdictions) Click here to check your jurisdiction.
Permits are issued from 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. – Monday through Friday – with the exception of major holidays

A Residential Building Permit may only be issued to the following:

an individual who possesses a State Contractors License, (the license valuation must cover the proposed project)
a State Home Remodeling License (for projects valued up to $25,000)
the property owner (provided that the owner lives, or plans to live, on the property)

A building permit may not be issued to a property owner that does not currently live on the property or plans to construct, 'flip', or remodel the property for the purposes of resale or lease. In these scenarios, a licensed contractor will be required to obtain the permit and oversee/complete the work.

Where it is approved to issue a building permit to the legal property owner, a Homeowner Affidavit will be required to be reviewed, signed by the property owner, notarized and recorded with the permit acknowledging their responsibilities as the 'contractor' for the project.

After application package is submitted, please allow 24-48 hours for review, after which you will receive a message or call to advise that your permit is ready to issue.

In some cases a Plans Review will be required, in those cases an additional 3-5 days should be expected for the review process, this is most commonly required under the following circumstances:

for homes exceeding 5,000SF of living area
structures of any kind with a below grade basement
structures constructed using unconventional building methods, e.g. 'barndominiums', 'container homes', where excessive glazing exists, etc. If you have any questions regarding this requirement please call our office for clarification
a townhome development

This list should not be assumed to be all inclusive, for additional information on Plans Reviews, please click on tab on left side of this page entitled Plans Review.

DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED FOR PERMIT ISSUANCE

Prior to permit application please click on the following tab that corresponds with your project to read more information on documentation required, checklists, etc.

Single-Family Dwelling

To obtain a building permit for a single-family dwelling, the following documentation is required:

A completed Building Permit application for a Single-Family Dwelling
If the property is not in a subdivision on an approved recorded plat, a Zoning Compliance review will be required to be completed through Rutherford County Planning and Engineering and submitted with the permit application. If the property is in subdivision on an approved recorded plat then the zoning compliance review has already been completed during that approval process and this step is not necessary
Verification of an approved sewage disposal system, i.e. a SSDS permit issued by the TN Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) or a STEP permit issued by Consolidated Utility District of Rutherford County
A legible, accurately dimensioned architectural copy of the floorplan of the proposed dwelling (does not have to certified but may not be a hand drawn rendering)
A plot plan of the lot/property indicating exactly where the proposed dwelling will be located. The plot plan is used for review, approval and ultimately for inspection purposes, therefore it must be legible, accurately dimension and complete, if it is not, you will be asked to return to your property and resubmit a plot plan that is acceptable.

Building Permit Application - Single-Family Dwelling

Accessory Dwelling Unit

To obtain a permit for an Accessory Dwelling Unit, the following documentation is required:

A completed building permit application for an Accessory Dwelling Unit found (link below)
A Zoning Compliance Certificate from Planning and Engineering, application package found here
Verification and layout of subsurface sewage disposal system (SSDS). System must have the capacity to service any existing connections as well as the proposed project
A plot plan showing proposed location of new structure in proximity to existing structures on the property, septic system and property lines. The plot plan is used for review, approval and ultimately for inspection purposes, therefore it must be legible, accurately dimension and complete, if it is not, you will be asked to return to your property and resubmit a plot plan that is acceptable.

Building Permit Application - Single Family Dwelling

Addition to a Single-Family Dwelling

To obtain a permit for an Addition to a Single-Family Dwelling, the following documentation must be submitted:

Completed permit application for an Addition to a Single-Family Dwelling (link below)
A Zoning Compliance Certificate from Planning and Engineering, application package found here
Verification showing location of subsurface sewage disposal system (SSDS). System must have the capacity to service any existing connections as well as the proposed project
A plot plan showing proposed location of the new addition in proximity to the septic system, existing structures on the property and property lines. The plot plan is used for review, approval and ultimately for inspection purposes, therefore it must be legible, accurately dimension and complete, if it is not, you will be asked to return to your property and resubmit a plot plan that is acceptable.

Building Permit Application - Addition