Building Permit Guidelines

General Guidelines

  • All permit applications are to be completely filled out and submitted with the proper documentation included (State of Tennessee License and General Liability Insurance)
  • No permit applications will be accepted without the following documentation if applicable (septic letter, land disturbance permit or land disturbance application, utility tap sheet or utility tap approval, mechanical manual J report, and all signed and notarized affidavits if required
  • If all documentation is not submitted with the application, it will be returned to the applicant, which will delay the permit approval process. No exceptions.
  • All residential construction permit applications may take up to 10 business days - this excludes weekends and holidays
  • All commercial/industrial permit applications may take up to 30 business days - this excludes weekends and holidays. This may take longer if building plan review comments are not addressed in a timely manner

New Construction Inspection Guidelines

The following is a list of required inspections in their normal order of completion. Although they all may not be applicable to your particular project, please use it as a general guideline:

  1. Post address on job site visible from the street - if not posted, this will delay your inspections
  2. Portable toilet facilities are required on the job site
  3. Footings or Pier Footings: Inspection required before pouring concrete
  4. Rough-In Underground Plumbing: If required - all joints to be left uncovered and 5 foot head pipe
  5. Building Slap Prep: If required - after underground plumbing has passed
  6. Sheathing/Braced Wall Inspection: All damp-proofing is required at this time and the positive drain installed. All required braced wall panel joints are to be blocked at this time
  7. Gas inspection must be approved from the Portland Gas Department before requesting framing, plumbing and mechanical inspection! Leave gas approval tag in washer box
  8. Plumbing Rough-In, Mechanical Rough-In, and Framing Inspection: These inspections will only take place after the state electrical inspector has passed the rough-in electrical
  9. Overhead Plumbing, Overhead Mechanical, Draft-Stop/Fire-Block Inspection
  10. Final Building, Final Plumbing, Final Mechanical: Inspection to be completed after the state electrical inspector approves the final electrical inspection. This is a move-in ready completed project

Tennessee 811Tennessee 811

Always call 811 before you dig! It's free, it's easy, and it's the law!

Call 811, or 800-351-1111.