Pool Permit in Memphis, Tennessee
It depends
Sometimes, depending on the project
For any in ground pool, and for any prefabricated pool 24 inches deep or more
By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources
Quick answer
Only one pool is exempt in Memphis: a prefabricated swimming pool less than 24 inches deep. Everything else, including any in ground pool, needs a building permit from the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement, and an in ground residential pool also carries its own $100.00 electrical permit line covering two inspections. The locally amended residential code adds a full Section R327 covering pool design, flood hazard areas and barrier requirements, including a barrier at least 48 inches above grade. Pools are exempt from the residential plan review fee.
Typical threshold: prefabricated swimming pools, measured by the depth of the pool.
Who is pulling this permit?
Apply yourself
Hire it out
Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?
When a permit is usually needed
For any in ground pool, and for any prefabricated pool 24 inches deep or more
What a pool permit costs in Memphis
How Memphis compares in Tennessee
| Jurisdiction | Permit needed? | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Memphisthis page | It depends | prefabricated swimming pools, measured by the depth of the pool |
| Nashville | Permit required | Not specified |
| Williamson County | It depends | Swimming pools designed or able to hold water more than 30 inches deep in unincorporated Williamson County require a building permit; pools designed to hold 30 inches of water or less, temporary pools, above-ground pools with no permanent filter system or decking, and pools not left up year-round are exempt from the permit requirement. |
Closest pool permit thresholds outside Tennessee
Jurisdictions we cover whose limit sits nearest Memphis's 24 inches of water depth.
- Alameda County, California, Depth of a prefabricated pool at which the building permit exemption stops; the exemption also requires the pool to hold no more than 5,000 gallons and to be installed entirely above ground
- Arlington, Texas, depth of a prefabricated inflatable swimming pool
- Buffalo, New York, pool designed for that water depth or more, or installed other than entirely above ground, at a one- or two-family dwelling or townhouse
- Contra Costa County, California, depth of a prefabricated pool accessory to a one or two family dwelling that is installed entirely above ground and holds no more than 5,000 gallons
How to apply in Memphis
A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect.
What most pool permit applications include:
- Pool and spa design and construction fall under the residential code chapter that folds in the swimming pool and spa code, and permit review checks plans against that chapter (IRC R326).
- The site plan must show pool equipment such as pumps, filters, and heaters set back at least 36 inches from the outside of the required barrier (ISPSC 305.2.9).
- For an in-ground pool, engineered structural plans covering the shell and reinforcing steel, with the responsible structural engineer's license information, are a standard part of the submittal (per official pool submittal checklists).
- A barrier plan identifying the fence, pool structure, or dwelling wall that will enclose the pool must be submitted and must comply with the code's barrier chapter (ISPSC 305).
- Electrical plans must show the pool's equipotential bonding design, since the shell, perimeter surfaces, and metal fittings within 5 feet of the water must all tie into a common bonding grid (NEC 680.26).
- The electrical plan must also show a disconnecting means for the pool equipment that is readily accessible and within sight of the equipment (NEC 680.13).
General submittal guidance from 2021 IRC R326 (adopting the ISPSC), ISPSC 2021 Section 305, and NEC 2020 Article 680. Source. Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Construction Enforcement) sets the exact checklist for Memphis.
Where to apply in Memphis:
Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Construction Enforcement)
- 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134
- Phone: 901-222-8300
- Email: develop901@memphistn.gov
Inspections and closing out your permit
Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
- Before gunite or shotcrete is sprayed, the inspector checks the rebar against the engineered plans and confirms the equipotential bonding wire is stubbed out and tied into the steel, since it will be buried in concrete afterward (NEC 680.26).
- A bonding inspection separately confirms coping, decking, ladders, handrail cups, and any other metal within 5 feet of the water are tied to the bonding grid, and it must pass before coping is installed (NEC 680.26).
- A temporary barrier at least 4 feet high must enclose the site from the moment excavation starts until the permanent barrier is finished, and inspectors check for it throughout construction (ISPSC 305.1.1).
- A pre-plaster inspection confirms the circulation equipment's electrical work is installed and all bonding is complete before the pool's interior finish goes on (NEC 680.26).
- At final inspection the permanent barrier is checked against the code's requirements and the equipment and cover-mechanism bonding must be complete before the pool can be filled and used (ISPSC 305, NEC 680.26).
Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Memphis permit portal or by phone at 901-222-8300.
Inspection sequence from NEC 2020 Article 680.26 (equipotential bonding) and ISPSC 2021 Section 305 (barriers). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.
Your Pool Permit checklist for Memphis
- Confirm the requirement. Sometimes, depending on the project. Typical threshold: prefabricated swimming pools, measured by the depth of the pool. Usually needed: For any in ground pool, and for any prefabricated pool 24 inches deep or more.
- Budget the fee. POOL OR RETAINING WALL $5.00/1,000 (NO MAX) with a $70.00 minimum, per the 2022 Fee Schedule, Building Section, Residential Fees, plus the separate electrical line E6.4 IN GROUND RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOL $100.00, which provides 2 inspections. Construction Enforcement states the residential plan review fee does not apply to pools. All fees exclude an administrative charge of $4.00 and a residential surcharge of $1.00, so $5.00 is added to the residential total, per the 2022 Fee Schedule. Official fee schedule.
- Apply. A residential pool permit application covers both construction and safety: a scaled site plan, structural plans for the pool, a barrier plan showing how the pool will be enclosed, and an electrical plan covering bonding and the equipment disconnect. Start at the Memphis permit portal.
- Keep the office details handy. Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Construction Enforcement). Phone: 901-222-8300. Address: 6465 Mullins Station Road, Memphis, TN 38134.
- Plan for inspections. Pool inspections track the concrete pour: the steel and bonding grid are checked before gunite or shotcrete goes in, bonding is checked again before decking is poured, and the permanent barrier and remaining electrical work are checked at final before the pool can be filled and used.
Compiled from the official sources on this page. Last checked .
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a pool permit in Memphis?
- Only one pool is exempt in Memphis: a prefabricated swimming pool less than 24 inches deep. Everything else, including any in ground pool, needs a building permit from the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement, and an in ground residential pool also carries its own $100.00 electrical permit line covering two inspections. The locally amended residential code adds a full Section R327 covering pool design, flood hazard areas and barrier requirements, including a barrier at least 48 inches above grade. Pools are exempt from the residential plan review fee. Prefabricated swimming pools, measured by the depth of the pool. Always confirm with the office before starting.
- How much does a pool permit cost in Memphis?
- POOL OR RETAINING WALL $5.00/1,000 (NO MAX) with a $70.00 minimum, per the 2022 Fee Schedule, Building Section, Residential Fees, plus the separate electrical line E6.4 IN GROUND RESIDENTIAL SWIMMING POOL $100.00, which provides 2 inspections. Construction Enforcement states the residential plan review fee does not apply to pools. All fees exclude an administrative charge of $4.00 and a residential surcharge of $1.00, so $5.00 is added to the residential total, per the 2022 Fee Schedule. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
- Where do you apply for a pool permit in Memphis?
- You can apply through the Memphis permit portal or contact the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Construction Enforcement) directly. The links are listed on this page.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit themselves in Memphis?
- Under Tennessee law (T.C.A. 62-6-103; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-02-23-.01(1)(i), -.05(3), -.05(4)(b)2.; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-02-01-.05(2)(a)): Tennessee lets a homeowner act as their own builder. Under T.C.A. 62-6-103, as the State Fire Marshal's Office explains it, an owner may construct a single residence once every two years for personal use without a contractor's license, so long as the home is not for resale, lease, or rent, and anyone the homeowner hires whose portion of the work is $25,000 or more must be a licensed contractor. In state permit areas the owner pulls a property owner's permit, limited by rule to one per 24 month period, and the work is subject to the same inspections and fees as a contractor's job; proof of licensure is waived at permit purchase only when the owner personally performs the work. For electrical work, a homeowner may wire their own residence only after obtaining a residential property owner's electrical permit, which covers only the applicant and immediate family, does not authorize help from anyone unlicensed, and is limited to one per 12 month period unless the owner lost the home to fire or windstorm. Confirm how Memphis applies this before you apply.
From the Library
What else needs a permit in Memphis
Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.
| Project | Permit needed? | Threshold | Typical fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Permit | It depends | 200 square feet of deck area, taken with a 30 inch height above grade at any point, no attachment to the dwelling and no service to the exit door required by Section R311.4 | CONSTRUCTION/REPAIR/ALTERATION TO DECKS, SPAS AND SIMILAR STRUCTURES $50.00, plus the APP. |
| Electrical Permit | Permit required | Not specified | E-0 fee issuance cost per permit $20.00, E3.1 minimum fee $15.00, E-6.2 EXISTING... |
| Fence Permit | Permit required | Not specified | RESIDENTIAL FENCE PERMIT 400 LINEAR FT OR LESS $25.00 and RESIDENTIAL FENCE PERMIT 401... |
| HVAC Permit | Permit required | Not specified | M-0 fee issuance cost per permit $20.00, M-3.1 fee for the first $1,000 valuation $15.00... |
| Plumbing Permit | It depends | whether the work only stops a leak or clears a stoppage without replacing, rearranging or removing pipe, valve or fixture components | Permit issuance $20.00, plus $4.00 for issuing each permit (data processing) and a $1.00... |
| Roof Replacement Permit | It depends | whether decking, structural members or equipment supports are modified | No residential roofing line item. |
| Shed Permit | Permit required | Not specified | DETATCHED ACCESSORY BUILDINGS 400 SQ. |
| Solar Permit | Permit required | Not specified | No solar line item. |
Pool Permit in other Tennessee localities
Everything above, sourced
Code references
National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Memphis documents; the office above sets the local rules.
Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Construction Enforcement). Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.
Last checked: Report an error on this page
Compare Pool Permit requirements across Tennessee localities
Permit office
Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, Office of Construction Code Enforcement (Construction Enforcement)
901-222-8300Permit portalTennessee rule changes
- Metro Nashville posts a current codes fee schedule, replacing the 2010 sheet
BL2022-1215 (Metro Fee Schedule Legislation) ·
Compare
Pool Permit across Tennessee