Do you need a solar permit in Tennessee?
By Mario Bailey Last checked
- Always required
- 2
- of 3 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 0
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Solar Permit rules nationwide, beyond Tennessee.
Requirements and size thresholds for solar permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Tennessee county or city requires. Always confirm with the local office before starting.
Comparing states? See solar permit rules across every locality we cover.
What to know about solar permits in Tennessee
Solar permits in Virginia usually cover the rooftop PV system and its electrical interconnection. Costs depend on system size and your locality, and many homeowners weigh financing options such as solar loans against paying up front. Some Virginia localities use SolarAPP+ for faster automated approvals. Always use a licensed electrical or solar contractor, since the work must pass inspection.
The application steps and inspection sequence for solar permits come from the model code rather than from Tennessee law, so they read the same wherever you build. We keep that walkthrough in one place: how a solar permit application and its inspections work, start to finish. What changes between Tennessee jurisdictions is below: who requires a permit, what they charge, and which office you file with.
Swipe sideways to see thresholds and confidence.
| Locality | Permit required? | Typical threshold | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Nashville | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Williamson County | Not confirmed | Not specified | Not confirmed |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a solar permit costs in Tennessee
3 Tennessee jurisdictions we cover publish a fee figure for this work. Each line is quoted from that office's own schedule and linked to its citation. The figures are not comparable to one another: some are flat minimums, some a percentage of job value, some charged per fixture, so what you pay depends on which schedule applies and on your job's valuation.
No solar line item. Residential photovoltaic work is billed on the electrical schedule: E-0 fee issuance cost per permit $20.00, E3.1 minimum fee $15.00, and E-6.2 EXISTING RESIDENTIAL 1&2 FAMILY OCCUPANCIES at $30.00 for 1 to 5 circuits or $45.00 for over 5 circuits, which provides 2 inspections, per the 2022 Fee Schedule, Electrical Permit and Inspection Fees Schedule. 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.
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The structural mounting permit bills under the Section B101 valuation table starting at $15 for the first $1,000 plus $5 per additional thousand; the PV electrical connection is permitted separately through the state CORE system, per the county Schedule of Building Permit Fees
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Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.
Common questions about solar permits in Tennessee
- Do I need a solar permit in Tennessee?
- In most of Tennessee, yes. Permits are issued locally, so the answer comes from your Tennessee city or county rather than a single statewide rule. Of the 2 Tennessee jurisdictions we have verified for solar work, 2 require a permit outright, 0 depend on the size or scope of the job, and 0 require none.
Ready to move on your solar permit?
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?