Tennessee · Penalties if you skip one
What you can build without a permit in Tennessee
By Mario Bailey Last checked · 22 official sources
Quick answer
Across the 3 Tennessee jurisdictions we have verified, 3 of 25 project rules need no permit at all, 6 turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes, and 16 require a permit regardless. Roof replacement work is exempt outright most often: 2 of the 3 jurisdictions that answer require no permit for it. The numbers are not statewide: pool thresholds alone run from 24 to 30 inches depending on the jurisdiction.
How to read this page
"No permit" means the jurisdiction publishes that the work needs no building permit. "Depends" means it publishes a size, height, depth, cost or scope condition that decides the answer, quoted in its own words in the last column; the number beside it is the figure that condition turns on, and which side of the number is exempt is stated by the condition, not by us. Exempt from a building permit is not exempt from zoning, setbacks, height limits, flood rules, an HOA, or a separate electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit, and several of the conditions below say exactly that.
Roof Replacement
Nashville and Williamson County require no roof replacement permit at all. 1 of 3 makes the roof replacement answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes.
| Jurisdiction | Permit | Published figure | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | No permit | No building permit is required to replace a residential roof in Nashville, including replacing more than one-third of the roof area. | |
| Williamson County | No permit | Williamson County Building Codes issued written guidance, dated August 1, 2025, confirming that a building permit and inspection is not required for residential roof repairs or replacements in the unincorporated county, citing IRC Section R105.2.2's exemption for ordinary repairs. | |
| Memphis | Depends | whether decking, structural members or equipment supports are modified. |
Pool
2 of 3 make the pool answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes, and the 2 that state a number publish figures from 24 to 30 inches. Nashville requires a permit for pool work regardless of size.
| Jurisdiction | Permit | Published figure | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | Depends | 24 inches | prefabricated swimming pools, measured by the depth of the pool. |
| Williamson County | Depends | 30 inches | 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. |
| Nashville | Permit required | A building permit is required for new residential pool installations in Nashville. |
Deck
1 of 3 makes the deck answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. Nashville and Williamson County require a permit for deck work regardless of size.
| Jurisdiction | Permit | Published figure | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | Depends | 200 sq ft | 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. |
| Nashville | Permit required | A building permit is required to add or replace a deck in Nashville. | |
| Williamson County | Permit required | A building permit is required prior to starting any deck construction in unincorporated Williamson County, per the Building Codes Department's Basic Procedures for Deck Construction guidance. |
Plumbing
1 of 3 makes the plumbing answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. Nashville and Williamson County require a permit for plumbing work regardless of size.
| Jurisdiction | Permit | Published figure | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | Depends | whether the work only stops a leak or clears a stoppage without replacing, rearranging or removing pipe, valve or fixture components. | |
| Nashville | Permit required | A plumbing trade permit is required for residential plumbing work in Nashville. | |
| Williamson County | Permit required | Williamson County administers its own plumbing permits under its 2021 International Plumbing Code adoption, unlike electrical work, which routes through the state. |
Fence
Nashville requires no fence permit at all. Memphis requires a permit for fence work regardless of size. 1 publishes no answer we could verify.
| Jurisdiction | Permit | Published figure | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | No permit | No permit is required to build a fence in Nashville. | |
| Memphis | Permit required | Residential building permits inside the Memphis city limits are issued by the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement, the joint city and county agency created by Joint Resolution Ordinance 3333 and now run as the Construction Enforcement department of the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development. |
Shed
1 of 2 makes the shed answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. Memphis requires a permit for shed work regardless of size. 1 publishes no answer we could verify.
If the work is already built
Tennessee runs a state residential building permit program through the State Fire Marshal's Office under T.C.A. 68-120-101(b). In covered cities and counties, a state permit must be secured before construction starts on a one or two family home, a townhouse, or an addition of 30 or more square feet of interior space, and anyone who begins work first owes an additional fee equal to 100 percent of the required permit fee for each violation, on a permit fee scale that runs from $100 to $550 and up depending on construction cost.
Tennessee penalties, the after-the-fact path, and what the statute actually says
5 of the 30 rules we hold for Tennessee are unresolved because the jurisdiction publishes no answer; they are counted nowhere above. The 25 answered rules come from 22 official sources, each linked from the permit page behind every jurisdiction name. See the full picture for the state on the Tennessee permit requirements page, or the national view of which projects need a permit at all on Do you need a building permit?
This page compiles what each Tennessee jurisdiction publishes, with a last checked date. It is not legal advice, and a project that is exempt from a building permit can still need zoning approval or a trade permit. Confirm with the office linked from the jurisdiction's page before you build.