County Building Permits
Claiborne County, TN - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Claiborne County, Tennessee. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Claiborne County says county building permits are issued by the County Mayor's Office for unincorporated county areas. The same page says permits within the city limits of New Tazewell, Tazewell, and Harrogate are issued by those city offices instead.
- Department
- Claiborne County Mayor's Office
- Address
- Old courthouse on Main Street, Tazewell, TN 37879; mailing address P.O. Box 318, Tazewell, TN 37879
- Phone
- 423-626-5236
Online Permit Portal
Platform: None found publicly • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Application Process
- Confirm that the property is in the unincorporated county area and not inside one of the cities.
- Obtain the permit through the County Mayor's Office at the old courthouse in Tazewell.
- Make sure a septic permit is in place before the county will issue the building permit.
- Provide the property owner name, address, and square footage of living space.
- Complete permit fee payment based on building structure value and proceed with the permit issuance process.
Typical processing time: Not publicly stated
Source: Claiborne County Mayor's Office
General Requirements
Claiborne County indicates a building permit is required to construct, enlarge, or remodel a building. The page also specifically notes permits for campers on mobile home lots or on private property.
Required Documents
- Property owner name, address, square footage of living space, and septic permit information before issuance
- Permit validity
- Not publicly stated
- Building code
- Not clearly stated on the public page reviewed
- Owner-builder
- Not publicly stated
- Contractor requirements
- Not publicly stated on the page reviewed
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Not publicly stated
- Plan check fee
- Not publicly stated
- Permit fee formula
- Valuation-based. The county states the permit price is based on Building Structure Value, defined as total square footage times $200 per square foot, with tiered rates.
- Reinspection fee
- Not publicly stated
- Payment note
- Not publicly stated
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Claiborne County Mayor's Office to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Not publicly found (phone)
- Inspection hours
- Not publicly found
- Time windows
- Not publicly found
Typical inspection sequence: Not publicly found
Not publicly found
Additional Resources
- Building code: Not clearly stated on the public page reviewed
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- License lookup guide: Tennessee Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Tennessee Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Tennessee hub: Tennessee Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Claiborne County Mayor's Office before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Claiborne County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Claiborne County, TN?
- Claiborne County indicates a building permit is required to construct, enlarge, or remodel a building. The page also specifically notes permits for campers on mobile home lots or on private property.
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated Claiborne County, TN?
- The minimum permit fee is Not publicly stated. Fees are calculated as: Valuation-based. The county states the permit price is based on Building Structure Value, defined as total square footage times $200 per square foot, with tiered rates.. Plan check fee: Not publicly stated.
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Claiborne County, TN?
- 1. Confirm that the property is in the unincorporated county area and not inside one of the cities. 2. Obtain the permit through the County Mayor's Office at the old courthouse in Tazewell. 3. Make sure a septic permit is in place before the county will issue the building permit. 4. Provide the property owner name, address, and square footage of living space. 5. Complete permit fee payment based on building structure value and proceed with the permit issuance process.
- How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated Claiborne County, TN?
- Typical processing time is Not publicly stated.
- What work is exempt from building permits in unincorporated Claiborne County, TN?
- The following work is generally exempt: No public exempt-work list was located on the county page reviewed..
- How do I schedule a building inspection in unincorporated Claiborne County, TN?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: Not publicly found.
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