Cleveland, TENNESSEE Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

City of Cleveland building permits are handled by the city for work inside Cleveland city limits. Bradley County directs county residents to county permitting instead.

Department

City of Cleveland Development and Engineering Services, Building Division

Address

185 2nd Street NE, Cleveland, TN 37311

Phone

(423) 479-1913

Email

bturner@clevelandtn.gov

Website

https://www.clevelandtn.gov/157/Building-Division

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm whether the work needs a permit on the city Work Requiring Permit page and identify the correct permit type and trade permits.
2. Create or use an EnerGov Self Service account, or obtain the paper/PDF application from the Permit Applications and Plan Review page.
3. Submit the permit application with plans and supporting documents. Commercial and multifamily work is submitted with digital plans; plans review fees are due at submission.
4. City staff reviews zoning, code, and plan details. The city Plans Review Manual says commercial plans review may take up to 10 business days, longer if corrections are needed.
5. Respond to review comments or provide revised plans if requested. Commercial plans may also require fire, accessibility, and design professional review.
6. After approval, pay permit fees and receive the permit. Separate permits are still required for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, demolition, and signs where applicable.

Typical processing time: Commercial plans review may take up to 10 business days. No general residential issuance timeline was posted on the pages reviewed.

Source: City of Cleveland Development and Engineering Services, Building Division

General Requirements

A permit is required for all new buildings, additions, alterations, and substantial repairs. Separate permits are required for plumbing, HVAC, electrical, signs, and demolition.

Required Documents

• Application
• Contractor information
• Project valuation
• Plans where required
• For commercial work: digital plans with site, life safety, architectural, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and fire protection information as applicable

Permit validity

Not clearly stated on the current public-facing city pages reviewed. The city building materials reviewed did not post a simple expiration summary.

Building code

Current city materials reference the 2018 International Residential Code for inspection checklists and the 2018 International Building Code for commercial review. Older application forms still mention 2012 IBC, so current webpages should be treated as controlling.

Owner-builder

The city directs applicants to its Contractor Licensing Requirements page for who may apply for permits. The page does not publish a short owner-builder summary on the FAQ itself.

Contractor requirements

Tennessee contractor licensing applies. City pages direct applicants to city Contractor Licensing Requirements, and trade work is handled through separate permit processes.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Mechanical permit: $10.00. Plumbing permit: $20.00 base fee for 1 fixture. A single unified current building fee schedule was not clearly posted.

Plan check fee

Commercial plans review fee is due upon submission, but the public pages reviewed did not post the calculation formula.

Permit fee formula

Building applications use estimated construction cost with permit fee, plan review fee, and double fee fields. Mechanical: $12.00 for the first $1,000 plus $2.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction for new construction; $6.00 for the first $1,000 plus $2.00 for each additional $1,000 or fraction for replacements, alterations, and additions. Plumbing fees are fixture-based.

Reinspection fee

Mechanical permit lists a $25.00 reinspection fee. Building applications include a double fee field if work started without a permit.

Payment note

The city Plans Review Manual says plan review fees may be paid on the website. Online submission and payments run through the EnerGov Self Service portal.

Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

• Minor work such as painting, wallpapering, and routine maintenance of heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical systems
• Roof covering replacement that changes only shingles or other roof covering (replacing structural decking requires a permit)
• Cell tower equipment and antenna replacements that do not affect the structure
• Detached decks less than 200 square feet and less than 30 inches above grade

Inspections

How to Schedule

• Inspection phone line: (423) 827-4027 (phone)
• EnerGov Self Service portal (online)

Inspection hours

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Typical inspection sequence: For residential work, city checklists cover footing, foundation, framing, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy, and final inspections, with deck inspections where applicable.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Current city materials reference the 2018 International Residential Code for inspection checklists and the 2018 International Building Code for commercial review. Older application forms still mention 2012 IBC, so current webpages should be treated as controlling.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Cleveland TN Plans Review Manual
• Work Requiring Permit
• License lookup guide: Tennessee Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: Tennessee Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
• Tennessee hub: Tennessee Contractor License & Permit Hub

Other cities in Bradley County