County Building Permits
Bradley County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Bradley County, Tennessee. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
This office administers building permitting for unincorporated Bradley County. County FAQ and Cleveland city FAQ both distinguish county residents from City of Cleveland permitting.
- Department
- Bradley County Planning and Inspections
- Address
- 155 Broad Street NW, Cleveland, TN 37311, basement of the Courthouse Annex
- Phone
- (423) 728-7106
Online Permit Portal
Platform: County webpage with fillable PDF forms • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Choose the correct county permit package for residential houses, barns, outbuildings, commercial work, manufactured housing, demolition, or land disturbance.
- Gather parcel information, project description, site sketch, utility information, contractor and trade data, and any stormwater or floodplain details.
- Obtain septic approval through TDEC if no public sewer is available, or obtain the sewer availability letter or septic inspection letter needed for issuance.
- Email completed PDF forms to permits@bradleycountytn.gov or deliver them to 155 Broad Street NW. The county page says all forms must be submitted in PDF format and photos are not accepted.
- County staff reviews zoning, county road access and frontage for addressing, floodplain development, stormwater, and land disturbance matters.
- Submit any remaining contractor credentials and trade permit information, pay fees, and receive the permit once the application is approved and supporting documents are complete.
Typical processing time: No general county processing-time estimate was posted on the public pages reviewed.
General Requirements
Building permits are required for county residential and commercial construction under the adopted code set, with separate permits for plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, electrical, demolition, and land disturbance as applicable.
Required Documents
- Residential package: map-group-parcel number, conditioned and unconditioned square footage, number of stories, room counts, bedrooms and baths, fireplaces and chimneys, contractor information, plumbing and HVAC scope, and a site sketch
- Commercial package: plans and supporting submittal documents under code section 107, plus contractor credentials and insurance
- Permit validity
- The permit becomes invalid if authorized work is not commenced within 30 days of issuance or if work is suspended or abandoned for 6 months.
- Building code
- Resolution 2022-47 adopts and enforces the 2018 IBC, IRC, IECC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IEBC, NFPA 1, NFPA 101, and 2010 ADA Standards in unincorporated Bradley County.
- Owner-builder
- County residential affidavit allows an owner to build one single-family residence every 2 years as their own contractor, for their own use and occupancy, subject to the affidavit and licensed subcontractor rules.
- Contractor requirements
- Commercial permits require a Tennessee licensed contractor, Bradley County business license, workers compensation or exemption letter, and certificate of liability insurance. Residential owner-builders are limited to the affidavit exemption and may not delegate supervision to an unlicensed builder.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Building permit minimum $50.00. Mechanical minimum for work up to $1,000 is $25.00. Plumbing minimum is $15.00. Fuel gas minimum is $25.00.
- Plan check fee
- No separate county plan check fee was published in the county adopted fee schedules reviewed.
- Permit fee formula
- Schedule B building fees are valuation-based and tiered by project value. Mechanical fees are valuation-based. Plumbing fees are fixture-based. Fuel gas fees are $25 plus $5 per appliance. Land disturbance is $100 for the first acre and $50 for each additional acre.
- Reinspection fee
- $25.00. Work begun before permit issuance is charged at double permit fees.
- Payment note
- County applications show cash, check, and card payment options. No online county permit payment portal was identified on the public pages reviewed.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Bradley County Planning and Inspections to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- Bradley County Planning and Inspections: (423) 728-7106 (phone)
- Scheduling deadline
- At least 24 hours advance notice required
- Inspection hours
- Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM; Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Typical inspection sequence: County inspection sequence is footing, foundation, framing, insulation/energy, and final. Trade rough-ins and finals for electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fuel gas must be complete and approved when applicable before county framing or final inspection.
Additional Resources
- Building code: Resolution 2022-47 adopts and enforces the 2018 IBC, IRC, IECC, IPC, IMC, IFGC, IEBC, NFPA 1, NFPA 101, and 2010 ADA Standards in unincorporated Bradley County.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Bradley County Code Adoption Resolution 2022-47
- Tennessee Septic Systems
- 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 Bradley County Planning and Inspections before applying.
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