Montgomery County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)

Permit Authority

Montgomery County Building and Codes covers unincorporated Montgomery County outside corporate limits of City of Clarksville. County pages note stormwater jurisdiction applies outside Clarksville city limits; some trade and related permits involve State of Tennessee, Clarksville Gas and Water, Montgomery County Highway Department, TDEC septic approvals, and Regional Planning Commission.

Department

Montgomery County Building and Codes

Address

350 Pageant Lane, Suite 309, Clarksville, TN 37040

Phone

931-648-5718

Email

bnfallis@mcgtn.net

Website

https://montgomerytn.gov/building-codes

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Confirm project is in unincorporated Montgomery County and determine permit type. County issues building permits for single-family homes, detached garages, additions, pools, mobile homes, barns, sheds, renovations, fire restoration, plumbing, mechanical, demolition, signs, and certain commercial/industrial work.
2. Gather prerequisite approvals: current survey (if required), recorded minor plat for parcels under 5 acres not in platted subdivision, septic permit or septic file, road bond or TDOT letter for highway frontage, street address assignment, and adequate facilities tax payment.
3. Complete residential building permit application and associated owner or contractor affidavit. Form requires map-group-parcel, utility, floodplain information, and estimated construction cost.
4. Submit plans and supporting materials. Form and plan-review requirements call for completed building permit application, plot plan, and plan set. Residential plan-review requires elevations, foundation plan, floor plans, floor framing, anchor details, stair sections, deck details, sheathing, framing sizes, insulation/REScheck, finish floor elevations, structural details. Commercial/industrial requires sealed drawings, specifications, site plan, drainage/erosion materials.
5. Pay permit fees and archive fee. Commercial/industrial projects require plan review fees at submission.
6. Receive permit issuance after county review and all prerequisite documents/outside approvals in place.
7. Post permit at job site and call in required inspections using application number.
8. Complete final inspections and provide septic certificate of completion or flood certificate before certificate of occupancy issuance.

Typical processing time: Not posted on current county public pages.

Source: Montgomery County Building and Codes

General Requirements

County FAQ states permit required whenever person wishes to construct, alter, repair, enlarge, move, renovate, demolish, or permanently place any building or structure.

Required Documents

• Permit application
• Owner or contractor affidavit
• Survey or recorded minor plat where applicable
• Septic permit or septic file for septic properties
• Road bond or TDOT access letter when applicable
• Street address information
• Adequate facilities tax receipt
• Plot plan
• Flood information
• Project plans with detailed foundation, framing, floor, roof, insulation, elevation, structural information

Permit validity

Permit becomes void 12 months from issuance unless substantial progress made by expiration date. Separate permits required for plumbing, electrical, gas work.

Building code

2018 IECC with amendments (Resolution 24-1-2, effective January 8, 2024). 2018 IBC, IRC, IPC, IMC, IFC, IFGC, IPMC, 2009 ICC A117.1 adopted January 1, 2021. State of Tennessee handles county electrical permits.

Owner-builder

County homeowner-applicant affidavit requires applicant to be record owner, build for individual use (not for sale/lease/rent), and not obtain another homeowner permit within 2 years. Homeowner must perform all permitted work except where state law requires licensed parties; may not hire construction manager; if stops acting as owner-builder and hires contractor, permit void and new permit required. Homeowner notice states owner-builder permit restricts construction of another residence for personal use for 2 years.

Contractor requirements

Projects valued at $25,000 or more require Tennessee contractor license. Permit application asks for contractor license number, classification, monetary limits. County FAQ states Tennessee law requires general/home improvement contractors licensed and typically insured.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

$25.00 plus $5.00 archive and records fee on all applications

Plan check fee

Commercial: one-half of commercial construction permit fee. Industrial: one-half of industrial permit fee.

Permit fee formula

Residential (including double-wide): $0.38 per square foot total (bonus rooms, garages, finished basements). Single-wide mobile homes, accessory buildings, additions, detached garages, renovations: $0.38/sf. Commercial: $0.38/sf. Industrial: based on cost of construction.

Reinspection fee

$50.00. Pre-inspection fee: $50.00. Reinspection required if inspection failed, items not connected at follow-up, or all items not corrected within 10 days.

Payment note

Current public pages do not clearly identify accepted payment methods. County pages state permits, reinspection fees, adequate facilities tax, septic applications can be done online, but current public workflow centered on forms and department contact.

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

Contact the Montgomery County Building and Codes to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• 931-648-5718 (have application number ready) (phone)

Inspection hours

Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Time windows

No separate inspection-hour window publicly posted

Typical inspection sequence: Slab plumbing, slab foundation, monolithic slab, footing, foundation, framing #1 structural, framing #2 insulation, plumbing rough-in, final, plumbing final, plus mobile-home setback/final or pool setback/final where applicable.

Additional Resources

• Building code: 2018 IECC with amendments (Resolution 24-1-2, effective January 8, 2024). 2018 IBC, IRC, IPC, IMC, IFC, IFGC, IPMC, 2009 ICC A117.1 adopted January 1, 2021. State of Tennessee handles county electrical permits.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Required Inspections
• Adopted Codes
• AFT Collections
• TDEC Septic Service
• Pool Permits
• License lookup guide: Tennessee Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: Tennessee Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
• Tennessee hub: Tennessee Contractor License & Permit Hub