Germantown, TENNESSEE Building Permit Guide

Permit Authority

Germantown requires local city approvals before Shelby County building permit approval. Attached additions and pool procedures explicitly direct applicants to Shelby County for the building permit after Germantown zoning or engineering review.

Department

Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement for building permits, with City of Germantown Engineering, Planning, Fire Marshal, and Code Compliance prereview functions

Address

City of Germantown, 1930 S. Germantown Road, Germantown, TN 38138; Shelby County Construction Enforcement, 6465 Mullins Station Rd, Memphis, TN 38134

Phone

Germantown Customer Service (901) 757-7200; Code Compliance (901) 757-7281; Shelby County Construction Enforcement (901) 222-8300

Email

engineeringpermits@germantown-tn.gov , CodeCompliance@Germantown-TN.gov

Website

https://www.germantown-tn.gov/services/engineering/homebuilders-guidelines

Online Permit Portal

Application Process

1. Complete Germantown city-side prereview first. The Homebuilders Guidelines say the city process must be completed prior to applying for any Shelby County building permits.
2. Obtain Germantown sprinkler permit if applicable, then stormwater or grading permit, then final site-plan approval and foundation permit where required.
3. Submit city-side packets to engineeringpermits@germantown-tn.gov or the applicable city online form.
4. After local approvals are complete, apply for the Shelby County building permit through Develop901/Accela.
5. Upload Germantown-approved sprinkler permit, stormwater permit, foundation survey with approved final site plan, and paid utility form as part of the Shelby County application where required.
6. Obtain driveway and sidewalk permits from Germantown Engineering if applicable.

Typical processing time: Germantown states complete foundation-permit applications are reviewed for completeness within 2 business days and, once complete and fee received, issuance is within 10 business days.

Source: Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement for building permits, with City of Germantown Engineering, Planning, Fire Marshal, and Code Compliance prereview functions

General Requirements

Germantown local approvals are required for homebuilding, pools, grading, drainage improvements, retaining walls, demolition, and other city-regulated work. Shelby County then issues the construction permit for the regulated building work.

Required Documents

• Surveys
• Site plans
• Final house plans
• Sprinkler approvals
• Stormwater permits
• Foundation survey applications
• Pool contracts
• Trade permit applications
• Completed Memphis/Shelby County permit forms

Permit validity

Public Germantown site materials do not publish a separate citywide validity rule for all permit types; Shelby County permit and application expiration rules still apply to the construction permit.

Building code

Germantown building permit issuance runs through Shelby County Construction Enforcement, which publicly states it enforces the 2021 I-Codes and 2020 NEC. Germantown also enforces its own zoning and development ordinances.

Owner-builder

No standalone Germantown owner-builder instruction page was clearly found in the reviewed public materials. Verify directly with Germantown and Shelby County for current homeowner self-permit eligibility and affidavit requirements.

Contractor requirements

Germantown engineering permit pages state contractors must have a City of Germantown business tax license. Shelby County contractor registration and Tennessee state licensing rules also apply for the construction permit.

Fees

Minimum permit fee

Germantown Homebuilders Guidelines list a $100 foundation application fee and $100 driveway permit fee; Shelby County construction minimums depend on the current county schedule.

Plan check fee

Shelby County plan review fees are valuation-tier based; Germantown foundation review is not published as a separate plan-check formula.

Permit fee formula

Shelby County construction fees are valuation-based; Germantown overlay permits include flat city fees by permit type.

Reinspection fee

Germantown states the foundation application fee is doubled if plumbing or slab is in place before approval, and driveway work begun without permit adds a $300 fee.

Payment note

Germantown requires checks made payable to the City of Germantown for certain city permits and utility fees.

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

Work That Does NOT Require a Permit

Contact the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement for building permits, with City of Germantown Engineering, Planning, Fire Marshal, and Code Compliance prereview functions to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.

Inspections

How to Schedule

• City permit-specific workflows and Shelby County procedures (other)

Typical inspection sequence: Germantown homebuilding sequence is sprinkler review if applicable, grading permit, site-plan approval, foundation survey/foundation permit, Shelby County building permit, then driveway or sidewalk permit and final closeout.

Additional Resources

• Building code: Germantown building permit issuance runs through Shelby County Construction Enforcement, which publicly states it enforces the 2021 I-Codes and 2020 NEC. Germantown also enforces its own zoning and development ordinances.
• Zoning information: View zoning info
• Homebuilders Guidelines
• Grading Permit
• Demolition Permit
• License lookup guide: Tennessee Contractor License Requirements
• Contract template: Tennessee Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
• Tennessee hub: Tennessee Contractor License & Permit Hub

Other cities in Shelby County