County Building Permits
Sumner County Building Permit Guide (Unincorporated Area)
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Sumner County, Tennessee. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Covers unincorporated Sumner County outside municipal limits. City permits still govern incorporated areas.
- Department
- Sumner County Building & Codes
- Address
- 355 N. Belvedere Dr., Room 208, Gallatin, TN 37066
- Phone
- 615-452-1467
Online Permit Portal
Platform: • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Confirm the property is in unincorporated Sumner County.
- Gather the permit application and required supporting documents from the county Building & Codes page.
- Obtain prerequisite items listed by the county, including deed, septic approval or affidavit if applicable, water documentation, assigned address, zoning compliance packet, land disturbance permit or disclaimer, adequate facilities tax, and driveway permit where required.
- Submit the completed application and construction plans to the county.
- For commercial projects, provide architect-stamped plans.
- Pay permit fees and any applicable adequate facilities tax.
- Complete required inspections and obtain certificate of occupancy before occupancy where applicable.
Typical processing time: No general processing time estimate was publicly posted on the reviewed pages.
Source: Sumner County Building & Codes
General Requirements
The county states Building & Codes handles plan review, permitting, and inspections for adopted county codes. Applications and quicklinks cover houses, duplexes, mobile homes, additions, conversions to living area, accessory structures, pools, signs, demolition, moving, tiny homes, unfinished basements, use and occupancy permits, temporary commercial structures, and more.
Required Documents
- Recorded deed
- Septic approval or affidavit and sewer tap receipt if applicable
- Water tap receipt or driller report
- Site plan
- Contractor license, liability certificate, and workers compensation proof
- Construction plans
- Assigned address
- Land disturbance permit or disclaimer
- Zoning compliance packet
- Adequate facilities tax
- Driveway permit
- Gas piping and appliance schematic when fuel gas is used
- Permit validity
- Permits expire if work does not commence within 180 days after issuance, or if more than 180 days pass between inspections. Written extensions of up to 180 days each may be granted.
- Building code
- County page states the 2015 county building codes are no longer enforced as of May 19, 2023, and posts newly adopted 2021 ICC Building Codes.
- Owner-builder
- Not clearly summarized on the reviewed county public pages.
- Contractor requirements
- The permit application requires contractor license, liability certificate made out to Sumner County, and workers compensation proof. Commercial plans must be stamped by an architect.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- Many miscellaneous permit categories show a $150 minimum; use and occupancy permit has a $250 minimum; above-ground pools have a $125 minimum; photovoltaic permits have a $500 minimum
- Plan check fee
- No separate plan check fee was clearly listed in the reviewed county fee text.
- Permit fee formula
- County fee schedule is primarily based on square footage multiplied by ICC Building Valuation Data construction costs and a 0.006 permit multiplier, with separate flat minimums and special-case categories.
- Reinspection fee
- Reinspection fee is $50 when work fails inspection or the site is not accessible; commencing work without a permit triggers a 100 percent fee increase.
- Payment note
- The reviewed county public pages do not clearly post online payment instructions for general building permits.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule (effective 2024).
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Sumner County Building & Codes to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- 615-452-1467 (phone)
- Inspection hours
- Address assignment office hours shown in the permit application are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM; a general county inspection scheduling window was not clearly posted.
Typical inspection sequence: The county states the process is plan review, permitting, and inspections, and posts a Required Inspections quicklink, but the reviewed public text does not display the full universal sequence.
Additional Resources
- Building code: County page states the 2015 county building codes are no longer enforced as of May 19, 2023, and posts newly adopted 2021 ICC Building Codes.
- Zoning information: View zoning info
- Building Permit Expiration Information
- Violation Assessments
- Engineering and Floodplain Administration
- 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 Sumner County Building & Codes before applying.
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