In unincorporated Bedford County, building and zoning permits come from the Bedford County Building & Codes Department on the third floor of 1 Public Square North in Shelbyville (931-685-1336, ext. 2), which takes applications in person, by email, by mail or through its SmartGov portal. A new house is valued at $85 per gross square foot for the permit fee, and every new home in the county, inside the towns too, first pays a school facilities tax of $1 per conditioned square foot.
What needs a permit in Bedford County?
The county has enforced building codes since 2007 and has had a zoning resolution since 1998. Its Building & Codes page lists what needs a zoning or building permit outside the towns.
Permit required
- New homes and commercial buildings
- Additions, including bedroom additions
- Porches, decks and carports
- Detached garages, storage buildings, workshops and barns
- Above-ground and in-ground swimming pools
- Manufactured and moved-in homes
- Solar installations and communication towers
- Driveways, from July 1, 2026, where the county finds a driveway permit is needed
- Fire code permits, from July 1, 2025
No building permit
- Residential accessory buildings under 200 sq ft
- Buildings used purely for agriculture, outside a floodplain
An agricultural building inside a floodplain still needs a permit, and nothing may be built in a regulatory floodway.
Who issues building permits in Bedford County?
| Area | Building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated county | Bedford County Building & Codes Department, 1 Public Square North, Suite 301, Shelbyville; 931-685-1336 ext. 2; permits@bedfordcountytn.gov |
| Shelbyville | City of Shelbyville Building & Codes Department, 100 North Cannon Boulevard; 931-488-4230; OpenGov online portal |
| Wartrace | The Town’s Office of the Building Inspector, through Wartrace Town Hall, 931-389-6144 |
| Normandy | A house or duplex takes a state residential building permit from the State Fire Marshal’s Office |
| Bell Buckle | The published sources do not say; ask town hall |
| Electrical, everywhere in the county | State Fire Marshal’s Office, 615-741-7170 |
The county department, led by Director Amy Peterson, serves the unincorporated area: it reviews plans, issues permits, inspects and issues certificates of occupancy, and the Planning Department checks each application against the zoning resolution and floodplain rules. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The State Fire Marshal’s Office lists Bedford County, Shelbyville, Wartrace and Bell Buckle as exempt from the state residential program and Normandy as a participant. Bell Buckle’s municipal code leaves its building code title reserved, and the county’s permit checklist describes itself as covering land outside the city limits of Shelbyville and Wartrace. Whichever office issues the permit, the county collects the school facilities tax for every jurisdiction, and the towns ask for the tax receipt or an approved exemption before they issue a residential permit.
Applying to the county
Applications can be made through the county’s SmartGov permit portal, by email to permits@bedfordcountytn.gov, by mail, or in person. Permits are issued only to the property owner shown on the tax card (or a buyer with a copy of the deed) or to a licensed contractor, who keeps a copy of the Tennessee licence and insurance on file. A permit is not valid, and no inspection can take place, until every form is signed by the applicant and the building official and the fee is paid in full.
The two-page application asks whether the building will be your primary residence or for sale, lease or rent, and whether you have applied for a permit in the last two years. An owner building their own home without a contractor’s licence files the county’s workers’ compensation exemption form. New addresses are assigned by Bedford County E-911.
Documents for a Bedford County permit
Homes and buildings
- Permit application
- Tax card and tax map, with the new structure, existing structures and property lines drawn on the map
- Building plans showing the foundation, framing, plumbing fixtures, closets, windows, doors and square footage; detailed sketches are accepted up to 5,000 sq ft
- TDEC septic permit for a new or replacement home, a mobile home or any added bedroom
- Contractor licence and proof of workers’ compensation, or the owner’s exemption
- Invoice for a new mobile home, solar panels or a ready-built shed
Swimming pools
- Permit application with the tax card and map
- State electrical permit for the pool
- Pool company invoice or quote; owner-builders supply 2 quotes from different companies
- Notarised Swimming Pool Barrier and Alarm Agreement
- Pool deposit form ($100, refunded after the final)
Staff review the plans for every application, first in, first out. Stamped plans are required for commercial buildings and for designs outside the limits of the adopted code. A septic permit is valid for 3 years, and replacing a home on an existing system needs a TDEC letter confirming the old tank is acceptable.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Bedrooms: the county will not permit more bedrooms than the septic permit allows. A room of at least 70 sq ft and 7 feet wide, with a door frame, a closet or ready access to a full bath, counts as a bedroom whatever it is called on the plans, so bonus rooms and offices are often redesigned at plan review.
Getting a county permit in 6 steps
Use the parcel to confirm the land is outside the towns, and check the zoning district setbacks and any flood zone.
Apply to TDEC before a new home, mobile home or added bedroom; the bedroom count on the plans must match it.
Pay $1 per conditioned square foot of living space before the residential permit is issued.
Upload or deliver the application, marked-up tax map, plans and licence or exemption forms.
Answer staff comments; the county may also need Fire Marshal, Planning, state electrical, state environmental or Highway Department approval first.
Sign the permit, pay in full, then request each inspection with your permit number.
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work
Electrical: no jurisdiction in Bedford County is on the state’s list of local electrical programs, so electrical permits and inspections come from the State Fire Marshal’s Office (615-741-7170). A pool permit is not issued without the state electrical permit, and the power company releases service to a new building only after the county’s final inspections pass.
Plumbing and mechanical: the county permits both with the building permit. Plumbing is $5 per trap plus the rough-in inspection fee; a mechanical permit is $60 for a home and $80 for a commercial building. The county adopted the 2015 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes.
Septic: on-site sewage permits are issued by the state Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), not by the county.
Bedford County building permit fees
The fee schedule (2023 version 3.1) values the building by its use and gross area, or by a stamped engineer’s estimate or signed contract price where the county accepts it, then applies the valuation table. Every application also pays a $5 archive and records fee.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Building | Value used |
|---|---|
| House, addition or moved-in house | $85 per gross sq ft, including attached garages and covered porches |
| Manufactured home | $85 per gross sq ft |
| Residential accessory (garage, porch, deck) | Contract value or $30 per sq ft |
| Commercial building or expansion | $90 per gross sq ft |
| Industrial | $100 per gross sq ft |
| Pools, towers, solar | Contract or engineer’s estimate |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Value $1,000 or less | No fee unless inspected; $25 per inspection |
| Value $1,001 to $50,000 | $16.50 plus $5.50 per additional $1,000 |
| Value $50,001 to $100,000 | $286 plus $4.40 per additional $1,000 |
| Value $100,001 to $500,000 | $506 plus $3.30 per additional $1,000 |
| Value over $500,000 | $1,826 plus $2.20 per additional $1,000 |
| Each inspection | $35 |
| Plan review (commercial, and homes over 5,000 sq ft or with a basement) | $100 |
| Portable accessory building | $50 |
| School facilities tax (residential) | $1 per conditioned sq ft |
| Board of Construction Appeals application | $300 |
For example, a 2,000 sq ft house is valued at $170,000, so the building permit fee is $506 plus 70 × $3.30, or $737, plus the $5 records fee, before the $35 inspection fees, trade permits and the facilities tax.
Rather not deal with the Bedford County building department?
Get a free quote →Online payments carry a $2 e-check fee or a 3% card fee (minimum $2), and cards paid in person are charged 3%. Starting work before the permit doubles the fees, and moving in before the final inspection carries a $250 early move-in penalty.
Bedford County inspections
Request inspections through the online portal, which the county prefers, or by text to the number printed on the permit with your name, permit number, address and inspection type. Ask by 3:00 p.m. the day before; inspectors work Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and usually arrive within 1 to 2 business days. The work must be ready when you make the request.
The required inspections are printed at the bottom of the permit. The county’s 2025 inspection list includes post holes (36 inches deep), footing, under-slab plumbing, slab preparation, foundation, a combined framing and trade rough-in, pre-insulation, pool, and the final building inspection after septic and electrical approval. Every home, slab or crawl space, has 2 inspections before framing starts.
Each inspection type may fail twice without a charge. After that, re-inspections cost $50 for the third failure, $75 for the fourth, $100 for the fifth and $200 from the sixth. At the end the owner receives a certificate of occupancy or a notice of final inspection; work built without inspections must be certified by a Tennessee structural engineer, and may only receive a recorded No-Objection Letter instead of a certificate.
Local Bedford County rules
Setbacks in the A-1 agriculture-forestry district: 50 feet at the front, 40 feet at the rear and 25 feet at each side for a one-story building, plus 5 feet per additional story, on lots at least 150 feet wide and one acre. Corner lots treat both street sides as fronts. Accessory buildings stay 10 feet from side and rear lines and from other buildings, and never in the front yard. Other zoning districts have their own setbacks.
Local code details: the county adopted the 2021 International Residential Code with amendments from February 1, 2025, and enforces the 2015 International Building Code and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code. Its inspection list uses a 115 mph wind zone and a snow load of 10, and requires a 3-inch radon vent; for the final, ground must fall at least 6 inches in the first 10 feet from the house.
Pools: a 48-inch barrier must surround the pool, with a working alarm and door alarms where the house forms part of the barrier.
Floodplains: Planning reviews every permit for floodplains and floodways under the county’s Flood Damage Prevention Provisions.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Tennessee statewide rules
Tennessee licenses contractors through the Board for Licensing Contractors for jobs of $25,000 or more; a Home Improvement licence applies below that only in the nine counties that opted in. Tennessee rules
Bedford County permit search and official resources
County permit pages, the fee schedule and checklists, and the state program pages that apply in Bedford County:
- Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office
- Tennessee Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors
- Bedford County Permit & Application Center
- Bedford County Building & Codes Department
- Bedford County: apply for a building permit
- Bedford County building permit fee schedule (2023 ver. 3.1)
- Bedford County permitting fees and school facilities tax
- Checklist for pulling a permit
- Bedford County permit inspections
- Bedford County inspection description list (2025)
- Bedford County forms, flyers and code information
- State residential permits (for Normandy)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Bedford County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Bedford County, TN?
The Bedford County Building & Codes Department issues them for the unincorporated county, at 1 Public Square North, Suite 301, Shelbyville (931-685-1336, ext. 2). Shelbyville and Wartrace permit work inside their own limits, and homes in Normandy take a state residential permit.
How much is a building permit for a new house in Bedford County?
The house is valued at $85 per gross square foot and the valuation table applied: about $737 for a 2,000 sq ft home, plus a $5 records fee, $35 per inspection and trade permits.
What is the school facilities tax?
A one-time tax of $1 per conditioned square foot of living space, collected by the county for every jurisdiction before a residential building permit is issued.
Is a permit required for a shed or barn in Bedford County?
A residential accessory building under 200 sq ft needs no building permit, and buildings used only for agriculture are exempt outside floodplains. Larger sheds, workshops, garages and non-farm barns need one.
Can a homeowner pull a permit?
Yes. Permits are issued to the property owner shown on the tax card or to a licensed contractor; an owner building their own home files the workers’ compensation exemption form.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Use the county’s online portal, or text the number on your permit, by 3:00 p.m. the day before. Inspections usually happen within 1 to 2 business days.
Who issues electrical permits in Bedford County?
The State Fire Marshal’s Office, for the county and all its towns.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bedford County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.