For a house outside the towns, Campbell County’s building permit is bought at the County Clerk’s office (main office at 590 Main Street, Jacksboro, 423-562-4985) once TDEC has issued the septic permit. The county takes part in the State Residential Building Program, so the work is inspected by state-contracted inspectors, and the permit is priced on the state’s fee table, $350 for any project costing $5,001 to $100,000.
When do you need a permit in Campbell County?
The County Clerk describes the building permit as the legal permission to construct, enlarge or remodel a building in the county outside city limits. Under the state residential program it applies to these jobs:
Permit needed
- New one- and two-family homes and townhouses
- Additions over 30 sq ft to an existing home
- Decks, patios or stoops built as part of the exits from a manufactured or modular home
- All electrical work: a separate state electrical permit
- A septic permit from TDEC before any new home
No state residential permit
- Detached garages, sheds and barns not used for living
- Setting a manufactured or modular home itself
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in Campbell County?
| Location | Who issues permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated county (Speedwell, Pioneer, Elk Valley and other communities) | County Clerk’s offices sell the permit; the state residential program inspects |
| LaFollette | City of LaFollette Codes Department, 207 South Tennessee Avenue, 423-563-0686; the state also lists LaFollette in its residential program |
| Jacksboro | Listed by the state as enforcing its own codes; the town has its own Building Inspector at Town Hall, 585 Main Street (423-562-9312), according to the MTAS city directory |
| Caryville | Listed by the state as enforcing its own codes; the published sources do not say how to apply, so ask the Municipal Building, 4839 Old Highway 63 (423-562-9478) |
| Jellico | Exempt in the state’s jurisdiction table, but the State’s Apply for a Residential Permit page still lists Jellico among cities needing a state residential permit; ask the State Fire Marshal’s Office and town hall before building a home |
| Rocky Top (the small Campbell County part) | The state lists Rocky Top both as exempt (under Anderson County) and as a program participant (under Campbell County); the City’s own Codes Administration Department issues building permits and inspects, and its Building Codes page posts the permit application |
| Electrical, everywhere | State Fire Marshal’s Office; local issuing agent LaFollette Utilities, 423-562-3316 |
Campbell County has no building or codes department of its own. The Clerk’s page says permits inside city limits come from the cities, and the state’s August 2026 list classifies Campbell County as taking part in the state’s residential building program.
The Clerk sells permits at three offices: the main office at 590 Main Street, Suite A21, Jacksboro (423-562-4985; weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturdays 8:00 to 11:30 a.m.), the LaFollette Annex at 705 East Central Avenue (423-566-8130) and the Jellico office at 315 South Main Street (423-784-8608). Kash & Karry Building Supply, 206 South Indiana Avenue in LaFollette (423-562-9449), is also a state issuing agent.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and septic
Electrical: None of Campbell County’s jurisdictions appears on the state’s roster of local electrical programs. Electrical permits are bought in CORE or from LaFollette Utilities, which takes requests by phone (423-562-3316), and are inspected by a state deputy electrical inspector.
Plumbing and mechanical: state inspectors look at plumbing and mechanical work at the rough-in stage and again at the final, and new construction carries a $100 plumbing and HVAC inspection fee. The county issues no separate plumbing or mechanical permit. LaFollette’s city application asks for the plumber’s limited licence and the mechanical contractor’s licence.
Septic: TDEC’s Knoxville office (865-594-6035) issues the septic permit, and the County Clerk will not issue a building permit until it has been obtained.
What a Campbell County permit costs
Because the county is in the state program, the permit sold at the Clerk’s office follows the State Fire Marshal’s residential fee table, based on the estimated cost of construction. The cost used cannot be less than $60.57 for each heated square foot.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Estimated cost | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| $0 to $5,000 | $100 |
| $5,001 to $100,000 | $350 |
| $100,001 to $150,000 | $400 |
| $150,001 to $200,000 | $450 |
| $200,001 to $250,000 | $500 |
| $250,001 to $300,000 | $550 |
| Above the table (over $1.5 million) | $50 per extra $50,000 |
| Plumbing and HVAC inspection, new construction | $100 |
| Slab poured separately from the footings | $100 |
For example, a 2,200 heated sq ft home at the state minimum is valued at $133,254, so the permit is $400, plus $100 for the plumbing and HVAC inspection. The fee rises by $50 for each $50,000 band up to $1.5 million. Inside LaFollette, the City publishes its own building permit and inspection fee sheets.
Inspections in Campbell County
State-contracted inspectors visit three times: the foundation before concrete goes in, the framing with its rough-ins, and the completed home. A slab poured separately from its footings needs an extra slab inspection.
Rather not deal with the Campbell County building department?
Get a free quote →Request inspections in the state’s CORE system at core.tn.gov, or by email to SFMO.permits-licensing@tn.gov with the full permit number and the date the work will be ready. If an inspection fails, one re-inspection on the project is free; later ones are charged.
Local details for Campbell County
Owner-builders: an owner who will live in the house, rather than sell or lease it, can build it themselves under the state rules, as long as they have had no homeowner building permit in the 24 months before.
Information the Clerk asks for: the property owner’s name, the address, and the square footage of living space, together with the septic permit.
Health Department: the Campbell County Health Department is at 162 Sharp-Perkins Road, Jacksboro (423-562-8351).
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
Campbell County official permitting resources
County and state pages for permits in Campbell County:
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- State Fire Marshal’s Office
- Tennessee Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors
- County Clerk permit details and septic prerequisite
- State residential permits and inspections (CORE)
- State residential building permit fees
- State residential permit issuing agents
- State electrical permit issuing agents
- City of LaFollette Codes Department
Campbell County permit FAQs
Where do I get a building permit in Campbell County, TN?
At a Campbell County Clerk’s office in Jacksboro, LaFollette or Jellico, after TDEC issues your septic permit. Inside a city, apply to that city.
How much is a building permit for a new house?
It follows the state’s fee table: $350 for $5,001 to $100,000 of construction, $400 up to $150,000 and $50 more per $50,000 band, with a $100 plumbing and HVAC inspection fee on new homes.
Who inspects new homes in Campbell County?
State-contracted inspectors under the State Residential Building Program. Book inspections in CORE at core.tn.gov.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Is a permit required for a detached garage or shed?
A detached building that nobody lives in, such as a shed or garage, is outside the state residential program.
Where do I get an electrical permit?
From the State of Tennessee, online in CORE or by phone through LaFollette Utilities (423-562-3316).
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Campbell County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.