Outside its towns, Carroll County issues no building permit and the State Fire Marshal’s table lists the county as opted out of the state residential program. Huntingdon and Bruceton permit their own construction, four smaller towns are in the state program, and every electrical job needs a state permit sold locally by the Carroll County Electrical Department (731-986-8284).
Who issues building permits in Carroll County?
The county government at 625 High Street, Suite 101, Huntingdon (731-986-1936, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.) lists no building, codes or planning office among its departments. The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) residential jurisdiction table, dated August 21, 2026, marks unincorporated Carroll County OPT OUT: the county passed a resolution taking itself out of the state residential building program, so the state sells no residential building permit for homes in the rural county either.
Inside the towns the answer differs, and the McKenzie city limits also run into Weakley and Henry counties:
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Huntingdon (county seat) | Town Codes Department, 19810 Main Street East, 731-986-2900, Monday to Friday 8:00 to 5:00. The SFMO lists the town as exempt (it runs its own code program). |
| Bruceton | Town of Bruceton through City Hall, 209 Cheatham Street, 731-586-2401; plans go to the Building Inspector for approval. SFMO status: exempt. |
| McKenzie, Clarksburg, Hollow Rock, McLemoresville | State residential building permit from the SFMO for homes, bought through CORE. McKenzie City Hall also issues its own building/plumbing, accessory building, porch/deck and fence permits. |
| Trezevant | Listed as a state-program town in the SFMO table, but not on the SFMO’s apply-page list; ask the SFMO (615-741-7170) which applies. |
| Atwood | Opted out of the state program. The published sources do not say whether the town issues its own permit; ask town hall. |
| Unincorporated county | No county building permit; opted out of the state residential program. |
Electrical, plumbing and septic permits in Carroll County
- Electrical — No Carroll County town is on the SFMO list of jurisdictions that run their own electrical inspections, so electrical permits everywhere in the county are state permits inspected by a state deputy electrical inspector. They can be bought online in CORE or from the state’s issuing agent in Huntingdon, the Carroll County Electrical Department (731-986-8284), which takes permit requests by phone. Bruceton’s own fee schedule sends electrical work to the same office.
- Plumbing and mechanical — McKenzie publishes a combined Building/Plumbing Permit Application. The SFMO’s residential permit adds a $100 plumbing and HVAC inspection fee to every new home it permits in the state-program towns.
- Septic — Subsurface sewage disposal permits come from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Jackson Environmental Field Office, 1625 Hollywood Drive, Jackson (septic inquiries 731-441-5593). The state residential permit does not include septic, grading, floodplain or zoning approval.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Permit fees in Carroll County
Bruceton charges a small permit fee by estimated construction cost, plus $116 for each inspection (schedule revised October 11, 2016, Resolution 10-11-16):
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $5,000 | $15, or $116 per inspection when an inspection is required |
| $5,000 to $50,000 | $25 plus $116 per inspection |
| $50,000 to $100,000 | $50 plus $116 per inspection |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $75 plus $116 per inspection |
| $500,001 and up | $100 plus $116 per inspection |
| Commercial plan review | Half of the building permit fee |
| Re-inspection | $116 each |
| Private pool (one and two family) / public pool | $25 / $40 |
| Demolition | $50 |
| Moving a building | $100 plus any bonds |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Bruceton permits expire 6 months after issue. State residential permits in McKenzie, Clarksburg, Hollow Rock and McLemoresville are priced on the cost of construction, which the SFMO will not accept below $60.57 per heated square foot: $350 for $5,001 to $100,000, $400 for $100,001 to $150,000, then $50 more for each further $50,000 band, plus $100 for the plumbing and HVAC inspection on new homes. That fee covers the required inspections and one free re-inspection; later re-inspections are $100 each. The Huntingdon codes page lists no fee schedule.
Inspections in Carroll County
State-permitted homes: the permit holder requests each inspection in CORE or by email to SFMO.permits-licensing@tn.gov with the full permit number and the date the work will be ready. State law gives the inspector three working days, or one working day for a footing. A home gets foundation, rough-in/framing and final inspections, with a fourth when a living-space slab is poured separately from its footing. Work must start within 180 days of issue.
Bruceton: the residential submittal is the permit, the permit and inspection fees, full building plans and a site plan showing dimensions and distances to the boundary. City Hall forwards plans and permit to the Building Inspector, and the permit is issued once the inspector approves; the builder must make sure zoning rules are met before submitting.
Huntingdon: the Codes Department inspects the projects it permits, and new development, annexation or rezoning first goes through the Town Engineer, a state planner and staff before the Planning Commission.
Rather not deal with the Carroll County building department?
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
Official Carroll County permitting resources
- Tennessee state residential-permit instructions
- Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
- Carroll County official website and department directory
- Carroll County government contact page
- SFMO residential building permit fees
- SFMO residential permit FAQs
- Tennessee electrical permit issuing agents
- Huntingdon Planning & Codes Enforcement
- Bruceton building permits and applications
- Bruceton building permit fee schedule
- McKenzie permits and applications
- TDEC Jackson Environmental Field Office (septic)
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Carroll County permit FAQs
Does Carroll County issue building permits?
No. The county lists no building office, and the State Fire Marshal’s table shows the unincorporated county as opted out of the state residential program, so there is no county or state residential building permit for homes outside the towns.
Who issues building permits in Huntingdon?
The Town of Huntingdon Codes Department issues building permits and inspects construction inside the town. Call 731-986-2900.
Do I need a state permit to build a house in McKenzie?
Yes. McKenzie is on the State Fire Marshal’s list of cities where a state residential building permit is required, bought online through CORE. City Hall (731-352-2292) handles the city’s own building/plumbing, accessory building, deck and fence applications.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a building permit in Bruceton?
From $15 for work up to $5,000 to $100 for work over $500,000, plus $116 for every inspection. Commercial plan review adds half the permit fee.
Where do I get an electrical permit in Carroll County?
From the State of Tennessee, either online in CORE or through the Carroll County Electrical Department in Huntingdon (731-986-8284).
Who issues septic permits?
TDEC’s Jackson Environmental Field Office, which serves Carroll County; septic inquiries go to 731-441-5593.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Carroll County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.