For land outside Ashland City, Kingston Springs, Pegram and Pleasant View, the Cheatham County Building & Codes department issues building permits, online through iWorQ or at 338 Frey Street, Ashland City (615-792-7915). A new home is charged $0.60 per square foot plus a $0.50 per square foot adequate facilities tax and a $7,500 development tax, and the septic and driveway permits must be in hand before the building permit is issued.
What needs a permit in unincorporated Cheatham County?
The county’s Required Permits & Inspections sheet (revised July 22, 2024) makes it unlawful to start building, moving, altering, repairing or occupying a structure, or filling land, without a Building & Codes permit. In practice:
Permit required
- New homes, duplexes, townhouses and additions
- Manufactured, modular and single-wide mobile homes
- Remodeling and accessory buildings (a second shed of any size)
- Decks, roofed or not, above the exemption size
- Swimming pools, hot tubs and spas
- Grading and fill that changes water flow onto or off neighbouring land
- Signs and commercial buildings
County exemptions
- The first accessory structure on a parcel up to 200 sq ft
- Detached decks up to 200 sq ft, no more than 30 inches above grade, not serving the exit door
- Roof covering replacement without significant decking or framing replacement
- Agricultural buildings for a commercial farm pay no fee (an application is still recommended)
A pool permit is not issued until proof of purchase of a pool alarm is shown, and tiny homes or other off-site construction need plans attested by a Tennessee-licensed engineer, architect or third-party inspection firm.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in Cheatham County?
The county Department of Codes, Building Safety and Land Use, headed by Building Commissioner and Director Franklin Wilkinson, enforces the building codes, property maintenance standards, zoning and subdivision rules in the unincorporated county. It is at 338 Frey Street, Ashland City, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays (it may close for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m.), and accepts permit applications until 3:30 p.m. Questions go to codes@cheathamcountytn.gov.
The State Fire Marshal’s table lists the county and all four towns as exempt, which means each runs its own residential code program:
| Town | Permit office |
|---|---|
| Ashland City | Town Building & Codes, 405 N Main Street (town hall 615-792-4211); applications and inspection requests through the town’s iWorQ Citizen Portal |
| Kingston Springs | Town Building and Codes, 396 Spring Street, 615-952-2110 ext. 4; iWorQ application portal |
| Pegram | Town code enforcement office, 308 Hwy 70 East, 615-646-0773 ext. 3 (codes@pegram.net) |
| Pleasant View | Town Building Commissioner issues building, mechanical and plumbing permits and Certificates of Occupancy; 1008 Civic Court, 615-746-0600 |
| Unincorporated county | Cheatham County Building & Codes |
Electrical, septic, driveway and grading permits
- Electrical: the county deleted the electrical chapters from its residential code, and no Cheatham jurisdiction is on the state’s list of places that inspect their own wiring. Every structure needs a State of Tennessee electrical permit, bought online through the state’s CORE system.
- Septic: TDEC issues subsurface sewage disposal permits; Cheatham County is served by the Nashville Environmental Field Office, 711 R.S. Gass Blvd. (615-687-7000); the county’s permit steps sheet also lists a local environmentalist line, 615-792-4857. The septic permit must match the plans’ bedroom count, and it must be shown before the building permit is issued.
- Driveway: the Cheatham County Highway Department (615-792-4240) must issue a driveway permit, even for an existing driveway, before a building permit. On a state route, TDOT issues it instead.
- Grading and fill: get approval from the County Highway Superintendent first, then apply to Building & Codes for the $50 grading permit. TDEC construction stormwater coverage applies when an acre or more is disturbed, or less than an acre that is part of a larger common plan of development.
- Plumbing and mechanical: rough-in plumbing and mechanical are inspected by the county with the framing.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Cheatham County permit fees
The Building Commission fee sheet and the county’s FAQ list these charges for unincorporated Cheatham County:
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home, addition, manufactured or modular home | $0.60 per sq ft |
| Adequate facilities tax | $0.50 per sq ft of heated and cooled space |
| Development tax | $7,500: $50 when the permit is issued, $7,450 at the Certificate of Occupancy |
| Remodel or accessory structure | $0.30 per sq ft |
| Deck without a roof / with a roof | $0.30 / $0.60 per sq ft |
| Single-wide mobile home | $250 flat, adequate facilities tax included |
| Pool | $25 |
| Pre-fabricated open carport | $15 |
| Grading permit | $50 |
| Demolition | $50 |
| House moving | $1,000 plus $0.60 per sq ft |
| Commercial building | $50 plus the SBCCI Appendix B schedule |
| Archive fee, every application | $5 |
| Work begun without a permit | Double the permit fee |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Planning fees are separate: a rezoning or site plan application is $130 (rezonings add the cost of certified letters to neighbours), a minor plat $150 and a major plat $250. Engineering reviews of plats, construction plans or FEMA items are billed to the owner at approval.
What to bring when you apply
- A set of plans, which the office keeps on file until the Certificate of Occupancy
- The TDEC septic permit and the County Highway driveway permit
- Contractors: a copy of the state contractor’s licence, proof of workers’ compensation insurance and one form of ID
- Owners pulling their own permit: the completed application and proof of ownership
- An elevation certificate before the final inspection when the site is in a flood hazard area
How to get a Cheatham County building permit
Use the county GIS zoning layer, check the FEMA flood map and confirm the lot is on a publicly maintained road. Mobile homes are allowed only in the Agriculture district; there is no minimum lot size for a house.
Apply to TDEC; the permit confirms the soils and fixes the bedroom count.
Call the Highway Department, place its orange flag where the driveway goes and wait for the pipe size.
Submit through the iWorQ portal or at Frey Street before 3:30 p.m., and pay the permit fee, archive fee and taxes.
Purchase it in CORE before any wiring starts.
Schedule each one in iWorQ and finish with the septic and driveway finals before the building final.
Rather not deal with the Cheatham County building department?
Get a free quote →Cheatham County inspections
The applicant must make sure five inspections happen: footing, foundation, framing with rough-in plumbing and mechanical (no insulation in place), insulation, and final. The iWorQ portal is used to schedule them and check permit status. Before the final, the septic system needs its final from TDEC and the driveway its final from the Highway Department; the county will not tell you if a requested final cannot be made for lack of either. On manufactured and modular homes the county inspects footings, piers, decks and landings, and nothing may be occupied until the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.
The county enforces the 2018 International codes with local amendments; residential fire sprinklers are not mandatory in the unincorporated county. Kingston Springs, by contrast, requires sprinklers in all new homes and commercial buildings.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Cheatham County permit search and official resources
- Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office
- Tennessee Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors
- Cheatham County required permits and inspections
- Cheatham County Building & Codes
- Cheatham County iWorQ permit portal
- Cheatham County permits, codes and forms
- Steps to obtaining a building permit (PDF)
- Cheatham County Building Commission fees (PDF)
- Cheatham County Building & Codes FAQs
- TDEC Nashville Environmental Field Office
- Ashland City Building Codes
- Kingston Springs Building and Codes
- Pleasant View Buildings and Codes
Cheatham County permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in Cheatham County?
$0.60 per square foot, plus the $0.50 per square foot adequate facilities tax, the $7,500 development tax ($50 up front, the rest at the Certificate of Occupancy) and a $5 archive fee.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Do I need a permit for a shed?
Not for the first accessory structure on a parcel if it is 200 sq ft or smaller. Larger or additional accessory structures cost $0.30 per sq ft and must sit outside the front setback and at least 5 feet from side and rear setbacks.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof?
No, in the unincorporated county, unless the job involves significant replacement of roof decking or framing.
Can a homeowner pull the permit?
Yes, once every two years for a home the owner will use, not sell, lease or rent; bring the completed application and proof of ownership. If a contractor is hired, the contractor pulls the permit.
Who issues electrical permits in Cheatham County?
The State of Tennessee, for every structure in the county; buy them online in CORE.
Does the county permit work in Pleasant View or Kingston Springs?
No. Each of the four towns, including Ashland City and Pegram, runs its own building permit office.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cheatham County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.