Cleveland, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Inside Cleveland city limits, building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits all come from the City’s Building Division (Development & Engineering Services, 185 2nd Street NE, 423-479-1913), applied for online through City of Cleveland Self Service. Plans are reviewed digitally, typically within 10 working days, and the building permit fee is based on the cost of construction.

What requires a permit in Cleveland?

The City requires a building permit for every new building, addition, alteration and substantial repair. Plumbing, heating and air conditioning, electrical, sign and demolition work each need their own permit, even when they are part of a job that already has a building permit.

An owner can still ask for a roofing permit when an insurer requires one, even if the work would not otherwise need it.

Who issues building permits in Cleveland?

The Building Division of Development & Engineering Services reviews plans, issues permits and performs building, electrical, mechanical/gas and plumbing inspections for all construction in the City of Cleveland. It also supports the City’s Historic Preservation Commission. Bryan Turner is the Director of Building and Project Development.

Outside the city, unincorporated Bradley County is permitted by the county’s Planning & Inspections office. The City’s reach crosses that line for two trades: the Building Division coordinates plumbing inspections for every system in Bradley County connected to Cleveland Utilities, and the state lists the whole Cleveland Utilities district as outside the state electrical program.

Cleveland permit applications and licences

All applications go through City of Cleveland Self Service; create an account the first time (the Building Division helps with set-up at 423-479-1913). The portal offers separate applications for:

• One- and two-family dwellings or townhomes: new construction, or addition and alteration
• Commercial buildings: new, or addition and alteration
• Plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits, each split into residential or commercial and new or alteration work
• Certificate of Appropriateness for historic properties

Who may pull a permit. A licensed contractor normally obtains the permit for its own trade. A homeowner may act as contractor on the home they live in by signing the City’s Homeowner-Building Permit Affidavit. No contractor’s licence is needed for residential work under $3,000, while residential remodeling from $3,000 to under $25,000 needs a state Home Improvement licence. Commercial and mechanical jobs under $25,000 need no state licence, though proof of workers’ compensation may be asked for.

City licence. Before buying a permit, electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors, and unlicensed commercial contractors doing work under $25,000, must hold a licence from the City, applied for in the same Self Service portal.

Cleveland permit fees

The Building Division prices building permits on the cost of construction. A plans review fee, where it applies, is paid with the application before review starts, and commercial applicants can pay it online. Plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits are bought separately by the licensed trade contractor.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas in Cleveland

The City inspects all four trades itself under the 2017 National Electrical Code and the 2018 International Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes (with Appendix B). Each trade needs a separate permit from a contractor holding a City licence. Commercial plans are also typically reviewed by the Cleveland Fire Department against the fire safety rules, and commercial kitchen hoods need their own inspection.

Homes must meet the 2018 energy code as amended by the City: 2009 R-value tables, a blower door test, and a duct leakage test when ductwork runs outside the building envelope. The completed Residential Energy Conservation Code Compliance Certificate has to be fixed permanently to the electrical panel before the final inspection.

Plans and plan review

Review is electronic. A digital plan set is required for all commercial projects and requested for residential ones; files are uploaded with the application or brought to the office on a flash drive, and paper copies are not accepted. The application and any plans review fee must be in before review begins. First reviews and resubmittals are typically returned within 10 working days.

• Commercial: the City’s Plans Review Guidelines (revised December 2020) ask for a site plan, life safety plan, architectural, structural and trade drawings, and a Letter of Assurance from the design professional.
• Design professional: plans must be stamped except for one- and two-family homes and their accessory buildings, farm buildings, and business, factory, mercantile, residential or storage buildings under three stories and 5,000 sq ft. Assembly, educational and institutional buildings always need a registered architect or engineer.
• Demolition: the State Asbestos Form must be approved by the state before the City issues any permit; that can take up to 10 business days.
• Contractor not yet chosen: you can submit for review, but the permit is not issued until the contractor is named.

How to apply: 5 steps in Cleveland

Cleveland inspections

Inspections are scheduled through City of Cleveland Self Service or the inspection line, 423-827-4027. The City publishes checklists, based on the 2018 International Residential Code, for each stage of a one- or two-family home or townhome: footing, foundation wall (a required inspection), framing, plumbing, mechanical rough-in, fuel gas piping, energy, final, and decks. Before the final, the energy compliance certificate must already be on the electrical panel.

Local Cleveland rules to know

• Codes in force: 2018 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Property Maintenance, Energy and Fire Codes, ICC A117.1-2017 and the 2017 National Electrical Code.
• Sprinklers: the City’s IRC amendment removes the sprinkler requirement for one- and two-family homes and townhomes, except townhome buildings of five or more units.
• Historic properties: exterior work in a historic district needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, applied for in Self Service, with the Building Division supporting the Historic Preservation Commission.
• Floodplain fences: every fence in the floodplain needs a permit, whatever its height.

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 Cleveland permit resources

• Work requiring permits
• Official apply-online page
• Cleveland Building Division
• City of Cleveland Self Service portal
• Permit applications and plan review
• Contractor licensing requirements
• Work exempt from permitting (PDF)
• Residential inspection checklists
• Cleveland Plans Review Guidelines (PDF)

Cleveland building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Cleveland, TN?

The City’s Building Division in Development & Engineering Services, 185 2nd Street NE (423-479-1913), for all construction inside city limits.

How long does plan review take in Cleveland?

Comments are typically returned within 10 working days, for first submittals and resubmittals alike.

Does a re-roof need a permit in Cleveland?

Not if you replace only the shingles or covering. If structural decking is replaced, a permit is required, and every new roof needs a drip edge.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed?

Fences up to 7 feet and residential sheds up to 200 sq ft are exempt, but any fence in the floodplain needs a permit.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Cleveland?

Yes, for the home they live in, by signing the Homeowner-Building Permit Affidavit. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits require a City-licensed contractor.

How much does a building permit cost?

The fee is based on the cost of construction, plus a plans review fee where it applies, paid when you apply.

How do I schedule an inspection?

In City of Cleveland Self Service or by calling the inspection line at 423-827-4027.

Simplify Cleveland permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Tennessee. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Cleveland permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.