Inside Clinton city limits, the City’s Codes Enforcement Department at 100 N. Bowling Street (865-259-1180) issues building, plumbing, mechanical, gas and demolition permits; electrical permits are state permits. Building fees follow a valuation table, so a $250,000 project pays $1,000 plus a $30 plan review fee for a one- or two-family home.
What requires a permit in Clinton?
The City’s permit policy requires a building permit whenever an owner, contractor or agent wants to build, enlarge, alter, repair or move a structure onto property, accessory structures included. The City’s Building Permit Application covers building, trade and demolition work, and the Codes Enforcement page offers separate applications for:
Construction
- New homes, additions and accessory structures
- Commercial and multi-family buildings
- Foundation-only permits (with a Foundation Permit Disclaimer)
- Shell-only commercial buildings (Shell Only Affidavit)
- Commercial tenant re-occupancy
- Plumbing, mechanical and gas work
- Demolition and moving a building
- Solar, through SolarApp+
Site and land
- Grading-only permits
- Floodplain development permits
- Curb cuts in the right-of-way
- Signs
- Temporary uses
- Historic Board review for historic properties
Who issues building permits in Clinton?
The City of Clinton Codes Enforcement Department enforces the City’s planning, zoning, building, property maintenance, stormwater and floodplain rules. Matthew Widner is the Building Official (865-259-1181); permit applications and inspection requests go to the codes office at 865-259-1180 or codes@clintontn.net, and the City Planner is on 865-259-1183. The office is in City Hall, 100 N. Bowling Street (main City Hall line 865-457-0424).
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Get a free quote →The State Fire Marshal lists Clinton as exempt from the state residential program because it enforces its own code. Land outside the city limits is handled by Anderson County’s zoning and codes office (865-457-6244).
Clinton forms and applications
Applications are filed with the codes office on the City’s forms, which are posted on the Codes Enforcement / Zoning page:
- Building Permit Application (building, trades, demolition), printed on legal-size paper
- Homeowner’s Affidavit, for owners acting as their own builder
- Foundation Permit Disclaimer and Shell Only Affidavit, for partial permits
- Time Extension Application for an issued permit
- Historic Board Review Application
- Grading Only Permit, Flood Plain Development Permit Application and flood plain process checklist, and the SWPPP review checklist under Stormwater Ordinance 692
Clinton permit fees
Fees come from Appendix E, the City’s Comprehensive Development Fee Schedule for FY24 to FY26. Building permits for homes and commercial work are charged on the estimated cost of construction, with average costs per square foot taken from the International Code Council’s Building Valuation Data table:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Valuation $1 to $500 | $25 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $25 plus $3 per additional $100 |
| $2,001 to $40,000 | $50 plus $10 per additional $1,000 |
| $40,001 to $100,000 | $250 plus $9 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $400 plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $1,600 plus $3 per additional $1,000 |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $4,500 plus $2 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $5,000,000 | $14,000 plus $1 per additional $1,000 |
| Plan review, one- or two-family | $30 |
| Plan review, multi-family or commercial | $100 under $250,000; $150 to $500,000; $250 to $1,000,000; $500 above |
| Plumbing / mechanical / gas, new one- or two-family | $50 / $75 / $30 per address |
| Plumbing / mechanical / gas change-out | $25 each |
| Plumbing / mechanical / gas, new multi-family or commercial | $100 / $125 / $75 per floor or address |
| Re-inspection | $50, then $75, then $100 for each further visit |
| Temporary Certificate of Occupancy | $50 for the first 30 days, doubling every 30 days |
| Grading | $25 per one- or two-family address; multi-family, commercial, industrial or PUD sites $200 for the first acre plus $100 per additional acre, rounded up |
| Moving a building / curb cut | $100 plus a cash bond / $25 |
Example: a $250,000 house pays $400 for the first $100,000 plus 150 x $4, a $1,000 building permit, and $30 for plan review. Demolition is priced on the building permit table, multi-family and commercial resubmittals cost $50 each, re-inspection fees must be paid before the visit is booked, and work started without a permit pays double.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas in Clinton
The City inspects plumbing, gas and mechanical work: in-slab plumbing tested at 5 psi on drain lines and 75 psi on supply lines before the concrete is poured, then rough-in gas, mechanical and plumbing before cover. Electrical permits are State of Tennessee permits; the City’s page directs electrical inspection calls to the state electrical inspector at 865-740-2486, and its 2024 policy says the state deputy inspector works from the Clinton Utilities Board office, normally inspects on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and needs a business day’s notice.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Utilities: water and sewer taps, and their fees, are arranged with the Clinton Utilities Board (CUB, 1001 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., 865-457-9232). CUB must inspect every water and sewer service line before it is backfilled, with one business day’s notice, and that approval is needed before a Certificate of Occupancy. After the final building inspection, the City tells CUB it can release power.
What to submit
One- or two-family
- Completed application with all contractor information
- Two site plans showing property lines, required setbacks and any recorded easements
- One complete set of building plans
- The approved site and building plans kept on the job
Commercial or multi-family
- Planning approvals recorded first
- Completed application with contractor information
- Three approved site plans and three sets of stamped construction drawings and specifications
- One PDF set by email or file share
- The State Fire Marshal’s approval letter when the project needs one
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a Clinton building permit
Outside the city, call Anderson County codes; inside, a zoning letter can be requested from the City.
Give the City Planner 12 copies of the site plan at least 21 calendar days before the commission’s meeting on the second Monday, and send CUB five sets of site utility drawings at least 60 days before construction.
Submit the Building Permit Application with the site plans, building plans and any affidavit to codes@clintontn.net or at City Hall.
Plan review and permit fees follow Appendix E; buy the electrical permit from the state.
Put silt fencing or hay bales and driveway rock in place before the footing inspection.
Phone 865-259-1180 at least one business day ahead for each stage, through the final and the Certificate of Occupancy.
Clinton inspections
The permit holder requests inspections from the codes office at 865-259-1180 with at least one business day’s notice; last-minute requests are considered only on a reasonable basis. At every inspection the approved plans, erosion control, posted address numbers and a portable toilet near the job are checked. The sequence is footers, slab and in-slab plumbing (vapor barrier on site), rough-in gas, mechanical and plumbing (nail guards in place), framing, then the energy inspection: R-13 walls, R-38 ceilings, R-19 crawlspace or basement floors and U-0.32 glazing under the City’s amended 2021 IECC. State electrical rough-in and final inspections run alongside. After the final, the Building Official or Fire Marshal issues a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Completion.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Local Clinton rules
- Manufactured homes: single-wides may go in an existing mobile home park, or replace an older single-wide on a lot that has not been empty more than six months. Double-wides and larger are allowed on a permanent foundation with the look of a site-built house.
- Right-of-way drainage: drainage pipes in the right-of-way or platted easements are coordinated with the Public Works Director (865-457-6495) and may need a bond; curbs, sidewalks and storm drains in the right-of-way need a Public Works inspection with 2 days’ notice.
- Address numbers: buildings need contrasting numbers at least 4 inches high, visible from the street, before a Certificate of Occupancy or Completion.
- Boards: the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals and Board of Code Appeals meet at 5:30 p.m. on set 2026 dates, with filing deadlines about three weeks earlier.
- Permit records: the City posts monthly permit activity reports on the Codes Enforcement page.
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 Clinton permit resources
- Tennessee residential jurisdiction list
- City of Clinton Codes and Zoning Department
- Clinton Codes Enforcement / Zoning
- Clinton Building Permit Application (PDF)
- Policies for Building Permits and Inspections (PDF)
- Clinton Comprehensive Development Fee Schedule FY24–FY26 (PDF)
- Clinton Homeowner’s Affidavit (PDF)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Clinton building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Clinton, TN?
The City of Clinton Codes Enforcement Department at City Hall, 100 N. Bowling Street, for property inside city limits. Anderson County handles land outside the city.
How much is a building permit in Clinton?
It depends on the estimated construction cost: $400 for the first $100,000 plus $4 per additional $1,000 up to $500,000. A $250,000 home pays $1,000 plus $30 plan review.
Who issues electrical permits in Clinton?
The State of Tennessee. The state electrical inspector handles Clinton inspections, usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call the codes office at 865-259-1180 at least one business day before you need it.
What does a failed inspection cost?
$50 for the first re-inspection, $75 for the second and $100 for each one after that, paid before the re-inspection is scheduled.
Which building codes does Clinton use?
The 2021 International Codes with local amendments, adopted by Ordinance 686 in place of the 2018 editions.
Can I live in a single-wide mobile home in Clinton?
Only in an existing mobile home park, or as a newer replacement for an older single-wide on a lot that has not been vacant for more than six months.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Clinton permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.