Cookeville, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Inside Cookeville city limits, the City’s Codes Division at City Hall, 45 East Broad Street (931-520-5268), issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, and City inspectors check all of that work. Building permit fees follow the construction cost: the City’s own example, a $244,000 house, works out to about $892, with no plan review fee on a single-family home.

What requires a permit in Cookeville?

The Permit Information page lists the work that needs a City building permit. Trade work has its own permit, bought separately.

Separate approvals outside the Codes Division: changing a natural or built drainage way needs a Drainage Alteration Permit from the City Engineer in Public Works (931-520-5282), and earthwork for new construction must meet the City’s Erosion and Sediment Control Regulations (Public Works, 931-520-5249). Short-term rentals have required a City permit since an ordinance adopted in December 2017.

Who issues building permits in Cookeville?

The Codes Division of Community Development handles building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and inspections for property inside the city limits. Permits are bought at the Codes Department in City Hall. Unincorporated land is handled by Putnam County, and Algood, Baxter and Monterey are separate jurisdictions. City Hall (931-526-9591) can confirm whether a parcel is inside the city and assign a new address.

Appeals that claim the Building Official erred on a zoning matter go to the Board of Zoning Appeals, which also hears variance requests.

Cookeville application forms and licences

Permits are bought in person at the Codes Department. The City posts its paper forms on the Forms & Illustrations page:

• Building Permit Application: job address, zoning, owner, contractor, setbacks, square footage per floor (decks included), total cost, water and sewer type, and a signed affidavit that you understand the City’s setback rules. Setbacks run from the property line or right-of-way, not the edge of pavement.
• Contractor Information Form: business address, state licence number and expiry, and the special plumber’s licence where it applies. The City will not schedule an inspection unless the permit number is given with the request.
• Plumbing Permit Application and Mechanical Permit Application.
• On-Premise Sign Permit Application and the Short Term Rental Property Permit form.

Licences: projects over $25,000 need a Tennessee contractor’s licence and proof of workers’ compensation insurance. Electrical and plumbing permits are sold only to holders of a City Electrical Licence or City Special Plumbers Licence, $50 each and renewed every year. An owner may act as general contractor on a house they will live in, one house every 2 years.

Building permit fees in Cookeville

The building permit fee is set from the construction cost, which the City works out by multiplying the floor area by a cost per square foot for the building’s use and construction type (its table puts a wood-frame one-family house at $122 per sq ft and a garage at $48). The City’s online Building Permit Calculator applies this scale:

Worked example from the City’s Construction Costs page: a 2,000 sq ft wood-frame house at $122 per sq ft has a construction cost of $244,000, which the calculator turns into a building permit fee of about $892. A commercial project at the same cost would add a plans review fee of half that amount.

Flat fees on the Fee Schedule page: fence $25, accessory building $25, tent $25 and mobile home $15. The calculator also prices storage sheds, decks and patios by construction cost, so ask the Codes Division which figure applies before budgeting a shed.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas in Cookeville

Cookeville is outside the state electrical program inside its city limits, so electrical permits are sold by the City’s Codes Department and inspected by City electrical inspectors. The electrician needs a state limited licensed electrician (LLE) or electrical contractor licence plus the City electrical licence. Proof of electrical inspections is required before the framing and final building inspections.

• Plumbing: needs a state limited licensed plumber (LLP) or plumbing contractor licence with the right endorsements, plus the City plumbing licence. Inspections: slab and rough-in (both water tested), sewer, underground piping and final.
• Gas piping: separate permit; LLP or state mechanical licence plus the City plumbing licence. Rough-in is pressure tested at 30 psi, and the utility may require its own pressure test. Copper tubing is not allowed as gas piping, only as an appliance connector of up to 3 feet in the same room.
• HVAC: gas units need the plumbing-side licences above; electric heat and heat pumps need the electrical licences. New installs and change-outs are inspected at rough-in and final.

Plans to bring

The City’s Minimum Building Permit Requirements sheet says all plans must be to scale and that mechanical, plumbing, electrical and sign work are permitted separately.

Homes are built to the City’s 2018 IRC enforcement sheet and design criteria: footings at least 24 inches wide and 8 inches thick, set 12 inches below undisturbed ground (the local frost depth); 115 mph wind speed; 10 psf ground snow load; seismic design category C; termite protection required. Nothing over 30 inches tall, including steps, decks and roof overhangs, may sit in a setback.

How to get a Cookeville building permit

Cookeville inspections

Book building inspections with the Codes Division at 931-520-5268 and electrical inspections with the Electrical Inspector at 931-520-5209, quoting the permit number. The Inspection Requirements page lists the stages for every structure:

• Site review and erosion control (setbacks checked, corners located)
• Footing or slab, before concrete is ordered or poured; plumbing must pass before a slab is poured
• Sill plate and anchor bolts
• Framing, after all trade rough-ins have passed
• Plumbing, heating and air, and electrical rough-ins
• Air sealing and insulation; drywall
• Final, then the Certificate of Occupancy before anyone moves in

The house must be ready to move into before the final inspection, and the final and CO are held until every required trade permit has been issued.

Local Cookeville details

Code editions: the City adopted the 2018 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Fire, Energy Conservation, Existing Building and Property Maintenance Codes, the 2017 National Electrical Code and the 2010 ADA design standards, effective January 1, 2021.

Sewer lines: a new house needs a 4-inch sewer line with a 4-inch cleanout within 5 feet of the house and another cleanout every 80 feet to the City tap.

Short-term rentals: homeowners renting through VRBO, Airbnb or similar sites need a Short Term Rental Property Permit, filed at City Hall with the City’s checklist documents.

House numbers: numbers must be on the house and readable from the street centerline before the final.

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 Cookeville permit resources

• Tennessee residential jurisdiction classification
• Cookeville applications / codes / review resources
• City of Cookeville Codes Department — official permit information
• Cookeville Building Permit Calculator
• Cookeville construction cost table
• Cookeville permit fee schedule
• Cookeville permit application forms
• Minimum Building Permit Requirements (PDF)
• Cookeville inspection requirements
• Cookeville 2018 IRC enforcement sheet (PDF)

Cookeville building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Cookeville?

The City of Cookeville Codes Division at City Hall, 45 East Broad Street (931-520-5268), for any property inside the city limits. It also issues the electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Cookeville?

It depends on the construction cost. Using the City’s example of a 2,000 sq ft house valued at $244,000, the fee is about $892, and single-family homes pay no plans review fee.

Do I need a permit for a fence or shed in Cookeville?

Yes. Fences and accessory or storage buildings both need a building permit; the City’s fee schedule lists each at $25.

How much is a plumbing permit in Cookeville?

$50 plus $5 for each fixture, under the City’s plumbing permit calculator.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Cookeville?

An owner can act as general contractor on a house they will live in, one house every 2 years. Electrical and plumbing permits still go only to holders of the City trade licences.

Does the state inspect electrical work in Cookeville?

No. Inside the city limits, City electrical inspectors handle it, and the permit is bought from the City.

What must be on site before the first inspection?

A portable toilet for workers, a 2-inch stone construction entrance and erosion controls such as silt fence or straw bales.

Simplify Cookeville 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 Cookeville permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.