Dickson, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of Dickson, building permits, plumbing permits and construction inspections are handled by the Planning and Zoning Department at City Hall, 600 East Walnut Street (615-441-9508), where Andy Bowker is the Building Official. Applications can be filed through the City’s online permit form, and fees follow a valuation scale: a 2,000 sq ft house is valued at $355,260 and pays a building permit fee of $2,819. Electrical and mechanical permits are bought elsewhere.

What work requires a permit in Dickson?

The City publishes separate residential and commercial building permit applications. Its fee ordinance and forms show the work it permits:

Who issues permits in Dickson?

The Planning and Zoning Department issues building permits, inspects construction and enforces the City’s health and safety codes. Jason Pilkinton is the Director and Andy Bowker the Building Official. The office is at City Hall, 600 East Walnut Street, Dickson, TN 37055 (615-441-9508).

The City permits only inside its limits. Unincorporated land around Dickson is permitted by Dickson County Planning and Zoning (615-789-6740), which the City’s contact sheet also lists for the county’s Adequate Facilities Tax. Other agencies involved in a Dickson job:

• Greater Dickson Gas Authority, 605 E Walnut Street (615-441-2830): mechanical permits
• Dickson Electric System (615-446-9051): sells state electrical permits
• Water Authority of Dickson County (615-441-4188): backflow prevention and grease interceptors
• Dickson Fire Department Fire Marshal (615-446-6331): fire and life safety review

Dickson applications and online filing

The City’s online permit application runs on CitizenPortal, and permit fees can be paid online. The Planning and Zoning page also posts the paper forms:

• Application for a Residential Building Permit (August 2026 edition): map, group and parcel, contractor and licence number, setbacks, utilities, square footage by area (heated, bonus, basement, garage, carport, porch), and whether the owner is building. Mobile and manufactured units need interior and exterior photos, and an on-site inspection may be required. A permit is void after 6 months if construction has not begun.
• Application for Commercial Building Permit, with a code analysis sheet covering use group, construction type, fire ratings, sprinklers, occupant load, exits and plumbing fixtures.
• Affidavit of Exemption, a notarized statement that the applicant is exempt from showing workers’ compensation insurance (sole proprietor with no employees, or an owner working on, or supervising work on, their own property in their county of residence).
• 911 Address Application, Sign Permit Application and the Demolition Fee and Requirements sheet.

Dickson permit fees

Ordinance #1540, passed on October 2, 2023, adopts the ICC Appendix L fee scale and uses the latest ICC building valuation data to value a project. The residential application values heated living space and bonus rooms at $177.63 per sq ft, and unfinished basements, garages, carports and covered porches at $71.79 per sq ft.

Example: 2,000 sq ft of heated space is valued at $355,260, which falls in the $100,001 to $500,000 band: $1,027 plus 256 × $7, a building permit fee of $2,819 before the plumbing permit.

Starting work before the permit is issued costs a penalty equal to the permit fees, paid in full before the permit is released; each further day of work after notice counts as a separate violation. A penalty can be appealed in writing to the Office of Planning and Zoning within 10 business days. The older demolition sheet still lists a flat $100 fee; the 2023 ordinance charges $250 for anything other than a one- or two-family home or accessory building.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas work in Dickson

• Electrical: Dickson is in the State of Tennessee electrical program, so electrical permits are state permits. The City’s residential application sends applicants to Dickson Electric System (615-446-9051), a state permit issuing agent.
• Mechanical and gas: mechanical permits are obtained through the Greater Dickson Gas Authority (615-441-2830), whatever the heating and cooling source.
• Plumbing: a City permit from Planning and Zoning, priced at $100 plus $10 per fixture.
• Fire: the Fire Marshal reviews plans for new site developments, new or altered commercial buildings and multi-family dwellings, and fire protection systems, and inspects new construction under the 2024 International Fire Code. Plans for that review are still submitted to Planning and Zoning at City Hall, on paper and electronically where possible.

Documents and site work before a Dickson permit

The Stormwater Residential Checklist adds inlet protection at drains, stabilization of ditches and slopes of 3:1 or steeper, and a concrete washout where needed.

How to apply for a Dickson building permit

Dickson construction inspections

Building and plumbing inspections are carried out by the Planning and Zoning Department’s Building Official and Building Inspector (department phone 615-441-9508). Electrical inspections are made by the State, the Fire Marshal inspects new construction for fire code compliance, and the Stormwater Coordinator checks erosion controls before a home permit is issued. Every failed inspection costs $50 to re-inspect, and a temporary certificate of occupancy can be requested for $50.

Local Dickson details

Code editions: the City’s 2026 list adopts the 2024 International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Existing Building, Property Maintenance and Energy codes (with 2009 energy tables), the 2017 National Electrical Code, NFPA 101 (2006) and the 2010 ADA standards. The commercial application form still cites the 2018 codes.

Demolition: structures must be razed and the ground stabilized within 30 days for minor residential jobs and 45 days for minor commercial ones; larger projects apply to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a time limit. TDEC approval is needed first where it applies, and one 10-day extension can be requested in writing.

Zoning and design: the Zoning Ordinance was updated in March 2026, and the City also publishes a 2020 Design Review Manual; design review costs $100.

Floodplain: development in a floodplain carries a $4,000 additional review fee, and the residential application asks whether the lot is in a flood zone.

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 Dickson permit resources

• City of Dickson Planning and Zoning Department
• City of Dickson Fire Marshal
• Tennessee residential jurisdiction status
• Dickson online permit application
• Dickson permit fee Ordinance #1540 (PDF)
• Application for a residential building permit (PDF)
• Residential construction permit checklist (PDF)
• Application for commercial building permit (PDF)
• Dickson applicable codes, 2026 (PDF)
• Dickson permit contact information (PDF)

Dickson building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Dickson, TN?

The City of Dickson Planning and Zoning Department at City Hall, 600 East Walnut Street, for property inside the city. Dickson County Planning and Zoning handles unincorporated land.

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

The City values heated space at $177.63 per sq ft and applies the Appendix L scale. A 2,000 sq ft house valued at $355,260 pays $2,819, plus the plumbing permit and any plan review fee.

Where do I get an electrical permit in Dickson?

Electrical permits are state permits; the City directs applicants to Dickson Electric System (615-446-9051).

Who issues mechanical permits in Dickson?

The Greater Dickson Gas Authority (615-441-2830), for both gas and electric heating and cooling systems.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

You pay a penalty equal to the permit fees on top of the fees themselves, and each extra day of work after notice is a separate violation.

How long is a Dickson residential permit good for?

It becomes void if construction has not begun within 6 months of issue.

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