Inside Elizabethton city limits, building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits are issued by the City’s Building & Codes Enforcement division (423-542-1503), and every application is filed online in SmartGov. Plan review is free and normally takes 2 to 5 days; the building permit fee is set from the total project cost, so a $200,000 job pays $1,727.
What work requires a permit in Elizabethton?
The City requires a permit for any construction or demolition on private property. Building, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a structure needs one, and so does installing, repairing, converting or replacing an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, or a sewer or water line.
Building permit
- New homes and commercial buildings
- Additions and accessory buildings
- Alterations and repairs
- Moving a structure
- Demolition
Separate permits
- Electrical
- Plumbing, including sewer and water lines
- Gas piping, appliances and propane tanks
- Mechanical: HVAC equipment and ductwork not covered by an electrical or gas permit
- Every sign, banner, flag or pennant, temporary signs included
Homeowners doing their own electrical, plumbing or mechanical work still need the trade permits and inspections.
Who issues permits in Elizabethton?
Building & Codes Enforcement, the City’s building codes division, issues all construction permits and inspects the work inside the city limits. Steve Donnolly is the Chief Building Official (423-547-6234). The main office line for permits, inspections and code questions is 423-542-1503, and City Hall is at 136 S. Sycamore St., Elizabethton, TN 37643 (423-547-6200).
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Elizabethton is one of the Tennessee cities that run their own electrical program inside their limits, so electrical permits come from the City rather than the State. Outside the city, in unincorporated Carter County, building permits come from Carter County Planning & Zoning (423-542-1834) instead.
Applying through SmartGov
SmartGov is the City’s online system for permits, plan review, inspections, planning and code enforcement. It is available around the clock, and applications are made only through it: create an account, choose the permit type, fill in the online form and upload the plans. Code complaints are also reported there.
Forms on the Forms & Documents page:
- Homeowner’s Affidavit for Building Permit: an owner may build one residence every 2 years for their own use, not to sell or rent, must do the work themselves or hire licensed trades, cannot hire a construction manager, and carries the workers’ compensation and liability insurance. If the owner later hires a contractor, the permit is voided and the contractor applies for a new one.
- FEMA Elevation Certificate and instructions, for buildings in a flood zone.
- The Sign Ordinance and the City’s permit fee schedules.
Trade contractors must be certified, licensed and insured to work inside the city, and only a certified, licensed gas installer may do gas work there.
Elizabethton permit fees
The building permit fee is based on the total project construction cost, using the ICC Appendix L table that the City posts as its Building Permit Fees:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project cost | Building permit |
|---|---|
| $500 or less | $24 flat |
| Up to $2,000 | $24 on the first $500, then $3 per added $100 |
| Up to $40,000 | $69 on the first $2,000, then $11 per added $1,000 |
| Up to $100,000 | $487 on the first $40,000, then $9 per added $1,000 |
| Up to $500,000 | $1,027 on the first $100,000, then $7 per added $1,000 |
| Up to $1,000,000 | $3,827 on the first $500,000, then $5 per added $1,000 |
| Up to $5,000,000 | $6,327 on the first $1,000,000, then $3 per added $1,000 |
| Above $5,000,000 | $18,327 on the first $5,000,000, then $1 per added $1,000 |
A part of $100 or $1,000 counts as a full step. Example: a $200,000 project pays $1,027 plus 100 steps of $7, or $1,727. There is no plan review fee, but water and sewer tap fees, where they apply, must be paid before the permit is issued.
Ordinance 51-15 (2015) sets the other charges: demolition $50 for a single-family house and $100 for other structures; moving a structure $75; re-inspection $25; and work started without a permit pays double the total permit fees.
Electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical fees
Each trade permit has a $20 issuance fee plus item charges from Ordinance 51-15, and a $25 re-inspection fee. Mechanical permits are priced on the building permit scale and cover HVAC equipment and ductwork not under an electrical or gas permit, commercial HVAC and refrigeration, and electric heat pumps of 5 tons or more.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plumbing: each fixture, sewer line, water line, vent or grease trap | $5 |
| Electrical service up to 200 amps | $15, plus $10 per extra 100 amps |
| Temporary electrical service | $15 |
| Electric heat pump up to 5 tons | $15 per unit |
| Sub-panel, water heater, range or dryer | $5 each |
| Receptacles, light fixtures, switches | $0.50 each |
| Motors | $1 per HP up to 15 HP; $0.75 per HP above |
| Gas outlet (logs, grill, stove, pool heater) | $5 each |
| Gas furnace | $10 under 100,000 BTU; $20 above |
| Propane tank | $15 under 500 gal; $20 to 1,000 gal; $30 above |
Plans to upload
- Site plan for any new building, addition or accessory building, showing the structure’s dimensions and its distance from every property line. A hand-drawn site plan is accepted.
- New homes and residential additions: one set of drawings, which does not need a design professional’s stamp. Detailed structural drawings may be requested for larger additions and accessory buildings.
- New commercial buildings and additions: two sets stamped by an architect or engineer, including structural drawings.
Several City departments review each plan, and the number of reviews depends on the type of construction. Normal turnaround is 2 to 5 days; complex projects take longer. Drawings for additions stay on file with the Building Department for one year after the job is finished.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get an Elizabethton building permit
Use the City’s interactive Planning map; turn on the Flood Zone Information layer to see whether the lot is in a flood zone.
All permit applications are filed online.
Include the site plan and drawings, plus the Homeowner’s Affidavit if you are the builder.
Several departments review the plans, usually within 2 to 5 days.
The building permit issues once the plans are approved and any water or sewer tap fees are paid; trade permits are pulled separately.
Request each one about 24 hours ahead, through to the final and Certificate of Occupancy.
Elizabethton inspections
Once the permit is issued, inspections are scheduled online in SmartGov, ideally 24 hours before they are needed. If an inspection fails, the re-inspection cannot be booked until the next business day, which gives the inspector time to enter the result and the builder time to fix the work and pay the $25 fee. New homes and commercial buildings receive a Certificate of Occupancy after the final inspection.
Local Elizabethton details
Code editions: since March 2021 the City has enforced the 2018 International Building, Residential, Existing Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Energy Conservation Codes, the 2017 National Electrical Code and the 2010 ADA Standards.
Flood zones: the City’s GIS Planning map shows flood zones by address, and FEMA elevation certificate forms are posted with the building forms.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Zoning: the city is divided into zoning districts with their own rules; the Building Division or Planning Department can say which applies before you start.
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 Elizabethton permit resources
- Tennessee residential jurisdiction list
- Elizabethton SmartGov permit portal
- Elizabethton building permit FAQs
- Elizabethton adopted building codes
- Building & Codes Enforcement contacts
- Elizabethton building forms and fee schedules
- Trade permit fees, Ordinance 51-15 (PDF)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Elizabethton building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Elizabethton?
The City’s Building & Codes Enforcement division, for property inside the city limits; call 423-542-1503. Unincorporated Carter County is permitted by the county.
How much does a building permit cost in Elizabethton?
It is based on the total project cost. A $100,000 job pays $1,027, and each added $1,000 up to $500,000 adds $7; plan review is free.
How long does plan review take?
Normally 2 to 5 days, longer for complex projects.
Can I apply in person?
The City asks for all permit applications to be made online through SmartGov.
Can a homeowner do their own electrical or plumbing work?
Yes, with the separate City trade permit and inspections. Gas work is the exception: only a certified, licensed gas installer may do it in the city.
What if I start building before I have a permit?
The permit fees are doubled.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Elizabethton permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.