Franklin County, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Franklin County, building permits are issued by the Planning & Zoning Department in the courthouse basement in Winchester, whose Director is also the Building Commissioner. The permit checks zoning, setbacks and septic approval rather than a building code, because the county has adopted none. Under the fee schedule in force since January 1, 2026, a home over 1,000 sq ft costs $0.45 per conditioned square foot, and the permit is issued within 3 days once the plans conform.

What needs a permit in unincorporated Franklin County?

Under the county Zoning Resolution, you need a building permit before you start excavating or filling land, building any structure (accessory structures included), moving, altering or repairing a structure, or using a building or changing its use. The fee schedule prices permits for single-family homes, duplexes, multi-family buildings, mobile homes and mobile home parks, additions, outbuildings, accessory dwelling units, commercial and industrial buildings and cell towers.

Who issues permits in Franklin County?

The Planning & Zoning Department administers zoning, subdivision and floodplain rules for the unincorporated county. Its Director, Eric Bradford, is the Building Commissioner and Floodplain Administrator, with a Deputy Building Commissioner on staff. Under the Zoning Resolution, the Building Commissioner issues all building permits and inspects buildings and land uses for compliance with that resolution.

The county states that it has not adopted any standard building code, and the State Fire Marshal’s table (August 21, 2026) lists the county as having opted out of the state residential building program, so homes in the unincorporated area get no state building-code inspection unless the owner asks for one.

All seven incorporated places have adopted building codes and are listed as exempt from the state program, so they issue their own permits: Winchester (which has a Building Official and Codes Official), Cowan, Decherd, Estill Springs, Huntland, Monteagle and Tullahoma. The county tells applicants to contact each city or town. Monteagle also lies partly in Grundy and Marion counties, and Tullahoma mostly in Coffee County.

Electrical, plumbing and septic

• Electrical: no Franklin County jurisdiction appears on the state’s list of places that run their own electrical inspections, so electrical permits in the county and in all seven cities come from the State Fire Marshal’s Office through CORE, with inspections by a state deputy electrical inspector.
• Plumbing and mechanical: the county has no plumbing or mechanical permit, as it has adopted no code; inside the cities, ask the city.
• Septic: a septic tank permit, a certificate of verification or other proof of approved sewage disposal must be in hand before the county issues a building permit. The county office stopped taking paper septic applications on December 30, 2019; apply online to TDEC, whose Columbia Environmental Field Office serves Franklin County (931-380-3371).

Franklin County permit fees (effective January 1, 2026)

For a 2,000 sq ft home with a 500 sq ft unheated garage, the fee is $900 plus $112.50, or $1,012.50. All fees are doubled if construction starts before the permit is issued (a first-time offender who applies within 10 days of being notified pays the regular fee), and no fee is refunded.

Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals actions are priced separately: a rezoning is $1,000, a plot plan (site plan) review $400, a preliminary or final subdivision plat $500 plus $100 per lot, and a use permitted on appeal $400.

What the permit application needs

• A written application on the county’s form
• A dimensioned sketch or scale plan showing the shape, size and location of every building to be built, altered or moved, and of the buildings already on the lot
• The existing and intended use of each building
• A septic tank permit, certificate of verification or proof of approved sewage disposal
• For a lot created by dividing land, proof that the division meets the county Subdivision Regulations

Commercial and other non-residential principal buildings (anything other than one-, two- and three-family homes) also need a plot plan showing boundaries with bearings and distances, parking and loading, access points, flood zone with the FIRM reference, easements and utilities, setback lines and exterior lighting. Plot plan reviews are approved or denied within 10 working days.

How a Franklin County permit works

Inspections in Franklin County

County inspections check compliance with the Zoning Resolution, not with a building code. The owner or agent calls the Planning/Zoning Office for an initial inspection after the footing location is staked out, and again when the work is complete; the owner must correct any deficiencies found. A repeat trip costs $50, then $100 for each trip after that.

Because the county opted out of the state residential program, a homeowner or contractor who wants a building-code inspection and Certificate of Occupancy for a new home or addition can ask the State Fire Marshal’s Office for one by buying a state building permit. State electrical inspections apply to all wiring work.

Planning Commission and floodplain

The Franklin County Regional Planning Commission meets on the last Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Franklin County Courthouse, with no meeting in December. Applications are due at the Planning and Zoning Department by 4:00 p.m. on the deadline, which falls at the start of each month (for example, October 1 for the October 27, 2026 meeting). Variances and uses permitted on appeal go to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and a variance sought after construction has started costs $1,000. The Director is also the county Floodplain Administrator.

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

Franklin County permit search and official resources

• Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office
• Tennessee Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors
• Franklin County building-permit notice
• Franklin County Planning & Zoning
• Franklin County fee schedule, January 2026 (PDF)
• Franklin County Zoning Resolution (PDF)
• Franklin County building codes statement (PDF)
• Regional Planning Commission 2026 meeting dates (PDF)
• State inspections in opt-out jurisdictions
• Tennessee electrical permits (CORE)
• TDEC Columbia Environmental Field Office

Franklin County permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Franklin County, TN?

For a home over 1,000 sq ft, $0.45 per conditioned square foot and $0.225 per non-conditioned square foot; homes up to 1,000 sq ft, mobile homes and ADUs are $250. Commercial buildings are $0.75 per square foot.

Do I need a permit for a shed or outbuilding?

Yes, outbuildings are permitted at $0.45 per square foot, unless the building is incidental to farming on agricultural land outside the areas near highways, airports and parks named in the Zoning Resolution.

Does Franklin County inspect new houses to a building code?

No. The county has adopted no building code and has opted out of the state residential program; its inspections check zoning compliance. An owner can ask the State Fire Marshal’s Office for a code inspection and Certificate of Occupancy.

What happens if I build before getting a permit?

All fees are doubled, except for first-time offenders who apply within 10 days of notice.

Who issues permits in Winchester, Decherd or Tullahoma?

Each city does. All seven cities in Franklin County have adopted building codes and run their own permits.

Where do I get an electrical permit?

From the State Fire Marshal’s Office through CORE, anywhere in the county.

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