Gallatin, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Inside Gallatin city limits, the City’s Building Codes Department at City Hall, 132 W Main Street, Room 202, issues building permits and the electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits that go with them; applications go through the Citizen Self Service portal. A new home is charged $0.30 per square foot under beam up to 3,000 sq ft, plus plan review and zoning review fees, and residential permits take a minimum of three to five days to turn around.

What requires a permit in Gallatin?

The City’s permit list shows which permits and inspections common projects need. Most jobs need a building permit plus one or more trade permits:

If a project is not on the list, the department asks you to call 615-451-5968.

Who issues building permits in Gallatin?

The Building Codes Department handles construction permits inside Gallatin city limits from submittal and plan review to inspections and the Certificate of Occupancy, and adopts the City’s building, electrical, gas, plumbing and mechanical codes. Gallatin enforces its own codes, so the state lists it as exempt from the state residential program, and it is one of the cities on the state’s list that run their own electrical permits and inspections.

Outside city limits, unincorporated Sumner County is permitted by Sumner County Building & Codes at 355 N. Belvedere Drive, Room 208, Gallatin (615-452-1467).

Gallatin applications, contractor registration and the portal

Register for a Citizen Self Service (CSS) account to apply, pay invoices, track permits and request inspections online; the City publishes a CSS user guide and a list of CSS permit types. Separate application forms exist for commercial and residential building permits, home placement, trade permits, residential and commercial gas piping, pools and spas, fire systems and demolition.

Contractors must be on file before they apply. Email permits@gallatintn.gov a copy of the state contractor licence (a mechanical contractor on a job under $25,000 is the exception), a certificate of insurance for general liability and workers’ compensation or the state exemption, and the City permit bond with a power of attorney; the original signed bond must be delivered to the office. The bond is $50,000 for general contractors and $10,000 for other trades. The general contractor and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical subcontractors must be listed on the application and registered with the City before the permit is issued.

A homeowner permit is only available to an owner working on the single-family home they live in, and requires the City’s Homeowner Affidavit.

Gallatin permit fees

The City’s current fee schedule (posted as the 2025 Permit Fee Schedule, effective January 11, 2023) charges new homes by the square foot under beam, with review fees added:

Every permit also carries an $18 administrative fee, the minimum building permit is $50, and valuation is the contract price. Commercial building permits run from 1% of valuation up to $500,000 down to 0.25% above $7.5 million, plus structural (50%), fire (25%) and ADA (12%) plan review fees calculated on the building permit fee. Water and sewer connection fees are separate.

Sumner County’s Adequate Facilities Tax also applies: $0.70 per square foot for new residential development, payable at permit issuance (additions to an existing single-family home are exempt). The City needs a county certificate showing the tax is paid before it issues the permit, and its residential guide lists proof of payment in the submittal.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas and fire permits

All trade permits come from the same Building Codes Department. For a new one- or two-family home the main rates are:

Plumbing remodels or change-outs are $60 per required inspection and mechanical ones $75. The Building & Fire Prevention side reviews fire sprinklers, fire alarms, hood suppression, fire pumps, standpipes and smoke control; installing any of these without an approved fire permit brings citations and a stop-work notice.

Documents for a Gallatin residential permit

• Completed permit application, listing the general contractor and MEP subcontractors
• Proof the Sumner County Adequate Facilities Tax is paid
• Site plan to scale with setbacks, public utility and drainage easements, street address, north arrow and the dimensioned house location
• Building plans: floor, mechanical, electrical and plumbing plans, door and window schedule, framing detail and elevations
• Wall bracing plans and engineered foundation plans
• Energy compliance report

The lot must be zoned for the use and be a platted lot of record, and digital plan sets are preferred. Incomplete submittals are not reviewed, and any change after plans are released must be resubmitted. Residential review covers the house, fences and retaining walls under 48 inches shown on the plans; accessory buildings, pools, irrigation and taller walls need their own permits. Grading more than 1 acre needs a Land Disturbance permit from Engineering, and the City publishes a Building Code Summary form for commercial projects.

How to get a Gallatin building permit

Gallatin inspections

Call the inspection hotline at 615-451-5970 or use the CSS portal. The phone options are 1 building, 2 mechanical/plumbing, 3 concrete, 4 electrical meter sets, 5 electrical, 6 fire and 7 planning and engineering finals; give the inspection type, address, your name and number, and the permit number. Requests received before 2:00 p.m. are generally inspected the next workday. Concrete inspections are treated as high priority, but work that is not ready when the inspector arrives fails.

A new home typically gets a temporary power, footing, foundation or slab, anchor bolt and braced wall, plumbing, mechanical and electrical rough-in, framing and roof, insulation, and final inspection, followed by planning and engineering finals. Post the address where it is visible from the street, keep a portable toilet on site, and provide a ladder for roof-mounted work. Corrections are left on site or posted in the portal; the first re-inspection is included and each later one costs $85.

No building may be occupied until the final inspection is passed and a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. The Building Official may grant a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy once a final fire inspection shows no significant hazard.

Local rules worth knowing in Gallatin

Work hours: the City’s residential guide limits construction to Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., unless the Building Official grants a variance; check any HOA limits too. Job sites need a trash container, erosion control installed before work starts, and a posted address. Pools have their own City guidance pages on pool fences, temporary barriers during installation, entrapment protection and pool alarms, and the City publishes separate fence regulations. Appeals of code decisions go to the Construction Board of Adjustment and Appeals using the City’s appeal application.

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 Gallatin permit resources

• Permits and inspections
• Gallatin Building Codes
• Gallatin Citizen Self Service portal
• What projects require a permit
• Gallatin permit applications
• Gallatin permit fee schedule (PDF)
• Gallatin inspection scheduling
• Gallatin residential project guidelines (PDF)
• Gallatin adopted codes
• Sumner County Adequate Facilities Tax information (PDF)

Gallatin building permit FAQs

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

$0.30 per square foot under beam for homes up to 3,000 sq ft, plus $0.07 per sq ft each for plan review and planning/zoning review, $0.07 per sq ft for the engineering inspection and an $18 administrative fee. Trade permits and Sumner County’s $0.70 per sq ft Adequate Facilities Tax are extra.

How long does a residential permit take?

The City states a minimum turnaround of three to five days for residential building permits, for complete submittals.

Can I pull my own permit?

Only for work on the single-family home you own and live in, with the City’s Homeowner Affidavit.

Does Gallatin issue its own electrical permits?

Yes. Gallatin runs its own electrical permits and inspections inside city limits instead of the state program.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 615-451-5970 or use the CSS portal; requests in before 2:00 p.m. are usually inspected the next workday.

Do I need a permit for a deck or shed?

Yes. A deck permit is $50 and a detached non-living building $0.10 per sq ft, each plus a $35 zoning review fee.

Which codes does Gallatin use?

The 2024 International Codes, the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code and the 2023 National Electrical Code.

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