Grainger County, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Grainger County does not run a building permit office for the unincorporated county, and the State Fire Marshal lists the county as having opted out of the state residential building program. Before building a house there, you still need an E-911 address (865-828-3311), a driveway permit from the Highway Department if you connect to a county road, a TDEC septic permit where there is no sewer, and a state electrical permit. Bean Station and Blaine remain in the state program, so new homes there need a state residential permit.

Who issues permits in Grainger County?

The county website has pages for the Planning Commission, the Highway Department and E-911 addressing, but no building permit, building code or zoning page, and the Planning Commission’s page deals only with subdivisions. General questions go to the County Mayor’s office in the courthouse at 8095 Rutledge Pike, Suite 100, Rutledge (865-828-3513), open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and until noon on Wednesday.

The State Fire Marshal’s table, current to August 21, 2026, shows how the state residential building program applies to each part of the county:

• Unincorporated county: opted out by county resolution, so no state residential building permit is required. An owner may still ask the State Fire Marshal’s Office to inspect a new home or addition under a state permit and, if it passes, receive a Certificate of Occupancy.
• Bean Station and Blaine: in the state program. A new one- or two-family home, townhouse or addition over 30 sq ft needs a state residential permit bought in the state’s CORE system, with inspections by a state-contracted inspector; detached garages, sheds and barns not used for living are excluded. Bean Station also reaches into Hamblen County.
• Rutledge: the county seat has also opted out of the state program. The published sources do not say whether the town issues a building permit of its own, so check with town hall before you build.

Approvals a Grainger County build still needs

• E-911 address: the 9-1-1 Business Office assigns addresses to structures, not to land. Call 865-828-3311 before building a house, setting a mobile home or opening a business; most addresses can be issued over the phone from the county maps. The office is in the Justice Center, 270 Justice Center Drive, Suite 103, Rutledge, open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Driveway or road connection: any new driveway or road joining a county road needs a permit. Call the Highway Department at 865-828-3314 for a site visit before construction; the department requires a tile under the driveway to protect the driveway and the county road from water damage. Work on a county right-of-way needs the Highway Superintendent’s approval first (865-696-6551), and a road meant to become county-maintained must be discussed before it is built. For state highways, call TDOT at 423-587-7026.
• Septic: TDEC’s Knoxville Environmental Field Office handles septic permits for Grainger County (865-594-6035).
• Electrical: Grainger County has no local electrical inspection program, so electrical permits throughout the county, the three towns included, are state permits bought in CORE and inspected by a state deputy electrical inspector. Without a CORE account, call 615-741-7170 with the permit number to book an inspection.

What permits cost in Grainger County

There is no county building permit fee to budget for in the unincorporated county. Where a state residential permit applies, in Bean Station and Blaine or when an owner asks for a voluntary state inspection, the state fee follows the construction cost:

The Highway Department’s page does not list a fee for driveway permits; ask when you call for the site visit.

Inspections in Grainger County

No county building inspector is listed on the county website. In Bean Station and Blaine, the state-contracted inspector visits at three stages: foundation before the pour, framing with plumbing and mechanical rough-in, and final. A failed inspection gets one free re-inspection; further trips are charged. Book them in CORE. In the opted-out areas a state inspection only happens if the owner buys a state permit to get one. Electrical inspections are required everywhere in the county.

Dividing land in Grainger County

Outside Bean Station, Blaine and Rutledge, the Grainger County Planning Commission reviews subdivision plats, which must be drawn by a licensed land surveyor and signed by the Commission’s secretary before they can be recorded. Minimum lot sizes depend on utilities: 10,000 sq ft with public water and sewer, 20,000 sq ft with water but no sewer, and 30,000 sq ft with neither. A preliminary plat is needed when water lines or other infrastructure must be extended, and the final plat comes back once that work is installed.

The Commission generally meets on the fourth Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the circuit courtroom of the Justice Center (October 26, November 23 and December 28 in 2026). At least four copies of each plat must reach the Mayor’s office 10 days before the meeting. The county has also adopted a resolution regulating RVs.

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 Grainger County permitting resources

• Tennessee state residential-permit instructions
• Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
• Official driveway and county-road access requirements
• Grainger County Planning Commission
• Grainger County E-911 addressing
• State residential building permit fees
• State inspections in opt-out jurisdictions
• Tennessee electrical permits (CORE)
• TDEC Knoxville Environmental Field Office

Grainger County permit FAQs

Do I need a building permit in Grainger County, TN?

Not in the unincorporated county, which has opted out of the state residential program and publishes no county building permit. In Bean Station and Blaine, new homes and additions need a state residential permit.

Do I need a permit for a driveway?

Yes, if it connects to a county road. Call the Highway Department at 865-828-3314 for a site visit and permit before you build it.

How do I get an address for a new house or mobile home?

Call the E-911 Business Office at 865-828-3311; most addresses can be issued over the phone.

Is an electrical permit required?

Yes. Electrical permits and inspections come from the State Fire Marshal’s Office for all of Grainger County.

What is the minimum lot size in a Grainger County subdivision?

10,000 sq ft with water and sewer, 20,000 sq ft with water only, and 30,000 sq ft without either.

Who handles septic permits?

TDEC’s Knoxville Environmental Field Office, 865-594-6035.

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