Greeneville, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Inside the Town of Greeneville, building permits come from the Building Department, part of Planning, Building & Development on the second floor of Town Hall, 200 N College Street (423-787-6181). Houses and home alterations go straight to the Building Department, while major developments start with Planning and may need an approved site plan first. The building permit fee is set by valuation: a $250,000 project costs $920.

What needs a permit in Greeneville?

The Town runs two main permit processes for construction: building permits and grading permits. Its fee resolution also sets separate plumbing, gas and mechanical permits, demolition and moving permits, a fee for portable storage buildings, sign permits and certificates of occupancy for a change of use or an existing facility.

• Houses and home alterations: a single-family or two-family house on one lot that is not part of a Planned Unit Development needs no site plan, and the owner or builder goes directly to the Building Department.
• Larger development: commercial and industrial projects, residential subdivisions, public buildings, recreational areas and major expansions need a plot plan or a full engineered site plan and may go to the Planning Commission; the building permit is issued once the site plan has final approval.
• Grading: projects that need no plot plan, site plan or variance can get a grading permit directly from Building & Planning; others need the final site plan approved first.
• Zoning conflicts: if the use does not match the lot’s zoning, a rezoning is needed, and if the project cannot meet the zoning ordinance, a Board of Zoning Appeals variance must come before construction.

Who issues building permits in Greeneville?

The Building Department enforces the Town’s adopted building codes, the Zoning Ordinance and the Sign Ordinance. It sits with Planning in the Planning, Building & Development Department, and most development departments share the second floor of Town Hall as a one-stop shop. Greeneville enforces its own codes, so the state lists it as exempt from the state residential program.

Outside the town limits, Greene County’s Building & Zoning Office at 401 Takoma Avenue, Suite 102 (423-798-1724) issues permits for the unincorporated county.

Greeneville applications and online records

The Town’s Building Permit Application asks for the property owner, whether the owner is acting as general contractor, the contractor’s name and licence number, a short work description and the valuation of the project. For a building permit it also asks for the construction type (for example 5B) and whether there is a sprinkler system, and for a new house the number of stories, rooms, bedrooms, baths, fireplaces and chimneys, with square footage per floor, garage and decks. Fee schedules, sign applications and the floodplain development permit application are in the Building Department’s Forms & Downloads.

The Town keeps permits, inspection tracking and fee payments in one Meritage permitting system. Each month, Town departments and utility agencies meet as the Greeneville Development Review Committee to go over projects under review with developers.

Greeneville permit fees

Fees come from the Town’s resolution setting building permit and other fees, and all of them are non-refundable. Building permits are charged on total valuation:

A house valued at $250,000 therefore pays $470 plus 150 × $3, or $920, before plumbing, gas and mechanical permits. Mechanical permits use the same valuation table as building permits.

If work that needs a permit starts before the permit is issued, the fees may be doubled.

Plumbing, gas, mechanical and electrical in Greeneville

• Plumbing: $25 for the first $1,000 of valuation plus $5 per fixture or appliance; a sanitary drain replacement is $25 for the first 10 feet plus $5 for each further 10-foot section. Town plumbing inspections cover the inside of the building only; work outside the building is inspected by the Greeneville Water Commission, which may charge its own fees.
• Gas: the same $25 plus $5 per fixture or appliance; the gas utility inspects gas work outside the building.
• Mechanical: priced on valuation, from $30 for work of $1,000 or less.
• Electrical: Greeneville is not on the state’s list of places that run their own electrical inspections, so electrical permits come from the State Fire Marshal’s Office through CORE, with state inspections.

What to prepare for a Greeneville permit

• The completed Building Permit Application with owner, contractor and licence details
• The valuation of the proposed work
• For a new house: stories, rooms, bedrooms, baths, fireplaces, chimneys and square footage per floor, garage and decks
• For commercial work: the construction type and whether the building is sprinklered, plus plans for plan review
• For major development: an approved plot plan or engineered site plan
• In a flood zone: a floodplain development permit application

The owner or contractor is responsible for meeting all required setbacks.

How to get a building permit in Greeneville

Greeneville inspections

Have the permit number ready when you call to schedule an inspection; inspection tracking runs through the Town’s permitting system. A re-inspection of building, plumbing, gas, mechanical, energy or sign work costs $35. Town plumbing and gas inspectors check work inside the building, while the Greeneville Water Commission and the gas utility inspect the outside connections. Electrical work is inspected by the state. A temporary certificate of occupancy costs $75.

Local considerations in Greeneville

Floodplain: Greeneville takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program and has its own floodplain ordinance and floodplain development permit. Building in or near a regulatory floodplain requires showing no impact on flood water surface elevations using FEMA analysis, and work in a stream typically also needs TDEC and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits. Development review: rezoning requests, variances and special exceptions are coordinated by the Director of Development Services, and the Board of Zoning Appeals hears variances and special exceptions. Appeals of building code decisions go to the Construction Board of Appeals ($100 for one- and two-family homes, $200 for others).

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 Greeneville permit resources

• Greeneville development review
• Greeneville Planning, Building & Development
• Tennessee residential jurisdiction status
• Greeneville building permit application (PDF)
• Greeneville permit fee resolution
• Greeneville floodplain development permit application
• Greene County Building & Safety Codes

Greeneville building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Greeneville, TN?

It depends on valuation: $30 for work of $1,000 or less, $270 plus $4 per $1,000 between $50,001 and $100,000, and $470 plus $3 per $1,000 between $100,001 and $500,000. A $250,000 house pays $920.

Where do I apply for a permit for a new house?

Go directly to the Building Department on the second floor of Town Hall, 200 N College Street (423-787-6181). A single- or two-family house on one lot outside a PUD needs no site plan.

Does Greeneville issue electrical permits?

No. Electrical permits in Greeneville come from the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

How much is a re-inspection?

$35 for building, plumbing, gas, mechanical, energy or sign re-inspections.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The Town’s fee resolution allows the permit fees to be doubled.

Which building codes apply?

The 2018 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fire, Fuel Gas and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes, and the 2018 energy code with local amendments.

Who permits property just outside town limits?

Greene County’s Building & Zoning Office, 401 Takoma Avenue, Suite 102 (423-798-1724).

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