Outside Bolivar and Grand Junction, a new building, addition, accessory building or mobile home in Hardeman County needs a Zoning Compliance Permit from the county office at 100 N Main Street, Bolivar (731-658-5412). For houses and duplexes the State Fire Marshal’s residential building permit, bought in CORE from $100, applies on top of it in the unincorporated county and in the seven smaller towns.
What needs a permit in Hardeman County?
The county Zoning Resolution makes it unlawful to start digging for any building, accessory buildings included, or to move or alter one, before the Zoning Compliance Officer has issued a Zoning Compliance Permit. Every mobile home also needs a county permit. Buildings on land used for farming fall outside the resolution, and dividing land for sale or building goes through the subdivision regulations instead.
County Zoning Compliance Permit
- New houses and other new structures, residential, commercial or industrial
- Additions
- Accessory buildings
- Mobile homes
- Moving or altering a building
- Occupancy permit once the work is done
State residential building permit
- New one- and two-family homes in the unincorporated county and the seven SRBP towns
- Additions over 30 sq ft to those homes
- A site-built deck, porch or stoop next to a manufactured home (site work permit)
Who issues building permits in Hardeman County?
The Hardeman County Zoning Compliance office, run by Building Commissioner and Zoning Director Ron Pirtle, issues zoning compliance (building) permits, approves subdivision plats, handles rezonings and variances, and enforces the county’s flood zone rules. It is on the second floor of 100 N Main Street, Bolivar, TN 38008, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; phone 731-658-5412, fax 731-658-2121, email hczoning@aeneas.com.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) lists unincorporated Hardeman County as taking part in its residential building program, so a home outside the towns needs the county permit and a state residential permit. Pocahontas has no town government, so it is treated as unincorporated county.
| Area | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Bolivar | City of Bolivar code enforcement division, 211 West Jackson Street, 731-228-3131; the city has its own fee schedule and application and is exempt from the state program |
| Grand Junction (Hardeman County part) | Town of Grand Junction: the town asks anyone building inside its limits to get approval and a building permit from City Hall, 226 Hwy 57 East, 731-764-2871; exempt from the state program |
| Hickory Valley, Hornsby, Middleton, Saulsbury, Silerton (Hardeman County part), Toone, Whiteville | State residential building permit from the SFMO for homes; the published sources do not describe a town building permit, so ask town hall (Whiteville: 731-254-8523) |
| Unincorporated county, including Pocahontas | Hardeman County Zoning Compliance Permit, plus the SFMO residential permit for one- and two-family homes |
Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and septic in Hardeman County
- Electrical: no Hardeman County jurisdiction appears on the state’s list of places outside the State Electrical Program, so every electrical job here, Bolivar included, takes a State of Tennessee electrical permit. Buy it in CORE, or from the state’s local issuing agent, JP Shelly & Sons Inc. in Middleton (731-376-8232), which does not take permit orders by phone or email.
- Plumbing and HVAC: on a new home under the state permit, plumbing and mechanical inspections are part of the state process and add a $100 fee.
- Septic: TDEC’s Jackson Environmental Field Office handles septic work for Hardeman County (731-441-5593). The county will not issue a Zoning Compliance Permit until it has written approval of the water supply and sewage disposal, and the application asks whether a septic tank permit has been issued.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →What permits cost in Hardeman County
The Zoning Resolution says each Zoning Compliance Permit request carries a processing fee set by the County Commission. The county’s website does not list the amount; the office enters it on the application when the permit is approved.
The state residential permit is priced on the cost of construction, which cannot be counted at less than $60.57 per heated square foot:
| Cost of construction | Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 to $5,000 | $100 |
| $5,001 to $100,000 | $350 |
| $100,001 to $150,000 | $400 |
| $200,001 to $250,000 | $500 |
| $450,001 to $500,000 | $750 |
| Plumbing and HVAC inspection (all new construction) | $100 extra |
| Slab poured separately from the footing | $100 extra |
| Second and later re-inspections | $100 each |
Each further $50,000 of construction cost adds $50, including above the table’s top band of $1,500,000. A house with 1,800 heated sq ft is counted at no less than $109,026, which falls in the $400 band; with the required plumbing and HVAC inspection the state permit comes to $500 before any county fee.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Applying for the county permit
Pick up or download the Application for Zoning Compliance Permit and return it to the Bolivar office. The form asks for the tax map and parcel, acreage and lot dimensions, owner, contractor and licence number, whether the job is a new structure, an addition or a mobile home (with its size, year and make), the use, stories, garage, carport, porch or deck, basement, central heat and air, living and storage area, estimated cost and flood zone. Under the Zoning Resolution you also supply a dimensional sketch or scale plan showing the shape, size, height and position on the lot of every building, new and existing.
The office fills in the zone, front, side and rear setbacks and the distance the building must stand back from the center of the road. Its standard remarks say no building may be closer than 5 feet and the building site must be 100 feet across. The county Assessor of Property will visit the site to appraise the work at several points during construction.
Inspections and occupancy in Hardeman County
County: when the building is ready, file the Occupancy Permit application. The Zoning Resolution gives the Zoning Compliance Officer five days after notice to make a final inspection and grant or refuse the certificate of occupancy in writing. A Zoning Compliance Permit lapses six months after issue unless substantial progress has been made.
State residential permit: the permit holder requests each inspection in CORE or by email to SFMO.permits-licensing@tn.gov with the permit number and the date the work will be ready. Footings are inspected within one working day of the request and other stages within three. A new home is inspected at the foundation before the pour, at rough-in and framing, and at final, with a fourth visit when a living-space slab is poured apart from its footing. Work must begin within 180 days of the permit. The SFMO’s listed deputy inspector for the county can be reached at 731-607-6395.
Rather not deal with the Hardeman County building department?
Get a free quote →Zoning, flood and planning rules in Hardeman County
The county has eleven zoning districts. In the FAR (Forestry, Agriculture, Residential) district a lot needs at least one acre and the house must sit 35 feet from the front, 30 feet from the rear and 15 feet from each side line. Accessory buildings cannot go in a required front yard or within 5 feet of the main building. The current zoning map is dated June 2026, and the subdivision regulations were updated in 2026.
The Zoning Compliance office enforces the county flood damage prevention rules, so building in a mapped flood zone is reviewed under them; the application records the flood zone for every permit. The Board of Zoning Appeals meets on the first Tuesday and the Planning Commission on the second Tuesday of each month, both at 4:00 p.m. in the County Courthouse courtroom. Building without a permit is a misdemeanor, and each day the violation continues counts separately.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Hardeman County permitting resources
- Tennessee state residential-permit instructions
- Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
- Hardeman County zoning permits and official application resources
- Hardeman County Zoning Compliance Permit application (PDF)
- Hardeman County Occupancy Permit (PDF)
- Hardeman County Zoning Resolution, updated May 2026 (PDF)
- SFMO residential building permit fees
- State electrical permit issuing agents
- TDEC Jackson Environmental Field Office
- City of Bolivar code enforcement
Hardeman County permit FAQs
Do I need a permit to build a house in Hardeman County?
Yes. Outside Bolivar and Grand Junction you need the county Zoning Compliance Permit and, for a one- or two-family home, a State Fire Marshal residential building permit as well.
Do I need a permit for a shed or garage?
Yes. The Zoning Resolution covers accessory buildings, so a shed or detached garage needs a Zoning Compliance Permit unless it is a farm building on land used for agriculture.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Where is the Hardeman County permit office?
Zoning Compliance, 100 N Main Street, 2nd Floor, Bolivar; 731-658-5412; weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
How much is the state residential permit for a new home?
It depends on construction cost, counted at $60.57 or more per heated square foot. A home costing $100,001 to $150,000 pays $400, plus $100 for the plumbing and HVAC inspection.
Who issues building permits in Bolivar?
The City of Bolivar’s code enforcement division at 211 West Jackson Street (731-228-3131), not the county.
Do I need a permit to place a mobile home?
Yes, the county requires a permit for every mobile home. The state permit is only needed if a deck, porch or stoop is built on site next to it.
How long is a county permit valid?
Six months from the date it is issued, unless substantial progress has been made.
Simplify Hardeman 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.
Ready to break ground in Hardeman County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Hardeman County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hardeman County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.