Outside Centerville, Hickman County building permits are issued by the county Building Commissioner, whose office is at 114 N. Central Avenue, Suite 101, Centerville (931-729-5534). A permit is needed to build, move, alter, repair, expand or change the use of a structure or to fill land, farm buildings excepted, and it lapses if work does not start within 12 months. Inside Centerville, the town takes building, sign and fence permit applications online.
Who issues building permits in Hickman County?
Hickman County started countywide zoning, subdivision regulations and building codes in January 2006, with a Building Commissioner in charge and a Board of Zoning Appeals created at the same time. Under the 2025 Zoning Resolution the Building Commissioner issues every county building permit and temporary use permit, carries out the inspections, keeps the zoning maps and forwards variance and appeal requests to the Board of Zoning Appeals, reporting to the County Commission through the County Mayor. The county lists the post as Building/ADA Coordinator, Suite 101 of the county building at 114 N. Central Avenue.
| Area | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Centerville (the county’s only incorporated town) | Town of Centerville, through its online citizen portal for building, sign and fence permits |
| Everywhere else in Hickman County | Hickman County Building Commissioner, 931-729-5534 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The State Fire Marshal’s Office lists both Hickman County and Centerville as exempt from its residential building program, so no separate state house permit is needed in either.
What needs a county building permit?
The resolution makes it unlawful to start any of the following without a permit from the Building Commissioner:
Permit required
- Digging for or building any building or structure, accessory structures included
- Moving, altering, repairing or expanding a structure
- Starting to use a building or changing its use
- Filling land
- Telecommunication towers
- Temporary uses (temporary use permit)
Exempt
- Agriculturally related construction
- Farm buildings on land used for agriculture, unless the land is next to or near a state or federal highway, a public airport or a public park
Electrical, septic and utilities
- Electrical: no Hickman County jurisdiction, Centerville included, is on the state’s list of places outside the State Electrical Program, so electrical work takes a State of Tennessee permit. The state’s issuing agent in the county is Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative in Centerville (931-729-3558), which sells permits by phone; they are also sold in CORE.
- Septic: Hickman County is served by TDEC’s Columbia Environmental Field Office, 1421 Hampshire Pike, Suite 100, Columbia (931-380-3371).
- Utility lines: the county zoning map shows gas, water and sewer lines of the Centerville Utility District, the Water Authority of Dickson County and the Bon Aqua and Lyles water system, along with FEMA flood hazard areas.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Hickman County permit fees
The County Commission sets the building permit fee schedule, and the Zoning Resolution requires it to be posted in the Building Commissioner’s office; it is not published on the county website. No application is acted on until the fee is paid in full. Two charges are written into the resolution itself:
| Item | Charge |
|---|---|
| Construction started before the permit was issued | The building permit fee may be doubled |
| Inspection requested when the work is not ready | $50 re-inspection fee |
| Temporary use permit | Fee set by the County Commission |
What to submit to the Building Commissioner
Apply in writing on the county’s form, with a plan or plat in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing the shape, location and dimensions of the lot, every building to be built, altered or moved and those already there, the elevation of the building site, the existing and intended use of each building, and any off-street parking and loading areas.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →The resolution lists when plans sealed by a registered architect or engineer are not required, using these criteria: under three stories, under 5,000 sq ft of gross area, a one- or two-family dwelling or domestic outbuilding, and farm buildings not designed for living in. All other plans must be sealed.
Inspections in Hickman County
County: the Building Commissioner inspects the work and, once the building is ready for occupancy, comes back for a second compliance inspection within a year of occupancy; the owner must correct anything found. A permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 12 months of issue or stops for a year. Violations are misdemeanors, and each day counts as a separate offense.
Centerville: permit holders search their permit in the town’s portal to check its status, upload documents and request inspections; the town does not schedule same-day inspection requests, and incomplete applications are not approved.
Zoning and growth areas
The county’s zoning districts are A-1 Agriculture-Forestry, C-1 and C-2 commercial and I-1 and I-2 industrial, with floodplain zoning regulations. Inside the Planned Growth Areas and urban growth boundary on the county growth plan, the R-1 suburban and R-2 high-density residential districts also apply. The county’s online zoning map shows parcels, zoning and FEMA flood hazard areas, and the final Future Land Use Plan Update is dated September 24, 2025.
Rather not deal with the Hickman County building department?
Get a free quote →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 Hickman County permitting resources
- Tennessee state residential-permit instructions
- Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
- Official 2025 Hickman County zoning resolution
- Hickman County Building Commissioner and planning documents
- Hickman County Future Land Use Plan Update, 2025 (PDF)
- Town of Centerville permit portal
- State electrical permit issuing agents
- TDEC Columbia Environmental Field Office
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Hickman County permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Hickman County?
The county Building Commissioner (931-729-5534) for everything outside Centerville; the Town of Centerville for property inside the town.
Do I need a permit for a barn?
Not for an agricultural building on farm land, unless the land is next to or near a state or federal highway, a public airport or a public park.
Do I need an architect for a new house?
No. The Zoning Resolution does not require sealed plans for one- and two-family dwellings.
How long is a county permit valid?
Work must start within 12 months of issue, and the permit lapses if work stops for a year.
What happens if I start building without a permit?
The county may double the permit fee, and the violation is a misdemeanor for each day it continues.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Where do I buy an electrical permit in Hickman County?
From Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative in Centerville, the state’s issuing agent, or online in CORE.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Hickman County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.