For a new house or an addition in unincorporated Lauderdale County, the building permit is a State of Tennessee residential permit, bought online in the state’s CORE system and inspected by a state deputy inspector, because the county takes part in the State Fire Marshal’s residential building program. The state fee is $350 for a project costing $5,001 to $100,000, plus $100 for the plumbing and HVAC inspection; Ripley and Henning issue their own permits inside town limits.
What needs a permit outside the towns?
The state program enforces the 2018 International Residential Code on one- and two-family homes. It covers new construction and, since October 1, 2011, additions larger than 30 square feet.
State permit needed
- A new house or duplex
- An addition over 30 sq ft
- A custom addition, site-built deck, porch or stoop beside a manufactured or modular home (Manufactured/Modular Site Work Permit)
- Any new wiring, under a separate state electrical permit
Outside the state building permit
- Renovations inside an existing home
- Setting the manufactured or modular home itself, which is inspected at the factory and installed by a licensed installer
The state permit is a building permit only. It does not cover grading or fill, floodplain compliance, the septic system, electrical work or zoning.
A 1975 private act for Lauderdale County also calls for a permit for any building or remodeling worth $1,000 or more on land outside towns that run their own permit system. It has the person the county designates check new construction and major improvements for flood hazards, and lets the county legislative body set by resolution which office issues that permit and what it costs.
Who issues building permits in Lauderdale County?
None of the offices on the county government’s contact list is a building or codes department; general county questions go to the County Mayor’s office (731-635-3500). The State Fire Marshal’s table (August 21, 2026) sorts the county and its four towns like this:
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues the building permit |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated county | State residential building program: buy the permit in CORE; a state deputy building inspector does the inspections |
| Ripley | City Codes Department, 103 Industrial Drive, 731-635-4455 (exempt from the state program) |
| Henning | Town program with its own building inspector (exempt from the state program); Town Hall, 105 S. Main Street, 731-738-2991 |
| Halls | State residential building program, as in the unincorporated county; Town Hall, 208 N. Church Street, 731-836-9653 |
| Gates | Opted out of the state program by resolution; the published sources do not say whether the town issues a local permit. Town Hall, 10085 Second Street, 731-836-7501 |
Electrical, plumbing, septic and commercial work
- Electrical: no Lauderdale County jurisdiction is on the state’s list of places with their own electrical inspection program, so wiring needs a State of Tennessee electrical permit, bought in CORE, and an inspection by a state deputy electrical inspector. Ripley’s municipal code separately says no electrical work may be done in the city until the city has issued a permit.
- Plumbing and HVAC: in the state program, new construction must add the $100 plumbing and HVAC inspection to the building permit.
- Septic: TDEC’s Jackson Environmental Field Office, 1625 Hollywood Drive, Jackson (731-512-1300), serves Lauderdale County.
- Commercial buildings: no Lauderdale County jurisdiction is on the State Fire Marshal’s commercial exempt list, so plans for assembly buildings of 300 or more people, business buildings of three or more stories, apartments and other listed occupancies go to the State Fire Marshal for review.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →What does a building permit cost?
In the unincorporated county and Halls, the State Fire Marshal’s residential fee is set by the cost of construction, which cannot be counted at less than $60.57 per heated square foot. The fee includes every required inspection and one free re-inspection.
| Cost of construction | State permit fee |
|---|---|
| $0 – $5,000 | $100 |
| $5,001 – $100,000 | $350 |
| $100,001 – $150,000 | $400 |
| $151,001 – $200,000 | $450 |
| $200,001 – $250,000 | $500 |
| $250,001 – $300,000 | $550 |
| $300,001 – $350,000 | $600 |
| Each further $50,000 band | $50 more (for example $1,750 at $1,450,001 – $1,500,000) |
| Plumbing and HVAC inspection (all new construction) | $100 extra |
| Slab poured separately from the footing | $100 extra |
| Second and later re-inspections | $100 each (the first is free) |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →For example, a 2,000 sq ft house built for $300,000 on a monolithic slab costs $550 plus the $100 plumbing and HVAC inspection, or $650 in all.
Inside Ripley, the city code charges by total valuation, and the fee is doubled when work starts before the permit is issued:
| Valuation | Ripley fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $50,000 | $15 for the first $1,000, plus $5 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,000 – $100,000 | $260 for the first $50,000, plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,000 – $500,000 | $460 for the first $100,000, plus $3 per additional $1,000 |
| Over $500,000 | $1,660 for the first $500,000, plus $2 per additional $1,000 |
| Moving a building | $100 |
| Demolition up to 100,000 cu ft | $50 |
On those rates a $200,000 Ripley project pays $460 plus 100 × $3, or $760.
How state inspections work
Only the permit holder may request inspections, in CORE at core.tn.gov or by email to SFMO.permits-licensing@tn.gov with the full permit number and the date the work will be ready. By law the inspector must come within three working days, or within one working day for a footer.
- Foundation: after excavation, forms and any reinforcing steel are in place and before concrete is placed.
- Slab: a separate visit when a living-space slab is not poured monolithically with its footing.
- Rough-in and framing: with framing, fire and draft stopping, plumbing, mechanical and electrical rough-ins in place.
- Final: when the work is complete and before anyone moves in.
Rather not deal with the Lauderdale County building department?
Get a free quote →A Tennessee-registered architect or engineer can sign an inspection letter in place of any visit. Work must start within 180 days of issue, and the permit expires two years after issue unless the state grants a written exception. A new contractor, or an owner who hires one partway through, needs a new permit.
Ripley rules to know
- Homes in Ripley must be framed at 16-inch centers for floors, roofs and walls; walls may go to 24 inches only with 2x6 or larger studs. A building converted to a home must meet the same rule.
- Any structure in a Ripley flood zone needs at least 1 foot of freeboard.
- Under the city’s plumbing, fuel gas and residential codes, a permit lapses when 180 days pass without an inspection.
- A dwelling in Ripley may not be rented, leased or occupied, and utilities may not be turned on for a new occupant of a vacated home, until the code enforcement officer certifies that it meets the building code.
- The Codes Department keeps the city’s zoning ordinance and zoning map; its office is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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 Lauderdale County permitting resources
- Tennessee state residential-permit instructions
- Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
- State residential building permit fees
- State residential permit FAQs
- State electrical permits (CORE)
- When State Fire Marshal plans review is required
- TDEC Jackson Environmental Field Office
- Lauderdale County government contacts
- Lauderdale County town halls
- City of Ripley Codes Department
- Ripley Municipal Code, Title 12 (building codes and fees)
- Lauderdale County Private Acts of 1975, Chapter 3
Lauderdale County permit FAQs
Does Lauderdale County have a building department?
No county building or codes office appears on the county’s contact list. Homes in the unincorporated county are permitted through the State Fire Marshal’s residential program.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a state building permit for a new house?
It depends on the cost of construction: $550 for $250,001 to $300,000, for example, plus $100 for the plumbing and HVAC inspection that all new construction needs.
Do I need a permit to remodel my house outside town?
Not a state building permit, because the state program does not cover renovations. Additions over 30 sq ft do need one, and new wiring needs a state electrical permit.
Who issues building permits in Ripley?
The City of Ripley Codes Department, 103 Industrial Drive (731-635-4455).
Is Halls in the state program?
Yes. Halls is on the State Fire Marshal’s list of towns where a state residential building permit is required.
Where do I get a septic permit?
From TDEC; the Jackson Environmental Field Office (731-512-1300) serves Lauderdale County.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lauderdale County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.