Lincoln County, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Building permits for unincorporated Lincoln County come from the county’s Planning & Zoning Department, 112 Main Avenue South, Room 107, Fayetteville (931-438-5186), where the Building Commissioner issues them and applications are filed in the county’s GovWell portal. Since March 1, 2026 a new house is charged $0.49 per square foot of conditioned space plus $0.246 per square foot of garage and other unconditioned space, and no plans are required for residential permits.

What needs a county permit?

Under the county zoning resolution, a permit from the Building Commissioner is needed before you excavate for, build, move, alter or repair any building, including accessory structures, before you change a building’s use, and before you fill land. Agricultural construction is exempt.

Travel trailers and tiny homes need specific approval from Planning & Zoning, and a parcel waiting on a subdivision plat or recording is not processed until it is recorded. Detached accessory buildings in residential districts keep the house’s front setback and stay at least 5 feet from side and rear lines, 10 feet if taller than 15 feet.

Who issues building permits in Lincoln County?

The county Building Commissioner, the zoning compliance official appointed by the County Commission, issues building permits and Certificates of Occupancy for the unincorporated county. Because the county enforces its own adopted codes, the State Fire Marshal’s table marks it EXEMPT, and no state residential permit is sold for unincorporated Lincoln County. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday; email planning@lc-tn.com.

Inside Fayetteville, the City’s permit brochure lists permits for accessory buildings over 200 sq ft, fences, window replacements, all roofing and re-roofing, decks, pools and signs, as well as new buildings and alterations.

Lincoln County permit fees (from March 1, 2026)

Appendix A of the zoning resolution sets the fees, which follow the International Code Council’s Building Valuation Data and are updated each March 1.

Example: 2,000 sq ft of conditioned living space with a 500 sq ft attached garage costs 2,000 × $0.490 ($980) plus 500 × $0.246 ($123), or $1,103.

Multi-family buildings are charged conditioned area × $122.46 × 0.004 plus unconditioned area × $61.56 × 0.004. Commercial and industrial buildings are charged square footage × the February 2018 Building Valuation Data figure for the occupancy and construction type × 0.004, and commercial remodels 1% of valuation. Re-inspection fees are paid by check or cash at the Planning & Zoning office, never in the field.

The county’s pre-construction checklist

Planning & Zoning’s checklist (revised October 18, 2024) lists what to have in hand before you apply:

• A zoning compliance review from Planning & Zoning confirming the parcel is legally recorded and approved for the use
• An E911 address (931-433-8404); stake and flag both sides of a new driveway
• A site plan showing setbacks to property lines and easements (approximate distances are acceptable on acreage)
• A flood zone determination; a Flood Development Permit if the land is in Zone A or AE
• For owner-builders, a copy of the deed from the Register of Deeds (931-433-5366)
• The signed Waste & Debris Acknowledgment
• A copy of the TDEC septic permit
• Driveway approval: culvert sizing from the County Highway Department on a county road, or a TDOT connection approval on a state road
• A check of whether the site is in the airport authority area
• The completed application

Residential permits need no plans. Commercial, industrial and multi-family projects first go to the Utility Committee and the Planning Commission (site plans are due 21 days before the meeting), then need two sets of construction drawings. Other drawings must be sealed by a Tennessee-registered architect or engineer; the zoning resolution lists the criteria for exemption from that rule: fewer than three stories, less than 5,000 sq ft, one- and two-family dwellings and domestic outbuildings, and farm buildings not designed for people to live in.

Septic, driveways and electrical

• Septic: TDEC issues septic permits; the county checklist gives 931-698-4334 or TDEC’s Columbia field office at 931-380-3371.
• Driveway culverts: the Lincoln County Highway Department, 161 Molino Road (931-433-2585), sizes culverts on county roads. Forms turned in on a Thursday are reviewed the following week, and results take 24 to 48 hours. On state roads, TDOT (931-438-1914) approves the connection.
• Electrical: the county building permit does not include electrical work, and no Lincoln County jurisdiction is exempt from the state electrical program, so buy a State of Tennessee electrical permit.
• Commercial fire systems: on commercial and industrial jobs the State Fire Marshal’s office conducts the sprinkler hydrostatic test, hood and suppression checks and the alarm test.

County inspections

Request inspections at least 24 hours ahead; they are usually made Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Before the first one, the site needs a dumpster and a portable toilet (both kept until the final), the permit posted, the building corners and property lines staked, and a temporary address visible from the road.

• Footing: trenches dug, steel and grade stakes in place, termite treatment applied with the letter or receipt on hand. Concrete poured before approval needs a sealed engineer’s statement.
• Foundation: anchor bolts set and the crawlspace cleared and graded.
• Framing and rough-in: roof dried in, plumbing pressurized with water standing to the highest drain, nothing insulated.
• Insulation: complete, including the attic.
• Final: grading falling 6 inches in 10 feet away from the house, smoke alarms and handrails in place, and address numbers at least 4 inches high visible from the road.

One follow-up visit after a failed inspection is free; after that each re-inspection costs $30. The contractor of record must keep the building unoccupied until the Certificate of Occupancy is issued, and the Building Commissioner makes a further zoning compliance inspection within a year after occupancy. A permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 12 months, or stops for a year.

Codes adopted in Lincoln County

The county enforces the 2018 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Property Maintenance and Swimming Pool and Spa codes, plus the 2010 ADA Standards. Its residential code leaves out the one- and two-family sprinkler requirement (Section R313.2), keeps the 2009 energy insulation tables, and allows rebar or metal fiber in footings in Seismic Design Area B.

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

Lincoln County official permitting resources

• State Fire Marshal’s Office
• Tennessee Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors
• Lincoln County Zoning Resolution, revised July 2026 (PDF)
• Lincoln County Planning & Zoning Department
• Lincoln County building permit documents
• Lincoln County GovWell permit application
• Checklist before construction (PDF)
• Important Permit Information: inspections (PDF)
• Fayetteville Planning & Codes contacts

Lincoln County permit FAQs

What does a county permit for a new home cost?

$0.490 per sq ft of conditioned space plus $0.246 per sq ft of unconditioned space such as a garage. A 2,000 sq ft house with a 500 sq ft garage is $1,103.

Do I need plans for a house permit?

No. Planning & Zoning requires no plans for residential permits at present; it uses a checklist of documents instead.

Do I need a permit for a barn?

Not for a building used for agriculture, which is exempt from county permits and fees.

Do I need a permit to re-roof?

Yes, in the unincorporated county; a deck or re-roof permit is $25.

How do I schedule a county inspection?

Ask at least 24 hours in advance; inspectors usually work 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays.

Does the county issue permits in Fayetteville?

No. Fayetteville’s Planning & Codes Department (931-433-2565) permits work inside the city.

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