For work within Manchester’s city limits, the permit comes from the City’s Planning and Codes department at 200 West Fort Street, which many City forms still call the Department of Health and Codes, and applications are taken through the City’s iWorQ permit portal. Fees follow a valuation table in the municipal code, with a new house valued at no less than $125 per square foot, so a 2,000 sq ft home pays $950, plus a $2.00 per square foot impact fee.
What needs a permit in Manchester?
The City’s permit application and municipal code cover these permits:
Permit needed
- New homes, additions, remodels and accessory structures
- Commercial buildings
- Plumbing and mechanical work
- Mobile homes, swimming pools and portable storage buildings
- Moving or demolishing a building
- Signs and temporary uses
- Land disturbance, excavation, debris and tile permits
No permit under the code
- Replacing an HVAC unit with one of the same size, without changing the energy source, ductwork or framing
- Replacing a plumbing fixture, such as a water heater, without changing supply, drainage, energy source or vents
Any land disturbance of one acre or more needs a City land disturbance permit, and so does smaller disturbance that is part of a larger development, such as a subdivision lot, or that goes with a building permit, unless the Codes Department decides otherwise. A small residential stormwater permit does not need a stormwater management plan.
Who issues building permits in Manchester?
Planning and Codes has four certified inspectors and handles building inspections, permits, planning, plan review, safety, stormwater, zoning and zoning compliance; the department has held an ISO class 3 rating since 2015. It is led by the Community Development and Zoning Director, Brittany Fiske. The State Fire Marshal lists Manchester as exempt from the state residential program, so the City enforces its own residential code.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Need | Contact |
|---|---|
| Permits and the office manager | 931-728-4652 (ext. 1402) |
| Building inspector | 931-728-4652 ext. 1404 |
| Zoning questions | 931-723-1464 (zoning map is not online because it changes regularly) |
| Office | 200 West Fort Street, Manchester; Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
Land outside the city limits is unincorporated Coffee County, where the county Codes Department issues permits.
Who can apply, and how
- Licensed contractors show their contractor’s licence and proof of insurance.
- Unlicensed contractors may obtain a permit only for construction under $25,000.
- Homeowners may obtain a permit for their own residence.
- Every contractor working in the city needs a City of Manchester business licence.
Applications go through the iWorQ Permit Management portal, with separate iWorQ portals for planning and zoning cases and code enforcement complaints. The paper Building & Other Permits Application covers building permits, site plans, plats, signs, plumbing (with the fixture sheet), mechanical, temporary use and fireworks.
Manchester building permit fees
Title 12 of the municipal code sets the fees. For new homes, total valuation is at least $125 per square foot of heated and unheated area; new commercial work is valued at the contract price, and alterations at a value the codes administrator sets.
| Total valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $1 – $2,000 | $50 |
| $2,001 – $5,000 | $75 |
| $5,001 – $10,000 | $100 |
| $10,001 – $50,000 | $100 for the first $10,000, plus $5 per additional $1,000 |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | $300 for the first $50,000, plus $4 per additional $1,000 |
| $100,001 – $500,000 | $500 for the first $100,000, plus $3 per additional $1,000 |
| $500,001 and up | $1,700 for the first $500,000, plus $2 per additional $1,000 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Example: a new 2,000 sq ft house is valued at no less than $250,000, so its permit is $500 plus 150 × $3, or $950. If the declared value turns out at least 15% below the final cost, the City presumes it was understated and can double the fee on the difference.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Plan review (not one- or two-family homes) | Half the building permit fee |
| Re-inspection (second and later visits) | $25 |
| Mobile home | $200 single-wide, $300 double-wide |
| Moving a building | $500 |
| Demolition up to 100,000 cu ft | $100 (75 cents per further 1,000 cu ft) |
| Swimming pool | $100 above ground, $200 in ground |
| Portable storage building worth $2,000 or less | $25 (otherwise the valuation table) |
| Temporary use permit | $100 |
| Work started without a permit | Double the fee |
Since July 1, 2024 new development also pays a building impact fee, split 80% to the Manchester Education Capital Fund and 20% to City infrastructure:
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Building type | Impact fee |
|---|---|
| Single-family and multi-family residential | $2.00 per sq ft |
| Office | $2.00 per sq ft |
| Retail and commercial | $1.50 per sq ft |
| Warehouse and storage | $0.50 per sq ft |
| Industrial | $1.00 per sq ft (up to 10,000 sq ft) falling to $0.70 above 50,000 sq ft; $100,000 maximum |
| Institutional | $0.50 per sq ft |
Plumbing, mechanical and electrical
- Plumbing: $20 plus $2.50 for each fixture, residential or commercial, with underground, rough-in and final inspections.
- Mechanical: $40 for a new home, $20 for an existing home, and $25 for the first $1,000 of commercial work plus $3 per additional $1,000.
- Electrical: Manchester’s adopted residential code strikes Chapters 34 to 43 in favor of the state’s electrical installation rules, and the city has no exemption from the state electrical program; wiring is permitted and inspected by the State.
- State fire review: Manchester is not a commercial exempt jurisdiction, so the state’s listed larger occupancies, such as apartments and assembly spaces for 300 people or more, also need State Fire Marshal plan approval.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Building permit checklist
New house
- Completed application
- Plot plan with the driveway and its dimensions, utility and HVAC locations, easements, setbacks and the percentage of the lot covered by the house
- Floor plan with dimensions and square footage, including covered porches and garage
- All elevations with materials labeled
- Other documents if the review calls for them, such as a sewer approval letter, contractor’s licence and liability insurance
Addition, remodel or accessory building
- Completed application describing the work and how the space will be used
- Site sketch with distances to property lines and other structures, easements and property lines
- Floor plan with dimensions and square footage
- Elevations with materials (additions, and remodels where relevant)
- A surveyor’s plot plan for an addition if the reviewer asks for one
How to get a Manchester building permit
Call 931-723-1464, since the zoning map is not published online.
Contractors need a City business licence before working in the city.
Plot plan, floor plan and elevations for a new home; a site sketch for additions and outbuildings.
Add the plumbing fixture count and mechanical work, and a land disturbance or small residential stormwater permit where needed.
The building fee follows the valuation table; new development adds the impact fee.
Plumbing and mechanical work are inspected underground, at rough-in and at final; re-inspections cost $25 each.
Inspections
The department’s certified inspectors carry out building, plumbing and mechanical inspections; plumbing and mechanical permits each require underground, rough-in and final inspections. A $25 re-inspection fee is due before the second or any later inspection of a building. Land disturbance permits lapse if substantial work does not begin within 180 days, or if work stops for 180 days without approval.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Codes and local rules
Ordinance 1617 adopted the 2018 International Residential, Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing, Property Maintenance, Fire, Existing Building and Energy Conservation codes. The City deleted the one- and two-family sprinkler requirement, kept the 2009 energy tables, and set a fire flow of at least 750 gallons per minute (1,000 desired) at 20 psi for one hour for new one- and two-family development.
Privacy fences may sit on the property line. The City also has a Historic Zoning Commission with its own sign standards.
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 Manchester permit resources
- City document center
- Tennessee residential jurisdiction list
- Manchester Planning and Codes
- Manchester iWorQ portals
- Building permit checklist (PDF)
- Building & Other Permits Application (PDF)
- Plumbing fixture sheet (PDF)
- 2025 Stormwater Ordinance (PDF)
- Manchester Municipal Code, Title 12 (fees and codes)
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Manchester building permit FAQs
What will a new-home permit cost in Manchester?
It follows the valuation table, with a new home valued at no less than $125 per sq ft. A 2,000 sq ft house is $950, plus the $2.00 per sq ft impact fee.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Manchester?
Yes, for their own residence. Unlicensed contractors can pull permits only for work under $25,000.
Do I need a permit to replace my water heater or AC unit?
No, if it is a like-for-like replacement that does not change the energy source, piping, ductwork or framing.
Is there a plan review fee for a house?
No. Plans for one- and two-family homes are exempt; other projects pay half the building permit fee.
How much is a re-inspection?
$25 for the second or any later inspection.
Who issues electrical permits?
The State of Tennessee; the City’s code applies the state electrical rules.
Where do I check zoning?
Call 931-723-1464; the City keeps the zoning map offline because it changes often.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Manchester permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.