Marion County, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

For property outside the cities, the Marion County Building and Planning Office in the Minter Building, 24 Courthouse Square, Suite 105, Jasper, issues building permits and does the inspections, and applications are filed online in GovBuilt. Every residential structure, storage building, garage and pole barn needs a permit, as does any other building of 200 sq ft or more; the fee is set after the Building Official reviews the plans rather than from a flat rate. The county has no zoning but enforces 40-foot front and 15-foot side and rear setbacks.

What needs a permit in unincorporated Marion County?

Tiny homes, including prefabricated ones, have their own requirements set by the Building Official. If several homes go on one parcel, each needs its own 911 address and its own application, and TDEC may limit the number of bedrooms by parcel size and soil.

Who issues building permits in Marion County?

Gabe Yeargan, the Marion County Building Official (423-942-8019), issues permits and performs the footing, foundation, framing, mechanical, plumbing and final inspections for the unincorporated county; he is also its floodplain administrator. Administrative staff answer at 423-942-5745 and 423-942-3527, and the office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Central time on weekdays. Planning support comes from a regional planner with the Southeast Tennessee Development District.

The county tells applicants that permitting inside any of its cities is through that city. The state’s residential jurisdiction table, current to August 21, 2026, lists the county and every town, Orme included, as exempt, meaning each enforces its own residential code. The State’s Apply for a Residential Permit page, however, still names Orme among the towns where a state residential permit is required, so builders in Orme should ask the State Fire Marshal’s Office which applies. Both the county’s list of cities and the state table include Chattanooga.

How Marion County sets permit fees

There is no flat building permit fee. The fee is calculated when the Building Official finishes reviewing the plans, and GovBuilt notifies you of it when the application is approved. Once a permit is issued, the fee cannot be refunded or transferred, even if construction never starts.

• Mobile home permit: $75, billed after the plan review and the required pre-installation inspection.
• Payment: card payments carry a 3% processing charge; checks are made out to MC Building and Planning, and cash is accepted.

What to upload with the application

• Scaled, legible PDF drawings: site or plot plan marking the building’s location, foundation plan, floor plan and elevations, including porches and decks
• The 911 address and the state tax map and parcel number (911 office 423-942-4423; Assessor 423-942-3494)
• The TDEC septic permit or receipt, or a TDEC Verification of System letter if an existing system will be used
• A notarized Owner Builder Agreement, if the owner is building
• A FEMA Elevation Certificate when the land is in the floodplain or its elevation is in doubt
• Elevation certificates or geotechnical reports where soils may move, on the river or on questionable bluffs
• The new-construction subterranean termite service record, before the final inspection

Mobile homes follow their own procedure: each must sit on its own lot of at least 15,000 sq ft with public water or 25,000 sq ft with a well, the lot must have at least 50 feet of frontage on a government-maintained road, a licensed installer must set the home, and every door needs a landing of at least 3 by 3 feet. The county checks only where the home is placed and does not issue a Certificate of Occupancy for mobile homes.

Septic, electrical and commercial plans

• Septic: TDEC issues septic permits and keeps the testing records; the county office cannot. Apply online through TDEC or call its Chattanooga office at 423-634-5745. A TDEC septic permit is valid for three years.
• Electrical: wiring anywhere in Marion County falls under the State’s electrical program. Buy the permit at core.tn.gov or through your utility (Sequatchie Valley Electric Cooperative in South Pittsburg, 423-837-8605, is a state issuing agent), and book electrical inspections with the utility, not the county.
• Commercial plans: the county has no State Fire Marshal delegation for commercial plan review, so apartment buildings, 300-occupant assembly spaces and the other occupancies the state lists also go to the State Fire Marshal for plan review.

Getting a permit, step by step

Required inspections

Inspections are requested through your case in GovBuilt and made Monday to Friday; the office cannot give an arrival time. Before any inspection, the 911 address must be posted at the street, a job box must be on site, and on properties under 5 acres the corners must be taped by a licensed surveyor.

• Footing: trenches open, steel and grade stakes in place, property lines marked by a surveyor. Termite treatment by a licensed professional must go on before any framing.
• Slab: plumbing filled with a 10-foot head of water or 3 pounds of air.
• Foundation: anchor bolts in, crawlspace cleared of topsoil and debris and graded to drain.
• Rough-in: framing, bracing, wiring, mechanical and plumbing in place, with plumbing pressurized and nothing insulated or covered.
• Spray foam insulation: other insulation types need no inspection.
• Final: smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, handrails and guards in place, after the electrical final has passed. Flood-zone homes first need a surveyor’s finished floor elevation.

Codes and land rules

Since January 1, 2020 the county has enforced the 2018 International Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Property Maintenance, Swimming Pool and Spa, Fire and Energy codes, without the IRC’s sprinkler section and with the option of 2009 insulation values. For accessibility, it enforces Volume 1-C of the 1999 North Carolina Accessibility Code.

There is no zoning in the unincorporated county, but deeds can still restrict a parcel, so check covenants and restrictions with the Register of Deeds (423-942-2573), where any Notice of Completion is also filed. Mobile homes need 25 feet at the rear instead of 15. Permit transfer and extension request forms are on the Building & Planning page.

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 Marion County permitting resources

• Where Tennessee requires a state residential permit
• State Fire Marshal jurisdictions and inspectors
• Marion County Building & Planning
• Marion County GovBuilt permit portal
• Building permit requirements and procedures, April 2026 (PDF)
• Building & Planning FAQ (PDF)
• Office information (PDF)
• Septic permit information (PDF)
• Marion County Building and Planning Office
• TDEC Chattanooga Environmental Field Office

Marion County permit FAQs

Do I need a permit for a shed or pole barn in Marion County?

Yes. The county’s FAQ lists storage buildings, detached garages and metal buildings, pole barns included, among the structures that must be permitted, along with any other building of 200 sq ft or more.

How much does a county building permit cost?

There is no flat fee; the Building Official sets it after plan review and GovBuilt sends the amount. A mobile home permit is $75.

Is there zoning in Marion County?

Not in the unincorporated county, but setbacks apply: 40 feet at the front and 15 feet at the sides and rear.

Who issues permits in Jasper or South Pittsburg?

The city itself: Jasper at 423-942-3180 and South Pittsburg at 423-837-5012.

Who schedules electrical inspections?

Your local electric utility, under a state electrical permit; the county office does not.

How long is a septic permit good for?

Three years from the date TDEC issues it.

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