McNairy County has opted out of Tennessee’s state residential building program and its government lists no building or codes office, so new homes in the rural county need no building permit. Selmer (731-645-3241) and Adamsville (731-632-1401) issue their own permits, while a new house in Bethel Springs, Eastview, Enville, Finger, Guys, Milledgeville or Ramer needs a state residential permit, $350 for $5,001 to $100,000 of construction. Electrical permits come from the State everywhere in the county.
Who handles building permits in McNairy County?
The answer changes at each town line. The State Fire Marshal’s August 2026 jurisdiction table sorts the county and its 11 towns into three groups:
- Towns with their own building programs (exempt): Selmer, through its Building Inspector and City Planning Office at 144 North 2nd Street (731-645-3241), which takes building, plumbing, mechanical, fence, pool, demolition, ground disturbance, floodplain and sign applications; and Adamsville, where City Hall collects building permit fees (731-632-1401).
- Towns in the State Residential Building Program: Bethel Springs, Eastview, Enville, Finger, Guys, Milledgeville and Ramer. Inside these town limits a new one- or two-family home, townhouse or addition over 30 sq ft needs a state residential building permit, inspected by a state deputy inspector.
- Opted out: unincorporated McNairy County, Michie and Stantonville. The state does not issue residential building permits there, and the county’s government website lists no building, codes, planning or zoning office among its departments.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Enville, Milledgeville and Adamsville reach into neighbouring counties, so check which side of the county line the lot is on. In every group, the electrical, septic and any zoning approvals are separate from the building permit.
Permit fees
For the seven state-program towns, the state permit fee depends on the cost of construction, and the cost used cannot be less than $60.57 per heated square foot. The fee covers all required inspections 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 |
| Plumbing and HVAC inspection (all new construction) | $100 extra |
| Slab poured separately from the footing | $100 extra |
| Second and later re-inspections | $100 each |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →A 1,800 sq ft house in Ramer, for example, is valued at no less than $109,026 under the state minimum, so the permit costs $400 plus $100 for the plumbing and HVAC inspection. Selmer and Adamsville set their own fees; Adamsville posts its permit fee sheet on its Permits, Licenses, Taxes and Zoning page.
Electrical and septic permits
- Electrical: no McNairy County jurisdiction is on the state’s list of places that run their own electrical inspections, so electrical permits are bought from the State of Tennessee through CORE and inspected by a state deputy electrical inspector, including in Selmer and Adamsville.
- Septic: subsurface sewage permits come from TDEC’s Jackson Environmental Field Office, which serves McNairy County (731-512-1300). A state residential permit is not a septic permit, so get the septic approval separately.
- Plumbing and mechanical in Selmer: listed as permit types on the town’s building permit application, with any plumbing, HVAC or masonry subcontractor’s Tennessee licence number.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to get a permit, by location
Use the county map or the property record to see whether the site is inside a town and on which side of the county line.
Fill in the town’s building permit application with the owner, a contractor’s Tennessee licence number, lot and building dimensions and estimated cost, and return it to 144 North 2nd Street. Owners who are not the applicant need proof of permission to build. Land in the floodplain needs the town’s floodplain development application, and rezonings and variances go to the Planning Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals on the third Tuesday, with submittals due 30 days before.
Buy the permit at City Hall, 231 East Main (731-632-1401), which also covers the city’s planning region. Its 2026 fee sheet charges by project cost, for example $568 for the first $100,000 plus $4 for each further $1,000 up to $500,000, with $20 for an accessory building under $2,000, $50 for a pool over 24 inches deep and $30 for a re-inspection.
Register in CORE, buy the residential permit online or from a state issuing agent, and add the plumbing and HVAC inspection for new construction.
Buy the state electrical permit in CORE and get the TDEC septic permit before the system is installed.
Inspections
Under the state program, the permit holder requests inspections in CORE or by email to SFMO.permits-licensing@tn.gov, giving the permit number and the date the work will be ready. Inspections cover the foundation before the pour, the framing and rough-ins, and the final, plus plumbing and mechanical work; a slab poured separately from its footing adds one more. The state must inspect within three working days of the request, or one working day for a footing. An owner can build one home for their own use every two years without a contractor’s licence.
Rather not deal with the McNairy County building department?
Get a free quote →In the opted-out area, the state carries out no residential building inspections, but state electrical inspections still apply to every wiring job. Selmer’s Building Inspector inspects work permitted by the town.
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 McNairy County permitting resources
- Tennessee state residential-permit instructions
- Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
- Official McNairy County municipality map
- McNairy County government
- State residential building permit fees
- Tennessee state electrical permits
- Town of Selmer Building Inspector and applications
- City of Adamsville permits, licences and zoning
- TDEC Jackson Environmental Field Office (septic)
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →McNairy County permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in rural McNairy County?
Not from the State: the county has opted out of the state residential program, and the county government lists no building department. Electrical and septic permits are still required.
Who issues building permits in Selmer?
The Town of Selmer’s Building Inspector and City Planning Office, 144 North 2nd Street (731-645-3241).
Which McNairy County towns need a state building permit?
Bethel Springs, Eastview, Enville, Finger, Guys, Milledgeville and Ramer, for new homes, townhouses and additions over 30 sq ft.
How much is a state residential building permit?
$350 for construction costing $5,001 to $100,000, $400 up to $150,000 and $450 up to $200,000, plus $100 for the plumbing and HVAC inspection on new construction.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Where do I get an electrical permit?
From the State of Tennessee through CORE, for any address in the county.
Who handles septic permits?
TDEC’s Jackson Environmental Field Office, 731-512-1300.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about McNairy County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.