Montgomery County Building and Codes, at 350 Pageant Lane in Clarksville, permits the area of the county outside the City of Clarksville limits on the 2018 International Codes, with a state septic approval that has to come before any building permit can issue.
This Montgomery County building permit guide covers what requires a permit, the Building and Codes department that serves the area outside Clarksville, the 2018 codes adopted in 2020, the state septic approval that has to come first, and the stormwater and zoning reviews that run alongside the building permit.
Scope: Montgomery County outside the Clarksville city limits. The City of Clarksville, most of the county's population, permits its own work.
Most of the county's population is inside Clarksville. Montgomery County Building and Codes permits the area outside the city limits; the City of Clarksville runs its own department for work inside them. Because the city is the majority of the population, confirming that a parcel is genuinely county rather than city is the first and most consequential step here.
What requires a permit in Montgomery County?
Montgomery County Building and Codes, at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 309 in Clarksville, is the building authority for the area of Montgomery County outside the corporate limits of the City of Clarksville. Clarksville runs its own Building and Codes department for work inside the city, so the county and the city are two separate desks in the same building region — and Clarksville is the large majority of the county's population, which makes the city-or-county question unusually consequential here.
The county adopted the 2018 editions of the International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy and Property Maintenance Codes, plus the 2009 ICC/ANSI A117.1 accessibility standard, by resolution on 12 October 2020, effective 1 January 2021. Tennessee does not have one permitting model, it has three, and which one applies decides who your building official actually is. A jurisdiction that has adopted codes meeting the state minimum and enforces them is an exempt jurisdiction: it runs its own plan review, permits and inspections, and the state stays out except for state buildings, schools and a handful of licensed occupancies. A jurisdiction that has not is non-exempt, and the State Fire Marshal's Office is the building official there, working through contracted deputy building inspectors who cover several counties each. And a jurisdiction that has passed a two-thirds resolution under T.C.A. § 68-120-101(b)(1)(B) is an opt-out or non-code jurisdiction, where one- and two-family dwellings sit outside the statewide standards altogether.
The building commissioner administers the county's building and zoning resolutions and has the right to enter any premises at a reasonable time to inspect. The codes enforcement division also runs the county's stormwater management program for the area outside Clarksville, so a project that disturbs land can draw a stormwater review alongside the building permit.
No political subdivision of Tennessee may adopt or enforce standards of fire prevention, fire protection or building construction that are less stringent than the state minimum. Local amendments can add to the code; they cannot subtract from it.
Permit required
- New residential and commercial construction, and additions
- Structural alterations, repairs, and changes of occupancy
- Accessory structures above the county threshold
- Swimming pools and their required barriers
- Reroofs, decks, and exterior structural work
- Plumbing, mechanical, and gas work
- Electrical work — generally a state permit
- Land-disturbing activity, which draws a stormwater review
Typically exempt
- Painting, flooring, and cosmetic finishes
- Routine maintenance not altering structure or a regulated system
- Work inside the City of Clarksville corporate limits
- Minor work below the county's published thresholds
Montgomery County building department: who handles permitting
Building and Codes administers the building permit while the codes enforcement division handles environmental issues and the county's stormwater management program for the area outside Clarksville. That means a single land-disturbing project can touch both sides of the same department — the building permit and a stormwater review — so confirm at the outset whether your scope triggers the stormwater side.
The septic dependency is the sharpest sequencing rule in the county. The state's Ground Water Protection program provides staff who issue septic permits, and the county is explicit that the septic permit has to be issued before a building permit can be. On any parcel without public sewer, the septic approval is the first document to secure, not a parallel one.
Because Clarksville is the large majority of the county's population and runs its own permitting, the most common early error is filing with the wrong government. The county serves the population outside the corporate limits; a parcel inside Clarksville goes to the city's Building and Codes department. Settle that from the parcel before anything else.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Montgomery County Building and Codes |
| Covers | Montgomery County outside the City of Clarksville limits |
| City runs its own | City of Clarksville Building and Codes |
| Office | 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 309, Clarksville, TN 37040 |
| Phone | 931-648-5718 |
| Codes enforced | 2018 International Codes, effective 1 January 2021 |
| Septic | State Ground Water Protection issues the septic permit first |
| Stormwater | County stormwater program for the area outside Clarksville |
| Electrical | Generally a state permit via CORE |
Septic first, then the building permit. On any parcel without public sewer, the state's Ground Water Protection program issues the septic permit, and Montgomery County cannot issue a building permit until that approval is in hand. Confirm first whether the parcel is outside Clarksville's limits, because the city permits its own work.
Montgomery County and the City of Clarksville run separate Building and Codes departments, and Clarksville is the majority of the county's population. Confirm from the parcel whether the site is inside or outside the city limits before you file — the two departments are the single most common source of a misdirected application here.
Montgomery County permits: record types and what each covers
Montgomery County runs residential and commercial building records for the area outside Clarksville, with electrical generally a state permit. These are the records you are likely to file:
Residential permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New construction | New dwellings, additions, and accessory structures above the local size threshold | Plan review against the adopted residential code, plus zoning; the state floor is the 2018 IRC with Appendix Q | Valuation-based |
| Addition | Added interior space, including additions of thirty square feet or more | Structural and energy review; the thirty square foot interior trigger is smaller than most applicants expect | Valuation-based |
| Renovation / alteration | Structural changes, layout changes, or added plumbing, mechanical, or electrical | Plan review scaled to scope; renovations of existing one- and two-family dwellings sit outside the state minimum standards | Valuation-based |
| Reroof | Roof covering replacement, recover, and structural deck repair | Deck and dry-in inspection; plan review rarely required | Valuation or squares |
| Solar photovoltaic | Rooftop or ground-mount arrays, with or without battery storage | Structural review of the attachment locally, with the electrical scope usually permitted and inspected by the state | Flat or system-size based |
| Battery energy storage | Wall or floor-mounted storage added to a dwelling | Electrical review plus fire separation and location check | Flat or per-permit minimum |
| Electrical | Service changes, panel upgrades, new circuits, EV chargers, and rewiring | In most of Tennessee a state record bought through CORE and inspected by a contracted Deputy Electrical Inspector, not a local one | Per-permit or per-device |
| Plumbing | New piping, repipes, fixtures, gas piping, and water heater replacement | Trade review; performed by a licensed plumber or a Limited Licensed Plumber below the contractor threshold | Per-permit minimum or per-fixture |
| Mechanical / HVAC | Changeouts, new ductwork, and refrigeration | Trade review; the contractor licence attaches once the trade portion reaches the statutory threshold | Per-permit minimum or per-unit |
| Deck and porch | New decks, screened porches, and structural rebuilds | Structural review of footings, ledger attachment, and guards | Valuation or flat |
| Swimming pool | In-ground and above-ground pools | Barrier, bonding, and electrical review; the bonding scope generally follows the state electrical record | Valuation or flat |
| Manufactured home set-up | Placing or re-siting a manufactured home | Zoning, floodplain, and anchoring review; manufactured homes sit outside the state minimum building standards but not outside local zoning | Flat or per-unit |
| Demolition | Full or partial demolition of a dwelling or accessory structure | Utility disconnect confirmation and site restoration check | Flat |
| Septic-gated residence | A new home on a parcel without public sewer | The state Ground Water Protection septic permit must be issued before the building permit | Valuation-based |
| Land-disturbing residential | Grading or clearing beyond the threshold | Draws a county stormwater review alongside the building permit | Valuation-based |
Commercial permit types
| Permit type | What triggers it | Review path | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| New commercial construction | Ground-up commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings | Concurrent review against the adopted building code, fire, and zoning; the state floor is the 2021 IBC with Tennessee amendments | Valuation-based |
| Tenant improvement / upfit | Interior fit-out of an existing tenant space | Building, trade, and life-safety review; accessibility attaches on change of use | Valuation-based |
| Change of occupancy | Converting a building or space to a different use group | Occupancy classification, egress, and accessibility review | Valuation or flat |
| Commercial electrical | Service, distribution, and branch circuit work | State record in most jurisdictions unless the municipality is one of the roughly thirty-five authorised to inspect its own electrical | Per-permit or valuation |
| Commercial plumbing | Process piping, fixtures, backflow, and grease waste | Trade review; backflow and grease interceptor sign-off where applicable | Per-fixture or valuation |
| Commercial mechanical | Rooftop units, kitchen exhaust and hood systems, and refrigeration | Trade review; hood and suppression systems draw fire review alongside mechanical | Per-unit or valuation |
| Commercial reroof | Roof covering replacement on a commercial structure | Deck, dry-in, and attachment inspection | Valuation or squares |
| Signage | Wall, ground, and illuminated signs | Zoning review for size and placement, plus electrical where illuminated | Flat or per-sign |
| Land disturbance | Clearing, grading, and stormwater-triggering site work | Erosion and sediment control review, separate from the building permit | Acreage-based |
| Commercial demolition | Full or partial demolition of a commercial structure | Utility disconnect, asbestos notification, and site restoration | Flat or valuation |
| State Fire Marshal plans review | Occupancies requiring State Fire Marshal approval, including schools and certain licensed facilities | Filed with the state through the plans submittal portal, in addition to and not instead of the local record | State fee schedule |
| Commercial building permit | Commercial construction or tenant work | Requires architect- or engineer-sealed drawings and plans review submittal forms | Valuation-based |
| Stormwater / drainage review | A commercial site outside Clarksville | Reviewed by the codes enforcement division's stormwater program | Flat |
Residential
- Single-discipline review in most cases
- The electrical record is usually a separate state permit, not a line on the building permit
- Contractor licence attaches at the statutory threshold; a Home Improvement licence may apply below it in nine counties only
- Septic properties need TDEC approval before ground is broken
Commercial — multi-discipline
- Concurrent review across building, trades, fire, and zoning
- Signed and sealed plans across every affected discipline
- The licensee's monetary limit caps the job value, separately from the permit
- Accessibility and life-safety review attach to any change of occupancy
Records you will actually see in Montgomery County
| Record | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential building permit | New homes, additions, alterations, and repairs |
| Commercial building permit | Architect- or engineer-sealed commercial work |
| Accessory structure | Above the county threshold |
| Swimming pool | With barrier and bonding review |
| Plumbing permit | New piping, repipes, fixtures, and gas piping |
| Mechanical / gas permit | HVAC changeouts, ductwork, and gas work |
| Stormwater / land disturbance | For land-disturbing activity outside Clarksville |
| Demolition permit | Full or partial demolition |
Solar permits in Montgomery County
Solar is reviewed on two tracks at once in Tennessee, and in most of the state those two tracks belong to two different governments. The structural side — attachment detail, rail spacing, and whether the existing framing carries the added dead load — is a local building review. The electrical side — conductors, overcurrent protection, rapid shutdown, labelling, and the service or supply-side connection — usually runs on a state electrical record instead, against the National Electrical Code edition the state programme enforces.
A residential solar installation in the county area outside Clarksville is a building permit for the structural attachment plus an electrical permit that is generally a state record through CORE, because Montgomery County is not among the municipalities authorised to run their own electrical inspections. A county solar job therefore splits across two authorities. On a parcel without public sewer, remember the septic approval gates the whole building permit, so a ground-mount array on such a parcel still sits behind that state approval.
That split is the most common cause of a stalled Tennessee solar job. An installer who files the building record locally and assumes the electrical inspection comes with it will sit waiting for an inspector who was never booked. Confirm at the outset whether your jurisdiction is one of the roughly thirty-five municipalities authorised to run its own electrical inspections, or whether the electrical permit has to be bought from the state.
Interconnection runs on a third clock. Tennessee is served by the Tennessee Valley Authority through local power companies — municipal electric systems and rural electric cooperatives — and each sets its own application, meter and witness-test sequence. Permission to operate is not something the building department controls, so plan for the tracks to finish at different times.
Roofing permits in Montgomery County
A roof covering replacement needs a permit in most Tennessee jurisdictions that enforce their own codes. The permit is usually quick, but it is not optional, and the inspection that matters happens before the covering goes on rather than after.
Tennessee has no statewide product-approval database, so there is no approval number to search for or cite on the application. The assembly has to comply with the adopted code and the manufacturer's listed installation instructions, and that pairing is what the inspector checks — which makes the manufacturer's instructions a document worth having on site.
Reroofing requires a permit in the county area outside Clarksville and is filed with Building and Codes. The work is reviewed against the 2018 codes the county adopted effective 1 January 2021, and a residential reroof is charged against the value of the improvements. On a tear-off that exposes the deck, the inspection looks at the sheathing and structure rather than the covering alone.
Sequencing is where reroofs go wrong. The deck and dry-in condition has to be visible when the inspector arrives, so covering it first means opening it back up. Where a previous layer has been torn off, expect attention to deck fastening and to any sheathing replaced along the eaves. Note also that a roofing subcontractor is licensed on the value of the roofing portion alone once that portion reaches the statutory threshold.
Montgomery County permit cost
Montgomery County building permit fees are set by Building and Codes and assessed against the submitted scope. Because electrical is generally a state permit and septic is a separate state approval, the building permit fee is the county's own, with those state costs paid separately.
Confirm current amounts against the department before budgeting, and factor in the state septic permit cost on any parcel without public sewer — that approval is a prerequisite to the building permit, so its timeline as well as its cost belongs in the programme.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Basis | Building permit fees set by Montgomery County Building and Codes |
| Electrical | Generally a state permit fee via CORE, not a county line item |
| Septic | State Ground Water Protection permit, required before the building permit |
| Stormwater | Separate review for land-disturbing activity outside Clarksville |
| Septic properties | State septic approval must be in hand before issuance |
| Confirm | Against Montgomery County Building and Codes before budgeting |
Want a precise number for a specific Montgomery County project? Send us the scope and we will price the permit path before you file.
Montgomery County trade permits
Electrical is generally a state permit; plumbing, mechanical and gas follow the normal contractor rules. Four specifics decide whether your application moves:
Septic gates the whole job
On a parcel without public sewer, the state septic approval must be issued before the county can issue the building permit. It is the first document to secure, and its timeline belongs on the critical path.
Electrical is generally the state's
Montgomery County is not among the roughly thirty-five Tennessee municipalities authorised to run their own electrical inspections, so the electrical record is generally a state permit through CORE. Confirm rather than assuming it comes with the building permit.
Land disturbance draws stormwater review
The codes enforcement division runs the county's stormwater program outside Clarksville, so a land-disturbing project can carry a stormwater review alongside the building permit. Confirm whether your scope triggers it early.
City or county, decided from the parcel
The county serves the area outside Clarksville's limits; the city permits its own work and is the majority of the population. File with the wrong department and the application goes nowhere.
Montgomery County permit application: how to apply step by step
Here is how to get a building permit in Montgomery County, from confirming the requirement through to close-out. Each step below corresponds to a real decision point where projects commonly stall.
Montgomery County permits the area outside the city corporate limits; the City of Clarksville permits its own work and is the majority of the county's population. Settle this from the parcel before anything else.
On a parcel without public sewer, obtain the state Ground Water Protection septic permit before applying to the county. The county cannot issue a building permit until the septic approval is in hand.
Design to the 2018 International Codes the county adopted effective 1 January 2021. Commercial plans need an architect or engineer seal. Assemble plans, site plan and a drainage plans review submittal where stormwater applies.
File the building permit at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 309. Plan separately for the state electrical permit through CORE, and for any stormwater review the codes enforcement division requires.
Clear plan review against the 2018 codes, clear any stormwater review, and pay the county building permit fee. Electrical and septic are paid separately to the state.
Book county building inspections and state electrical inspections on their separate tracks, run through to the certificate of occupancy, and confirm final approvals before legal use.
Inspections in Montgomery County
County building inspections are scheduled against the issued permit, with typical checkpoints running footing and foundation, trade rough-ins, framing, insulation and final, reviewed against the 2018 International Codes. The building commissioner has the right to enter and inspect at any reasonable time, and the permit and approved plans should be on site.
The septic and stormwater sides sit alongside the building inspection. On a septic property the system cannot be covered without the state's inspection and authorisation, and on a land-disturbing project the stormwater controls carry their own review. Neither is a county building inspection, but both can hold up a project that treats them as afterthoughts.
Electrical inspections run on the state's track through CORE, arranged and regulated by the state rather than the county. Keep the building, electrical, septic and stormwater sequences straight so a hold on one is not mistaken for a hold on another.
On a Montgomery County project outside Clarksville, four things can hold a close-out: the county building inspection, the state electrical inspection, the state septic authorisation, and any stormwater review. Track them separately, because each has its own authority and timeline.
Montgomery County permit search and official resources
Montgomery County publishes its building and codes information, permit types and adopted codes online, with the state licensing, electrical and septic resources that sit alongside them.
- Montgomery County Building and Codes
- Permit types issued by Building and Codes
- TN Board for Licensing Contractors
- State electrical permits (CORE)
- State Fire Marshal codes enforcement
- TDEC subsurface sewage disposal
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Montgomery County, TN?
Montgomery County Building and Codes, at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 309 in Clarksville, for the area of the county outside the City of Clarksville's corporate limits. The City of Clarksville runs its own Building and Codes department for work inside the city. The county line is 931-648-5718.
Does the county permit inside Clarksville?
No. Montgomery County permits the area outside the city corporate limits; the City of Clarksville permits its own work and is the majority of the county's population. Because most people live inside the city, confirming the parcel is genuinely county is the first step.
Which building code does Montgomery County enforce?
The 2018 editions of the International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy and Property Maintenance Codes, plus the 2009 ICC/ANSI A117.1 accessibility standard, adopted by resolution on 12 October 2020 and effective 1 January 2021.
Do I need septic approval before a building permit in Montgomery County?
Yes, on any parcel without public sewer. The state's Ground Water Protection program issues the septic permit, and the county cannot issue a building permit until that septic approval is in hand. Secure it first, not in parallel.
Does Montgomery County issue electrical permits?
Generally no. The county is not among the roughly thirty-five Tennessee municipalities authorised to run their own electrical inspections, so the electrical record is usually a state permit through CORE, inspected by a state-contracted Deputy Electrical Inspector.
Does a Montgomery County project need a stormwater review?
It can. The codes enforcement division runs the county's stormwater management program for the area outside Clarksville, so a land-disturbing project may carry a stormwater review alongside the building permit. Confirm whether your scope triggers it early.
Do I need a contractor licence in Montgomery County?
A Tennessee contractor licence is required to bid or perform work valued at twenty-five thousand dollars or more, including labour and materials, and the same threshold reaches trade subcontractors on their own portion.
Do I need a Home Improvement licence in Montgomery County?
No. Montgomery is not one of the nine Tennessee counties that require the Home Improvement licence. Below the twenty-five thousand dollar contractor threshold there is no separate state home improvement credential here, though local registration and trade licences still apply.
Do commercial plans need to be sealed in Montgomery County?
Yes. Commercial submittals require drawings, specifications and data bearing the official seal of an architect or engineer registered with the State of Tennessee, along with the plans review and drainage plans review submittal forms.
How many approvals can a Montgomery County project need?
Up to four separate ones: the county building permit, the state electrical permit, the state septic approval on a parcel without sewer, and a stormwater review for land-disturbing activity. Each has its own authority and timeline, so track them separately.
Does Montgomery County check my HOA covenants?
No. Deed restrictions, covenants and subdivision regulations are private matters between the owner and the subdivision. A permit that clears the county can still breach a covenant, and the county will not have checked.
Can the building commissioner enter my property?
Yes. The building commissioner or designee has the right to enter any premises in Montgomery County at a reasonable time to make inspections necessary to enforce the building and zoning resolutions.
Simplify Montgomery County permitting with Alliance Permitting
Montgomery County's city-or-county split, its septic-first sequencing and its stormwater review reward applicants who confirm the parcel is outside Clarksville, secure the state septic approval before filing, and keep the four separate approval tracks straight.
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Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Montgomery County because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Right authority — county area outside Clarksville, or the city, resolved from the parcel rather than the address.
- Septic first — the state Ground Water Protection approval secured before the county application on any parcel without sewer.
- Stormwater confirmed — land-disturbing scope checked against the county stormwater program before filing.
- Complete oversight — every Montgomery building record, state permit and inspection tracked across your jobs in one place.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Montgomery County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.