Morristown, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Inside Morristown city limits, the City’s Building Inspections Department reviews plans, issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits, and inspects the work. Completed applications are emailed to the department, which works from Development & Planning on the second floor of City Center, 100 W. First North Street (423-585-4620). Commercial jobs need two professionally designed paper sets and a PDF; residential jobs do not need plans as such.

What requires a permit in Morristown?

The building permit application also asks whether the work re-connects utilities or upgrades a service, whether the site is in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, and whether the project complies with private deed restrictions, covenants and HOA rules.

Who issues building permits in Morristown?

The department has three licensed building inspectors and support staff. The State Fire Marshal lists Morristown as exempt from the state residential program, and the city is on the state’s list of places that inspect their own electrical work. Morristown lies mainly in Hamblen County and extends into Jefferson County, and the city permits both parts; land outside city limits is handled by the county it sits in.

Morristown permit types and intake

One City form, the Building Permit Application, covers building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas, pool and detached accessory structure permits; tick the permit type and the work class (new, alteration, addition, utility re-connection or service upgrade) and give the square footage and valuation. The Building Inspections page asks for completed applications by email to hross@mymorristown.com, and the Permits & Inspections page gives inspections@mymorristown.com.

Detached accessory structures have their own application, which Planning also signs. The structure must be smaller than the house, on the same lot, built no earlier than the house, no taller than two stories or the house, and clear of easements and buried utilities; buildings over 1,000 sq ft or two stories must use materials similar to the house, and nobody, human or animal, may live in one.

Building permit costs and fees in Morristown

The building permit fee is worked out from the valuation on the application, using the City’s 2026 Building Permit Fee schedule:

On that scale a house valued at $250,000 pays $460 plus 150 × $3, or $910. Work started without the proper permits is charged double fees. A land disturbance permit review costs $250 for up to 5 acres of disturbed land and $500 above that (development fees passed by resolution on November 18, 2025), and the permit is valid for one year.

Contractors must show their contractor licence and a certificate of liability insurance. A business license from any Tennessee county is enough for jobs under $50,000; above $50,000, the contractor needs a City of Morristown business license from the Tax Office and a Hamblen County business license from the County Clerk (423-586-1993).

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits

Morristown inspects electrical work itself, so electrical permits inside city limits come from the City, not the State. Electrical, plumbing and gas work needs a state-licensed and insured contractor; mechanical jobs over $25,000 do too. Each trade has its own inspector: plumbing and mechanical at 423-585-4627, electrical at 423-585-4628. A pool deeper than 2 feet takes an electrical permit as well as a building permit.

Plans and documents for Morristown applications

If the project disturbs land, file the land disturbance application with stamped plans; erosion and sediment controls must be working before any ground is disturbed.

How to apply: 6-step Morristown process

Morristown inspections and closeout

Inspections are booked by calling the inspector for the trade involved: building, plumbing and mechanical, or electrical. They are scheduled as time allows, and inspectors are usually in the office from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on business days, or by appointment. The City will not accept third-party inspections in place of its own required inspections unless the Chief Building Official approves them.

Local Morristown details

• Codes: the 2018 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Energy, Property Maintenance and Swimming Pool and Spa Codes, the 2017 National Electrical Code, the 2010 ADA Standards and the 2018 NFPA fire code.
• Development & Planning covers planning, transportation planning, inspection services, code enforcement and GIS; Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals applications are in the City’s Document Center.
• Private covenants: the application asks whether the work complies with deed restrictions and HOA rules, which the City does not enforce for you.

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 Morristown permit resources

• Tennessee residential jurisdiction classification
• Morristown Building Inspections
• Morristown Permits & Inspections
• Morristown adopted codes and licence requirements
• Morristown Building Permit Application (PDF)
• Morristown Detached Accessory Structure application (PDF)
• Morristown Land Disturbance application (PDF)
• Morristown Building Permit Fee schedule 2026 (PDF)
• Morristown development fees, November 2025 (PDF)
• Morristown Document Center (forms and checklists)

Morristown building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Morristown?

The City of Morristown Building Inspections Department, for everything inside city limits in both Hamblen and Jefferson counties. The main line is 423-585-4620.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Morristown?

Only if it is 7 feet or taller.

Do I need a permit for a new roof or a deck?

Yes. Roofing, decks, porches and covered patios are all on the City’s permit list.

Do I need plans for a residential permit?

The City says residential projects do not require plans as such; call the office for what your job needs. Commercial work needs two paper sets and a PDF.

How much is a building permit in Morristown?

It depends on the valuation: $460 for the first $100,000 plus $3 for each further $1,000 up to $500,000, so a $250,000 house pays $910.

What happens if I build without a permit?

The City charges double fees.

Who inspects electrical work in Morristown?

The City’s own electrical inspector (423-585-4628); Morristown is not part of the state electrical program inside its limits.

How much is a land disturbance permit?

$250 for up to 5 acres and $500 for more.

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