Paris, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

The City of Paris Building & Codes Department at 100 N. Caldwell Street issues building permits inside city limits, online through its iWorQ portal or on the paper application. Fees run on project cost, from $10 for small jobs to $200 for a project between $100,001 and $500,000, plus $25 for each residential inspection; electrical work is permitted and inspected by the state.

What work requires a permit in Paris?

Paris charges a building permit fee on any project costing more than $100, and its inspection sheets cover new houses, additions, remodels and mobile home set-ups. The City publishes separate applications for the site work around a building.

Who administers permits in Paris?

The department covers property inside city limits. Land outside the city is in Henry County, which the State Fire Marshal’s list of August 21, 2026 shows as opted out of the state residential building program; Paris itself is listed as exempt because it enforces its own codes.

Applying online or on paper

The Digital Building Permit link opens the City’s iWorQ portal, where applications are filed online. The Paper Building Permit is an 8-page packet holding the submittal requirements, the application, the contractor information sheet, the fee schedule and the inspection checklists.

The application asks for the map, group and parcel number, zoning, whether the lot is in a historic district or the floodplain, square footage per floor including decks and the garage, total cost and the proposed setbacks. It also contains a setback affidavit: setbacks are measured from the property line or street right-of-way, not from the pavement or curb, and any part of a building that breaks the setback must be removed.

A Contractor Information Form is filed once per contractor, with the state contractor’s licence number, expiry date and licence classifications such as BC-A or CM-C.

Building permit fees in Paris

The fee schedule in the City’s permit packet sets the permit fee by project cost and adds a charge for every inspection.

Inspection fees: $25 per inspection on a residential project up to $1,000,000, $50 per inspection on a commercial project up to $1,000,000, and $100 per inspection on any project above $1,000,000.

Example: a $280,000 new house pays the $200 permit fee and at least four residential inspections at $25, so $300 in city building fees. The state electrical permit is bought separately.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas

Electrical: Paris is not on the state’s list of cities with their own electrical program. The City’s checklists say the under-slab electrical and the rough-in electrical must be inspected by the state inspector, so buy a state electrical permit in CORE and book that inspection in CORE or at 615-741-7170.

Plumbing and mechanical: City inspectors check plumbing and mechanical work during the building inspections: the under-slab plumbing test, rough plumbing on test at framing, and mechanical rough-in. Ducts, equipment placement, gas piping and ventilation go on the plans for commercial jobs.

Gas: the City’s list of common failed inspections notes, under both plumbing and mechanical, that gas work requires a separate permit.

Fire protection: the City has adopted the 2018 NFPA codes with Life Safety 101, and commercial plans must show fire sprinklers where the building’s size, use and occupant load call for them.

What to submit with a Paris application

All plans must be drawn to scale. If the total floor area, new and existing, is more than 5,000 sq ft, the plans must come from a Tennessee registered architect or engineer.

The City also posts its design criteria sheet, giving the local climate and Manual J values for structural and HVAC design, such as a 15-inch frost line.

How to get a building permit in Paris

Paris inspections

Inspections are booked by phone at 731-641-1409. Call by 3:00 p.m. the day before; inspections are carried out the following business day.

The City’s list of common failures includes missing fire blocking, unstrapped headers over 4 feet, over-spanned lumber, egress openings, piping not under test, deck fall protection and post footings, and water heaters without seismic straps.

Local details for Paris

Floodplain: a new home’s floor must be at least 12 inches above base flood elevation, and crawl spaces need flood openings. Commercial buildings must either be elevated or flood-proofed to the same height, and most floodplain development needs a hydrologic and hydraulic study.

Land disturbance and stormwater: Paris is an MS4 stormwater community. Clearing or grading 10,000 sq ft or more needs a City land disturbance permit; additions or changes to an existing detached house are exempt. Work in a stream or wetland needs a state ARAP first, and sites of 1 acre or more need the state construction stormwater permit and SWPPP. Grading must start within 60 days, and the permit lasts one year. The City also maps No Increase Zones for drainage.

Driveways: a curb cut or driveway connection is approved by Public Works and the building and planning staff, and the finished work is subject to the Street Superintendent’s approval. New concrete driveways follow standard drawings RP-D-15 and RP-D-16, modified for ADA sidewalk cross-slope.

Adopted codes: the 2018 International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Existing Building, Energy Conservation and Property Maintenance Codes. The City’s page lists the North Carolina State Building Code Volume 1-C (2002 edition with 2004 amendments) as its accessibility code.

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 Paris permit resources

City and state pages used for this guide:

• Tennessee residential jurisdiction list
• Municipal applications and instructions
• City of Paris Building & Codes Department
• Paris Building Permits Portal (iWorQ)
• Paris permit packet: submittals, fees and inspections
• Paris floodplain assessment form
• Paris curb cut and driveway permit
• Paris land disturbance permit
• Paris stormwater management
• State electrical permits

Paris building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Paris, TN?

The City of Paris Building & Codes Department at 100 N. Caldwell Street. Building Inspector Mike Brown can be reached at 731-641-1409.

How much is a building permit in Paris?

It depends on project cost: $10 up to $2,000, $100 for $50,001 to $100,000, $200 for $100,001 to $500,000 and $400 up to $1,000,000, plus $25 for each residential inspection.

Can I apply online?

Yes. The Digital Building Permit link on the Building and Codes page opens the City’s iWorQ portal; the paper application is still available.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 731-641-1409 by 3:00 p.m.; the inspection is done the next business day. Offices are open Monday to Thursday.

Who inspects electrical work in Paris?

The State of Tennessee. Buy a state electrical permit through CORE; the City’s checklists require the state inspector to pass under-slab and rough-in electrical.

When do I need an architect or engineer?

When the total floor area, counting new and existing space, is more than 5,000 sq ft.

Do I need a permit to build in the floodplain?

Yes. File the City’s floodplain assessment; homes must have the floor at least 12 inches above base flood elevation.

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