Inside Sevierville city limits, the City’s Code Enforcement staff at City Hall, 120 Gary Wade Boulevard, review plans and issue building, plumbing and mechanical permits, and applications are submitted online through MyGovernmentOnline. The building fee is set by project value ($470 for the first $100,000, then $3 per extra $1,000 up to $500,000), plan review adds half the permit fee, and review usually takes 15 to 20 working days.
What requires a permit in Sevierville?
The City’s permit list is short and broad: new building work, remodeling and major repairs of any size need a permit, whether the building is a house or a commercial property.
Permit needed
- New houses and commercial buildings
- Remodeling and major repairs
- Decks, garages and other accessory structures
- Temporary structures such as tents
- Signs
- Moving or demolishing a structure
- Plumbing and mechanical installations
Generally no permit
- Swimming pools
- Painting
- Cabinetry
- Emergency repairs
- Re-roofing with no structural work
Commercial, industrial, multi-family, planned-unit and public building projects first need a site plan approved by the Sevierville Regional Planning Commission. Single-family homes and duplexes on their own lots do not. If you cannot tell whether a job needs a permit, a building inspector will answer at 865-453-5504.
Who issues building permits in Sevierville?
For any property inside the city limits, the City’s Development & Code Enforcement staff handle the building permit: they review and approve plans, issue the permit and carry out the inspections. The State Fire Marshal’s residential jurisdiction table lists Sevierville as exempt from the state residential program because the City enforces its own codes. Charles Valentine is the Building Official and also the City’s Flood Plain Manager.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | City of Sevierville Code Enforcement, City Hall |
| Address | 120 Gary Wade Boulevard, Sevierville, TN 37862 |
| Phone | 865-453-5504 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Building Official | Charles Valentine |
| Applications | MyGovernmentOnline (MGO Connect portal) |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →The City publishes a Verification Map for checking whether an address is inside the limits. Land outside them falls to Sevier County Building Inspections, 227 Cedar Street, Sevierville (865-774-7120). In Sevierville’s planning region beyond the city line, the City Planning Commission still reviews subdivisions, while Sevier County’s Planning Department reviews site plans under the county zoning resolution (865-453-3882).
Sevierville permit types and online filing
All permit applications are made online through the City’s MyGovernmentOnline portal. Upload the site, floor and structural plans with the application, together with the contractor’s licence and proof of insurance where they apply. The City checks every contractor’s state licence and requires proof of workers’ compensation insurance before it issues a permit.
Besides building permits, Code Enforcement issues sign permits, structure moving permits, demolition permits and temporary structure permits. Plumbing and mechanical work is permitted and inspected by the City under its own fee schedule. A new business also needs a Certificate of Zoning Compliance before it occupies a space; when the job already needs a permit (a sign, a commercial remodel or new commercial construction), one application covers both the permit and the certificate.
Building permit fees in Sevierville
The City prices building permits on the total value of the project, and no work may begin until every fee has been paid.
| Project value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $2,000 or less | $30 |
| $2,001 to $50,000 | $30 for the first $2,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $270 for the first $50,000, plus $4 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $470 for the first $100,000, plus $3 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
| $500,001 and up | $1,670 for the first $500,000, plus $2 for each additional $1,000 or fraction |
Plan review: when one or more City staff must review plans, the plan review fee is half the permit fee or $50, whichever is greater, and it is paid when you apply. A job valued at $250,000 therefore carries a $920 building permit fee ($470 plus 150 × $3) and a $460 plan review fee.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Re-inspection | $50 |
| Structure moving | $100 |
| Demolition | $100 |
| Temporary structure under 4,999 sq ft / 5,000–9,999 sq ft / over 10,000 sq ft | $25 / $50 / $100 |
| Temporary sign (30 days) or auction sign | $50 |
| Refacing an existing sign | $25 |
| Other signs | Building permit valuation table |
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas permits
| Trade | Who permits and inspects |
|---|---|
| Plumbing | City Code Enforcement: $10 to issue the permit, plus $5 for each fixture or trap, building or trailer sewer, water heater or vent, water piping or treatment installation, drainage repair per fixture and backflow device |
| Mechanical | City Code Enforcement: $20 for the first $1,000 of installation value, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 (heating, ventilation, ductwork, air conditioning, exhaust, refrigeration and similar systems) |
| Electrical | State of Tennessee permit and inspection; Sevier County Electric System (SCES, 315 E. Main Street, 865-453-2887) handles service lines and must be contacted for electric service |
| Natural gas | Sevier County Utility District (SCUD, 420 Robert Henderson Road, 865-453-3272) inspects gas piping and equipment for its customers |
| Fire | Sevierville Fire Department, 1162 Dolly Parton Parkway (865-453-9276); the Fire Marshal handles code interpretation and plan review under the 2021 International Fire Code with amendments |
Plans, documents and review time
Whether drawings must carry an architect’s or engineer’s stamp is set by the City’s Policy on Requirements for Stamped or Sealed Drawings; when they must, an electronic copy is uploaded with the permit application.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Homes and small jobs
- Site plan
- Floor plan
- Structural plans
- Contractor licence and insurance, where applicable
Commercial, industrial, multi-family
- Planning Commission-approved site plan, prepared by a Tennessee registered professional
- Title sheet: construction type, building area, occupancy, number of stories and height
- Architectural and structural plans, and specifications
- Plumbing, mechanical and electrical plans
- Fire protection equipment plans
Plans are reviewed for both zoning and building code compliance, may go to more than one City staff member, and come back with corrections. The City puts the process at 15 to 20 working days depending on the structure and the work.
Sevierville enforces the codes adopted by Ordinance O-2023-021: the 2021 International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Existing Building and Fire Codes, the 2018 International Residential Code, the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code with amendments, NFPA 101 (2021) and ICC A117.1 (2017).
How to get a Sevierville building permit
Look the address up on the City’s Verification Map; a site outside the limits goes to Sevier County Building Inspections instead.
For commercial, industrial, multi-family, planned-unit or public building projects, upload the site plan through the online portal at least 20 days before the Planning Commission’s first-Thursday meeting.
Upload the application with site, floor and structural plans, any stamped drawings, the contractor’s licence and proof of workers’ compensation insurance.
Half the permit fee, minimum $50, is due with the application.
Staff return the plans with corrections; allow 15 to 20 working days for the review.
Pay the remaining fees before work starts, and pay water and sewer tap fees before connecting, or get a septic permit from the Sevier County Health Department where public sewer is not available.
Give at least 24 hours’ notice for each City inspection, and use the Fire Department’s own request form for Fire Marshal inspections.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Sevierville inspections
Inspection requests can be made online or by calling 865-453-5504. A City inspector needs 24 hours’ notice to guarantee the requested time, and work may not continue past a stage until it has been inspected and approved.
| Type | When |
|---|---|
| Footing | Trenches dug, forms up and reinforcement placed, before concrete is poured |
| Slab | Forms, vapor barrier and reinforcement in place, before the pour |
| Frame | Roof, framing, fireblocking and bracing done, with concealed wiring, pipes, chimneys, ducts and vents complete |
| Plumbing underground and rough-in | Piping installed before backfill, and soil, waste and vent piping complete before walls and ceilings are closed; pressure tests are required |
| Mechanical rough-in | Ductwork, duct insulation and condensate piping complete, before walls and ceilings are closed |
| Final (building, plumbing, mechanical) | Building complete, fixtures and appliances connected, ready for occupancy |
| Sign | Checked against the approved site plan and the Sevierville sign ordinance |
A failed inspection that has to be repeated costs $50. The Fire Department takes its own inspection requests, including final building inspections, through a Fire Marshal Inspection Request Form; the Fire Marshal or a deputy then calls to confirm the date and time.
Local Sevierville details
Land disturbance: the City prices land disturbance permits by the area disturbed: $125 for 1 to under 5 acres, $500 for 5 to under 20, $1,500 for 20 to under 50, $3,000 for 50 to under 150 and $5,000 for 150 acres or more. Sevierville holds a Phase II MS4 stormwater permit, and construction site runoff control is one of the program areas it enforces under its stormwater ordinance.
Floodplain: Sevierville takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, and the Building Official is also the Flood Plain Manager, so floodplain questions go to the same office as the building permit.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Water, sewer and septic: tap fees are paid to the City before any connection. Where public water or sewer is not available, private systems are permitted and inspected by the Sevier County Health Department (Environmental Services), 226 Prince Street (865-429-1766).
Planning Commission: the Sevierville Regional Planning Commission meets on the first Thursday of each month, and rezoning requests are best discussed with the Development Director before applying.
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 Sevierville permit resources
- Tennessee residential jurisdiction classification
- Sevierville applications / codes / review resources
- City of Sevierville Department of Development / Code Enforcement — official permit information
- Sevierville: Do I Need a Permit?
- Sevierville permit and plan review fees
- Sevierville adopted codes (Ordinance O-2023-021)
- Sevierville required inspections
- Sevierville inspection requests
- Sevierville required plans and submittals
- Sevierville Certificate of Zoning Compliance
- Sevierville land disturbance permit fees
- Sevierville Fire Department codes and inspections
- MyGovernmentOnline permit portal
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Sevierville building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Sevierville?
The City of Sevierville’s Code Enforcement staff at City Hall, 120 Gary Wade Boulevard (865-453-5504), for property inside the city limits. Outside the limits, Sevier County Building Inspections issues permits.
How much does a building permit cost in Sevierville?
It depends on project value. Work up to $2,000 is $30; a $250,000 project is $920, plus a $460 plan review fee when plans are reviewed. Re-inspections cost $50.
Do I need a permit for a new roof in Sevierville?
Not when the re-roof involves no structural work. Painting, cabinetry, emergency repairs and swimming pools generally do not need a permit either.
Do I need a permit for a deck or garage?
Yes. The City lists decks, garages and other accessory structures among the work that needs a building permit.
How long does plan review take?
The City says 15 to 20 working days, depending on the type of structure and the work.
Who issues electrical permits in Sevierville?
The State of Tennessee permits and inspects electrical work; the City does not. Contact Sevier County Electric System about the service connection.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Request it online or call 865-453-5504 at least 24 hours ahead. Fire Marshal inspections have their own online request form.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Sevierville permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.