Stewart County government has no building codes, zoning or permitting and issues no occupancy letters, and the county has opted out of the State Fire Marshal’s residential program, so a house in the rural county needs no building permit. Inside Dover, the Town’s Building & Codes office (931-232-5907) permits construction under a per-square-foot fee schedule; electrical and septic permits are state permits everywhere in the county.
Who issues building permits in Stewart County?
The county’s own answer is short: it has no codes, regulations, zoning or permitting, and does not issue letters of occupancy for property in the county. Owners still have to follow any deed restrictions and homeowners’ association rules. The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) residential jurisdiction table, dated August 21, 2026, lists Stewart County as OPT OUT: the county passed a resolution taking its unincorporated area out of the state residential building program.
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Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated county | No building permit: no county permit, and no state residential permit because the county opted out |
| Dover (county seat) | Town of Dover Building & Codes, 625 Donelson Parkway (P.O. Box 447), 931-232-5907; the codes official covers the town only, not the county. SFMO status: exempt (own code program). |
| Cumberland City | Listed as exempt by the SFMO, meaning the town handles residential codes itself. The published sources do not say how it issues permits; ask Town Hall, 121 Main Street, 931-827-2000 (weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). |
| Tennessee Ridge (listed by the SFMO) | The SFMO table lists Tennessee Ridge under Stewart County as a state-program town, although the Census places the town in Houston County; its apply page lists Tennessee Ridge among the cities where a state residential building permit is required. |
Electrical, septic and gas in Stewart County
- Electrical — No Stewart County jurisdiction is on the SFMO list of places that run their own electrical inspections, so electrical work anywhere in the county, rural areas included, needs a state electrical permit and state inspection. The county FAQ sends electrical permit questions to Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (CEMC). Dover’s code notes that the 2017 National Electrical Code is adopted by its utility, Dover Electric System.
- Septic — Septic systems are permitted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC); Stewart County is served by TDEC’s Nashville Environmental Field Office, 711 R.S. Gass Boulevard, Nashville (615-687-7000).
- Gas and mechanical in Dover — Dover’s code leaves fuel gas and mechanical permit fees to the Greater Dover Gas Authority.
- Plumbing in Dover — a flat $140 per permit.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Permit fees in Dover
With no county permit there is no county fee. Dover’s fees are in Appendix A of Title 12 of its municipal code, last replaced by Ordinance 481-23 in November 2023:
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New residential or commercial construction | Printed as 0.35 cents per sq ft |
| Additions, including new decks | Same per-sq-ft rate as new construction |
| Accessory building of 300 sq ft or more (also goes to the Planning Commission) | Same per-sq-ft rate as new construction |
| Signs | Same per-sq-ft rate, minimum $40 |
| Remodel worth $3,000 or more, excluding cosmetic work | $100 residential; $200 commercial |
| Plumbing | $140 flat |
| Grading (residential 3 and 4, and commercial) | $250, with civil engineer drainage drawings and soil tests where needed |
| Demolition | $100 for the first 100,000 cubic ft, plus $1 per additional 1,000 cubic ft |
| Plan review | Half the building permit fee, on top of it |
| Re-inspection | First free; second $50 |
| Work started without a permit | Fees may be doubled |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →The schedule prints the rate as “0.35 cents a square foot”; ask the Town’s codes office (931-232-5907) for the amount on a specific plan.
Inspections in Stewart County
Dover: the Town’s fee schedule calls for four inspections: footer, framing 1, framing 2 and final. Permits expire 180 days after they are issued. Contact the Town’s codes officer before building so the right permits are on file and the plans can be reviewed before work starts. Dover builds under the 2018 International Building and Residential Codes, adopted by Ordinance 455-21.
Rural county: no building inspections are made because no building permit is issued; the only inspections are those that come with the state electrical permit and the TDEC septic permit.
Rather not deal with the Stewart County building department?
Get a free quote →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 Stewart County government resources
- Tennessee state residential permit instructions
- Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
- Stewart County government
- Stewart County FAQ: zoning, septic and electrical permits
- Town of Dover Codes, Planning & Zoning
- Dover Municipal Code Title 12 and permit fee schedule
- Cumberland City contacts (UT MTAS directory)
- State electrical program exempt jurisdictions
- TDEC Nashville Environmental Field Office (septic)
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Get a free quote →Stewart County permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit in rural Stewart County?
No. The county has no building permits, codes or zoning, and it has opted out of the state residential program. You still need a state electrical permit and a TDEC septic permit.
Who issues building permits in Dover?
The Town of Dover Building & Codes office at 625 Donelson Parkway (931-232-5907), for property inside the town limits only.
How much is a building permit in Dover?
Dover’s schedule prices new construction and additions by the square foot, at a rate it prints as 0.35 cents, and plan review adds half the permit fee; the codes office can price a specific plan. Plumbing permits are $140.
Where do I get an electrical permit in Stewart County?
Electrical permits are state permits throughout the county; the county directs questions to Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (CEMC).
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who handles septic permits?
TDEC’s Nashville Environmental Field Office, which serves Stewart County (615-687-7000).
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Stewart County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.