Trousdale County, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Every building permit in Hartsville/Trousdale County comes from the consolidated government’s Building, Codes, Zoning and Planning department at 328 Broadway, Room 1, Hartsville (615-374-1125), where Rosalie Myhan is the Building Official. Applications are filed through the county’s iWorQ citizen portal, homes are built to the 2018 International Residential Code as amended locally, and electrical and septic permits come from the State.

Who issues building permits in Trousdale County?

Hartsville and Trousdale County operate as one government, Hartsville/Trousdale County, and the Census lists Hartsville/Trousdale County as the county’s only incorporated place. There is no separate city building department: the Building Official, appointed by the County Commission, issues all building permits, carries out the inspections, keeps the zoning maps and sends variance requests to the Board of Zoning Appeals. The State Fire Marshal’s Office lists Trousdale County/Hartsville as exempt from the state residential program because it enforces its own code.

Applying through the iWorQ portal

The county’s iWorQ citizen portal takes building permit, rezoning, planning/Board of Zoning Appeals, blasting and business licence applications; fill in the required fields and upload plans and documents. Contractors need their contractor access code before starting, and the same portal shows the status of an existing permit.

Under the zoning ordinance, every building permit application comes with a plan or sketch, in duplicate and drawn to scale, showing:

• the shape, location and dimensions of the lot;
• the size and location of the new or altered building and every existing building on the lot;
• the existing and intended use of each building;
• off-street parking and loading areas.

In a flood hazard area the application also needs copies of any federal and state permits, site plans with contours, and a surveyor’s or engineer’s certification of the lowest floor elevation; the lowest floor must be at least 1 ft above the 100-year flood level.

What needs a permit in Trousdale County?

The zoning ordinance makes it unlawful to start any of the following without a permit from the Building Official:

Electrical, septic and utility approvals

• Electrical — Trousdale County is not on the State Fire Marshal’s list of jurisdictions that run their own electrical inspections, so electrical work needs a state electrical permit, bought through the state’s CORE system, and a state inspection.
• Septic — Septic permits are issued by TDEC’s Division of Water Resources. The county directs septic appointments to TDEC’s Cookeville Environmental Field Office (931-520-6688), and applications can be made online at tdec.tn.gov/septic; existing septic files are searchable online too.
• Utilities — Before utilities are connected to a new or existing building, the office’s Request for Utilities form has the owner certify that the use complies with zoning; an inspector approves it or sends it to Planning, the Board of Zoning Appeals or the utility board. A travel trailer or recreational vehicle may not be used as a permanent dwelling.

Permit fees in Trousdale County

The zoning ordinance makes the County Commission responsible for the building permit fee schedule and requires it to be posted in the Building Official’s office; the schedule is not published online. The office takes no action on an application until the fee is paid in full, so ask for the amount at 615-374-1125 or when the portal application is reviewed. Temporary use permits have their own fee schedule set the same way.

Inspections and permit life

The Building Official carries out the inspections; book appointments with the office at least 24 hours ahead. A building permit becomes invalid if work has not started within 6 months of issue, or if work stops for a year. Once a building is ready for occupancy, and within a year after it is occupied, the Building Official makes a second inspection to check zoning compliance, and the owner must correct any problems found.

New homes are built to the 2018 International Residential Code as adopted by Ordinance 206-2020-21 (effective February 21, 2021). It keeps the 2009 IRC energy chapter instead of the 2018 one, drops the duct testing and duct leakage requirements and excludes the residential sprinkler section. Commercial buildings follow the 2018 codes adopted by Ordinance 205-2020-20.

Local Trousdale County details

Zoning and rezoning: the combined Hartsville/Trousdale County zoning ordinance was last passed on March 23, 2026. Rezoning public hearings are held at the County Commission meeting on the fourth Monday of each month and are followed by the ordinance’s second and final reading.

Subdivisions: plats follow the Hartsville/Trousdale subdivision regulations, as amended in March 2021, and the department publishes a builder and developer packet on installing USPS cluster mailbox units.

Mining: the department publishes the county’s mining regulations, and blasting needs its own permit through the portal.

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 Trousdale County government resources

• Tennessee state residential permit instructions
• Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
• Hartsville/Trousdale County municipal code
• Hartsville/Trousdale County building, codes and zoning
• Trousdale County iWorQ permit portal
• Hartsville/Trousdale County zoning ordinance (March 2026)
• Ordinance 206-2020-21: 2018 residential code
• Request for Utilities form
• TDEC Cookeville Environmental Field Office (septic)

Trousdale County permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Hartsville and Trousdale County?

The consolidated government’s Building, Codes, Zoning and Planning department at 328 Broadway, Room 1, Hartsville (615-374-1125), for the whole county.

How do I apply for a building permit?

Through the county’s iWorQ citizen portal, uploading a scale plan or sketch of the lot and buildings. Contractors need their access code.

Do farm buildings need a permit?

Not if the building is incidental to the farming on land used for agriculture, unless that land is next to or near a state or federal-aid highway, a public airport or a public park.

Who handles septic permits in Trousdale County?

TDEC. The county directs septic appointments to the Cookeville Environmental Field Office (931-520-6688), or you can apply online at tdec.tn.gov/septic.

How long is a building permit good for?

Work must start within 6 months, and the permit lapses if work stops for a year.

Where do I get an electrical permit?

From the State of Tennessee; Trousdale County is in the state electrical inspection program.

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