Unicoi County, Tennessee Building Permit Guide

Unicoi County government has no building or codes department, and the State Fire Marshal’s table lists the unincorporated county as opted out of the state residential building program, so homes outside the towns get no county or state building permit. Inside Erwin, the Town’s building inspector at 211 N. Main Avenue (423-743-6231) issues permits; the Town of Unicoi is also listed as running its own program, and septic and electrical permits come from the State.

Who issues building permits in Unicoi County?

Unicoi County government at 100 North Main Avenue, Erwin (423-743-9391), lists offices such as the mayor, assessor of property, trustee and road superintendent, but no building, codes or permit office. The county does have a Planning Commission, which meets on the second Monday of each month at 5:00 p.m. and is staffed by a regional planner (423-722-5202). The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) table, dated August 21, 2026, shows Unicoi County as OPT OUT, meaning the county passed a resolution removing its unincorporated area from the state residential building program, and lists both towns as exempt because they run their own codes.

Electrical, septic and other approvals

• Electrical — No Unicoi County jurisdiction is on the SFMO list of places that run their own electrical inspections, so electrical work everywhere in the county, rural areas included, needs a state electrical permit, bought through the state’s CORE system, and a state inspection.
• Septic — Unicoi County is served by TDEC’s Johnson City Environmental Field Office. New septic permits can be applied for online or by calling 423-854-5124; for layouts of existing systems, call 423-854-5392.
• Planning — The county Planning Commission meets monthly; its regional planner can be reached at 423-722-5202.
• Digging — Erwin’s application reminds applicants to call 811 before any excavation.

Permit fees in Unicoi County

With no county building permit there is no county building fee. Erwin’s application has a line for the building permit fee and asks for the total cost of the job, but the Town does not publish its fee amounts online; the fee is entered on the application when it is approved. In the Town of Unicoi the permit is free when no inspection is needed; otherwise each inspection costs $125 plus a travel charge ($100 for a new building, $50 for a remodel or commercial job, $25 for a deck). A new house or commercial building needs four inspections: footer, combined plumbing and mechanical, framing and final. Driveway and utility road-cut permits are $50 each.

Erwin permits and inspections

Erwin’s building permit application asks for the zoning district, the owner, the contractor and their Tennessee licence number, the project address and total cost, and the type of project: one- or two-family, residential-commercial, or mixed-use condominium or apartment with the number of units. It then lists the work: new structure, renovation, addition, site work or excavation, paving, deck or porch, pool, foundation only, interior build-out or garage and storage, plus square footage by use, bedrooms and baths, the driveway width at the street and the foundation type (slab, basement or crawl space). The permit does not relieve the applicant of complying with the Town’s zoning and codes.

Erwin builds under the 2018 International Building Code with Appendix Chapters F and G and ICC A117.1-2009, and its municipal code also adopts residential, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy, existing building, pool and spa, property maintenance and accessibility codes. The Town’s zoning ordinance, downtown overlay and sign ordinance are published with the application.

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 Unicoi County government resources

• Tennessee state residential permit instructions
• Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
• Unicoi County government home page
• Unicoi County Planning Commission
• Town of Erwin Building, Planning, Zoning
• Town of Erwin building permit application
• Erwin Municipal Code Title 12 (building codes)
• Town of Unicoi contacts (UT MTAS directory)
• Town of Unicoi permit applications
• Town of Unicoi building permit application and fees (PDF)
• State electrical program exempt jurisdictions
• TDEC Johnson City Environmental Field Office (septic)

Unicoi County permit FAQs

Do I need a building permit in rural Unicoi County?

No county or state building permit is issued for homes outside Erwin and Unicoi: the county has no building department and has opted out of the state residential program. Electrical and septic permits are still required from the State.

Who issues building permits in Erwin?

The Town of Erwin building inspector at 211 N. Main Avenue (423-743-6231, inspector@erwintn.org).

Who issues building permits in the Town of Unicoi?

The Town itself. Its Permit Applications page has the building, driveway and utility road-cut forms; email the completed form to accounting@unicoitn.net, and call the building inspector at 865-243-4986 with questions.

Where do I get a septic permit in Unicoi County?

From TDEC’s Johnson City Environmental Field Office; call 423-854-5124 or apply online for a new septic permit.

Who issues electrical permits?

The State of Tennessee, everywhere in the county, through CORE.

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