In unincorporated White County, the county Building Inspector issues building, plumbing and mechanical permits, applied for online through iWorQ or on paper at Room 216 of the courthouse in Sparta (931-837-4570). Since March 1, 2025, fees follow a valuation table, so a 2,000 sq ft house is charged $2,161. Sparta runs its own codes department, and Doyle is in the state residential permit program.
Who handles White County permits?
The Building Inspector’s office, headed by Building Inspector Director Hunter Kline, inspects and enforces the building codes in the unincorporated county. It sits in Room 216 of the courthouse at 1 East Bockman Way, Sparta. The county’s 2025 fee resolution applies everywhere in White County except towns that have set up their own building codes department by ordinance.
| Area | Building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated White County | County Building Inspector (building, plumbing and mechanical) |
| Sparta | City Codes Enforcement Department, which the city code puts in charge of building, plumbing, gas, mechanical, pool and zoning rules; City Hall, 6 Liberty Square, (931) 738-5252 |
| Doyle | State residential building permit from the State Fire Marshal, bought in CORE; town hall, 158 Womack Street, (931) 657-2459 |
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Get a free quote →The State Fire Marshal’s residential table lists both the county and Sparta as exempt, meaning they enforce their own residential codes. Doyle does not appear in that table, but the state’s apply page names it among the cities where a state residential permit is required.
Online applications
The county’s iWorQ portal takes four kinds of request: residential building permits, plumbing permits, mechanical, HVAC or gas line permits, and inspection requests. A separate iWorQ page handles applications for a special plumber’s licence. Applications are reviewed within 2 to 3 business days, and questions about them go to 931-316-7092.
- New homes: use the 911-issued address, and attach the septic permit and the septic system layout.
- Two stories or more, or a basement: a set of stamped plans is required. The office prefers paper copies, dropped off at Room 216, Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Plumbing: have the plumber’s licence number ready.
- Mechanical, HVAC or gas line: give the plumber’s licence number where it applies.
Looking up an existing permit online requires the contractor access code.
Plumbing, mechanical, electrical and septic
- Plumbing and mechanical: issued by the county Building Inspector through iWorQ for the unincorporated county, as separate permits from the building permit.
- Electrical: White County is not on the state’s exempt list, so wiring is permitted and inspected under the state electrical program, including in Sparta. The City of Sparta is the state’s issuing agent in the county (931-738-2281) and does not take permit orders by phone or email; permits can also be bought online in CORE.
- Septic: TDEC’s Cookeville Environmental Field Office (931-520-6688) covers White County, and the county asks for the septic permit and layout with every new home application.
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Get a free quote →White County building permit fees
Resolution 08-02-2025, passed on February 18, 2025 and in effect from March 1, 2025, sets the fee from the project’s total valuation. Valuation is the floor area multiplied by the ICC Building Valuation Data rate for the building’s use, excluding land.
| Total valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $24 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $24 for the first $500, plus $3 for each additional $100 or part of it |
| $2,001 to $40,000 | $69 for the first $2,000, plus $11 for each additional $1,000 or part of it |
| $40,001 to $100,000 | $487 for the first $40,000, plus $9 for each additional $1,000 or part of it |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $1,027 for the first $100,000, plus $7 for each additional $1,000 or part of it |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,827 for the first $500,000, plus $5 for each additional $1,000 or part of it |
| $1,000,001 to $5,000,000 | $6,327 for the first $1,000,000, plus $3 for each additional $1,000 or part of it |
| Over $5,000,000 | $18,327 for the first $5,000,000, plus $1 for each additional $1,000 or part of it |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Selected valuation rates per square foot: one- and two-family homes $130.58, apartments $120.47, business $144.35, mercantile $102.31, and utility buildings, including private garages, $51.28. A 2,000 sq ft house is therefore valued at $261,160, and its fee is $1,027 plus $7 for each $1,000 or part of $1,000 above $100,000 (162 of them), or $2,161.
White County inspections
Request inspections in iWorQ or by calling the Building Inspector at 931-837-4570. Under Resolution 69-09-2022, the county enforces the 2018 International Residential Code with three local changes: the 2009 R-value energy charts apply, single-family homes need no sprinkler system, and R-19 insulation is not required in the floor joists of vented crawl spaces. A copy of the 2018 code book is kept in the County Clerk’s Office.
Subdivisions and addresses in White County
Dividing land in the county goes through the White County Planning Commission, which approves subdivisions and recommends roads for the county road list; its Planning Director can be reached at 931-979-2170. New homes need a 911 address before the building permit application is filed.
Rather not deal with the White 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 White County permitting resources
- Tennessee state residential-permit instructions
- Tennessee residential jurisdictions and inspectors
- White County official apply-for-permits page
- White County Building Inspector
- White County iWorQ permit portal
- White County permit fee resolution 08-02-2025
- White County 2018 IRC adoption resolution
- White County Planning Commission
- Tennessee electrical permit issuing agents
- TDEC Cookeville Environmental Field Office
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →White County permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in White County, TN?
It depends on valuation. A new home is valued at $130.58 per sq ft, so a 2,000 sq ft house costs $2,161 under the 2025 schedule; small jobs start at $24.
How long does a White County permit application take?
The county says applications are reviewed within 2 to 3 business days.
Do I need stamped plans for a new house?
Only if the house has two or more stories or a basement.
Who issues building permits in Sparta?
The City of Sparta’s own Codes Enforcement Department; the county fee schedule does not apply there.
Where do I buy an electrical permit in White County?
Through the state program, from the City of Sparta as issuing agent or online in CORE.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Which building code does White County enforce?
The 2018 International Residential Code, adopted by Resolution 69-09-2022 with local energy, sprinkler and crawl-space insulation amendments.
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More Tennessee permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about White County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.