Process Overview
If you are a homeowner looking to build an addition to your residence, you’ll need a permit from the Metro Nashville Department of Codes zoning examiners to start work. The zoning examiners will review your plans and provide an application that indicates which departmental agency reviews, permits, and inspections are needed for your specific project.
Aside from the Codes building permit, many additions do not need extra reviews and permits from other Metro Nashville agencies.
Some situations where additional review and signoffs by other Metro agencies are needed include:
- Residence is in a type of special district. Planning will review additions to a single-family residence if that residence is located within a Specific Plan (SP), Planned Unit Development (PUD), or Urban Design Overlay (UDO) district.
- Residence is on a flood plain.
- The addition would increase the residence’s total square footage to 5,000 square feet or more, which requires a sprinkler system to be installed.
- Residence is on a septic system and requires Health Department involvement.
Based on the plans submitted and permits needed, agencies may ask you to modify the plans to meet requirements. After working with the agencies to do so and receiving necessary approvals, return the application to the Codes zoning examiners and pay for any associated fees. After that, the necessary permit(s) will be issued. It is your responsibility to contact the relevant Metro agencies to arrange for all required inspections to occur at the appropriate time.
This list does not cover every situation but depends on the particulars of your plan and your location that are reflected in the permit application checklist that is created by the Codes zoning examiners.
Need for Licensed Professional
For additions that add equipment requiring a gas-mechanical permit (such as for a gas fireplace or new furnace), a licensed contractor must do the work. You need Metro Codes’ approval if you want to complete electrical or plumbing work on your own. You must set up a meeting with Metro Codes chief inspectors to show you have the knowledge to do the work. A Metro Codes chief inspector will interview you to see if you have the necessary knowledge. If you are interested in doing this, ask your zoning examiner to start this process.
Getting Started
Submit the following information to the Metro Codes zoning examiners to receive the needed approvals and permits:
- Residential Permit Application
- A site plan showing the proposed addition (Note: The site plan does not have to be professionally developed but should provide the dimensions of the proposed addition, including total square footage and height.)
- Floor plan (Floor plans shall show the proposed layout of the interior and include any proposed fixtures and appliances.)
Codes Zoning Division contact information:
- Address: 800 President Ronald Reagan Way, Nashville, TN 37210
- Hours: Monday-Friday. 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
- Email: [emailprotected]
- Phone Number: 615-862-6510
Registered contractors may apply via the Metro ePermits system. Contractors can register and obtain a username and password by e-mailing [emailprotected].
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the process the same for making an addition to a rental property that I own?
No. A rental property is considered a commercial space and is subject to a different building permit issuance process. For example, all work must be completed by a licensed contractor. Please speak to a Codes zoning examiner about the differences in the process.
Other Resources and Links
- A Complete List of All Metro Permits That May Be Required
- Guidelines for Homeowner Electrical Permits
- Example Site Plan
- General Codes Department Information
- Learn More About Your Property’s Zoning
- Zoning Examination Process Information
- Understanding the Davidson County Code
- Nashville ePermits – May be used to submit plans/monitor permit and inspection status
- To pay for a building permit: [emailprotected]
For any general Metro questions, dial 311 or 615-862-5000 to speak with a representative at hubNashville or visit hub.nashville.gov. A representative there will answer your question or put you in contact with someone who can.
Keys to Navigate the Process
- It is your responsibility to follow the requirements of the checklist on the building permit application and to make sure all necessary signoffs are achieved. Currently, Metro Nashville does not have the technology to route the application through each step in the required process; that is the applicant’s responsibility.
- It is also the applicant’s responsibility to schedule the necessary inspections with Metro Nashville at the proper time in the building process.
- Do not seek to determine what reviews and permits are required on your own. That is the zoning examiner’s job. If you fail to complete the steps identified in your permit application because you do not think they are necessary, your process will be delayed.
- Allow plenty of time. The Metro agencies involved in the review process are dealing with an unprecedented number of permit applications.
Tracking Progress
Property owners and registered contractors can track the progress of applications, inspections, and permit issuances by address or by using the permit application number created by the Codes zoning examiners at the start of the process at epermits.nashville.gov.
