Building permits and zoning in Nashville

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Facts on this page come from Metro Nashville’s Codes and Building Safety Department, its building permit process, residential permit procedures, fence rules and Board of Zoning Appeals pages, and the Metro Planning Department.

Building permits in Nashville and Davidson County come from the Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety, on the first floor of the Metro Office Building, 800 President Ronald Reagan Way. Call 615-862-6500, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Zoning questions go to the Zoning Division at 615-862-6510. Rezoning, subdivisions and historic districts are handled by the Planning Department upstairs, 615-862-7190.

Who to call

• Permits, general: Codes and Building Safety, 615-862-6500
• Zoning code, appointments with a zoning examiner: Zoning Division, 615-862-6510 (help in Spanish: 615-862-4078)
• Inspections: building 615-862-6550; electrical 615-862-6560; plumbing and gas/mechanical 615-862-6570
• Rezoning, subdivisions, historic zoning: Planning Department, 615-862-7190, Metro Office Building, second floor

Scam warning. Metro says fraudsters are emailing residents and businesses pretending to be zoning staff and demanding fees by wire transfer. Metro never asks for a wire; fees are paid in person or by card through ePermits.

When you need a permit

Metro Codes requires a building permit to:

• Build a new home or an addition
• Place a mobile, modular or double-wide home, or move a house onto a lot
• Build a garage, carport, patio cover, deck, porch, or a storage building of 100 square feet or more
• Put in a swimming pool (it needs a 48-inch barrier)
• Turn a garage, basement or attic into living space
• Put on siding or a new roof, install a fireplace or solar panels, or move or remove load-bearing walls
• Demolish any structure

No permit is needed for normal upkeep: painting, wallpaper, glazing, floor finishing, minor repairs to stairs, porches and chimneys, and roof repairs covering no more than 33% of the roof. Electrical, plumbing and gas work needs separate trade permits, pulled by a licensed subcontractor after the building permit is issued.

How to apply

1. Check the zoning. Look up your parcel on Metro’s property maps. If the zoning already allows your use, you are “zoned and ready.”
2. Send the application to the Zoning Help Desk with a site plan showing the project and its distance to property lines. A mortgage survey often works. Add elevation drawings for height and floor plans for additions. Registered contractors apply through ePermits.
3. Self permit. An owner who lives in, or will live in, a single-family home can pull the permit with a notarized Affidavit of Exemption and Self Permit Affidavit. Not allowed for a detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU).
4. Get sign-offs. A zoning examiner sends a checklist of other approvals, such as Water and Sewer, Stormwater, Health, Fire, Planning and Historic Zoning.
5. Pay and build. New homes are charged on valuation figures; remodels on the actual value of the work. Metro’s fee schedule is on the permit process page.
6. Inspections and Use and Occupancy. The permit comes with an inspection checklist. After the final inspections, the Use and Occupancy Division issues the final letter.

Construction plans are reviewed only for homes over 5,000 square feet or more than three stories.

Fences

• Corner lots: no fence in the 35-foot visibility zone (except in the Urban Zoning Overlay).
• No fence within 6 feet of a fire hydrant.
• A fence can sit on the property line but not over it. Cross bracing faces your own yard.
• The right-of-way often runs past the sidewalk. Metro does not keep surveys or mark lines; a licensed surveyor can.
• Historic Preservation and Historic Landmark overlays need a Preservation Permit first.

Zoning boards and when they meet

• Board of Zoning Appeals: seven members appointed by the mayor. It hears variances, special exceptions and appeals of the zoning administrator. Meets the first and third Thursday at 1 p.m. Coming up: Thursday, Nov. 5; Thursday, Nov. 19; and Thursday, Dec. 3. Filing deadlines, the fee schedule and forms are on the BZA page.
• Metropolitan Planning Commission: 10 members. It decides subdivisions and advises the Metro Council on rezoning requests after a public hearing. Its 2026 meetings have fallen on the second and fourth Thursdays at 4 p.m.; the next is 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. Agendas and staff reports are on the commission page.
• Metro Council makes the final decision on rezoning after its own public hearing.

The Planning Department’s Development Tracker lists new applications daily; it does not list building permits, which come from Codes.

What this means for you

• Planning a deck, shed or fence this fall? Check your zoning and setbacks first, then apply with a site plan.
• Got a letter about a rezoning near you? You can comment to the Planning Department before the commission meets.

Related guides: property taxes, who to call at Metro and moving to Nashville.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to build a deck in Nashville?

Yes. Metro Codes requires a building permit for decks, porches, garages, carports, patio covers and storage buildings of 100 square feet or more, with a site plan.

Can a homeowner pull their own building permit in Nashville?

Yes. An owner who lives in or will live in a single-family home can get a self permit with two notarized affidavits, but not for a detached accessory dwelling unit.

How tall can a fence be in Nashville?

Up to 6 feet in a front yard and 8 feet in side and rear yards. A solid fence over 30 inches must sit at least 10 feet back from the right-of-way.

When does the Nashville Board of Zoning Appeals meet?

The first and third Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. The next meetings are Nov. 5, Nov. 19 and Dec. 3, 2026.

Who do I call about zoning in Nashville?

The Codes Department’s Zoning Division at 615-862-6510 for permits and the zoning code; the Planning Department at 615-862-7190 for rezoning and subdivisions.