Permit Requirements

Electrical Panel permits across Tennessee

Where each city draws the line on electrical panel work. Sort any column — useful if you build across several towns and need to know where the rules change.

Cities compared 23
Always need one 23
Depends on size 0

The statewide starting point is International Residential Code, принятый Теннесси, 2018. Cities that changed the rule are the interesting rows below.

Where the line falls Fee
Nashville 704,963 Yes Upgrading or replacing an electrical service panel is ele… Electrical permit fees are set by the schedule in 16.20.250…
Memphis 610,919 Yes Upgrading or replacing an electrical service panel needs … Electrical permit and inspection fees are set in the locall…
Knoxville 198,722 Yes Upgrading or replacing an electrical service panel needs … Electrical permit fees are set by the city electrical ordin…
Chattanooga 191,496 Yes Upgrading or replacing an electrical service panel needs … An electrical permit fee is charged under the Sec. 14-15 sc…
Clarksville 185,690 Yes Any change-out or upgrade of service equipment (panel/ser… Electrical permit per inspection: 'Change of service' $32.0…
Murfreesboro 168,387 Yes Upgrading or replacing an electrical service panel is ele… Electrical permit fees are set by the City Council; no amou…
Franklin 89,142 Yes No size threshold in the code
Johnson City 73,635 Yes Upgrading or replacing an electrical service panel needs … The Board of Commissioners may set a permit fee schedule (S…
Jackson 69,303 Yes upgrading or replacing an electrical service panel (not a…
Hendersonville 63,947 Yes No size threshold in the code
Smyrna 60,302 Yes Upgrading or replacing an electrical service panel requir…
Kingsport 57,109 Yes No size threshold in the code
Gallatin 52,489 Yes No size threshold in the code Current permit fee schedules are available in the Building …
Brentwood 45,525 Yes No size threshold in the code
Mount Juliet 44,066 Yes No size threshold in the code
La Vergne 41,430 Yes No size threshold in the code Set by the fee schedule adopted with the annual budget.
Germantown 40,128 Yes No size threshold in the code
Morristown 32,994 Yes No size threshold in the code
Bristol 27,867 Yes No size threshold in the code Permit fees set by resolution of city council (§ 14-33(b));…
Farragut 25,242 Yes No size threshold in the code Permit fees set by the general fee schedule resolution adop…
Springfield 19,842 Yes No size threshold in the code
Goodlettsville 17,433 Yes No size threshold in the code building/electrical permit fee required per Sec. 12-202; am…
Nolensville 15,809 Yes No size threshold in the code

“Unconfirmed” means the city's code doesn't state the rule plainly enough to publish. Those city pages link straight to the ordinance section instead.

Why neighboring cities disagree

Every city starts from a model code and then edits it. One town raises the shed cutoff, the next lowers the fence height, a third exempts the structure where its neighbor only exempts repairs to it. None of that is visible from a national article — you have to read each ordinance, which is what these pages do.

This is a reference, not legal advice. Confirm with the building department in the city you're building in. How we build these pages.