Permit Requirements

Water Heater permit in Memphis, TN

We couldn't confirm this from Memphis's code.

Rather than guess, here is the exact section to read and who to call. A rule appears on this site only when the ordinance states it plainly.

Read IRC R105.2, R105.2.1 and R105.2.2

Contact the Memphis building department

Nearby cities, same job

Rules stop at the city line. If your lot is near a boundary, or you work across several towns, this is where they differ.

CityDistance Permit?Where the line falls
Memphis Yes Swapping in a new water heater or moving one is not on th…
Clarksville 178 mi Yes No size threshold in the code
Franklin 184 mi Yes No size threshold in the code
Nashville 193 mi Yes Replacing or moving a water heater needs a permit. Metro …
Smyrna 202 mi Yes Replacing or relocating a water heater needs a permit. It…
Hendersonville 206 mi Yes No size threshold in the code

See every Tennessee city on water heater work

Other work in Memphis

Questions people ask

I already built it without a permit. What now?

Memphis can issue a stop-work order and require you to apply after the fact, sometimes with an extra fee. Work that was covered up may have to be opened for inspection. Full walkthrough here.

Does unpermitted work cause problems when selling the house?

Often, yes. A buyer's inspector or the title company may flag it, and lenders can balk at financing a home with open or missing permits. What to do about it.

Do I pull the permit or does my contractor?

Your contractor does. A licensed contractor pulling their own permit is the normal arrangement — if one asks you to pull it in your name, treat that as a warning sign, because it moves the liability to you.