The office covers Memphis, Arlington, Germantown, Lakeland, Millington and unincorporated Shelby County. Bartlett and Collierville run their own permit offices.
Who can pull it
From Construction Enforcement's FAQs on develop901.com (read 24 October 2026):
| Question | The office's answer |
|---|---|
| Can a homeowner make improvements to their existing dwelling? | "Yes. Pursuant to TCA § 62-6-103", an owner may construct, alter, repair or add to a single-family dwelling for the owner's own use, "not intended for resale, rent, or lease" |
| What about trade work? | "A licensed and/or registered contractor is required for all mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work" |
| What does the owner file? | "A statement of ownership letter is required before the permit can be issued" |
| Must contractors register locally? | State-licensed contractors register their licenses with the office; "a registration fee and surety bond is required" (Licensing Section, 901-222-8390) |
| Can plans be reviewed before a contractor is chosen? | Yes; the permit is then issued to a contractor registered with the office |
| Does the residential plan review fee apply to renovations? | No; it applies to new homes and additions or accessory buildings over 400 sq ft |
The state license thresholds. Shelby County is one of nine Tennessee counties where a home improvement license is required for residential remodeling projects "from $3,000 to $24,999" (Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, read 24 October 2026). At $25,000 and up the contractor needs a state contractor's license instead. The usual Memphis remodel permit, $20,000, falls in the home improvement band.
What it costs
From the office's 2022 Fee Schedule, linked from the Construction Enforcement page:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Alteration or repair, per $1,000 of valuation | $5.00 |
| Minimum / maximum | $50 / $325 |
| Re-inspection | $50 |
| Data processing fee, every permit | $4 |
| Residential housing initiative surcharge | $1 |
| Job valuation | Building permit fee |
|---|---|
| $9,500 (the low end of the middle half of Memphis remodels) | $50 (minimum) |
| $20,000 (the usual Memphis remodel) | $100 |
| $39,400 (the high end of the middle half) | $197 |
| $65,000 or more | $325 (maximum) |
Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are separate and priced on the same office's trade schedules.
How to apply and what gets inspected
- Apply in the Develop901 Citizen Portal (Accela), with plans where the scope needs them. The office says whether MPE drawings are needed is decided case by case, and if trades are involved, drawings are likely.
- Owner-builders file the statement of ownership letter before issue.
- Inspections. The office lists foundation, frame, rough-in, rough-in piping and wall (with a pressure test), underground, air test and final inspections, made "upon notification from the permit holder". The final is made "after the building is complete".
What 2,643 remodel permits show
| Measure | Memphis and Shelby County remodels and repairs |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2024 to September 2026 | 2,643 (28% of all building permits) |
| October 2024–September 2025 / October 2025–September 2026 | 1,313 / 1,330 (about the same) |
| Usual declared value | $20,000 (middle half $9,500 to $39,400) |
| Busiest / quietest month | July (174) / January (74) |
| ZIPs with the most | 38116 (302), 38109 (173), 38127 (172), 38108 (148) |
July is an outlier: 74% above an average month, while no other month passes March's 111. 38116 (Whitehaven) has 11% of all remodel permits, nearly twice the next ZIP, 38109. Monthly counts are on Memphis remodel permits, every kind of work on Memphis permit statistics, and the rows on browse Memphis permits.
Before you hire
Search the address and the contractor in the Citizen Portal, as the Memphis building permit search guide shows, and check the home improvement or contractor license on verify.tn.gov (how to check a contractor's license in Tennessee). Elsewhere: do I need a permit to remodel, a kitchen and a bathroom; filed values in home remodel cost.
What this does not tell you
The office's open file carries building permits only, so a remodel's electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are not counted. It has no status, no final date and no contractor, so we show no finished share, no time to final and no firms. The fee table is the office's 2022 schedule; confirm the figure on your invoice.
How we know this
Owner, contractor-registration, plan-review and inspection rules are quoted from Memphis and Shelby County Construction Enforcement's FAQs on develop901.com, fees from its 2022 Building Section fee schedule, and the home improvement license range from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, all read 24 October 2026. Our counts are the Memphis Open Data Hub DPD Building Permits layer, read 19 October 2026: remodel and repair permits issued October 2024 to September 2026.
Numbers come from public permit records in 57 cities, data through October 19, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Can a homeowner pull a building permit in Memphis?
Yes, for a single-family home the owner will use. Memphis and Shelby County Construction Enforcement says, citing TCA 62-6-103, an owner may construct, alter, repair or add to a single-family dwelling not intended for resale, rent or lease, with a statement of ownership letter. Mechanical, plumbing and electrical work still needs a licensed or registered contractor.
- How much is a remodel permit in Memphis?
The office's 2022 building fee schedule charges alterations and repairs $5.00 per $1,000 of valuation, with a $50 minimum and a $325 maximum, plus a $4 data processing fee and a $1 residential housing surcharge. The usual Memphis remodel permit, valued at $20,000, works out to $100 before those two.
- Does my Memphis contractor need a license for a remodel?
In Shelby County, a Tennessee home improvement license is required for residential remodeling from $3,000 to $24,999, and a state contractor's license at $25,000 and up. State-licensed contractors must also register with the Memphis and Shelby County office, with a fee and a surety bond.
- What inspections does a Memphis remodel need?
Construction Enforcement lists foundation, frame, rough-in, rough-in piping (with a pressure test), underground, air test and final inspections, made on notice from the permit holder. The final is made after the work is complete.
- How many remodel permits does Memphis issue?
2,643 remodel and repair permits from October 2024 to September 2026 in the joint Memphis and Shelby County file, about 1,322 a year and 28% of all building permits. July was by far the busiest month.
Build your own list
Pick your city and the kind of work. Every firm with a permit on record, sorted by what you value.
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- Construction Enforcement (FAQs) — Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development (2026-10-24)
- 2022 Fee Schedule, Building Section — Memphis and Shelby County Construction Enforcement (2026-10-24)
- Home Improvement Contractor — Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (2026-10-24)
- Develop901 Citizen Portal (Accela), Building search (2026-10-24)
- DPD Building Permits — Memphis Open Data Hub (ArcGIS layer) (2026-10-19)