What Metro wants before it issues the permit
From Metro's drawing requirements for permits (read 23 October 2026):
| Requirement | Metro's rule for a new house |
|---|---|
| Plans | "Site plans and building plans are required for all new buildings and additions", submitted as a PDF |
| Contents | Foundation, floor, roof and framing plans, door and window schedule, plumbing, mechanical and electrical drawings, and energy compliance certificates under the 2018 IECC |
| Seal | "Single family residences do not have to be sealed", unless the plans' title block shows an architect or engineer drew them; site plans must be sealed by a Tennessee land surveyor or engineer |
| Codes | 2018 International Residential Code with local amendments; 2017 National Electrical Code; 2018 plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas codes |
| Who gets the permit | "a contractor that is licensed in Tennessee, has a permit bond and a Metro Nashville business license" |
| Permit bond | "$10,000.00 for projects up to $25,000.00 total and $40,000.00 for projects over $25,000.00 total" |
The review starts with Metro's zoning examiners, who hand you a checklist of the departments that must sign off, such as water and sewer availability or the Historic Commission. The registered user tracks the review in ePermits; Metro's sheet says "THE REGISTERED USER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TRACKING THE REVIEW".
Who can build: licensed builder or owner
The State requires a contractor's license "for projects $25,000 and up", with a monetary limit set at "10 times the lesser of working capital or net worth" (Board for Licensing Contractors, read 22 October 2026). At a usual $264,404 a Nashville house needs a builder whose limit covers the contract; check it on verify.tn.gov (Nashville contractor license lookup).
Owners can build their own house. Metro's 2021 permit guidance says "A property owner who presently occupies or intends to occupy a single-family residence or a licensed contractor may obtain a building permit to construct or repair a residence", and warns that the owner then "becomes totally responsible for code compliance including the work of subcontractors". The trades still go to licensed electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors unless you pass Metro's homeowner exam for that trade. The trade-offs are in how to get an owner-builder permit.
From slab to move-in
- Building permit issued after every department signs off.
- Trade permits. Electrical, plumbing and gas/mechanical permits are pulled by the licensed trades under the building permit (see Nashville electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits).
- Water meter. "Meter installation requires a licensed plumber"; once the plumber pulls the meter permit, Metro books the meter inspection "for 30 business days after the date the permit is pulled" (Water Meter Inspection). Meters "must pass all final inspection criteria" before you can move in. Irrigation and sprinkler systems add a backflow preventer.
- Building final last. Metro: "a Building Final inspection should not be performed until all trade permits (gas/mechanical, plumbing, electrical) have been completed."
- Use and Occupancy letter. In ePermits, open the building permit, choose "Available Reports" and print the "CA Permit Status U&O REPORT"; when every inspection shows complete, request the letter by email or on 615-862-6550 (Use and Occupancy, read 23 October 2026).
If you are buying from a builder, ask for that U&O letter at closing. It is Metro's own statement that the house passed.
Fees
We could not find Metro's current building permit fee schedule online, and a new house also carries water and sewer charges set by Metro Water Services. Ask Codes (615-862-6500) and Metro Water for the totals on your lot before you sign a build contract.
What 10,208 Nashville new-home permits show
| Measure | Nashville new homes |
|---|---|
| Permits, September 2023 to September 2026 | 10,208 |
| Builders | 2,252 |
| Builders with one permit only | 1,243 (55.2%) |
| Builders with 10 or more | 203 |
| Builders with a permit in the last 12 months | 1,163 |
| Share held by the five busiest builders | 12.5% |
| Usual filed value | $264,404 |
| Middle half of builders' usual value | $95,000 to $348,538 |
| Builders matched to an active state license by name | 43.8% |
| Busiest / quietest month | June (114) / November (77) |
Nashville home building is spread across many small builders: 55.2% of builders filed a single new-home permit in three years, and the five busiest held only 12.5%. Only 43.8% of builders matched an active Tennessee license by business name, and unmatched is not the same as unlicensed, but on a job this size look the license up yourself. 85 builders with 5 or more permits filed none in the last 12 months. Prices by house value are on Nashville new home cost, and the monthly totals on Nashville permit statistics.
See every Nashville home builder by permits filed →
Before you sign
Run the builder through the Nashville home builder list and the state lookup, and read hiring a home builder. Other places' rules are in do I need a permit to build a house, and national costs in new home construction cost.
What this does not tell you
Metro's building permits in our copy carry no final date, so we cannot say what share of Nashville new homes reached a U&O letter or how long that took. Filed value is the construction value on the permit, not the sale price or the land. The owner-builder rule is quoted from Metro's 2021 guidance; confirm it with Codes before you plan around it.
How we know this
Plan, bond, meter and U&O requirements are quoted from Metro Nashville Codes pages and documents read 23 October 2026; the state license rules from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, read 22 October 2026. Permit counts are Metro Nashville Codes building permits for new one- and two-family homes in Davidson County, September 2023 to September 2026; license match is by business name against the Tennessee contractor file.
Numbers come from Metro Nashville (Davidson County) building and trade permits, data through September 21, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Who can get a building permit for a new house in Nashville?
Metro's drawing requirements say that after approval by all departments, a permit may be issued to a contractor licensed in Tennessee who has a permit bond and a Metro Nashville business license. Metro's 2021 permit guidance also lets a property owner who occupies, or intends to occupy, a single-family house get the building permit; the owner then answers for all the work, subcontractors included.
- Do house plans need an architect's stamp in Nashville?
Not for a single-family house, unless the plans carry a title block or anything showing an architect or engineer prepared them. Site plans must be sealed by a Tennessee-licensed land surveyor or engineer. Plans must include foundation, floor, roof and framing plans, door and window schedules, trade drawings and an energy compliance certificate.
- How big is the permit bond for a Nashville builder?
Metro's drawing requirements set the permit bond at $10,000 for projects up to $25,000 total and $40,000 for projects over $25,000. A new house is over that line, so expect the $40,000 bond.
- How much does a new house cost to build in Nashville?
The usual new-home permit in our file was filed at $264,404, and the middle half of builders usually file between $95,000 and $348,538. That is the construction value written on the permit, not the land or the sale price.
- When can I move into a new house in Nashville?
After the Use and Occupancy letter. Metro says the building final should not be done until the gas/mechanical, plumbing and electrical permits are complete, and the water meter must pass inspection. You then request the letter by email or on 615-862-6550 with the permit status report from ePermits.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Nashville historic overlay rules: what needs a preservation permit, and what it means for your contractor
- Albuquerque building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Building a casita in Albuquerque: the 750 sq ft limit, rear-yard rule, parking, free plans, and who builds them
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Albuquerque? GB-2 or homeowner, the plan set and the fee
- Building a new house in Tyler, TX: the permit, $0.47 a square foot, plan review and inspections
- Do I need a permit to build a house in Waco? The new-home plan set, the $0.45 per sq ft fee, and trade permits
For one city
- Metro Drawing Requirements for Permits — Metro Codes (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Apply for a Use and Occupancy Letter — Metro Codes (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Permits Central: I Need a Water Meter Inspection — Metro Codes (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Building Permits Central — Metro Codes (accessed 2026-10-23)
- How to obtain permits associated with the repair of weather damaged homes (March 2021) — Metro Codes (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Contractor — Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (2026-10-22)
- Subcontractors / Who is Required to be Licensed — Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (2026-10-22)