The Metro rule
Metro Codes' list of projects that need a permit marks "SWIMMING POOLS ABOVE OR BELOW GRADE" as YES for one- and two-family dwellings. The Residential Pool Permitting Instructions (read 26 October 2026) add one exemption: "A pool permit is not required to replace exact same size and location if the pool was previously permitted."
Where the pool can go
From the same Metro page:
| Pool or equipment | Setback |
|---|---|
| In-ground, no more than 12 in. above grade | 3 ft minimum, though the same page also says these "can be built to the property line"; confirm with the Zoning Help Desk |
| Above-ground, or in-ground more than 12 in. above grade, behind the house | Half the district's side setback, at least 3 ft |
| Pumps and filters | 3 ft from the rear property line; half the full side setback |
| Any pool in front of the house | The average street (contextual), platted and street setbacks; a stamped contextual setback survey is required |
| Easements and platted setbacks | Not allowed for any pool |
Metro does not keep easement records or decide property lines; a plat, title abstract or survey shows easements, and Metro suggests asking NES, Piedmont and Metro Water Services directly. Look up your zoning and overlays on the Parcel Viewer; a PUD, SP or UDO overlay goes to the Planning Department, a historic or conservation overlay to the Historic Commission. Metro recommends asking Metro Stormwater about any added footprint, and Tennessee 811 needs three working days' notice before digging. Barrier and fence rules follow the International Swimming Pool Code; building code questions go to 615-862-6550.
Who can pull it
| Applicant | Metro's rule |
|---|---|
| Registered contractor | Applies through ePermits |
| Owner who lives in, or will live in, the single-family home | May obtain the building permit for a pool |
| Home owned by an LLC or trust | Self-permit only for work under $25,000 |
| Rental or investment property | Self-permit only for work under $25,000 |
Tennessee's Board for Licensing Contractors requires a license for "projects $25,000 and up" (Who is Required to be Licensed), and the usual Nashville pool permit, $100,000, is well above that, so a pool builder needs a state license. Look it up with the Nashville contractor license lookup; only 47.7% of pool filers in our file matched an active Tennessee license by name.
How to apply
- Gather the Residential Permit Application, a site plan showing the pool and equipment with distances to property lines and easements, and a receipt for a pool alarm ("State of Tennessee Requirement § 68-14-804"). For a self-permit, add the notarized Affidavit of Exemption and Self Permit Affidavit (3 pages).
- Submit to the Zoning Help Desk, or as a registered contractor through ePermits.
- Follow the examiner's checklist. "Do not seek to determine what reviews and approvals are required on your own." The checklist names the other divisions and agencies that must sign off.
- Pay and build. Once every sign-off is in, pay the permit and schedule inspections with Metro at each stage.
Metro's page lists no pool permit fee; the amount is set when the permit is issued.
What 895 Nashville pool permits show
| Measure | Nashville pools |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, September 2023 to September 2026 | 895 |
| Builders and owners that filed them | 321 |
| With a permit in the last 12 months | 155 |
| Usual filed value | $100,000 |
| Middle half of builders' usual value (79 firms) | $83,248 to $160,000 |
| Filers with one permit | 203 (63.2%) |
| Share held by the five busiest | 16.8% |
| Busiest / quietest month | July (134) / January (60) |
The usual filed value is $100,000, and three in four builders with enough permits usually file above $83,248. The market is spread out: 63.2% of filers have a single pool permit, and the five busiest hold only 16.8%. Filing peaks in July and is slowest in January; a winter permit is a pool ready for the next summer. Prices by home value are on the Nashville pool cost page.
See every Nashville pool builder by permits →
Related
Other cities' rules: do I need a permit for a pool. National prices: pool installation cost. Before you sign: questions to ask a pool builder. Resale: does a pool add home value. Past permits on your address: Nashville building permit search. Monthly counts: Nashville permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Nashville permits in our file carry no final-inspection status, so we cannot say how many pools were finished or how long they took. Filed values are the applicant's estimate. License status is our name match to Tennessee's file and misses firms whose permit name differs from their license name.
How we know this
Setbacks, the replacement exemption, self-permit limits, the pool alarm receipt and the application steps are quoted from Metro Nashville Codes' Residential Pool Permitting Instructions (last updated 17 January 2025) and its list of projects requiring a permit, read 26 October 2026; the $25,000 license threshold from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. Counts are Metro Nashville building permits on homes classified as swimming pools, September 2023 to September 2026.
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
- Do I need a permit for a pool in Nashville?
Yes. Metro Codes' list marks 'Swimming pools above or below grade' as needing a permit for one- and two-family homes, and its pool page says zoning examiners review the application and a site plan showing the pool's location. A permit is not needed to replace a previously permitted pool of exactly the same size and location.
- How close to the property line can a pool be in Nashville?
An in-ground pool that sits no more than 12 inches above grade needs a 3-foot minimum setback, though the same Metro page also says such pools can be built to the property line, so confirm with the Zoning Help Desk; a pool more than 12 inches above ground behind the house needs half the district's side setback, at least 3 feet. Pumps and filters must be 3 feet from the rear line. No pool may sit in an easement or platted setback.
- Can a homeowner pull a pool permit in Nashville?
Yes, if you occupy or will occupy the single-family home. If the home is owned by an LLC or trust, or is a rental or investment property, a self-permit is allowed only for work under $25,000. Self-permits need the notarized Affidavit of Exemption and Self Permit Affidavit.
- Do I need a pool alarm in Nashville?
Yes. Metro's pool page lists a receipt for a pool alarm among the documents for a pool permit, citing the State of Tennessee requirement in Tenn. Code 68-14-804. You can buy one from the pool company or online.
- How much does a pool cost in Nashville?
The usual Nashville pool permit in our file was filed at $100,000, and the middle half of builders usually filed between $83,248 and $160,000. That is the value written on the permit, not a quote.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a pool permit in Austin? The 24-inch rule, the six inspections and the barrier checklist
- Do I need a pool permit in Cape Coral? Who can apply, the $307 fee, the inspections and the barrier rules
- Do I need a permit for a pool? Yes for in-ground: the rule in 13 cities, and how long they take
- Mesa pool barrier rules: the 5-foot fence, self-latching gates, door alarms and where the pool can go
- Do I need a pool permit in Scottsdale? The building permit, the per-square-foot fee and the barrier rules
For one city
- Building Permits Central: Residential Pool Permitting Instructions — Metro Nashville Codes (last updated 2025-01-17, accessed 2026-10-26)
- List of building projects which may or may not require a permit — Metro Codes (accessed 2026-10-26)
- Subcontractors / Who is Required to be Licensed — Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors (2026-10-22)
- ePermits — Metro Nashville Codes (2026-10-23)
- Metro Parcel Viewer (2026-10-23)