Nashville, TN
Nashville building permit cost
A Nashville building permit is four fees added together
and the schedule's own first lines name them: a $25 zoning examination fee, the building valuation fee — $5.00 per $1,000 for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, a four-band ladder for everything else — a codes tech fee of 10% of the valuation fee, and a plan review that is one-half of the permit fee up to $275,000 and a printed ladder above it. Multifamily construction takes the commercial ladder, because the schedule's residential definition explicitly excludes it.
How this fee is calculated
These are the components the schedule defines for this permit, as they applied on 2026-09-28. A component only applies to your project if its conditions match — read that column before assuming a figure. Want a figure for your own project? Estimate this fee with the permit fee calculator.
| Component | Formula | Applies when | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning examination fee — $25 per building permitOther fee | $25.00 flat fee | Every permit of this type | — |
| Building permit — commercial, $0 to $2,000 of valuation: $40.39Permit fee | $40.39 flat fee | building class is commercial and Project valuation up to $2,000 | — |
| Building permit — commercial, $2,000.01 to $50,000: $40.39 plus $6.92 per $1,000 or fractionPermit fee | $40.39 + $6.92 per $1,000 of project valuation above $2,000, or fraction thereof | building class is commercial and Project valuation over $2,000 and Project valuation up to $50,000 | — |
| Building permit — commercial, $50,000.01 to $100,000: $372.71 plus $5.57 per $1,000 or fractionPermit fee | $372.71 + $5.57 per $1,000 of project valuation above $50,000, or fraction thereof | building class is commercial and Project valuation over $50,000 and Project valuation up to $100,000 | — |
| Building permit — commercial, $100,000.01 to $500,000: $651.38 plus $4.19 per $1,000 or fractionPermit fee | $651.38 + $4.19 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000, or fraction thereof | building class is commercial and Project valuation over $100,000 and Project valuation up to $500,000 | — |
| Building permit — commercial, $500,000.01 and up: $2,326.84 plus $2.79 per $1,000 or fractionPermit fee | $2,326.84 + $2.79 per $1,000 of project valuation above $500,000, or fraction thereof | building class is commercial and Project valuation over $500,000 | — |
| Building permit — one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, $5.00 per $1,000 of valuationPermit fee | $5.00 per $1,000 of project valuation | building class is one of one and two family, townhouse | — |
| Plans examination — $275,000.01 to $5,000,000: $1,338.54 plus $0.18 per $1,000 or fractionPlan review | $1,338.54 + $0.18 per $1,000 of project valuation above $275,000, or fraction thereof | building class is commercial and Project valuation over $275,000 and Project valuation up to $5,000,000 | — |
| Plans examination — $5,000,000.01 and up: $2,181.82 plus $0.07 per $1,000 or fractionPlan review | $2,181.82 + $0.07 per $1,000 of project valuation above $5,000,000, or fraction thereof | building class is commercial and Project valuation over $5,000,000 | — |
| Plans examination — one-half of the building permit fee, to $275,000 of valuationPlan review | 50% of calculated permit fee | building class is commercial and Project valuation up to $275,000 | — |
| Codes tech fee — 10% of the building valuation feeTechnology fee | 10% of calculated permit fee | any project valuation | — |
A real permit fee is these components added together. The department’s final calculation is the one that applies — this is the schedule it will be based on.
A worked example
Follow the arithmetic by hand. Every line is produced by the engine from the rules above, so the total cannot drift away from the schedule behind it.
Worked example
A $150,000 commercial renovation — a valuation inside the fourth band, the ordinary mid-size commercial job.
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Project valuation | $150,000 |
| Building class | commercial |
Example total
$1,402.41
An estimate, not an official fee. It is calculated from the published fee schedule as it applied on 2026-09-28. The permit office’s own calculation is the one that applies, and your project may fall under rules this schedule does not describe.
Fee schedule as of 2026-09-28Rules applied 4Rules considered 11
| Component | How it is calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
Zoning examination fee — $25 per building permitOther feeThe schedule's own first line: "The total permit cost for a building permit includes: Zoning Examination Fee of $25". It is charged on every building permit, residential and commercial alike, and it is not part of the building valuation fee — so the 10% codes tech fee, which is "10% of the Building Valuation Fee", is not charged on it. Declared as an `other` component for exactly that reason.Show the working
| $25.00 flat fee | $25.00 |
Building permit — commercial, $100,000.01 to $500,000: $651.38 plus $4.19 per $1,000 or fractionPermit feeThe schedule's "$100,000.01 to $500,000.00 $651.38 for the first $100,000.00 plus $4.19 for each additional thousand or fraction thereof, to and including $500,000.00". This band's arithmetic at $500,000 is $2,327.38 and the top band prints $2,326.84 — the third seam, and the only one that steps down (.54 cents a thousand's worth of it).Show the working
| $651.38 + $4.19 per $1,000 of project valuation above $100,000, or fraction thereof, in $1,000 steps | $860.88 |
Plans examination — one-half of the building permit fee, to $275,000 of valuationPlan reviewSubsection G.1's first row: "$0.00 to $275,000.00 one-half of the building permit fee as set forth in subsection A of this section" — half of the ladder's output, not of the job. Gated to commercial work because G.2 excepts "one- and two-family dwelling building permits" and "townhouse building permits" from plans examination entirely.Show the working
| 50% of calculated permit fee | $430.44 |
Codes tech fee — 10% of the building valuation feeTechnology feeThe schedule's own third line: "Codes Tech Fee: 10% of the Building Valuation Fee". Its base is the valuation fee — the ladder's output — and not the whole permit bill, which is why the zoning examination fee is an `other` component rather than a base one: a base component would be inside the subtotal this 10% reads. The ordinance behind it, BL2022-1254, is cited on the sheet.Show the working
| 10% of calculated permit fee | $86.09 |
| Total | $1,402.41 |
Fees that do not apply here
Listed so you can see what was considered and left out, rather than wondering whether something is missing. A rule can also be left out because it is not published for this permit at all, and that is stated where it matters.
- Building permit — commercial, $0 to $2,000 of valuation: $40.39 — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit — commercial, $2,000.01 to $50,000: $40.39 plus $6.92 per $1,000 or fraction — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit — commercial, $50,000.01 to $100,000: $372.71 plus $5.57 per $1,000 or fraction — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit — commercial, $500,000.01 and up: $2,326.84 plus $2.79 per $1,000 or fraction — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Building permit — one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, $5.00 per $1,000 of valuation — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Plans examination — $275,000.01 to $5,000,000: $1,338.54 plus $0.18 per $1,000 or fraction — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
- Plans examination — $5,000,000.01 and up: $2,181.82 plus $0.07 per $1,000 or fraction — This fee does not apply to the inputs provided.
Assumptions
- Calculated from 4 fee rules in effect on 2026-09-28.
- Amounts are rounded to the nearest cent, once, at the end of each component.
The valuation fee, band 4: "$100,000.01 to $500,000.00 $651.38 for the first $100,000.00 plus $4.19 for each additional thousand or fraction thereof". $50,000 above the first $100,000 is fifty steps: $651.38 + $209.50 = $860.88.
The plan review, at one-half of the permit fee: $430.44. The codes tech fee at 10% of the valuation fee: $86.09. The zoning examination fee: $25.00. Total: $1,402.41 — the four components the schedule's first lines name, each on its own base.
Two seams are worth seeing from here. At $100,000 the valuation fee is $651.21 by the band below's arithmetic and $651.38 as band 3 prints its base — seventeen cents the City chose. And at $275,000 of work the plan review is half of a $1,384.63 permit fee, $692.32; one dollar later it is $1,338.72, because subsection G.1's second row starts at $1,338.54. A dwelling valued at $150,000 pays none of that: $5.00 per $1,000 is $750.00 of valuation fee, no plan review, plus the $25.00 zoning fee and the $75.00 tech fee.
What is different in Nashville
The commercial ladder is four bands with three printed seams: $40.39 to $2,000; $40.39 plus $6.92 a thousand to $50,000; $372.71 plus $5.57 to $100,000; $651.38 plus $4.19 to $500,000; $2,326.84 plus $2.79 beyond. The printed bases are not the arithmetic below them — $372.71 against $372.55, $651.38 against $651.21, and $2,326.84 against $2,327.38 — and each is charged as printed. Every band rounds its chargeable part up to whole $1,000s, because every row says "or fraction thereof".
The plan review is the sharp edge. To $275,000 it is one-half of the building permit fee — about $692.32 at the seam — and at $275,000.01 it is $1,338.54 plus $0.18 a thousand, a 93% step for one dollar of valuation, then $2,181.82 plus $0.07 a thousand above $5,000,000, whose base is $7.22 below where the band beneath it lands. Subsection G.2 exempts one- and two-family dwelling permits and townhouse permits from plans examination entirely, so the residential rate of $5.00 per $1,000 is a dwelling's whole building permit fee.
The fourth component prices the third: the codes tech fee is 10% of the building valuation fee, not of the whole bill, which is why the $25 zoning examination fee is charged outside the base — a fee that is 10% of the valuation fee cannot be 10% of itself. And the plan review is never refunded: "in no case shall this be refunded even if there is not a subsequent building permit issued".
What this figure does not include
Impact fees, utility connections and other departments’ permits are the usual omissions, and in some jurisdictions they are larger than the permit fee itself.
Not included in these figures
This is the building permit fee the Metro Code charges. It excludes:
- The gas/mechanical permit — Metro Code 16.16.400's own permit, with its $75 minimum, appliance rows and $32 per 100,000 Btuh of connected heating and cooling capacity.
- The moving, sign, trailer and use-and-occupancy rows — $252.00 to move a building, signs on the commercial schedule with a $55 minimum, $55.00 per trailer, and $55.00 for a use-and-occupancy permit where no building permit issued.
- The re-inspection fee — $50.00 when an inspection is repeated; not part of a permit's price.
- Metro Water Services taps and sewer availability — the utility's own charges.
- The valuation itself as an estimate — the schedule reprints ICC's Building Valuation Data so a reader can compute one, but the code defines the valuation as the contract amount, and this site does not derive it.
What you need before applying
- The valuation is the contract amount, and the City may demand the contractRequired
Metro Code 16.28.110's valuation paragraph: "Valuation is defined as the cost of construction including structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, interior finish, site preparation and development, architectural and design fees, overhead, and profit. The valuation is based on the contract amount. The City reserves the right to require a copy of the contract should the valuation be less than seventy-five percent (75%) of the national average for the type of construction appearing in the Building Valuation Data -- February 2024, or the most recent edition, published by the International Code Council." The last page of the fee schedule is that BVD table, with its per-square-foot costs by occupancy group and construction type and a worked permit-fee multiplier example.
- The plans examination fee is never refunded, even when no permit issuesRequired
Metro Code 16.28.110 G.1: "Such plan-examination fee is in addition to the building permit fee and in no case shall this be refunded even if there is not a subsequent building permit issued. If an issued building permit is due a refund as per Section 16.28.140, in no case shall the plans examination fee be refunded." The plan review is charged for the examination of the plans, not for the permit, and it survives the permit's cancellation.
- Multifamily is commercial construction on this scheduleRequired
Subsection A.1 defines residential as covering "one-family and two-family residential construction and townhouses as defined by the 2018 Edition of the International Residential Code, but not multi-family construction", and A.2 sends everything else down the commercial ladder. A Nashville apartment building therefore pays the four-band ladder, the 10% tech fee and the plan review, while the townhouses beside it pay $5.00 per $1,000 and nothing else.
Common questions
How much is a building permit in Nashville?
Four fees: a $25 zoning examination fee, the building valuation fee ($5.00 per $1,000 for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses; $40.39 plus $6.92 a thousand to $50,000, $372.71 plus $5.57 to $100,000, $651.38 plus $4.19 to $500,000 and $2,326.84 plus $2.79 beyond for everything else), a codes tech fee of 10% of the valuation fee, and a plan review that is half the permit fee to $275,000 and $1,338.54 plus $0.18 a thousand above it. A $150,000 commercial renovation is $1,402.41 in all.
When is the plan review charged, and how much is it?
To $275,000 of valuation it is "one-half of the building permit fee as set forth in subsection A" — about $692.32 at the seam — and from $275,000.01 it is $1,338.54 plus $0.18 per $1,000 of valuation to $5,000,000, then $2,181.82 plus $0.07 per $1,000 above that. One- and two-family dwelling permits, townhouse permits, demolition permits and blasting permits are exempt from plans examination altogether (subsection G.2), and the fee is never refunded even if no permit is issued.
Does multifamily construction pay the residential rate?
No. Subsection A.1 defines residential construction as one-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses "but not multi-family construction", and A.2 sends all other construction down the commercial ladder. A Nashville apartment building pays the commercial bands, the 10% codes tech fee and the plan review; the townhouses beside it pay $5.00 per $1,000 and no plan review at all.
What is the codes tech fee and what is it charged on?
"Codes Tech Fee: 10% of the Building Valuation Fee" — the schedule's own third line, and its own ordinance, BL2022-1254. Its base is the valuation fee alone, not the whole permit bill: on a $860.88 valuation fee it is $86.09, and the $25 zoning examination fee charged beside it is not inside that base. It is a technology component, not part of the permit fee.
Why do the ladder's band bases not match the band below them?
Because the schedule prints bases rather than deriving them. Band 2's own rate reaches $372.55 at $50,000 and band 3's printed base is $372.71; band 2's reaches $651.21 at $100,000 and band 3's base is $651.38; band 3's reaches $2,327.38 at $500,000 and band 4's base is $2,326.84, twenty-four cents lower. All three are the City's printed numbers and all three are charged as printed — the same rule Minneapolis's two-cent seam and Saint Paul's $23 step-down required.
How is the valuation determined?
As the cost of construction — structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas, interior finish, site preparation, architectural and design fees, overhead and profit — based on the contract amount. The City reserves the right to require a copy of the contract if the stated valuation falls below 75% of ICC's national average for that construction type, and the fee schedule's last pages reprint that ICC Building Valuation Data with per-square-foot costs by occupancy and construction type.
Source and verification
The documents behind every figure on this page, with the dates that make them checkable.
- Fee schedule (PDF)CityPrimary source
Metro Nashville Codes Fee Schedule (Metro Code 16.28.110 – 16.20.250, with ICC valuation data)
Read 2026-09-25 with pdftotext in -layout mode (the text is single-column and reads cleanly). The first four lines are the whole building mechanism: "The total permit cost for a building permit includes: Zoning Examination Fee of $25 / Building Valuation Fee: See below (Valuation Table is on last page) / Codes Tech Fee: 10% of the Building Valuation Fee / Building Plan Review Fee: See below". Then the Metro Code itself: 16.28.110 (building permits — residential $5.00 per $1,000; the commercial ladder; moving $252; signs; trailers; use and occupancy $55; re-inspection $50; plans examination with its $275,000 seam and its exemptions), 16.12.220 (plumbing — $75 minimum, $11 fixtures, the thirty-two-item fixture classification list), 16.16.400 (gas/mechanical — $75 minimum, appliance rows, $32 per 100,000 Btuh), 16.20.250 (electrical — outlets, motors, ranges, water heaters, heat by kilowatts, dryers, signs, services per meter, panels by amperage, the $75 minimum, service releases and emergency reconnection), and the ICC Building Valuation Data (February 2025) with its per-square-foot construction costs and worked permit-fee multiplier example. The sheet cites its own legislation: BL2022-1215 (fee schedule) and BL2022-1254 (codes tech fee).
Verification
Last verified against the official source in Sep 2026.