Hamilton County
Hamilton County Division of Public Works (Development Services and Highway Department)
In short
Hamilton County Division of Public Works (Development Services and Highway Department) issues 4 permits we publish for Hamilton County, last verified 2026-10-08. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curb Cut Fee (County Road)only if it applies to you | Hamilton County Division of Public Works (Development Services and Highway Department) | $150 per curb cut on an existing county road, collected at permit issuance | one-time, per curb cut | 2026-10-08 |
| Septic Tank Permit — New Installationonly if it applies to you | Hamilton County Division of Public Works (Development Services and Highway Department) | $440 per new installation permit ($400 permit + $5 administration fee + $35 permit issuance fee); doubled if work starts before the permit is obtained | per permit, for the system installed | 2026-10-08 |
| Right-of-Way Work Licenseonly if it applies to you | Hamilton County Division of Public Works (Development Services and Highway Department) | $500 per year, for prime contractors and subcontractors | 1 year; must be renewed annually | 2026-10-08 |
| County Septic Installer Licenseonly if it applies to you | Hamilton County Division of Public Works (Development Services and Highway Department) | $200 Category 1 (standard systems) installer and pumper license per year; $100 for each additional license (alternative, experimental, etc.) | 1 year | 2026-10-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Curb Cut Fee (County Road)
Resolution No. 425-9, adopted by the Hamilton County Commission on April 2, 2025 under T.C.A. § 5-1-118 and in effect since July 1, 2025, establishes 'a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) ... for each curb cut constructed on an existing county road, to be collected by the Highway Department upon permit issuance'. The Division of Public Works memorandum of June 25, 2025, published with the signed resolution, restates the $150 per curb cut and says all permits should be applied for online through the county's OpenGov portal. The resolution recites that the Division of Public Works oversees development within the unincorporated areas of Hamilton County; a new business site or a change of use that needs a new driveway onto a county road pays the fee per curb cut. Questions go to the Highway Department at 423-209-5050 or Development Services at 423-209-7876.
Septic Tank Permit — New Installation
A business site that is not on a public sewer and needs a new septic system takes a permit from Development Services' Groundwater Protection section; its page lists the new conventional septic system 'for commercial, house, shop, barn, etc.' and says groundwater permits are submitted online. Resolution No. 423-28, adopted and effective April 19, 2023, sets the Septic Tank Permit for a new installation at $400.00 and adds an Administration Fee of $5.00 per application and a Permit Issuance Fee of $35.00, a total of $440; the resolution says the fees are doubled for anyone who starts work on a septic system before obtaining the permit, and that a fee paid in error, before any work or inspection, is refunded less the administration and issuance fees. The same resolution prices a lot review at $150 per lot. Groundwater Protection is at 1250 Market Street, Suite 3046, Chattanooga; call 423-209-7876.
Right-of-Way Work License
Resolution No. 425-9, adopted by the Hamilton County Commission on April 2, 2025 and in effect since July 1, 2025, establishes 'An annual fee of five hundred dollars ($500) ... for a license to perform work within county rights-of-way, to be collected by the Highway Department upon application or renewal'. The Division of Public Works memorandum of June 25, 2025, published with the signed resolution, describes it as the Right of Way Work License Fee, an annual $500 'to perform work within the County ROW (for prime and subcontractors)' that must be renewed annually, and directs applicants to the county's OpenGov portal. A contractor cutting driveways, laying utility connections or doing other work in a county road right-of-way holds the license; the same resolution sets a separate $500 fee for each temporary road closure. Contact the Highway Department at 423-209-5050.
County Septic Installer License
As published on the Development Services Groundwater Protection page, 'Installers are required to have a County Septic Installer License', and 'Hamilton County Installer Permit is good for 1 year.' An installer who holds a State Installer Permit fills out the application and pays the fee but does not take the test; one without a State permit must take and pass the Hamilton County Septic Installer License test (arrive by 3:30 PM to test in person). Resolution No. 423-28, adopted and effective April 19, 2023, sets the Installer and Pumper License Category 1 (standard systems) at $200.00 and every additional license (alternative, experimental, etc.) at $100.00. Groundwater Protection is at 1250 Market Street, Suite 3046, Chattanooga; call 423-209-7876.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Hamilton County
- Phone
- 423-209-7876 (Development Services); 423-209-5050 (Highway Department)
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Development Services — Groundwater Protection (septic permits and installer licenses)Hamilton County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Public Works/Development Fees memorandum (June 25, 2025) with Resolution No. 425-9 (adopted April 2, 2025; effective July 1, 2025)Hamilton County Division of Public Works / Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Resolution No. 423-28 — Ground Water Protection / Development Services Fee Schedule (adopted and effective April 19, 2023)Hamilton County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
Other offices serving Hamilton County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Tennessee jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.