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13 permits · verified 2026-10-09

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Nashville Davidson?

In short

A contractor or trade in Nashville Davidson, TN has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety charges $55 per use and occupancy permit or certificate of compliance where no building permit has been issued (Metro Code § 16.28.110 E) for the use and occupancy (u&o) permit / certificate of occupancy. 9 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Nashville Davidson

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Contractor License (State-Issued) & Metro Codes Contractor RegistrationMetro Department of Codes and Building SafetyInitial, reinstatement or ownership change: $250. Renewal: $200. Late renewal penalty: $20/month, up to 12 months.set by the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors2026-09-05
Metro Electrical, Plumbing and Gas/Mechanical Trade Licensesonly if it applies to youMetro Department of Codes and Building SafetyElectrical (§ 6.20.100; examination / original / renewal): master electrician $50 / $150 / $100; electrical equipment installer and low-voltage wiring installer $50 / $75 / $50; journeyman $50 / $100 / $100; apprentice — / $25 / $25; beginning electrician — / $15 / $15. Plumbing (§ 6.52.100): master plumber $50 / $100 / $100; journeyman $50 / $25 / $25; apprentice — / $5 / $5. Gas/mechanical (§ 16.16.690): master mechanical $50 / $100 / $100; HVAC&R $50 / $75 / $75; gas and appliance $50 / $75 / $75.annual: electrical licenses expire the last day of March; plumbing licenses the last day of December; gas/mechanical certificates on October 12026-10-09
Plumbing, Gas/Mechanical and Electrical Permits (Metro Codes)only if it applies to youMetro Department of Codes and Building SafetyPlumbing (§ 16.12.220): minimum $75 per permit; $11 per fixture (grease traps and interceptors count as fixtures); sewer or water service connection $80 each; hot water heater $43; re-inspection $50. Gas/mechanical (§ 16.16.400): minimum $75 per permit; $16 per commercial appliance beyond the first; hot water heater $21; plus $32 per 100,000 Btuh for heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration work; re-inspection $50. Electrical (§ 16.20.250): itemised by outlets, motors, appliances, signs and services, minimum $75 per permit; fees tripled when work starts before the permit.per permit2026-10-09
Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youTennessee Board for Licensing Contractors$250 application; $200 to renew2 years2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Nashville Davidson

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Metro Business Tax LicenseDavidson County Clerk, Business Tax DivisionVaries — formula on the Nashville Davidson pageannual, tied to the state business tax return2026-09-05
Use and Occupancy (U&O) Permit / Certificate of OccupancyMetro Department of Codes and Building Safety$55 per use and occupancy permit or certificate of compliance where no building permit has been issued (Metro Code § 16.28.110 E)one-time, per occupancy or change of use2026-10-09
Commercial Building Permit and Plans Examination (Metro Codes)Metro Department of Codes and Building SafetyVaries — formula on the Nashville Davidson pageper permit2026-10-09
Sign Permit (Metro Codes)only if it applies to youMetro Department of Codes and Building SafetyVaries — formula on the Nashville Davidson pageper permit2026-10-09
Burglar and Fire Alarm Registration Permitonly if it applies to youNashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's OfficeVaries — formula on the Nashville Davidson pageone year; renewals due on or before the end of the month in which the permit was issued2026-10-09

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

TN registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsVaries — formula on the TN pageno expiry, but an annual report on the same per-member scale is due each year2026-09-03
For-Profit Corporation Charteronly if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a $20 annual report is due each year2026-09-03
Standard or Minimal Activity Business Licenseonly if it applies to youTennessee Department of Revenue$15 per jurisdiction per location — charged again by the city if it has enacted the taxannual for a standard license, renewed free when the tax return is filed2026-09-03
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youTennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsVaries — formula on the TN pageannual — due the first day of the fourth month after the fiscal year ends2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Nashville Davidson?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a contractor or trade in Nashville Davidson, TN, 4 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $55.00. That is a floor, not a total. 9 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

General Contractor License (State-Issued) & Metro Codes Contractor Registration: Initial, reinstatement or ownership change: $250. Renewal: $200. Late renewal penalty: $20/month, up to 12 months.

Metro Electrical, Plumbing and Gas/Mechanical Trade Licenses: Electrical (§ 6.20.100; examination / original / renewal): master electrician $50 / $150 / $100; electrical equipment installer and low-voltage wiring installer $50 / $75 / $50; journeyman $50 / $100 / $100; apprentice — / $25 / $25; beginning electrician — / $15 / $15. Plumbing (§ 6.52.100): master plumber $50 / $100 / $100; journeyman $50 / $25 / $25; apprentice — / $5 / $5. Gas/mechanical (§ 16.16.690): master mechanical $50 / $100 / $100; HVAC&R $50 / $75 / $75; gas and appliance $50 / $75 / $75.

Plumbing, Gas/Mechanical and Electrical Permits (Metro Codes): Plumbing (§ 16.12.220): minimum $75 per permit; $11 per fixture (grease traps and interceptors count as fixtures); sewer or water service connection $80 each; hot water heater $43; re-inspection $50. Gas/mechanical (§ 16.16.400): minimum $75 per permit; $16 per commercial appliance beyond the first; hot water heater $21; plus $32 per 100,000 Btuh for heating, ventilating, air-conditioning and refrigeration work; re-inspection $50. Electrical (§ 16.20.250): itemised by outlets, motors, appliances, signs and services, minimum $75 per permit; fees tripled when work starts before the permit.

The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Nashville Davidson permits page and the TN state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Nashville Davidson?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Nashville Davidson, TN come from 6 separate offices: Davidson County Clerk, Business Tax Division, Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety, Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office, Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, Tennessee Department of Revenue, Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Nashville Davidson that other businesses do not?

3 of the 4 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Nashville Davidson: General Contractor License (State-Issued) & Metro Codes Contractor Registration, Metro Electrical, Plumbing and Gas/Mechanical Trade Licenses and Contractor License.

General Contractor License (State-Issued) & Metro Codes Contractor Registration

A state license, required for prime-contracting projects of $25,000 or more. Metro Codes does layer its own registration requirement on top of this state license before any contractor may pull a building permit: Metro's own Contractor Requirements for Building Permits calls for a Permit Bond of $10,000 (contracts or bids under $25,000) or $40,000 (contracts or bids of $25,000 and over), filed with Metro Codes on Metro Form DCAB7 from a surety company, plus the Davidson County Business License recorded as a separate requirement and proof of Workers' Compensation coverage or a signed exemption affidavit. Metro Codes' own department page states that 'Metro Codes is responsible for licensing building and trade contractors', and a contractor's Metro license is renewed through Metro Codes' own online License Renewal System, using the User Name and Password printed on the License Renewal Notice Metro mails — separate from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors' own renewal cycle. No additional flat Metro registration fee beyond this bond and the business license is stated in Metro's own published contractor-requirements document.

Metro Electrical, Plumbing and Gas/Mechanical Trade Licenses

Metro Code § 6.20.010 B states that every person engaged in electrical work in Metro's jurisdiction 'shall be "licensed" by the metropolitan board of electrical examiners and appeals and "registered" by the department of codes administration'; § 6.52.030 makes it unlawful to do plumbing work as a master, journeyman or apprentice plumber without being examined, licensed and registered by the board of plumbing examiners and appeals; and the gas/mechanical regulations in ch. 16.16 require a certificate from the board of gas/mechanical examiners. The fee tables are §§ 6.20.100, 6.52.100 and 16.16.690. Under § 6.20.110 electrical licenses expire on the last day of March and late renewal costs an extra 10% of the fee for each month, with revocation after a year; under § 6.52.110 plumbing licenses expire on the last day of December with a penalty of $10 a month for masters; under § 16.16.700 gas/mechanical certificates expire on October 1 with a $10 monthly penalty for up to twelve months. Plumbing and gas/mechanical renewals are free for holders over 65. These Metro credentials are separate from the state contractor's license.

Plumbing, Gas/Mechanical and Electrical Permits (Metro Codes)

The figures are the Metropolitan Code's own fee sections as codified in Supplement 53: § 16.12.220 for plumbing permits, § 16.16.400 for gas/mechanical permits and § 16.20.250 for electrical permits, each carrying Ordinance BL2022-1215 as its latest fee amendment; Metro Codes' Fee Schedule posted in December 2025 names BL2022-1215 as the fee legislation and reproduces the same amounts. Each section states that no permit is valid until its fees are paid. Under § 16.12.220 C grease traps and interceptors, fixed dishwashers, floor drains and kitchen sinks each count as one fixture, and under § 16.16.400 C fryers, ovens, ranges, exhaust hoods and refrigeration units each count as one appliance, so a restaurant or coffee-shop fit-out is priced item by item. Plumbing, gas/mechanical and electrical work must be done by persons licensed or certified under Metro Code chs. 6.52, 16.16 and 6.20, and Ordinance BL2022-1254 adds a 10% technology fee on top of Department of Codes permit fees.

Contractor License

The threshold is $25,000 for a prime contractor and for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing subcontractors, but $100,000 for a masonry subcontractor — the one trade with its own number. Drywall, painting, landscaping, carpentry and excavation need no state license at all. Below the main threshold a separate home improvement license covers residential work from $3,000 to $24,999, at the same $250 and $200 per business location plus a $10,000 surety bond, but only in the nine counties that have adopted it: Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby. The monetary limit on your license is separate from the threshold and is set at ten times the lesser of working capital or net worth, with $300,000 in both needed for an unlimited license. Late renewal costs $20 a month for up to a year.

The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Nashville Davidson, TN; what each one involves is set out on the Nashville Davidson permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TN and are covered on the TN state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Nashville Davidson?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs General Contractor License (State-Issued) & Metro Codes Contractor Registration, Metro Electrical, Plumbing and Gas/Mechanical Trade Licenses and Contractor License. A coffee shop needs Food Service Establishment Permit (Metro Public Health), Beer Permit (Metropolitan Beer Permit Board), Fire Marshal Operational Permits (assembly, open flames, repair garages, spraying and others) and 5 more, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Nashville Davidson, TN, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops9138
Restaurants9138
Auto repair shops2042
Childcare centres3043
Fitness studios1041
Food trucks7047
Retail stores3043
Salons and barbers2042
Veterinary clinics2042

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Nashville Davidson permits page and the TN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors — license feesTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-05
  2. Contractor Requirements for Building Permits — Metro Department of Codes & Building Safety's own statement of what a contractor must provide before a building permit issues: a Davidson County Business License, a $10,000 or $40,000 Permit Bond on Metro Form DCAB7, the state license where required by contract size, and proof of Workers' Compensation coverageMetropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Department of Codes & Building Safety · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
  3. Codes Online License Renewal Program — Metro Codes mails a License Renewal Notice carrying the User Name and Password for its online License Renewal System, a system separate from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors' own renewal cycleMetropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Department of Codes and Building Safety · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  4. Codes and Building Safety — Metro's own department page stating that 'Metro Codes is responsible for licensing building and trade contractors, and inspecting properties and processing various permit applications'Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Department of Codes and Building Safety · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  5. Metropolitan Code, Chapter 6.20 — Electricians, Electrical Contractors and Equipment Installers (licences and fees)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  6. Metropolitan Code, Chapter 6.52 — Plumbers (licenses and fees)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  7. Metropolitan Code, Chapter 16.16 — Gas/Mechanical Regulations (§ 16.16.400 permit fees; §§ 16.16.690–.700 certificates)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  8. Metropolitan Code, Chapter 16.12 — Plumbing Code (§ 16.12.220 permit fees)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  9. Metropolitan Code, Chapter 16.20 — Electrical Code (§ 16.20.250 permit fees)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  10. Codes Fee Schedule (posted December 2025; linked as 'Fee Calculations' from the Codes general publications list)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Department of Codes and Building Safety · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
  11. Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 0680-01 — contractor licensing fees and bidding thresholdsTennessee Board for Licensing Contractors · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  12. Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors — home improvement license and the counties that have adopted itTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.