What do these permits involve in Williamson County?

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County Business License (Standard or Minimal Activity)

T.C.A. § 67-4-723(a)(1) requires a business license on payment of fifteen dollars ($15.00), with 'a separate license, including payment of the fifteen-dollar fee' for each location. The Tennessee Department of Revenue's Registration and Licensing page (published 30 September 2026) states that 'A separate $15 business license registration fee must be paid to the county and/or municipal clerk for each new business', and the Williamson County Clerk's Licenses & Permits page lists the business license application fee as $15. The county's Business Tax Act License and Tax Report form prints '$15.00 FEE' payable to the Williamson County Clerk. Under § 67-4-723(a)(2) a standard license is renewed at no fee when the business tax return is filed and paid, and under (a)(3) it expires 30 days after the return due date. Per the Department's BUS-13 overview (updated 12 May 2023), a business with more than $3,000 but less than $100,000 in gross receipts needs only a minimal activity license, which costs $15 and must be renewed with the clerk each year for $15. The $15 is the county license only; a business inside a city that levies the business tax also buys that city's license. The Clerk's page lists 'Approval of Codes Department' as a requirement: the city codes department for a location in a city, the County Codes Department for a location in the county. Call the Clerk's business tax line at (615) 790-5732.

Building Permit (unincorporated county)

As published in the 'Williamson County Schedule of Permit Fees' on Community Development letterhead, which the Building Codes Permits page links under 'Permit Costs' as 'the complete and current fees and requirements' (the sheet itself prints no adoption date), the permit fee is set from total valuation in five tiers, from no fee at $1,000 or less (unless an inspection is required, at $15 each) to $1,660 plus $2 per additional $1,000 above $500,000. The same schedule sets the plan-checking fee at one-half of the permit fee, a $250 moving fee, demolition at $50 up to 100,000 cubic feet or $0.50 per 1,000 cubic feet above that, and doubles the fees where work starts before the permit is obtained. The county's Justification of Development-Related Fees (dated 27 February 2026) lists the same upper tiers, a $5 archives maintenance fee charged on all building permits, and re-inspection fees of $50 for the first failed inspection and $100 for the second, accumulating. These are county permits for unincorporated Williamson County; each city issues its own building permits. Call Building Codes at (615) 790-5718.

Plumbing and Mechanical Permits (unincorporated county)

As published in the plumbing and mechanical fee schedules of the 'Williamson County Schedule of Permit Fees', which the Building Codes Permits page presents as 'the complete and current fees and requirements', a plumbing permit costs $10 to issue, plus $5 for water, $5 for sewer, $2.50 for each plumbing fixture, floor drain or trap and $2.50 for each water heater or vent. A mechanical permit costs a $10 permit fee plus $10 for the first $1,000 of valuation and $2 for each additional $1,000; repair, replacement or additions cost $5 plus $2 for each $1,000 of valuation. These apply to work in unincorporated Williamson County, such as a restaurant kitchen fit-out, a salon's added sinks, or new heating and cooling for a shop. Call Building Codes at (615) 790-5718.

Adequate Facilities Tax — New Non-Residential Floor Area

Per the official minutes of the Williamson County Board of County Commissioners for 10 November 2025, Resolution No. 11-25-39, as amended, raised the Adequate Facilities Tax on new non-residential development under Private Act No. 118 of 1987 and applied it to 'both the incorporated and unincorporated areas of Williamson County' at $1.00 per gross square foot from 1 January 2026, rising automatically on 1 April 2026 to $2.00 per gross square foot (the Commission amended the April figure from $1.50 to $2.00). The resolution's recitals record that the tax had previously been assessed only in the unincorporated areas at $0.34 per gross square foot. The tax therefore applies to a new restaurant, shop, clinic or other business building inside Brentwood, Fairview, Franklin, Nolensville, Spring Hill or Thompson's Station as well as in the county. The county's Schedule of Permit Fees lists 'Commercial $2.00 per square foot' and states that a separate check payable to the Williamson County Trustee is required. Call Building Codes at (615) 790-5718.

Zoning Certificate (unincorporated county)

Section 8.01(B) of the Williamson County Zoning Ordinance states that 'No building or structure shall be erected, altered, or relocated, and no use shall be established after the effective date of this Ordinance until a Zoning Certificate has been approved'. Under Section 1.04 the Ordinance applies to 'the development of all unincorporated land within the boundaries of Williamson County', so a business opening or changing its use on unincorporated land needs a Zoning Certificate before it opens; inside a city, that city's zoning rules apply instead. The Zoning Certificate fee is not published in the county's current fee justification sheets; contact the Planning Department at (615) 790-5725, 1320 West Main Street, Suite 400, Franklin.

Major Site Plan Review

As published on the county's Major Site Plan Review Fee justification sheet (one of the fee justification documents the county posts under T.C.A. § 5-1-137), the fee is '$100.00 for first 5,000 square feet + $0.02 for every square foot over 5,000'; the sheet notes a plan must be at least 12,500 square feet to reach $250. Major Site Plans are reviewed by the Planning Commission under Article 6 of the Zoning Ordinance, which applies to unincorporated Williamson County. A new commercial site such as a restaurant, retail building, daycare or auto shop in unincorporated Williamson County may need Major Site Plan approval. Contact the Planning Department at (615) 790-5725.

Rezoning Request

As published on the county's Rezoning Review Fee justification sheet, posted with its 2026 development-fee justifications under T.C.A. § 5-1-137, the fee is '$300.00 per rezoning request'. A rezoning (a change to the zoning map) is needed only where a business wants to operate on unincorporated land whose zoning district does not allow its use; inside a city, that city's rezoning process applies. The county Zoning Ordinance governs rezoning of unincorporated land. Contact the Planning Department at (615) 790-5725.

Sign Permit (unincorporated county)

The county's Sign Ordinance Guidelines page states that 'Sign permits are required to erect, alter, or relocate any sign within the unincorporated areas of the county.' A business putting up a new or changed sign on unincorporated land therefore needs a sign permit from Codes Compliance before installation; signs inside a city are permitted by that city. The sign permit fee is not published on the Sign Ordinance Guidelines page or in the county's current fee justification sheets; contact Williamson County Codes Compliance for the current amount.

Land Disturbance Permit (subdivisions and site plans)

As published on the county Engineering Department's fee justification sheet for the Land Disturbance Permit (Subdivisions and Site Plans), dated 4 November 2025 and posted with the county's Justification of Development-Related Fees under T.C.A. § 5-1-137, the 'Fee charged is $300.00'. The sheet's cost basis covers the County Engineer's review of construction plans, including road alignment and water quantity. The permit applies to land disturbance for subdivisions and site plans in unincorporated Williamson County, such as a new commercial site. Contact Williamson County Engineering through the Community Development office at 1320 West Main Street, Franklin.

Alternative Subsurface Sewage Disposal System (Septic) Permit

As published on the county's Conventional/Alternative SSDS System Permit Fee Justification (dated 30 June 2026), linked from the current Sewage Disposal page, an alternative subsurface sewage disposal system permit costs $550 ('ALTERNATIVE SSDS PERMIT - $550 FEE'). Williamson County's Department of Sewage Disposal Management, under the Williamson County Board of Health's regulations, permits septic systems; this applies only to a business site that is not served by public sewer. The fee for a conventional system is not published in that sheet; contact the Department at (615) 790-5751 for the current amount and to confirm which system type a site needs.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
County Business License (Standard or Minimal Activity)only if it applies to you	Williamson County Clerk	$15 county license per location (county-only; a location inside a city that levies the business tax also needs a separate city license)	standard license: renewed at no fee when the state business tax return is filed and paid, expiring 30 days after the return due date; minimal activity license: renewed each year for $15	2026-10-08
Building Permit (unincorporated county)	Williamson County Building Codes Department	Permit fee by total valuation: $1,000 and less = no fee, unless an inspection is required ($15 per inspection); $1,000–$50,000 = $15 for the first $1,000 + $5 per additional $1,000 or fraction; $50,000–$100,000 = $260 for the first $50,000 + $4 per additional $1,000; $100,000–$500,000 = $460 for the first $100,000 + $3 per additional $1,000; $500,001 and up = $1,660 for the first $500,000 + $2 per additional $1,000. Plan-checking fee (valuation over $1,000 with plans) = one-half of the building permit fee. Moving a building = $250. Demolition = $50 up to 100,000 cubic feet; $0.50 per 1,000 cubic feet at 100,000 cubic feet and over. $5 archives maintenance fee on every building permit. Re-inspection = $50 for the first failed inspection, $100 for the second, accumulating per failed inspection. Fees are doubled if work starts before the permit is obtained.	per project	2026-10-08
Plumbing and Mechanical Permits (unincorporated county)only if it applies to you	Williamson County Building Codes Department	Plumbing: $10 for issuing each permit; water $5; sewer $5; $2.50 per plumbing fixture, floor drain or trap (including water and drainage piping); $2.50 per water heater or vent. Mechanical: $10 permit fee + $10 for the first $1,000 of valuation + $2 per additional $1,000; repair, replacement or additions $5 + $2 per $1,000 of valuation.	per project	2026-10-08
Adequate Facilities Tax — New Non-Residential Floor Areaonly if it applies to you	Williamson County Building Codes Department	$2.00 per gross square foot of new non-residential development, effective April 1, 2026 (it was $1.00 per gross square foot from January 1, 2026)	one-time, per new building or addition	2026-10-08
Zoning Certificate (unincorporated county)	Williamson County Community Development — Planning Department	The Zoning Certificate fee is not published in the county's current fee justification sheets; contact the Planning Department at (615) 790-5725 for the current amount	per use or project	2026-10-08
Major Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you	Williamson County Community Development — Planning Department	$100.00 for the first 5,000 square feet + $0.02 for every square foot over 5,000	one-time, per plan	2026-10-08
Rezoning Requestonly if it applies to you	Williamson County Community Development — Planning Department	$300 per rezoning request	one-time, per request	2026-10-08
Sign Permit (unincorporated county)only if it applies to you	Williamson County Codes Compliance	The sign permit fee is not published on the county's Sign Ordinance Guidelines page or its current fee justification sheets; contact Codes Compliance for the current amount	per sign	2026-10-08
Land Disturbance Permit (subdivisions and site plans)only if it applies to you	Williamson County Engineering Department	$300 per permit	per project	2026-10-08
Alternative Subsurface Sewage Disposal System (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to you	Williamson County Department of Sewage Disposal Management	$550 per alternative system permit	per system	2026-10-08

Business licenses and permits in Williamson County, Tennessee

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Permits that apply to every type of business in Williamson County