Administrative overview · FIPS 47093
Knox County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Knox County Department of Code Administration and Enforcement
For a project in or near Knox County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
865-215-2325 (Building Codes permits and inspections); 865-215-4660 (Fire Bureau permits)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
City-County Building, 400 Main Street, Suite 547, Knoxville, TN 37902
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, approximately 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; confirm current counter hours with Codes Administration.
Review expectation
Administrative site-plan review: 10 business days after receipt, excluding holidays. A general building-permit review timeline is not published.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Knox County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Knox County Department of Code Administration and Enforcement is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 865-215-2325 (Building Codes permits and inspections); 865-215-4660 (Fire Bureau permits).
How long might review take?
Administrative site-plan review: 10 business days after receipt, excluding holidays. A general building-permit review timeline is not published.
How are inspections scheduled?
Use the official permit portal to submit or track applications. For scheduling or changing a building or sign inspection, call 865-215-2325; fire-system inspections use 865-215-4660. The official inspection lookup portal is https://app.prod.cginspectionlookup.knoxcountytn.gov/. The county zoning ordinance states that administrative site plans are reviewed within 10 business days, excluding holidays; that timeline is for site-plan review rather than every permit type.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Knox County’s adopted code chapter identifies the 2018 International Building Code, 2018 International Residential Code, 2018 International Fuel Gas Code, 2018 International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 International Mechanical Code, 2018 International Plumbing Code, 2018 International Existing Building Code, 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, 2018 ICC Performance Code, and 2018 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, with county amendments and Tennessee State Fire Marshal minimums. The county zoning resolution does not require a written building permit for maintenance or installation of interior finishes in houses, attached houses, or duplexes, agricultural uses and accessory farm buildings, or home gardening and similar uses. Permits are otherwise required before erection, structural alteration, moving, or a change of use of a building or structure; zoning approval may still apply even where a building permit is exempt.