Administrative overview · FIPS 47171
Unicoi 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
State Fallback
This profile identifies a handoff outside the county’s ordinary structural permitting lane.
Required jurisdiction check
Confirm the controlling local or state authority before filing.
The record is marked State Fallback. That means the county profile should be treated as a routing brief: incorporated municipalities, a state building department, or a state fire marshal may control plan review, permits, and inspections. Contact the named agency below and verify the parcel’s jurisdiction before paying a fee or scheduling field work.
Responsible agency
Unicoi County Planning and Development; Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (optional state inspection path)
For a project in or near Unicoi 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
423-743-9391 (Unicoi County Government); 423-672-8967 (state-listed Unicoi County residential inspector Shawn Jackson); 423-743-6231 (Town of Erwin); 423-743-7162 (Town of Unicoi)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Unicoi County Government, 100 North Main Ave. #102, Erwin, TN 37650
Operating hours
Unicoi County Government offices generally publish Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; the Planning and Development page does not publish separate office hours.
Review expectation
N/A; Unicoi County and the state’s public materials do not publish a county-specific review timeline.
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 Unicoi County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
This record is marked State Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel 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 423-743-9391 (Unicoi County Government); 423-672-8967 (state-listed Unicoi County residential inspector Shawn Jackson); 423-743-6231 (Town of Erwin); 423-743-7162 (Town of Unicoi).
How long might review take?
N/A; Unicoi County and the state’s public materials do not publish a county-specific review timeline.
How are inspections scheduled?
For the optional State Fire Marshal route, obtain/service the permit and request inspections through https://core.tn.gov/ or email SFMO.permits-licensing@tn.gov with the permit number and ready date. The state list identifies Shawn Jackson as Unicoi County’s inspector at 423-672-8967. The county’s Planning and Development page lists the county office at 100 North Main Ave. #102, Erwin, for local planning questions.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Tennessee’s official residential-jurisdiction list identifies Unicoi County as OPT OUT and names Shawn Jackson as the state-listed inspector. The county’s public Planning and Development page does not identify a locally enforced 2026 building-code edition. The optional State Fire Marshal route uses the 2018 International Residential Code and 2018 International Energy Conservation Code with amendments. Municipal requirements in Erwin and the Town of Unicoi may differ. For unincorporated Unicoi County, the county is identified as OPT OUT of the state residential building-code program, so the state residential permit is not mandatory under that program; owners may request optional state inspections. State guidance generally exempts detached garages, sheds, barns, and other detached nonliving structures, and generally does not require a state permit for manufactured or modular installation unless custom site work is included. Confirm municipal exemptions with Erwin or Unicoi for property inside town limits.