Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
Applications are generally reviewed within 2-3 business days according to the county's official permit portal.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call 931-837-4570 (Building Inspector); 931-316-7092 (portal/application questions) if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
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
White County Building Inspector / Building Codes Department is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 931-837-4570 (Building Inspector); 931-316-7092 (portal/application questions).
Applications are generally reviewed within 2-3 business days according to the county's official permit portal.
Inspection requests may be submitted online through the iWorQ portal or by calling 931-837-4570. Residential building applications are generally reviewed within 2-3 business days; the portal also states plumbing and mechanical applications are reviewed within 2-3 business days. New-home applications require a septic permit/layout, and paper plans may be dropped at Room 216 Monday-Friday from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM.
The official White County Building Inspector page states that the county enforces building codes in unincorporated areas, provides a resolution adopting county building codes, and identifies the 2018 International Residential Building Code as filed with the County Clerk. Resolution 08-02-2025 updates building-permit fees to align with the 2018 International Building Codes and excludes municipalities that have their own building-code departments. No consolidated White County cosmetic/minor-work exemption list was published. The county requires permit review for regulated construction and directs applicants to use the 911 address, provide septic documentation for new homes, and submit stamped plans for two-story homes or homes with basements. Confirm whether ordinary maintenance, small accessory structures, fences, decks, and trade-only work require permits before starting.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.