Davidson County Permit Expediting
In most of Tennessee, the first question on a permit is whether the property sits in a city or in the county. Davidson County is the exception. Nashville and Davidson County merged into one consolidated Metro government, so for most addresses in the county there is one set of departments: Metro Codes, Metro Planning, Metro Water Services and the Metro Fire Marshal.
That sounds simpler, and in some ways it is. But Metro is also the busiest permitting operation in Middle Tennessee, with overlays, historic districts and stormwater rules that change what a project needs block by block. NashPermits coordinates permits across Nashville, Belle Meade, Goodlettsville and the rest of Davidson County, and we keep each review moving until the permit is issued.
Who issues your permit in Davidson County
For addresses in Metro Nashville, building permits come from the Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety, and applications go through Metro's ePermits system. Zoning, overlays and subdivision questions sit with the Metro Planning Department. Stormwater, grading and water and sewer availability are reviewed by Metro Water Services, and the Fire Marshal reviews life-safety items on commercial and multifamily work.
A handful of smaller cities inside the county kept their own governments when Metro formed, and they run their own permit offices:
- Belle Meade has its own Building and Zoning Department, planning commission, zoning appeals board and historic zoning commission, and it still expects printed drawing sets with a site plan showing existing trees.
- Goodlettsville issues its own building permits through its Codes and Building Safety office. On the Davidson County side, plumbing, gas, mechanical and electrical permits still come from Metro Codes, and the city holds the certificate of occupancy until Metro's final inspections pass.
- Forest Hills, Oak Hill and Berry Hill also handle their own permits, so an address that looks like Nashville may not be a Metro permit at all.
Projects we see most in Nashville
- Infill and teardown homes in established neighborhoods, where contextual overlays control setbacks, height and garage placement
- Tenant build-outs and restaurants downtown, in the Gulch and along the commercial corridors
- Multifamily and mixed-use projects that need Planning, Water Services and Fire Marshal sign-off together
- Renovations and additions in historic and conservation overlay districts
What makes Metro different
Metro's challenge is layering. A single house can need a building permit from Codes, a preservation permit from the Metro Historic Zoning Commission if it sits in a historic or neighborhood conservation overlay, and a grading permit from Water Services if the site work crosses the stormwater thresholds. Each review has its own queue and its own comments, and a delay in one holds up the others.
Metro moved plan submission to a new ePlans system in September 2025, with more review agencies joining over time. We track which reviews are running where so nothing waits on a department nobody checked. Our plan review coordination and planning and zoning coordination services exist for exactly this kind of project.
Related services in Davidson County
- Commercial permitting: tenant build-outs, renovations and new commercial construction
- Residential permitting: additions, renovations, new homes, pools and accessory structures
- Planning & zoning coordination: zoning requirements, overlays and use approvals
- Plan review coordination: managing comments and resubmittals
Davidson County permit FAQs
Do I get my permit from Metro Nashville or from my city?
Most addresses in Davidson County are permitted by Metro Codes. If the property is inside Belle Meade, Forest Hills, Oak Hill, Berry Hill or Goodlettsville, that city's own office issues the building permit. We confirm the jurisdiction from the address before anything is filed.
What changes if my property is in a historic or conservation overlay?
Exterior work in Metro's historic and neighborhood conservation overlays needs a preservation permit from the Metro Historic Zoning Commission, reviewed against that district's design guidelines. That approval runs alongside the building permit, so we plan for it from the start rather than finding out at plan review.
Why does a Goodlettsville project involve Metro Codes?
On the Davidson County side of Goodlettsville, the city issues the building permit and does building and fire inspections, but plumbing, gas, mechanical and electrical permits come from Metro Codes. The certificate of occupancy waits on Metro's final inspections, so both offices have to be tracked to close out the job.
When does Metro Water Services review my project?
Projects with enough site disturbance go through Metro Water Services stormwater review, which includes erosion control, a grading permit and inspections through final. Water and sewer availability are reviewed separately. We flag these early because they often set the schedule for new construction.
More questions? See our full FAQ page or browse all service areas.
Starting a project in Davidson County?
Send us the project address and scope of work. We'll confirm the jurisdiction and reply within one business day with the approvals you need and a quote.
Call or text 615-815-5499 · team@nashpermits.com