•When
do I
need
a
building
Permit?
•The
Smyrna
Zoning
Ordinance
(Section
7.030)
requires
a
building
permit
to
construct
any
building
or
other
structure,
including
accessory
structures,
to
commence
the
moving,
alteration,
or
repair
of
any
structure,
or
to
commence
the
filling
of
land.
•
•When
is a
Building
Permit
not
required?
You
may
make
normal
maintenance
and
repairs,
such
as
roof
replacement,
painting,
etc.,
to
an
existing
building
as
long
as
they
do
not
violate
any
provisions
of
the
code.
•How
much
will
a
Permit
cost
me?
Permit
costs
vary
according
to
type,
size
of
project,
and
zoning.
Contact
Smyrna
Codes
Department
at
615-355-5704
to
assist
you
in
determining
these
fees.
•Where
/
When
can
I
get
a
permit?
Permits,
except
for
Electrical
Permits,
may
be
obtained
from
Smyrna
City
Hall
in
the
Codes
Department,
Monday
through
Friday
between
the
hours
of
8:00
AM
and
4:30
PM.
Electrical
Permits,
which
are
required
by
the
State,
may
be
obtained
in
Murfreesboro,
on
the
square
at
One
South
Public
Square.
Call
615-896-6117
for
all
Electrical
Permit
questions.
•What's
the
penalty
for
failing
to
obtain
the
proper
permit?
•In
addition
to
any
other
penalty
imposed
for
failure
to
obtain
a
permit,
where
construction
of
any
work,
for
which
a
permit
is
required,
is
commenced
before
a
permit
is
issued,
the
permit
fees
shall
be
tripled.
(Refer
to
Smyrna
Zoning
Ordinance,
Sect.
7.030)
•How
long
is a
building
permit
valid?
•Section
7.030
of
the
Smyrna
Zoning
Ordinance
provides
that
“Any
Building
Permit
issued
becomes
invalid
if
work
authorized
by
it
is
not
commenced
within
six
(6)
months
of
the
date
of
issuance,
or
if
the
work
authorized
by
the
permit
is
suspended
or
discontinued
for
a
period
of
six
(6)
months.”
• Why
do I
need
a
permit
to
build
or
remodel
my
own
house
/
property?
•In
a
word
safety
-
your
safety,
and
that
of
your
family,
visitors,
and
guests.
It
is
our
goal
to
provide
the
present
and
future
residents/tenants
with
buildings
that
meet
a
nationally
recognized
minimum
standard.
•What
about
my
neighborhood
restrictive
covenants?
The
Town
can
only
enforce
the
laws
of
the
Government.
Restrictive
Covenants
are
the
legally
recorded
agreement
between
property
owners
in a
subdivision
usually
made
when
the
subdivision
was
recorded.
Sometimes
buildings,
pools
or
fences
are
a
violation
of
those
agreements.
Contact
your
developer
or
realtor
to
find
out
about
these
rules.
Violations
of
those
covenants
may
result
in
civil
action
but
not
Town
or
Municipal
Action.
•What
does
the
Codes
Department
Do?
The
Codes
Department
enforces
Building,
Fire,
Plumbing,
Mechanical
and
Gas
Codes;
as
well
as
certain
Municipal
Codes
regarding
Zoning,
Property
Maintenance,
Safety,
and
General
Appearance
of
the
Town.
• Am
I
required
to
obtain
a
permit
to
build
a
concrete
or
asphalt
driveway?
No -
but
please
take
care
not
to
encroach
upon
your
neighbor's
property.
If
your
home
is
served
by a
septic
tank
and
overflow
system,
by
all
means,
take
care
not
to
encroach
over
the
top
of
any
part
of
the
existing
system
(or
areas
reserved
for
future
expansion,
or
replacement,
of
the
system).
If
you
have
questions
concerning
the
location
of
your
septic
tank
and
overflow,
contact
the
Rutherford
County
Environmental
Department
at
898-7891.
• What
constitutes
a
“trashy
lot“,
and
“junk
cars”?
•When
trash,
junk,
or
debris
have
accumulated,
overgrown
vines,
brush
or
grass
is
over
12”
high,
the
lot
is
in
violation
to
the
Town
of
Smyrna
Municipal
Ordinance.
Also,
any
vehicle
which
is
wrecked,
dismantled,
partially
dismantled,
inoperative,
abandoned,
or
without
current
tags
is
deemed
a
“junk
vehicle”
and
is
also
a
violation
of
the
ordinance
unless
it
is
kept
in a
completely
enclosed
garage.
• What
can
the
Town
do
about
“trashy
lots”
and
“junk
cars”?
When
a
complaint
is
received
by
the
Codes
Department,
an
inspection
is
made
of
the
property,
and
the
owner
is
contacted.
The
owner
will
be
given
a
time
limit,
depending
on
the
violation,
to
correct
the
problem.
In
most
cases,
the
property
is
cleaned
up.
If
the
violation
is
not
corrected,
or
the
owner
not
found,
the
case
may
be
handed
over
to
the
city
court
for
judgment.
In
some
cases
this
may
be a
lengthy
process.
• Where
can
I
put
up
yard
sale
signs?
The
Sign
Ordinance
in
Smyrna
only
allows
you
to
put
up
yard
sale
signs
only
in
the
yard
where
the
sale
is
being
conducted.
In
no
case
are
signs
allowed
to
be
placed
on
utility
poles,
street
signs
or
in
public
right
of
ways.
•Where
can
I
put
up a
Fence?
You
can
put
up a
fence
on
your
own
property,
however
the
fence
must
not
encroach
on
the
front
setback
of
your
lot.
If
there
is a
Drainage
or
Utility
Easement
on
your
property,
Fences
are
only
allowed
in
those
Easements
by
special
exception
and
written
permission
from
the
Director
of
Utilities
or
the
City
Engineer.
•Are
Sign
Permits
required?
Sign
Permits
are
required
for
any
commercial
or
home
business
signs,
development
signs,
or
temporary
signs
and
banners.
Yard
sale,
Political,
and
Real
Estate
signs
do
not
require
a
permit
but
they
must
meet
code
requirements
regarding
Location,
Size
and
Zoning
District.
The
entire
Sign
Ordinance
is
available
on
this
web
site.
Please
contact
the
Codes
Department
with
questions
for
fees,
size
and
location
requirements.
•What
are
Drainage
and
Utility
Easements?
A
drainage
or
utility
easement
gives
the
right
for
the
Town
to
enter
certain
parts
of
your
property
for
maintenance
or
repairs
regarding
the
drainage
of
the
area
or
for
any
utilities
that
may
be
there
or
are
needed
in
the
future.
If
you
have
an
easement
on
your
property
the
property
is
still
yours
to
use
and
maintain,
however
no
buildings,
pools
or
fences
are
allowed
in
the
easement.
In
the
rare
case
that
the
Town
needed
access
to
this
property,
the
Town
is
not
responsible
for
repairs
or
replacement
of
any
of
these
items
that
are
in
the
easement.
•
•How
do I
know
if
l'm
dealing
with
a
reputable
contractor?
–Number
one
-
are
they
licensed?
Tennessee
law
requires
that
a
general
contractor
be
licensed.
Ask
to
see
proof!
–Do
they
have
insurance?
In
most
cases,
State
law
requires
that
they
carry
workers
compensation
insurance.
Ask
to
see
a
Certificate
of
Insurance.
–Ask
to
see
some
identification.
Be
sure
you
know
the
correct
name
of
the
individual
you
are
dealing
with,
his/her
address,
and
telephone
number(s).
–Ask
for
at
least
two
references
-
and
check
them
out!
Make
sure
all
agreements
are
in
writing!
Be
sure
to
reduce
all
change
orders,
or
contract
amendments
to
writing.
–Do
not
pay
a
front
end
deposit
of
more
than
one
third
(1/3)
of
the
contract
amount.
–Make
absolutely
sure
they
obtain
the
required
building
permits
-
and
call
for
and
pass
the
required
codes
inspections?
IMPORTANT:
Be
sure
you
are
furnished
with
a
Use
&
Occupancy
Certificate
issued
by
the
Codes
Department,
before
making
final
payment
of
the
contract
amount.
•Where
can
I
buy
a
code
book?
•First,
determine
"which"
code
book,
or
books.
You
can
click
here to
view
a
list
of
all
model
codes
that
have
been
adopted
by
the
Town
of
Smyrna.
From
the
list,
be
sure
to
note
the
correct
"edition"
that
applies
to
your
building
project.
•You
can
order
copies
of
most
code
books
directly
from
the
Publications
Department
of
the
International
Code
Council,
Inc..
Headquarters
telephone
703-931-4533
-
The
Birmingham
Office
1-800-877-2224.
