Local code and permits · Clarksville, TN
Storm shelter permits and codes in Clarksville, TN
Who issues the permit, what each office lists for an application, which code editions they publish, when Tennessee requires a licensed contractor, and what to do before digging and after installing. Only what the official pages say, with the gaps marked.
Get a Clarksville storm shelter quoteStart with the office that covers your address
Inside Clarksville city limits, permits and inspections go through City of Clarksville Building & Codes, One Public Square, (931) 645-7426. Outside the city, Montgomery County Building and Codes at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 309, (931) 648-5718, is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A Clarksville mailing address does not prove the property is inside city limits, so confirm the boundary first.
What neither page says
The city and county pages reviewed on October 14, 2026 do not name storm shelters. The city memo says it covers new construction, renovations, additions and accessory structures. FEMA notes the 2024 International Residential Code does not exempt storm shelters as accessory structures. Describe the occupied shelter, its foundation and any digging, and ask which permit and plans apply. Do not assume a small or prefabricated unit is exempt.
What the City of Clarksville lists for an application
The city’s April 20, 2026 memo lists: a copy of the active Tennessee contractor’s license for projects valued at $25,000 or more; a certificate of general liability insurance; proof of workers’ compensation coverage or a valid State of Tennessee exemption; a stamped property survey for permanent structures showing boundaries, existing and proposed structures, easements, setbacks and dimensions; a scaled site plan; and a project valuation covering total labor and materials, including excavation. Incomplete applications are not accepted. Fees follow the city code and are paid before issuance; the page links a fee calculator.
What Montgomery County lists
The county’s residential permit page lists items required before a building permit is issued: a recorded minor plat if the parcel is under five acres and not in a platted subdivision, a septic permit or file, a driveway permit with a road bond where applicable, a paid-in-full Adequate Facilities Tax receipt, and a survey map if the property has been subdivided. That page is written for houses, garages and additions. Ask whether each item applies to a shelter on an existing lot. The county FAQ says a homeowner may obtain his or her own building permit and lists footing or slab, foundation, framing, rough-in and final inspections.
Which code edition
The city FAQ lists the 2018 International Building Code and 2018 International Residential Code among the codes it enforces. Montgomery County’s adopted-codes page lists the 2018 IRC under a resolution effective January 1, 2021. FEMA P-320 describes permit paperwork under the 2024 IRC and ICC 500-2023 (a sealed construction document, or a prefabricated unit listed and labeled for ICC 500). The local pages do not mention ICC 500, so ask the plan reviewer which edition applies and what evidence they accept, a listing or sealed plans, for your shelter.
The permit pathway in order
Each step answers a question the next one needs. Deciding the office first avoids preparing documents for the wrong one.
Montgomery County planning guide
City and county compared
On phones, each row is shown with its column labels.
| Item | City of Clarksville | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Properties inside city limits | Property outside city limits; confirm with the office |
| Office | One Public Square, Clarksville; (931) 645-7426 | 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 309; (931) 648-5718 |
| Survey or plan | Stamped property survey for permanent structures; scaled site plan | Survey map only if the property has been subdivided; minor plat where applicable |
| Homeowner permit | May pull a permit for own primary single-family residence with a notarized Homeowner Affidavit (a two-year limit is written for building a residence); no plumbing or mechanical/gas permits | A homeowner may obtain his or her own building or plumbing permit |
| Code editions listed | 2018 IBC and IRC per the city FAQ | 2018 IRC per Resolution 20-10-6, effective January 1, 2021 |
| Inspections | At each construction phase as the department directs; the contractor confirms what is required | Footing or slab, foundation, framing, rough-in and final, as listed for an addition |
Before you dig: Tennessee 811
Request a locate
Call 811 or (800) 351-1111, or use the online ticket at tenn811.com. A normal request needs at least three working days’ notice and can be postdated up to ten working days.
Wait for the legal start date
Work only after the date and time on the ticket. A ticket is valid for fifteen calendar days after the start date; request an update three working days before it expires.
Know who locates private lines
Tennessee 811 notifies member utilities. Private lines, such as water or sewer service lines and propane, are the property owner’s to have located.
Respect the tolerance zone
It is the width of the buried facility plus two feet on each side. Ask the installer who requests the ticket and who is responsible for private lines.
Montgomery County EMA storm shelter registry form
| Field | What it asks |
|---|---|
| Contact | Name, address, email, phone (all required) |
| Type | Reinforced safe room, pre-fabricated, custom built or other |
| Location | Below grade, partially below grade, at grade or other |
| Entry | Garage, basement, outside garage floor, crawl space or interior living space |
| Unit | Manufacturer, model, occupant capacity and shelter dimensions |
| Extra | Additional notes (optional) |
Why register after installing
The registry page does not say whether registering is required or how the information is used, so ask the EMA at 130 S. 1st Street, (931) 648-5702. FEMA P-320 advises that after an extreme-wind event the exit can be blocked, and recommends telling local officials where the shelter is, ideally by registering the latitude and longitude of the entrance right after construction. Keep tools to open the door from inside and a way to signal for help.
Registry and local contacts
Licensing: what Tennessee says
Projects of $25,000 or more
The Tennessee Attorney General’s consumer guidance says a contractor’s license is required before bidding or price negotiations on projects totaling $25,000 or more. The City of Clarksville asks for the license on such projects.
Home improvement license, $3,000 to $24,999
The Board for Licensing Contractors says this applies to residential remodeling only in counties that have adopted it: Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby. Montgomery County was not on that list when checked on October 14, 2026.
Verify, do not assume
Check any license on the state’s free Verify.tn.gov database before hiring. Whether a particular shelter job needs a license depends on the contract value and scope, so ask the Board for Licensing Contractors.
Ask for insurance and a written contract
The city lists liability insurance and workers’ compensation (or exemption) at application. The Attorney General’s tips say to avoid contractors who will not put estimates in writing, and that the person doing the work should obtain the building permits.
Bring to the permit office
Address and parcel information
Use the Regional Planning Commission maps or call the permit office if you are unsure which jurisdiction you are in.
Survey or site plan
The city requires a stamped survey for permanent structures; show easements, setbacks and the proposed shelter.
Shelter documents
Listing or test records, door label details and ICC 500 edition, or sealed construction documents, plus foundation and anchor details.
Scope and valuation
Total labor and materials including excavation, and who performs each task.
Flood information
The mapped flood zone from FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, especially for in-ground work.
Contractor details
License number if the job meets the state threshold, insurance certificate and workers’ compensation proof or exemption.
Sources and further reading
Reviewed 2026-10-14
- City of Clarksville: permitting
April 20, 2026 building permit memo: submittals, homeowner permits, inspections, fees. Read October 14, 2026.
- City of Clarksville: frequently asked questions
Jurisdiction, phone, adopted codes (2018 IBC and IRC), inspections. Read October 14, 2026.
- Montgomery County: Building and Codes
Address, phone, hours, adopted codes and departments. Read October 14, 2026.
- Montgomery County: adopted codes
Resolution 20-10-6 lists the 2018 IRC effective January 1, 2021; ICC 500 is not mentioned.
- Montgomery County: permit types
Residential permit requirements.
- Montgomery County: building and codes FAQ
Homeowner permits, licensing statement and inspections.
- Montgomery County EMA: storm shelter registry
Form fields, address and phone observed October 14, 2026; no usage statement on the page.
- Tennessee 811: before you dig
Notice, ticket life, tolerance zone and private lines.
- Tennessee 811: excavators
Phone numbers, online tickets and postdating.
- Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors: home improvement
Home improvement license range and county list.
- Tennessee Attorney General: consumer tips on home improvement
$25,000 license threshold, Verify.tn.gov, written contracts, deposits and permits.
- FEMA P-320, Taking Shelter from the Storm (December 2024)
Permit documents, special inspection, and registering the entrance coordinates (sections 3.3, 4.2.2, Appendix B).
- Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission maps
Jurisdiction, zoning and flood map links.
Common questions
What does the City of Clarksville require to apply for a building permit?
A stamped property survey for permanent structures, a scaled site plan, a project valuation, liability insurance and workers’ compensation proof, and a Tennessee contractor’s license for projects of $25,000 or more. Incomplete applications are not accepted.
Can I pull my own storm shelter permit as a homeowner in Clarksville?
Possibly, for your own primary single-family home. The city lets homeowners pull a permit for their own primary single-family residence with a notarized Homeowner Affidavit, but not plumbing or mechanical/gas permits, and its page ties a two-year limit to building a residence. Ask whether a shelter qualifies. The Attorney General says the person doing the work should normally pull permits.
Does a storm shelter installer need a Tennessee contractor license?
It depends on the contract value and scope. Tennessee requires a contractor’s license before bidding on projects of $25,000 or more. A home improvement license for $3,000 to $24,999 applies only in nine adopting counties, and Montgomery was not listed on October 14, 2026.
What building code edition does Clarksville use?
The City of Clarksville FAQ lists the 2018 IBC and 2018 IRC, and Montgomery County lists the 2018 IRC effective January 1, 2021. Neither page mentions ICC 500, so ask the plan reviewer which edition and which documents apply to a shelter.
Do I have to call 811 before an in-ground storm shelter is dug?
Tennessee law expects notice before most excavation, and the Tennessee 811 site says to call first. Tennessee 811 needs at least three working days’ notice, tickets last fifteen calendar days, and private lines are the owner’s to locate. Ask the installer who requests the ticket.
What information does the Montgomery County storm shelter registry ask for?
Name, address, email and phone, plus the shelter type, location, entry location, manufacturer, model, occupant capacity and dimensions. Notes are optional. The page does not say how the data is used, so ask the EMA.