Metal buildings in Tennessee.
Carports, garages, RV covers and barns for Tennessee properties. Permit rules differ by county here, and the ground can range from rock to sinkholes. Here’s what to check before you order.
Your Tennessee questions, answered.
Do you deliver anywhere in Tennessee?
Yes. Our coverage includes the whole state.
Do I need a permit in Tennessee?
It depends on the county or city. Where the State Fire Marshal’s Office handles residential permits, no state permit is needed for a detached garage, carport or barn that isn’t used as living space. Counties and cities with their own building departments may still require one, and some have opted out of the state’s residential code altogether. Call your county or city and ask; zoning setbacks can apply either way.
Tennessee opt-out jurisdictions ↗ · State residential permits ↗
Can I put a building near a sinkhole or on rocky ground?
Middle and East Tennessee have limestone ground with sinkholes and shallow rock. Rock can stop standard ground anchors. A sinkhole or low spot that holds water is a poor place for a building or slab.
We review the installation surface before confirming the anchoring.
Does West Tennessee need an earthquake review?
Ask your building office. West Tennessee is near the New Madrid seismic zone and has higher earthquake design requirements than most of the state.
Is a carport or metal building safe to shelter in during a tornado?
No. A carport or steel storage building is not a storm shelter. Anchors help keep the building in place in strong wind, but do not stay in it during a tornado warning.
How do delivery and installation work?
We review your building, location and site details before confirming timing. You prepare a level site and arrange required local approvals. Steep or winding driveways, narrow roads, gates and low limbs can make delivery harder; these are common in the hills. A quote request does not reserve an installation date.
Do I need to call 811 before installation?
Yes. Contact Tennessee 811 at least three working days, and no more than 10 working days, before work starts. Tell them where the building will sit and that ground anchors will be installed. Marks are good for 15 calendar days.
Lines you own, such as power to a barn, are not marked through 811.
Where can I check flood risk?
Look up the address on the FEMA flood map, then ask the county or city floodplain office about the building location. Creek bottoms flood quickly in heavy rain even when the map looks clear, so tell us what you have seen on the site.
Useful Tennessee resources
- State Fire Marshal residential permits ↗
Who issues residential permits where there is no local program.
- Opt-out jurisdictions ↗
Counties and cities that do not enforce state residential codes.
- Tennessee 811 ↗
Request utility markings before site work.