Clarksville, TN

Clarksville, in brief

Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County. The county says it sits 30 minutes northwest of Nashville, on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line, and it lists Clarksville as its incorporated city.

The county's military page says Clarksville is the only city, and that as of 2024 about a quarter million people live in the county.

Fort Campbell is in the county, on the Tennessee-Kentucky line. The county says the post covers 106,700 acres and is home to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

The county history says the Army established Camp Campbell here in World War II and made it the permanent post Fort Campbell on April 15, 1950. A house inside Clarksville is permitted by the city.

A house outside the city is permitted by Montgomery County.

City permits

Inside the city limits, the office is Building and Codes, 100 South Spring Street, Clarksville, TN 37040, 931-645-7426, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Apply in the Citizen Self Service Portal.

The city FAQ says a permit is required whenever someone wants to construct, alter, repair, enlarge, move, renovate, demolish, or permanently place any building or structure. A permit becomes void if work does not start within six months, or if work stops for six months.

A city memorandum dated April 20, 2026 says any project in the city with a total valuation of $25,000 or more must be performed by a Tennessee-licensed contractor, under T.C.A. § 62-6-103.

The application needs a copy of the active license, a general liability certificate, and workers' compensation insurance or a state exemption. Permanent structures need a current stamped property survey.

An uncertified survey is accepted for a temporary structure, and the memo gives an on-ground swimming pool as an example. A homeowner may pull a permit for their own primary single-family residence.

A homeowner may not pull plumbing or mechanical and gas permits. Those go to a licensed contractor.

The Construction Division says an in-ground pool application needs a property survey. An above-ground pool may use an aerial photo or a scaled drawing in place of a survey.

Typical same-day inspection requests for trade rough-ins and finals have to be in by 8:00 a.m. A request after 8:00 a.m. is scheduled for the next business day.

Hiring a pool company in the city

The city requires a pool permit for an in-ground pool, an above-ground pool, a permanent spa or hot tub, and a deck or platform that goes with a pool.

The application needs a site plan or survey, the pool type, size, and layout, the barrier or fence details including the gates, and the total cost of labor and materials. The permit has to be approved before installation.

The city's setbacks for a pool are a minimum of 10 feet from property lines and a minimum of 5 feet from the primary residence. A pool is not allowed in an easement or a right-of-way.

Electrical work, plumbing for the water connection, and mechanical work for a gas heater can each need their own permit. Inspections, including electrical bonding and the final inspection, are scheduled in the portal.

Before you hire

The city's contractor FAQ tells you what to ask before you sign, for a roof or a pool.

• Ask for the Tennessee license on any job of $25,000 or more, and look it up at verify.tn.gov.
• Ask to see a certificate of insurance. The city says that, in most cases, state law requires workers' compensation.
• Get the contractor's name, address, and phone number, and match them to the person on the job.
• Have the building permit in hand before work begins, and have the required inspections passed. On a project that needs a certificate of occupancy, have that certificate before the final payment.
• Before anyone digs, call Tennessee One Call at 1-800-351-1111.

Outside the city, and hiring a roofer

Tennessee requires a contractor's license before someone contracts, bids, or negotiates a price on a project of $25,000 or more as the prime contractor, the person who contracts with the owner.

A roofing subcontractor needs a license when the roofing portion alone is $25,000 or more, including materials, equipment, and labor. The Board also says a licensed contractor carries general liability insurance and workers' compensation, unless they have an exemption.

Look the company up at verify.tn.gov.

A separate home improvement license covers some residential work from $3,000 to $24,999, and only in Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford, and Shelby counties. Montgomery County is outside that list.

On a smaller job here, ask to see a certificate of insurance.

Montgomery County Building and Codes issues permits for the county jurisdiction only, which the county describes as the area outside any city. The office is at 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 309, Clarksville, TN 37040, 931-648-5718, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday through Friday, except legal holidays. Permits are issued to the property owner or a licensed contractor and are paid by check or cash.

The county FAQ uses the same permit test as the city: a permit is required to construct, alter, repair, enlarge, move, renovate, demolish, or permanently place any building or structure.

For a junk-property complaint, the county says to call the county office for property in the county and the city office at 931-645-7426 for property inside the city.

A pool permit is required for every in-ground and above-ground pool. The property owner pulls a barrier permit before the county will issue the pool permit.

Outdoor pools, spas, and hot tubs with water over 24 inches deep need a barrier at least 48 inches above grade, measured on the outside face. Gates open outward, away from the pool, and they are self-closing and self-latching.

A pool alarm has to be installed and working before the final inspection. A spa or hot tub can use a safety cover that meets ASTM F1346 in place of a barrier.

The county FAQ sets the above-ground pool fee at $50. You still need the barrier permit first, an electrical permit, and, if the house is on septic, a copy of the septic layout showing the field lines.

Septic questions go to the state environmental office at (615) 687-7000. The same FAQ sends electrical permits for county residents to the state.

The county adopted the 2018 building codes effective January 1, 2021, and keeps a copy available at the Building and Codes office.

The county collects an Adequate Facilities Tax and says a receipt or an exemption has to be given to the city Building and Codes department before a residential building permit is issued in either the city or the county.

Ask the county for the current amount, and whether your roof or pool permit needs the receipt.

More trades

Pages for pest control, house cleaning, heating and air, plumbing, and landscaping and lawn care list the companies checked for this town.

Questions people ask

Sources

Checked October 25, 2026. Listing counts come from MyTownIsHere.

• Montgomery County, About
• Montgomery County, military and Fort Campbell
• City of Clarksville, Building and Codes
• City of Clarksville, permitting (memorandum of April 20, 2026, and pool rules)
• City of Clarksville, FAQs
• City of Clarksville, apply for a permit
• City of Clarksville, Citizen Self Service Portal
• City of Clarksville, Construction Division
• Montgomery County Building and Codes
• Montgomery County, permit issuance (county jurisdiction only)
• Montgomery County, permit types
• Montgomery County, pool requirements
• Montgomery County Building and Codes FAQ
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, contractor license
• Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, home improvement license
• Tennessee license lookup (verify.tn.gov)