If you only remember three things, remember these. In Metro Nashville and Davidson County, the three most common landscaping jobs that DO need a permit are: (1) building or replacing a deck, which always requires a building permit, (2) installing a lawn irrigation system, which requires a plumbing permit for the water connection and backflow preventer, and (3) building a raised patio more than 6 inches above average grade. General planting, sodding, and mulching on a single-family home need no permit at all.
At Nashville Pro Landscape we pull the required permits on jobs we handle, but every homeowner should know where the lines are. Here is what Metro’s own Codes Department and Metro Water Services pages say, work type by work type.
Retaining Walls
Metro’s official permit-required list does not carry a dedicated retaining wall line, and Metro does not publish a homeowner-facing height threshold on its Building Permits Central pages, so do not assume the commonly repeated 4-foot rule applies to your wall – check with the Metro Codes Department before you build. One thing Metro Water Services does state: retaining walls are exempt from the separate stormwater grading permit, per the Who Needs a Grading Permit page, though all work must still follow erosion and sediment control rules.
Fences
Good news first: per Metro’s fence page, no permit is currently required to build a fence, but it must meet zoning height rules. Within the 10-foot front setback from the street property line, solid fences max out at 30 inches while open fences (chain link, wrought iron) can go to 72 inches. From there to the front of the house the cap is 6 feet, and beside or behind the house it is 8 feet, measured from finish grade on the taller-exposed side. Corner lots cannot fence inside the 35-foot visibility zone, and properties in a Historic Preservation or Historic Landmark Overlay need a Preservation Permit first.
Decks are the big one. Metro’s deck and patio page says a new deck or a replacement deck requires a permit, deck board replacement above 100 square feet requires a permit, and any footing or framing replacement requires a permit. Tearing a deck down without replacing it does not. For hardscape, Metro’s official permit list says a new patio needs a permit only if it sits more than 6 inches above average grade. Sidewalks, driveway paving, pergolas, and trellises appear on that same list as no-permit items for homes.
Irrigation Systems
A lawn sprinkler system requires a plumbing permit covering the water connection and backflow preventer, per Metro’s permit list. Metro’s backflow page requires a licensed plumber to install the backflow preventer, outside, close behind the water meter. It must pass an initial inspection and then, under the Metro Water Services Cross Connections Program, an annual inspection to meet state requirements, currently $50 per device during business hours.
Tree Removal
On Metro’s permit list, tree removal at a single-family or two-family home needs no Codes permit, while all other properties (commercial, multi-family) do need one. Metro also runs tree protection and replacement procedures for trees on certain Metro properties, described on the Metro Water Services tree removals page. Protected and heritage tree rules exist in the zoning code for regulated properties, and Metro does not publish the diameter thresholds on its homeowner pages, so check with the Metro Codes Department before removing large trees, especially in overlay districts.
Drainage and Grading Work
Metro Water Services’ Stormwater Division issues grading permits. Per the Who Needs a Grading Permit page, a permit is required for land disturbing activity that exposes or disturbs more than 10,000 square feet, or moves more than 100 cubic yards of material. Routine landscaping maintenance on a developed lot is exempt when the aggregate stripped area stays at or under 10,000 square feet at any one time. Exempt or not, erosion and sediment control rules always apply.
This is general guidance, not legal advice – confirm with the Metro Codes Department before starting work.
Last Updated: July 2026
FAQ
Do I need a permit to plant trees, shrubs, or new sod in Nashville?
No. Landscaping, sodding, and nursery stock at single-family and two-family homes appear as no-permit items on Metro’s official permit list.
Who pulls the plumbing permit for my sprinkler system?
A licensed plumber. Metro requires one for the backflow preventer installation, and the device must pass an initial inspection plus an annual Metro Water Services inspection.
Can I remove a tree in my own yard without a permit?
At a single-family or two-family home, Metro’s permit list shows no Codes permit for tree removal. Overlay districts and regulated properties differ, so confirm with Metro Codes first.
All rules above were verified in July 2026 directly on Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County pages:
- https://www.nashville.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Building-Permit-Required.pdf (Metro Codes official permit-required list)
- https://www.nashville.gov/departments/codes/construction-and-permits/building-permits-central/fence
- https://www.nashville.gov/departments/codes/construction-and-permits/building-permits-central/add-deck
- https://www.nashville.gov/departments/codes/construction-and-permits/building-permits-central/backflow
- https://www.nashville.gov/departments/water/customers/cross-connections-program
- https://www.nashville.gov/departments/water/developers/stormwater-review/who-needs-grading-permit
- https://www.nashville.gov/departments/water/stormwater/tree-information/tree-removals-and-plantings
- https://www.nashville.gov/departments/codes/construction-and-permits/building-permits-central (Building Permits Central hub)