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Building codes director proposes county takeover of electrical inspections to speed oversight
Summary
Rutherford County’s building codes director told the budget committee the county could assume state electrical inspections in unincorporated areas, charging the same permit fees and improving oversight and turnaround; staff will return with fiscal details and, if viable, take the plan to Public Works.
The Rutherford County Building Codes director proposed May 19 that the county assume responsibility for electrical inspections in unincorporated areas, saying the change would preserve oversight and allow county inspectors to respond faster than the state.
D bail told commissioners the county previously acted as an issuing agent for the state and can charge permit fees equivalent to the current state schedule so that the service would be cost neutral. He said local inspectors could complete inspections in about 24 hours compared with a 72‑hour window under state service and that reinspections would be covered under existing building permits rather than charged separately.
Why it matters: Taking over electrical inspections would shift operational responsibility and revenue collection to county government and could change enforcement dynamics for electrical work in unincorporated areas; towns that already perform their own inspections (Smyrna, Murfreesboro, La Vergne) would be unaffected.
What the director proposed D bail said initial modeling shows charging the same fees electricians now pay the state could support two inspectors; however, permit volumes were trending down in recent months and he may instead train existing county inspectors to cover electrical inspections. He will continue fiscal analysis and said a formal proposal will be taken to the Public Works committee when numbers are complete.
Process and fees Tanya (county staff) told commissioners the state charges about $40 per permit action (temporary pole, rough in, service release, final) and that a typical single‑family dwelling’s electrical permitting costs can approach $200 when reinspections and multiple actions are included. D bail said the county would mirror the state fee schedule but would not charge separately for reinspections because building permits already cover them.
Next steps The building codes director said he will continue his review, refine permit‑volume forecasts and return with a budgeted implementation plan and formal request to Public Works.
Representative quote "If we charge the same permit fees we can cover the cost for two inspectors," D bail said.
The committee accepted the department’s budget recommendation for publication and asked staff to return with detailed fiscal projections.
