Construction documents · Tennessee
For Tennessee, determine whether the State Fire Marshal or an approved exempt jurisdiction performs the relevant plan review. An exemption describes who reviews the work; it should not be read as removing construction requirements.
Your codes, connected to your drawings
Groundbook can review your drawings against the state and local code PDFs you upload. Add the adopted code books and amendments that apply to your project, then review potential issues with links to the supporting sources.
Upload the applicable code PDFs alongside the drawing set. Include the edition, local amendments, and project requirements.
Set code PDFs to Code and Use as reference. Mark the drawings you want reviewed as Check this file.
Follow the linked drawing and reference, check applicability, and have the responsible professional verify the issue.
State and local references
Examples of references you can bring into Groundbook. Confirm the adopted edition, effective date, and project scope with the reviewing authority, then upload the applicable PDFs.
Use the State Fire Marshal’s reference package where its review applies; confirm the code basis in an exempt local jurisdiction.
Include the applicable fire reference and amendments with the occupancy and life-safety documents.
Code names link to official agency or publisher resources. Reviewed September 9, 2026. The reference set comes from the files you supply.
Tennessee reference guide
Tennessee identifies exempt jurisdictions approved to perform reviews and inspections for buildings that would normally require State Fire Marshal approval. Confirm the locality and its applicable code basis.
Tennessee: exempt jurisdictionsThe state’s plans-submittal guidance lists project categories requiring review and qualifications to that scope. Use the project’s ownership, lease, and occupancy information to establish the correct route.
Tennessee: when plans submittal is requiredSources reviewed September 9, 2026. Confirm current requirements and project applicability with the reviewing authority.
Prepare a useful review
Use this preparation list for Groundbook alongside the official permit checklist.
Supply the exempt-jurisdiction confirmation or state-review determination, occupancy, ownership/lease status, and applicable checklist.
Include the governing code editions and amendments from the reviewing office. Do not assume exempt jurisdictions share the state’s exact edition.
Bring life-safety drawings, site access, fire-protection documents, MEP plans, schedules, and prior comments. Identify separate approvals and unresolved interfaces.
Identify which files are being checked, which are references, and which revisions are superseded. Include reviewer comments and responses where they explain an unresolved decision.
Use the drawing-register templateFrom documents to decisions
Compare stated design information with the code and local references you supply. Verify scope, exceptions, and the source behind each potential issue.
Review code referencesLook for incomplete information and conflicting requirements before submission. Assign each verified finding to the responsible designer.
Prepare for submissionCheck relationships across drawings, schedules, specifications, and reports. Resolve the source conflict and carry the decision into the issued set.
Review the whole packageBefore you start
The state uses this term for approved local jurisdictions that perform specified reviews and inspections. Confirm the local code and submission route; do not treat the designation as a general exemption for the building.
Supply the current drawing set and schedules, relevant specifications and reports, the applicable code and amendment PDFs, and the reviewing authority’s checklist. Identify the edition, project scope, and permit stage. Groundbook reviews the supplied evidence; do not assume every local requirement is already available.
No. Groundbook surfaces potential conflicts and omissions with links to source documents for professional verification. It does not issue permits, certify compliance, provide permit-expediting services, or replace the authority having jurisdiction.
Official source directory
Approved local review/inspection arrangements.
State review categories and applicability qualifications.
Bring your drawings and the references that govern the project.