Nashville Contractor License Requirements

Having a Tennessee state contractor license does not automatically let you pull building permits in Nashville. Davidson County requires a separate local registration through Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety before you can start construction work in the county. This registration process has its own bond, insurance, and fee requirements on top of the state-level credentials.

State License First

Nashville will not process your local registration without an active state contractor license from the Board for Licensing Contractors. Your license must be in good standing, with a classification and monetary limit that matches the work you intend to perform. If your state license is expired, restricted, or under disciplinary review, Metro Codes will not register you.

The Metropolitan Permit Bond

Nashville requires a $40,000 Metropolitan Permit Bond from every contractor seeking local registration. This is a surety bond that protects the city and property owners against code violations, abandoned projects, and permit non-compliance. It is separate from:

• Your state-level Contractors' Surety Bond (the one that establishes your monetary limit)
• Any performance or payment bonds required on individual projects
• The $10,000 Home Improvement surety bond (if applicable)

The permit bond must name Metro Nashville as the obligee. Surety companies that write Tennessee contractor bonds can typically add the Nashville permit bond — check whether your surety offers it as a package to reduce underwriting costs.

Insurance Requirements

Metro Codes requires general liability insurance of at least $300,000 — which is higher than the state minimum for contractors with monetary limits up to $500,000 (where the state only requires $100,000). If your state-level GL coverage is at the $100,000 minimum, you will need to increase it to register in Nashville.

Workers' compensation coverage (or a valid exemption registration) must also be current. Confirm Metro Codes' current certificate-holder instructions when you obtain the Certificate of Insurance.

Davidson County Business License

Before registering with Metro Codes, you need a Davidson County business license. The type of license depends on your annual gross receipts:

• Under $3,000: Exempt
• $3,000 to $99,999: Minimal Activity License from the Davidson County Clerk
• $100,000 or above: Standard Business License with annual business tax reporting

If your business is domiciled outside Davidson County but you generate $100,000 or more in receipts from Nashville projects, Nashville becomes a "deemed location" — you must register for a standard business license there and report those receipts separately from your domicile jurisdiction.

The Registration Process

Bring or submit to Metro Nashville Codes:

1. Active state contractor license (with matching classification)
2. $40,000 Metropolitan Permit Bond
3. Certificate of General Liability ($300,000 minimum)
4. Workers' compensation certificate or exemption proof
5. Davidson County business license
6. Payment of registration fees

Once registered, you can pull building permits through Nashville's permitting system for projects within Davidson County. Each project still requires individual building permits with the appropriate plans, surveys, and fee payments.

Home Improvement in Davidson County

Davidson County is one of the nine Tennessee counties that requires a separate Home Improvement (HI) license for residential remodeling projects valued between $3,000 and $24,999. If your work falls in that range, the HI credential — with its own $10,000 surety bond — is required separately from the general contractor registration.

The Tennessee General Contractor License Guide maps the complete state-to-local sequence including Nashville-specific requirements, so you can coordinate Metro Codes registration with your state application and avoid the back-and-forth that delays most first-time Nashville registrations.

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