Guide · East Tennessee
Grading permits, TDEC land disturbance, burn permits, stormwater plans — who files what.
Three permit layers apply to serious land clearing in Knox County: state (TDEC), county, and Tennessee Division of Forestry. The contractor files them, but you need to know they exist so you can spot a crew that's skipping steps.
Required when disturbed area exceeds 1 acre. Two-part filing: (1) Notice of Intent (NOI) under the Construction General Permit, filed through TDEC's Data Management and Analysis System. (2) Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), site-specific document that covers site description, erosion control measures, inspection cadence, and corrective action procedures.
Filing fee: $300. Turnaround: usually 3 to 5 business days for the NOI to process. The SWPPP has to be on site during construction.
Knox County operates under the Tennessee Municipal Stormwater Permit (TMSP) MS4 program. Inside the MS4 area, county-level erosion and sediment control requirements apply on top of state requirements. Silt fence spec, inspection frequency, and post-construction stabilization requirements are enforced by the county.
Local grading permit: separate from the state land disturbance permit. Application through Knox County Codes Administration. Fee scale depends on scope.
Required October 15 through May 15 for outdoor burning of woody material. Free (no state fee). Apply by phone the day of the burn — TDF assesses daily weather and fire-risk conditions. Wind speed limits, setback requirements from structures and property lines, and adjacent-property notification are all part of the permit conditions.
Outside the October-May window, outdoor burning is generally prohibited due to wildfire risk.
Blount County and Anderson County follow the same state framework with their own local grading permit paperwork. Loudon and Sevier counties similarly. The contractor handles the county-specific paperwork wherever your site is.
TDEC notice of violation, stop-work order, fines that can hit five figures on commercial projects. Down the line, missing permits show up in the property record and complicate loan applications, permit applications, and resale. It's not worth it.
Free written quote after a walk-through. Coordinator returns your request the same business day.
Licensed independent land clearing crews across Knoxville, East Tennessee, and Maryville, Oak Ridge, Farragut, Powell.
