Building Safety in Memphis, TN

If you live in Memphis or are thinking about moving there, building safety are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Memphis has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of building safety, and some of them might surprise you.

Electrical Permits

Memphis regulates electrical work under the 2018 Memphis and Shelby County Electrical Code, which adopts the 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC) by reference along with locally drafted amendments and Appendix A, the electrical permit and inspection fee schedule, per Code Sec. 14-5-1. Ordinance No. 5714, passed December 18, 2018, put the current edition in force.

Key details: Adopted code: 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC). Joint code name: 2018 Memphis & Shelby County Electrical Code. Adopting ordinance: Ord. No. 5714, 12-18-2018. Fee schedule: Appendix A (filed, not in code text). Default fine: Up to $50.00/violation, Sec. 1-24-1.

Chapter 14-5 sets no violation-specific fine of its own, so electrical code breaches fall under the citywide general penalty in Sec. 1-24-1: up to $50.00 per offense, with every day a violation continues treated as a new, separate offense, plus a possible administrative penalty of up to $200.00 under Sec. 1-24-1(C). A fine doesn't bar the city from also revoking the electrical permit or license involved.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Every short-term rental in Memphis must have carbon monoxide detectors on each habitable floor and UL 217 smoke alarms in every sleeping area, per City Code § 5-44-6(B)-(C). The Division of Public Works can factor missing detectors into permit compliance and revocation.

Key details: CO detector rule: On every habitable floor. Companion rule: UL 217 smoke alarms in sleeping areas. Applies to: Short-term rental properties (Chapter 5-44). Checked via: Compliance verification form at permit filing. Repeat failure: Permit revoked after 3 court violations.

A carbon monoxide detector violation is enforced through the same compliance mechanism as the rest of Chapter 5-44: the Division of Public Works can factor a missing detector into permit denial at renewal, and if the deficiency is cited as a violation of a generally applicable local law three separate times by a court with no appeal rights remaining, § 5-44-7 requires the short-term rental permit to be revoked.

Building Permits

Memphis builds every construction and permit requirement on the 2015 ICC International Building Code, adopted by reference at Memphis Code Section 14-6-1. The city also locally adopted the Code's Appendix A, covering building permit, plans and inspection fees, plus appendices on agricultural buildings, the fire district, rodent-proofing and signs, while leaving out every other IBC appendix.

Key details: Adopted code: 2015 ICC International Building Code. Adopting ordinance: Ord. No. 5710, Dec. 18, 2018. Adopted appendices: A, C, D, F and H only. Permit fee schedule: Set in adopted Appendix A. Record location: Office of Council Records, City Council.

Memphis Code Section 14-6-1 does not set out its own penalty; building without a required permit is enforced through the adopted 2015 IBC and the city's general penalty clause, Section 1-24-1, which fines unpermitted or noncompliant work up to $50 per violation, with each day of continued work without a permit charged as a separate offense, in addition to any permit revocation or stop-work order the code official issues.

Plumbing Permits

Memphis Code Section 14-14-1 adopts the 2015 ICC International Plumbing Code by reference, together with local amendments, as the 2018 Memphis and Shelby County Plumbing Code. The city separately adopted a locally drafted Appendix A covering plumbing permit and inspection fees, plus Appendix H on cross-connection and backflow prevention, while leaving out every other IPC appendix except B, C, D and E.

Key details: Adopted code: 2015 ICC International Plumbing Code. Adopting ordinance: Ord. No. 5715, Dec. 18, 2018. Adopted appendices: A, B, C, D, E and H. Permit fee schedule: Set in locally drafted Appendix A. Record location: Office of Council Records, City Council.

Section 14-14-1 sets no separate penalty of its own; plumbing work performed without the required permit, or that fails to meet the adopted 2015 IPC standards, is enforced through the city's general penalty clause, Section 1-24-1: a fine of up to $50 per violation, with each day the work remains unpermitted or noncompliant counted as a separate offense, alongside any permit revocation or stop-work order issued by the code official.

Childcare Center Rules

Every Memphis day care center caring for five or more children for pay must register with the office of planning and development and win joint approval from the building official, fire marshal and health department before opening, under City Code Chapter 9-28. Centers must operate on the ground floor, give each child 30 square feet of open space, and post inspection records.

Key details: Registration: Required with Office of Planning and Development. Floor space: 30 sq ft of open space per child. Building level: First story only. Minimum age: 15 months (unless institution-approved). Restroom ratio: 1 water closet/lavatory per 15 children.

Section 9-28-8 makes any violation of Chapter 9-28 a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not less than $10.00 nor more than $50.00 for each and every violation, meaning a center posting the wrong inspection records, exceeding the 30-square-foot floor space ratio, or admitting an underage child without institution-level approval can be cited separately for each infraction.

Compared to other cities, Memphis takes a harder line on childcare center rules. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Building Inspections

Memphis requires every boiler and unfired pressure vessel in the city to be inspected on a fixed schedule under Code Section 14-12-16: power boilers annually inside and out, low-pressure heating boilers and non-corroding unfired pressure vessels every two years, with a two-month grace period. Inspections are performed by the city's chief inspector, a deputy inspector or a licensed special inspector, and each passing unit receives a certificate valid up to 14 months.

Key details: Power boiler inspection: Annually, inside and out. Low-pressure/heating boiler inspection: Every 2 years (biennial). Grace period: 2 months beyond scheduled deadline. Certificate validity: Up to 14 months. Inspection fee (small power boiler): $5 internal / $3 external.

Operating a boiler or unfired pressure vessel in Memphis without a valid inspection certificate, or beyond the pressure it authorizes, is a misdemeanor under Section 14-12-19, punishable under Section 1-24-1, with each day of unlawful operation counted as a separate offense. The chief inspector can also suspend a certificate immediately if the equipment poses a menace to public safety, and operation cannot resume until the equipment is brought back into compliance and the certificate reinstated.

Fire Sprinkler Requirements

Memphis's Fire Code amendments require monitored sprinkler systems to report through an approved central station under NFPA 72, extend floor control valve requirements from high-rise buildings to all buildings two or more stories, and set a $100 permit fee for a new sprinkler system installation through the Fire Prevention Bureau.

Key details: Monitoring standard: Central station per NFPA 72. New sprinkler system permit: $100. Alteration permit (10+ heads): $50. Floor valve rule now covers: All buildings 2+ stories. Exempt systems: Approved 13R (no standpipe) or 13D.

Violating Chapter 9-36's sprinkler and monitoring amendments is a misdemeanor under Sec. 9-36-3, punished per the general penalty in Sec. 1-24-1, which sets fire-prevention violations (Chs. 2-24, 9-36, 9-40, 9-44, 9-84) at a minimum $200 penalty. Separately, installing a sprinkler or standpipe system before the Fire Prevention Bureau approves the permit doubles the required fee under Sec. 9-40-5(C).

Elevator Maintenance

Memphis Code Section 14-16-47 makes the owner or lessee of every elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter and amusement device responsible for keeping it in safe operating condition and for all required testing. Section 14-16-28 backs that duty with a fixed testing schedule: passenger elevators and escalators every six months, freight elevators every twelve, with safety devices and governors checked annually.

Key details: Maintenance duty: Owner or lessee, per § 14-16-47. Passenger elevator/escalator test: Every 6 months. Freight elevator test: Every 12 months. Safety/governor load test: Every 5 years (2.5 for drum machines). Inspection report deadline: Filed within 20 days.

Failing to maintain an elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter or amusement device, or skipping a required periodic test, is a misdemeanor under Section 14-16-15, punishable under the city's general penalty, Section 1-24-1, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. Accidents causing an injury requiring a physician, more than a day's disability, or more than $100 in damage must be reported to the director of planning and development immediately under Section 14-16-13, and the equipment stays out of service until it's repaired, reinspected and approved.

The Bottom Line

Memphis's building safety rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Memphis is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Memphis's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.