Knox County, TN Building Safety: Plumbing Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 2018 International Plumbing Code
- Adopting section
- Knox County Code § 10-136
- Permit fees
- Set by county fee resolution, not the IPC
- Minimum sewer depth
- 12 inches (Section 305.4.1)
- Appeals body
- Board of Construction Appeals
- Code copy required at
- Dept. of Code Administration, § 10-138
Summary
Knox County adopted the 2018 International Plumbing Code by reference under § 10-136, with local amendments that reset permit fees to a county fee resolution, set minimum sewer depth at twelve inches, and move plumbing code appeals to the Board of Construction Appeals.
The county hereby adopts the 2018 edition of the International Plumbing Code, published by the International Code Council, Inc., by reference, as if set out at length in this section, with the amendments set out in this article. ... Section [A] 106.6.2 Fee schedule. Delete Section 106.6.2 in its entirety and insert "Fees as adopted by resolution for Knox County, Tennessee." ... Section 109 Means of Appeal. Delete section 109 in its entirety and insert "The Board of Construction Appeals shall be as established and regulated by the 2018 International Building Code." in its place.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-136 of the Knox County Code adopts the 2018 edition of the International Plumbing Code, published by the International Code Council, "by reference, as if set out at length in this section," with a set of local amendments spelled out in § 10-137. 2) and replace it with "[f]ees as adopted by resolution for Knox County, Tennessee," and delete the IPC's fee-refund section outright. " Appeals of plumbing code decisions are routed away from the IPC's own appeal process: Section 109, "Means of Appeal," is deleted and replaced so that the Knox County Board of Construction Appeals, the same board established under the 2018 International Building Code, hears plumbing appeals.
1). Section 10-138 requires the Department of Code Administration to keep a public-record copy of the adopted 2018 IPC and to note on any citation where that copy can be inspected, so a permit holder cited for a plumbing violation has a right to review the underlying code text.
Violations & Fines
Because the IPC's own dollar-and-jail-term penalty language was struck, a plumbing code violation in Knox County is "subject to penalties as prescribed by law," which pulls in the county's general Code penalty at § 1-4: a civil penalty of up to $1,000.00 per violation, with each day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense. Stop-work orders issued under the amended Section 108.5 carry the same penalty exposure rather than a fixed dollar range.
Frequently Asked Questions
What plumbing code applies in unincorporated Knox County?
Who sets plumbing permit fees in Knox County?
How deep must a sewer line be buried under Knox County's plumbing code?
Where do I appeal a plumbing permit or code decision?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
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