Home projects in Lebanon

Lebanon is the Wilson County seat, east of Nashville on I-40. It has a historic square, a university neighborhood that grew up around Cumberland University, and a lot of new subdivision housing on the edges of town. For homeowners, the big local factor is historic zoning: Lebanon has created five historic districts since 2014, and work on houses inside them is reviewed before it starts.

Lebanon's five historic districts

The city lists five local districts:

If you own a house in one of these districts, the city asks you to read the Historic District Guidelines and to contact the Planning Director, who also serves as the planning representative for historic preservation, before doing any work, to find out whether you need a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA).

How historic review works

The Historic Zoning Commission meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the Main Council Chambers at City Hall. The city's guidelines are divided into residential and non-residential sections and cover preservation and maintenance, repair and rehabilitation, and replacement.

The city publishes several tools that tell you what the commission cares about:

• a Certificate of Appropriateness application and checklist;
• a Window Repair and Replacement Evaluation Sheet, a sign that windows get close attention;
• a Home Maintenance Log Template;
• guidelines on flood adaptation for rehabilitating historic buildings.

For a historic house, plan the COA first, then the building permit. If you're considering replacement windows, fill out the evaluation sheet with your contractor before ordering anything. See windows and exterior painting.

Codes and permits

Lebanon's guidelines page lists the 2021 International Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fire, Fuel Gas, Existing Building and Energy Conservation codes, along with the 2018 International Residential Code and its appendices. Commercial plan submittals have to follow that list as of October 30, 2025. Ask the Building Inspection Department which editions apply to your residential project, since the city notes its website is being updated.

Electrical inspections aren't done by the city. They're conducted by the State of Tennessee Deputy Electrical Inspectors, so electrical questions go to the state. Building inspections are requested by email. The city's inspectors are ICC- and state-certified, and online card payments are being phased in.

For new single-family homes, two-family homes and townhomes, the city's engineering, planning, building and utilities departments use a five-step residential development process that leads to the Certificate of Occupancy. That's mostly for builders, but it's useful if you're building a new house on a lot you own.

The 2020 tornado

The March 3, 2020 tornado that hit Nashville, Hermitage and Mt. Juliet crossed Highway 109 into Lebanon. There, the National Weather Service says, it weakened to EF-2 but kept damaging dozens of homes and businesses as it moved through southern parts of the city. For homeowners, the lessons are the same as in Mt. Juliet: check how the roof is tied down when you re-roof, keep records of your house, and check licenses before hiring after a storm. See roofing and Mt. Juliet.

Licensing

Wilson County hasn't adopted Tennessee's Home Improvement license law, so state licensing for general remodeling begins with a contractor's license at $25,000. Trades have their own licenses. Check any license on the state's Verify search.

Common Lebanon projects

Historic repairs. Wood windows, porches and siding in the districts. See siding.

Additions. Rear additions on older houses in the districts go through historic review. See home additions.

Kitchens, baths and HVAC. Interior work isn't reviewed by the commission, though permits still apply. See kitchen remodeling, bathroom remodeling and HVAC.