Garage door rules & licensing in Tennessee

Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors, Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance — official site

A Tennessee contractor licence is required for projects of $25,000 or more when acting as a prime contractor, certain subcontractor, or construction manager/consultant. Separately, "A Home Improvement license is required for residential remodeling projects from $3,000 to $24,999; however, this only applies to the counties adopting the law" - Bradley, Davidson, Hamilton, Haywood, Knox, Marion, Robertson, Rutherford and Shelby. There is no garage-door-specific classification. Contractor licence applicants must file a reviewed or audited financial statement from a licensed accounting firm; beginning July 1, 2026 a Contractors' Surety Bond equal to at least 50% of the requested monetary limit may be submitted instead of the CPA statement. The monetary limit is set at 10 times the lesser of working capital or net worth.

A contractor licence is required for projects of "$25,000 or more when acting as a prime contractor, certain subcontractor, or construction manager/consultant." Below that, a Home Improvement licence covers $3,000 to $24,999 residential remodeling, but only in the nine counties that adopted the law.

Home Improvement licence: surety bond "in the amount of $10,000 (or other financial responsibility in the form of a cash or property bond, or an irrevocable Letter of Credit)", plus General Liability and Worker's Compensation insurance. Initial application fee $250.

Tennessee has statewide adopted construction codes administered by the State Fire Marshal's Office (Department of Commerce and Insurance): the International Residential Code, 2018 edition with amendments, and the International Building Code, 2021 edition, effective 4/17/2025. Local jurisdictions that enforce their own building codes may be exempted from the state residential program.