Memphis & Shelby County, TN HVAC permit requirements

2021 IRC with local amendments. Shelby County Code Sec. 6-44 (effective Dec 31, 2021); local amendments revised by Joint Ordinance No. 569 (3rd reading Feb 24, 2025; effective April 1, 2025). Joint Ord. 569 deletes IRC Chapters 12–20+ (mechanical) and replaces each with a pointer to the Memphis and Shelby County Mechanical Code, e.g. 'Section M1401 General. The heating and cooling equipment provisions of this Code shall be determined by reference to the latest adopted Memphis and Shelby County Mechanical Code.' It also deletes IRC Chapter 11.

Residential: 2018 IECC with local amendments. Joint Ord. 569 replaces IRC Chapter 11 with 'N1101.2 Applicability: One- and two-family dwellings and townhouses shall comply with the residential provisions of the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code as locally amended', and defines the IECC as 'the 2018 Edition ... with Local Amendments ... Memphis and Shelby County Energy Conservation Code (MSCECC)'. Separately, Shelby County Code Sec. 6-48 adopts the 2021 IECC with amendments (Joint Ord. 524, effective Dec 31, 2021), apparently for buildings under the building code.

IRC M1401.3 is DELETED for Memphis/Shelby by Joint Ord. 569 and replaced with a reference to the Memphis and Shelby County Mechanical Code (2021 IMC). That code's local amendments do not change Section 312 (Chapter 3 amendments cover only 301.18, 306.3.2 and 307.3.1). IMC 2021 312.1 requires design loads 'in accordance with the procedures described in the ASHRAE/ACCA Standard 183' or 'an approved equivalent computation procedure'; Manual J is not named. The 2018 IECC R403.7 (Manual S/J) would apply through N1101.2, but the 2018 local IECC amendments were not retrieved.

IRC M1601 is deleted and replaced by reference to the Memphis and Shelby County Mechanical Code (2021 IMC). Its amendments to Chapter 6 only add an exception to 602.1. It also deletes the IMC 101.2 exception that would otherwise send detached 1-/2-family dwellings to the IRC. IMC 2021 603.2 is not amended: 'Ducts installed within a single dwelling unit shall be sized in accordance with ACCA Manual D, the appliance manufacturer's installation instructions or other approved methods.'

Not verified for residential (governed by the 2018 IECC as locally amended; the 2018 local amendments were not retrieved). In the 2021 IECC local amendments, the R405 performance-path compliance reports are deleted ('R405.4.3.1 - Reserved.'), R401.3 certificate is deleted, and R402.4.1.2 testing and R403.3.5/R403.3.6 duct testing/leakage are deleted.

Apply in the Develop 901 Citizen Portal (Accela) via 'Create an Application' under Construction Enforcement. MPE (mechanical, plumbing, electrical) design drawings are required case by case. From the older general submittal sheet (written under the 2015 IBC): 'The MPE work required for a project shall be performed by a licensed contractor ... registered with Memphis and Shelby county office of construction code enforcement' and 'The contractor(s) shall secure permit(s) for his/her portion of the work prior to installation'. No checklist requiring Manual J/S/D or heat loss/gain was found.

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