Do I need a permit for shed or accessory structure in Germantown?

Yes. In Tennessee, shed or accessory structure generally requires a permit, and Germantown is no exception.

Tennessee does not set one statewide shed threshold, and the 200 square foot figure from the model International Residential Code does not govern here. Who enforces residential construction depends on your address: where a city or county has neither taken on residential code enforcement itself nor opted out by a two-thirds vote of its legislative body, the State Fire Marshal's Office runs the residential permit and inspection program using state-contracted inspectors. So the first question is not the size of the shed but which authority covers you. Confirm whether your city or county enforces its own code, has opted out, or falls under the State Fire Marshal program, then ask that office for the size threshold. Zoning setbacks apply regardless, and a separate permit is needed for any electrical service run to the shed. Germantown requires a building permit before installing any detached structure regardless of its use, and the city specifically lists sheds, garages, carports, pool houses, gazebos, barns, arbors, wooden decks, greenhouses, tree houses, play forts, playground equipment, and antennas, so do not assume a small shed is exempt. Accessory structure permits are processed by the Economic and Community Development office at 1920 South Germantown Road, and there are restrictions on location, height, and size, so confirm your setbacks before you build. Running power, water, or gas to a shed adds separate electrical, plumbing, or mechanical permits through the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement.