How Much Does It Cost to Open a Gym in Nashville?

Last updated Oct 20, 2026

In short

A 2,000 sq ft gym in Nashville costs about $90,000 to $215,000 to open in second-generation gym space, before working capital. Nashville is the most expensive of GGC's four markets on rent, with average retail asking rent at $31.07/sq ft in Q2 2026, vacancy at 3.5% and annual rent growth of 5.2%. Metro Codes handles all permitting for Nashville-Davidson County and offers no expedited review.

• $31.07/sq ft [1]: average retail asking rent, Q2 2026.
• 3.5% [1]: retail vacancy, Q2 2026.
• 5.2% [1]: annual retail rent growth.
• 4.54% [2]: year-over-year construction cost growth, Q2 2025.
• 721,074 [3]: Nashville-Davidson population, 2025, up 9,244 in a year.

Commercial rent in Nashville

At $31.07/sq ft, base rent on 2,000 sq ft is about $62,140 a year, or $5,178 a month, before NNN. Rents vary widely by submarket: MMCG reports $56.98/sq ft in Green Hills-Belle Meade versus $17.24 in Cheatham County, and PropertyShark listing data shows 1,000 to 2,500 sq ft spaces averaging $34/sq ft. Nationally, MMCG puts average retail asking rent at $26.21/sq ft.

Permits

Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety handles all permitting for Nashville-Davidson County. Key points from its June 2026 Commercial Permit FAQ:

• Plans are submitted electronically only. Paper, mail and walk-in submissions are not accepted.
• After you apply, a zoning examiner provides a checklist of the Metro agencies that must sign off before the permit is issued, such as Water, Stormwater, Health, Fire and Historic.
• Metro plan reviewers must review within 30 days of receiving the drawings. Other agencies set their own timelines.
• Metro offers no expedited review. Third-party plan review is allowed for tenant finish-out, and the third-party reviewer must be registered in Tennessee.
• An unissued application expires 6 months after it is filed.
• Metro adopted the 2024 International Building Code, effective July 16, 2025.
• Metro does not charge impact fees.

How long permitting takes

Budget at least 30 days for Codes review, plus time for other agencies and correction rounds. Third-party review can shorten the Codes portion.

The Nashville gym market

Retail space is tight, at 3.5% vacancy, so good space leases quickly. Rider Levett Bucknall reported Nashville construction costs up 4.54% year over year in Q2 2025, which makes a second-generation gym space more valuable here than in the other three markets. Demand keeps growing: Nashville-Davidson added 9,244 residents from 2024 to 2025, reaching 721,074. Fit-out is still regional, and Cushman & Wakefield puts Southeast retail fit-outs at $117/sq ft. Utilities run higher in Tennessee, where commercial electricity averaged 13.43 cents per kWh in July 2026.

Presale bond

Selling memberships before opening triggers Tennessee's Health Club Bond Act: each location needs a $25,000 bond, or an audited statement showing $10 million in net worth. See gym presales.

Other GGC markets

• Cost to open a gym in Charlotte Read more →
• Cost to open a gym in Chattanooga Read more →
• Cost to open a gym in Asheville Read more →

See also: how much it costs to open a gym, monthly cost to run a gym and local SEO for gyms.

Frequently asked questions

How much is rent for a gym in Nashville? About $31/sq ft per year on average, but anywhere from about $17 to $57 depending on submarket.

Does Nashville offer expedited permit review? No. Third-party review is the main way to shorten the Codes timeline.

Sources

1. Nashville Retail Market Report Q2 2026. Matthews, 2026. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
2. RLB Construction Cost Report: East Q2 2025. Rider Levett Bucknall, 2025. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
3. Population Growth Holds Steady in Midsized Cities Amid Widespread Slowdown. U.S. Census Bureau, May 2026. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
4. U.S. Retail Market Report 2026: Vacancy, Rents, Cap Rates and the Store Closure Ledger. MMCG Invest, 2026. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
5. Building Permit Process. Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
6. Commercial Permit FAQ (6/2026). Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety, June 2026. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
7. Commercial New Construction Permits. Metro Nashville Codes and Building Safety. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
8. Fit Out Cost Guide 2025: Americas Retail. Cushman & Wakefield, 2025. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
9. Electricity Rates by State. Choose Energy, using EIA data, 2026. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.
10. Tenn. Code § 47-18-318: Surety Bond. Justia, Tennessee Code. Accessed Oct 20, 2026.