Sheet Metal Contractor in Nashville

June 15, 2026

A sheet metal contractor is a different trade from an air-conditioning repair company, even though their work often ends up inside the same building. Sheet metal shops fabricate and install HVAC ductwork, custom metal components, architectural sheet metal, flashing, gutters and downspouts, metal roofing parts, and commercial ventilation systems, cutting and forming flat stock into finished assemblies on a shop floor before installing them on site. In Nashville, Tennessee’s largest city with a population of roughly 715,000 as of 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau), that work is driven by a sustained commercial and institutional building boom, from hospitals and schools to restaurants, hotels, and distribution centers, each of which needs fabricated duct systems, exhaust hoods, and metal trim that off-the-shelf parts cannot supply.

The market context favors shops that can fabricate in house rather than simply install purchased components. Nashville’s growth has produced one of the South’s most active construction pipelines, and general contractors increasingly value sheet metal partners that run their own coil lines and plasma tables, because in-house fabrication shortens turnaround and tightens quality control. Commercial kitchens need welded grease duct and stainless hoods, industrial facilities need dust collection and stack work, and developers need architectural panels, flashing, and cornice work that match a building’s design. The result is a field that ranges from production duct shops serving mechanical contractors to specialty fabricators producing custom and architectural metal.

Tennessee regulates this work primarily through licensing tied to project value. A contractor’s license from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors is required when a project totals $25,000 or more, and the mechanical (HVAC) classification covers ductwork fabrication and installation; larger sheet metal and mechanical firms hold this license, while smaller residential jobs may fall under the Home Improvement license in the counties where that class applies. Sheet metal sold and installed is subject to Tennessee’s 7% state sales tax plus the local option tax, which in Davidson County brings the combined rate to roughly 9.75%. Many established shops build to the standards of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), and some are affiliated with the SMART union (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers), which trains journeyman sheet metal workers in the region.

Consumers and contractors hiring a sheet metal firm in Nashville can verify any required contractor license through the state at verify.tn.gov before signing. Because most sheet metal work is part of a larger construction or mechanical contract, the project value, scope, and payment schedule should be documented in writing, and buyers should understand that Tennessee’s mechanics’ lien law (TCA 66-11-145) gives contractors 90 days from completion to file a lien. Disputes over deceptive practices fall under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104), enforced by the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs. Confirming SMACNA-standard fabrication, asking whether ductwork is built in house or bought in, and clarifying whether a shop handles commercial, industrial, residential, or architectural work helps match the contractor to the job.

Top Sheet Metal Contractor Providers in Nashville

1. Nashville Sheet Metal, LLC

Address: 104 Powell Place, Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: (615) 255-9152
Website: https://nashvillesheetmetal.com
Services: HVAC ductwork, welded grease duct, stainless steel duct, spiral ductwork, welded stacks and round duct, custom metal fabrication, MIG and TIG welding, industrial kitchen stainless, flashing
Description: Nashville Sheet Metal, LLC was formed in 2003 and operates as a full-service commercial and industrial sheet metal contractor from its shop on Powell Place. The company is led by owner and president Dexter Cross, who joined the firm as an estimator and project manager in 2014, and its team carries a combined industry experience the company describes as exceeding 150 years. The production shop fabricates welded grease duct, stainless steel and spiral ductwork, welded stacks, round duct, and industrial kitchen stainless, using Pittsburgh seams, S and drive connections, and TDC connections along with both MIG and TIG welding. Equipment includes a 5-by-10 plasma table and shearing and breaking capacity for material up to a quarter inch thick, with breaks extending to ten feet. The firm also maintains a BIM and coordination department for project layout, focusing on commercial and industrial clients across Middle Tennessee rather than residential repair work.

2. Tennessee Sheet Metal, Inc.

Address: 40 Fant Industrial Drive, Madison, TN 37115
Phone: (615) 870-1172
Website: https://tennsheetmetal.com
Services: HVAC air duct systems, dust collection systems, stainless steel fabrication and welding, custom sheet metal applications, exhaust systems, kitchen equipment fabrication
Description: Tennessee Sheet Metal, Inc. is a long-established sheet metal manufacturer and contractor based in Madison, just north of Nashville, serving the metro from a facility the company describes as exceeding 45,000 square feet. The firm engineers, designs, fabricates, and installs a range of sheet metal products, including HVAC air duct systems, dust collection systems, exhaust systems, and custom stainless steel work for kitchen and industrial equipment. Its shop is outfitted for production-scale fabrication, with a plasma cutting table, a duct coil line, a Spiro spiral pipe machine, a 10-ton crane, and Trimble Autobid estimating software. The company focuses on industrial and commercial work rather than residential, positioning itself to supply fabricated duct and metal assemblies for larger mechanical and construction projects throughout the Nashville area.

3. Kloeckner Metals Nashville (American Fabricators)

Address: 14905 Central Pike, Lebanon, TN 37090
Phone: (615) 834-8700
Website: https://www.kloecknermetals.com/branches/nashville/
Services: custom metal fabrication, laser cutting, turret punching, press brake forming, robotic welding, shearing, hardware insertion, assembly, metal finishing, fabrication for HVAC and construction
Description: Kloeckner Metals Nashville, formerly American Fabricators, Inc., is a metal fabrication facility founded in 1984 and located in Lebanon, roughly half an hour east of downtown Nashville, that serves the metro from a plant the company describes as exceeding 100,000 square feet. The shop performs value-added fabrication including laser cutting, turret punching, press brake forming, robotic welding, shearing, hardware insertion, assembly, and metal finishing, working in cold rolled, galvanized, galvannealed, aluminized, aluminum, and stainless steel among other materials. Its equipment list includes multiple Amada turret punches and fiber and CO2 lasers, a large bank of Amada press brakes, a robotic press brake, and a Panasonic robotic welding arm, and the operation is ISO 9001:2015 certified. The facility employs more than 150 associates, many with a decade or more of tenure, and fabricates components for industries that include HVAC, construction, transportation, and heavy equipment, making it a production-scale partner for sheet metal and fabricated parts rather than a residential service company.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sheet Metal Contractor in Nashville

Q: What does a sheet metal contractor do that an HVAC repair company does not?

A sheet metal contractor fabricates and installs the physical metal components of a building’s mechanical and exterior systems, including HVAC ductwork, exhaust hoods, stacks, flashing, gutters, metal roofing parts, and architectural panels. While an HVAC service company diagnoses and repairs heating and cooling equipment, a sheet metal shop cuts, forms, and welds flat metal stock into custom assemblies, often in its own production shop, then installs them. Many sheet metal firms work as subcontractors to mechanical or general contractors rather than selling repair service directly to homeowners.

Q: Does a sheet metal contractor in Nashville need a license?

A contractor’s license from the Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors is required for any project totaling $25,000 or more, and ductwork and mechanical fabrication fall under the mechanical (HVAC) classification. Smaller residential projects may fall under the Home Improvement license in the counties where that class applies. Buyers can confirm a contractor’s license and classification before signing through the state’s verification system at verify.tn.gov.

Q: What is SMACNA, and why does it matter?

SMACNA is the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association, which publishes the duct construction and installation standards widely used across the industry. When a contractor states that its ductwork meets SMACNA standards, it means the gauge, seams, reinforcement, and sealing follow nationally recognized specifications for pressure class and durability. Asking whether a shop builds to SMACNA standards is a practical way to gauge fabrication quality, especially on commercial and industrial projects.

Q: How much sales tax applies to fabricated sheet metal in Nashville?

Tennessee charges a 7% state sales tax, and Davidson County adds a local option tax that brings the combined rate to roughly 9.75% on materials. On a construction contract, labor and materials may be taxed differently depending on how the contractor structures the transaction, so buyers should request an itemized invoice that separates fabrication, installation labor, and tax.

Q: Should I choose a shop that fabricates ductwork in house?

In-house fabrication can shorten turnaround and improve quality control, because the contractor builds duct and metal assemblies to the project’s exact dimensions rather than ordering standard parts. Several Nashville-area shops run their own coil lines, plasma tables, and welding bays. For custom, commercial, or industrial work, asking whether a contractor fabricates in house or buys components in helps clarify both lead time and how closely the finished work will match the design.

Q: How do I protect myself on a sheet metal or ductwork contract in Nashville?

Get the scope, project value, and payment schedule in writing, and verify any required contractor license at verify.tn.gov. Because Tennessee’s mechanics’ lien law (TCA 66-11-145) allows contractors to file a lien within 90 days of completion, structuring payments around milestones offers protection for both sides. Complaints about deceptive practices can be filed with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act (TCA 47-18-104).