Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-08-08
11 of Tennessee's 95 counties — 12% — require no residential building permit and have no county-wide zoning in their unincorporated areas. That is the 14th-largest count of any state. The strongest of them on the Bolthole Index is Stewart County (85/100). Every entry below cites the county’s own official source.
Rules change, and cities inside these counties set their own — treat this as a verified starting point, not legal advice. All 623 counties nationwide → Tennessee: no building codes → Tennessee: no zoning → Full Tennessee profile →
11 of 95 Tennessee counties · sorted by Index score
Stewart County is an opt-out / non-code jurisdiction (it hosts the state 'Statewide Building Construction Code Inspections in Opt-Out' notice), so no residential building permit…
Stewart County - Statewide Building Construction Code Inspections in Opt-Out notice ↗The county's official zoning page states Lewis County does not require a building permit for any type or size of structure outside city limits and has no building and codes depa…
Lewis County Government - Zoning ↗The TN State Fire Marshal residential jurisdictions list shows Lawrence County as OPT OUT of the state residential building code program; the county runs no building code of its…
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The State Fire Marshal's jurisdictions list shows McNairy County as "OPT OUT" of the statewide residential building code program, and the county administers no countywide buildi…
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions list shows Decatur County as OPT OUT of the state residential building program, and the county has no local building…
TN State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The county's Permits & Zoning page states plainly that building permits are not required in Overton County outside Livingston city limits.
Overton County, TN - Permits & Zoning ↗The county's own newcomer page states 'Johnson County, Tennessee, does not currently require a building permit'; only septic and electric permits are needed for new structures (…
Johnson County TN - Newcomer Information ↗Henry County's Codes Enforcement page states building permits are not required in unincorporated areas of the county, though commercial businesses must follow State of Tennessee…
Henry County - Property Subdivision and Codes Enforcement ↗Monroe County has an OPT OUT status on the State Fire Marshal's residential jurisdictions list, meaning it opted out of the state residential building code program and does not …
TN State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗The TN State Fire Marshal residential jurisdictions list shows Grainger County as OPT OUT of the state residential building code program, and the county administers no building …
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗Grundy County is listed by the TN State Fire Marshal's Office as an 'OPT OUT' jurisdiction, having exempted one- and two-family dwellings from the statewide residential building…
TN State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors ↗Every county here has a full profile — water, land prices, hazard safety, seclusion, and the rest of its building rules. See the Tennessee state page for all 95 counties ranked, or go back to the national list.
General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.
