Bolthole Index county-legal census · checked 2026-09-27
12 of Tennessee's 95 counties — 13% — 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 (88/100). 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 563 counties nationwide → Tennessee: no building codes → Tennessee: no zoning → Tennessee: owner-builder → Tennessee: rv living → Tennessee: tiny homes → Tennessee: no minimum home size → Full Tennessee profile →
12 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 State Fire Marshal's Office current jurisdictions/inspectors list marks both Hancock County and Sneedville (its county seat) EXEMPT from the State Residential Building Code …
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors list ↗Residential and commercial structures of any type or size outside the City of Hohenwald in Lewis County, Tennessee. The rule applies outside Hohenwald city limits. Within Hohenw…
Zoning | Lewiscountytn ↗The State Fire Marshal's Office current jurisdictions/inspectors list marks Hardin County OPT OUT of the State Residential Building Code Enforcement Program (last updated 2026-0…
Tennessee State Fire Marshal - Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors list ↗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 ↗Building permits for property in Overton County outside the Livingston city limits. The county page directs property owners inside the Livingston city limits to contact Livingst…
Permits & Zoning - Overton County, Tennessee ↗New structures and additions under Johnson County government jurisdiction in unincorporated Johnson County, Tennessee. A septic permit and an electric permit are required for ne…
Newcomer Information ↗County building permits for construction in unincorporated Henry County, Tennessee Commercial businesses must follow State of Tennessee Fire Codes. Electrical connections to the…
Property Subdivision and Codes Enforcement – Henry County ↗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.
Off-grid gear
Building on land in one of these Tennessee counties? The kit we'd start with:
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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.
