Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Shelbyville, Tennessee

Shelbyville’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Buildings inside Shelbyville city

  • The MTAS copy of the code is current only through change 9 (June 2011) and names the 2009 edition; a newer edition may have been adopted since.

  adopted edition: International Building Code 2009 (city manager appoints the building official)

  “international building code,1 2009 edition, as prepared and adopted by the international code council, is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as a part of this code”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Shelbyville city limits (Bedford County, TN)

  • Ordinance text is the April 2017 updated version; later amendments may exist.

  “5.1 classification of districts. for this ordinance, the following zoning districts are hereby established in the city of shelbyville, tennessee:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Shelbyville city

  • Overlay districts: historic (H-1) and planned unit development (PUD); also a floodplain overlay per the table of contents.

  “residential low density residential medium density residential high density residential multi-family residential mobile home park r-1 r-2 r-3 r-4 mhp commercial central business general commercial neighborhood commercial c-1 c-2 c-3”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Low density residential districts R-1 and R-2 inside Shelbyville city

  • Lot size is rounded to the nearest dimensional district criteria.
  • Other districts (R-3, R-4, etc.) have different values.

  R-1 minimum lot size: >= 15000 sq ft · R-2 minimum lot size: >= 10000 sq ft

  “min. lot size min. area per family r-1 15,000 15,000 r-2 10,000 10,000”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 and R-2 low density residential districts inside Shelbyville city

  • Table columns read: R-1 front 35, side 10, rear 30; R-2 front 25, side 10, rear 20.
  • Exceptions to front setbacks appear in Article VI, 6.2.

  R-1 front/side/rear: >= 35/10/30 feet · R-2 front/side/rear: >= 25/10/20 feet

  “min. front yard setback min. side yard setback min. rear yard setback 35 10 30 25 10 20”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 and R-2 districts inside Shelbyville city

  maximum lot coverage: <= 35 percent

  “max. building height 45 45 max. lot coverage 35% 35%”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RVs and campers used as dwellings on property inside Shelbyville city

  • Prohibited when placed without proper permits, regardless of time in place.
  • The permit route for RV placement was not identified.

  “dwelling units, rv&rsquo;s, campers and similar added to interior/exterior or placed upon property without proper permits are prohibited regardless of the amount of time in place.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Residential accessory dwelling or apartment on a lot inside Shelbyville city

  • Must comply with the principal building's setbacks for its district.
  • Detached unit at least 10 feet from the primary dwelling.
  • Must meet building codes for an occupied structure.
  • At least one on-site parking space.
  • May not be a single-wide mobile home or any mobile vehicle, including RVs.
  • Public utility connections required without exception.
  • Districts where an accessory dwelling is permitted were not confirmed from the use table.

  accessory dwellings per lot: <= 1 dwelling

  “1. only one (1) accessory dwelling or apartment is permitted on any given lot. 2. the accessory dwelling or apartment must comply with all setback requirements for the principal building for the zoning district in which it is located.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Shelbyville or Bedford County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits inside Shelbyville city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Shelbyville city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Shelbyville city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Shelbyville city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size, R-1/R-2

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.