Building permits, zoning and land rules in Blount County, Tennessee

Unincorporated Blount County requires a written building permit before erecting, structurally altering or moving a building or structure, or changing the use of a building or land¹. Listed exceptions include maintenance or interior finishes in one- or two-family residences, agricultural uses, accessory farm buildings and home gardening¹. Development Services enforces commercial and residential rules from the 2018 ICC edition through plan review and inspection². After permit issuance, the contractor or owner must schedule required inspections¹. Building fees are based on project valuation and may include review fees, while other published charges vary by permit type⁸. Qualifying agricultural uses and structures receive the zoning exemption provided by Tennessee law, and the county permit manual separately exempts agricultural uses and accessory farm buildings from the written building-permit requirement^1,9.

Blount County Development Services, through the Office of the Building Commissioner, issues building permits and enforces county zoning¹⁰. The office is at 303 McGhee Street, Maryville, TN 37801; call 865-681-9301 or email development@blounttn.org¹⁰. Development Services accepts construction-permit applications, collects fees, issues permits, schedules inspections, keeps permit records and issues occupancy certificates². The Blount County Planning Department supports the Planning Commission and provides general planning services¹¹. Planning also implements rezoning and subdivision processes and approves plats¹. Properties within a municipality need a separate city check because Blount County's zoning resolution applies outside municipal limits and municipal zoning is administered separately⁴.

Blount County zoning covers land outside municipal limits, while incorporated municipalities administer their own zoning⁴. The county zoning map assigns districts and flood-hazard and airport-hazard overlays, so the parcel's mapped district controls the answer⁴. District rules vary by use and can govern lot size, density, setbacks, height and special exceptions⁵. In applicable residential provisions, the minimum lot size can be 32,670 square feet per unit, but that figure is not a countywide default⁴. Typical cited setbacks are 30 feet from a road right-of-way or easement, 20 feet at the rear for a principal structure and 10 feet at the side, with road class, plats, accessory buildings and special exceptions changing the result⁵. Single-family, duplex and accessory structures are generally limited to 35 feet, subject to district-specific exceptions⁵.

Blount County Environmental Health administers subsurface sewage services locally under standards set by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation³. A septic construction permit is required before installing a new system or repairing a failed one, and permit packages for Blount County sites go directly to the county^6,12. The published county fee is $400 for a septic-system permit or modification, with no charge listed for a repair permit⁸. Only about 20% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so verify a primary and reserve field before fixing the house location¹³. Some district rules require both septic-field areas to remain unobstructed by buildings, parking, drainage or other site elements⁹. A final septic inspection is required for new systems, repairs and modifications¹⁴.

Blount County's confirmed RV occupancy rule applies to commercial campgrounds and RV parks, not every private parcel⁴. In those regulated parks, permanent residences are prohibited and ordinary occupants may stay no more than 60 days in any 365-day period, subject to the stated seasonal-worker exception⁴. We could not confirm a general rule for temporary RV occupancy on an individual unincorporated parcel; ask the Building Commissioner about the parcel's district and proposed use¹⁰. We also could not confirm a tiny-home-specific occupancy rule or a general minimum dwelling floor area. A tiny home used as a residence would still need to fit the applicable zoning district, building-permit path and septic approval^1,5,6. Manufactured-home dwellings are permitted only in the county zoning districts that allow them, and building, utility, septic and inspection requirements may still apply⁵.

1. Ask the Building Commissioner to identify the parcel's county zoning district and overlays, or confirm that municipal rules apply instead^4,10.
2. If the project divides land, take the plat through Planning because subdivision regulations apply alongside county zoning^1,4.
3. Establish septic feasibility and obtain the required construction permit from Blount County Environmental Health^3,6.
4. Choose a licensed contractor or confirm the Tennessee owner-builder path; that path is limited to an owner-used residence and carries timing and contractor restrictions⁷.
5. Submit plans, pay the applicable valuation- or permit-based fees and obtain the written building permit before covered work begins^1,2,8.
6. Obtain a TDOT entrance permit if the driveway connects to state-highway right-of-way¹⁵.
7. Schedule required building and septic inspections, then obtain the applicable occupancy or completion certificate before moving in^1,2,14.

Confirm the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning district, permitted use, lot standard, setbacks and overlays before relying on a listing description^4,5,9. In the R-2 district, vacation cabin rentals and tourist accommodations require a special exception rather than being allowed automatically⁴. Check septic suitability early because only about 20% of county soils avoid severe limits for a conventional drain field¹³. The county's separate floodplain resolution applies within the mapped Flood Hazard Overlay, and development there can require professional elevation certification^4,16. A state-highway driveway requires TDOT approval; the county's confirmed driveway geometry applies only to commercial campgrounds and RV parks, so ask the Building Commissioner about other county-road access^4,10,15. Ask Environmental Health about private-well requirements because a county well-permit rule was not confirmed³.