Unincorporated Campbell County, Tennessee requires a county building permit to construct, enlarge or remodel a building, and septic approval comes first.1 The Campbell County Clerk issues county permits, while the applicable city office issues permits inside municipal limits.2 Campbell County has no countywide zoning commission; zoning ordinances are handled by municipalities.3
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for construction, enlargement or remodeling in unincorporated Campbell County1
- Permit office
- Campbell County Clerk outside municipal limits; the applicable city office inside city limits2
- County zoning
- No countywide zoning commission; municipalities handle their own zoning ordinances3
- Septic
- TDEC permit required before the county building permit42
- RV or tiny-home living
- Countywide occupancy rules were not confirmed; ask the County Clerk and the municipality, if applicable31
- Owner-builder
- Available for an owner’s own single residence, subject to Tennessee conditions5
- County-road driveway
- Call the Campbell County Highway Department for a site visit and permit6
Who to call
Building permits
Campbell County Clerk’s Office
County building permits for property outside municipal limits
590 Main Street, Suite A 21, Jacksboro, TN 37757
Septic permits
TDEC Knoxville Environmental Field Office
Septic questions and forms for Campbell County
3711 Middlebrook Pike, Suite 101, Knoxville, TN 37921
Roads & driveways
Campbell County Highway Department
Driveway permits for new driveways connecting to county roads
136 Mt. Paran Road, Jacksboro, TN 37757
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 27, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Campbell County, Tennessee?
Yes. Unincorporated Campbell County requires a county building permit when constructing, enlarging or remodeling a building.1 The Campbell County Clerk’s page says permits inside municipal limits come from the applicable city office, so confirm whether the parcel lies inside a city before applying.1
For the county process, obtain the septic permit first, then apply through the County Clerk with the property owner’s name, property address and living-space square footage.2 One- and two-family residential work in jurisdictions participating in Tennessee’s state residential program is inspected at the foundation-before-pour, framing or rough-in, and final stages by state-contracted inspectors.7 The state program uses the 2018 residential and energy codes where the jurisdiction participates.8
Who issues Campbell County building permits, and how do you reach them?
The Campbell County Clerk’s Office issues county building permits and lists its main office at 590 Main Street, Suite A 21, Jacksboro, TN 37757, with phone 423-562-4985.9 The county office handles property outside municipal limits; an incorporated city’s office handles permits within that city’s limits.2
Start by confirming the parcel’s jurisdiction and sewage plan. The Clerk cannot issue the county building permit until a septic permit has been obtained.2 For septic questions, the TDEC Knoxville Environmental Field Office serves Campbell County and directs septic inquiries to (865) 594-6035.10 County building-permit amounts are not published in the cited county material, while applicable state residential fees depend on construction cost and septic fees depend on system size and type.11
Does Campbell County, Tennessee have zoning?
Campbell County says it does not have a countywide zoning commission and that zoning ordinances are by municipality.3 For land inside an incorporated municipality, contact that municipality for its zoning ordinance, permitted uses, setbacks and dimensional rules.12
The absence of countywide zoning does not cancel building permits, septic review, subdivision review, floodplain compliance or other applicable requirements.3 Tennessee’s agricultural zoning limitation is conditional: a qualifying structure must be on land devoted to agricultural use and incidental to the agricultural enterprise, with exceptions for certain locations including floodplains and land near specified public facilities.13 Because Campbell County-specific agricultural building exemptions were not confirmed, ask the County Clerk what permit treatment applies to the proposed farm structure before ordering materials.1
How do septic permits work in Campbell County?
TDEC’s Division of Water Resources administers septic permitting and inspection for Campbell County through the Knoxville Environmental Field Office.4 A septic permit is required to construct, modify or repair a system, and the permit should be obtained before dirt work or construction of the building pad.14 The county building permit comes only after septic approval.2
Only about 2.5% of mapped Campbell County soils avoid a “very limited” rating for a conventional septic drain field, so make the site evaluation an early feasibility test rather than assuming a conventional layout will work.15 Alternative systems require an extra-high-intensity soils map from a Tennessee-licensed soils consultant.14 After installation, the installer schedules a final inspection before covering the system; approval leads to a Certificate of Completion.16
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Campbell County?
We could not confirm a countywide rule that authorizes full-time RV occupancy or a separate minimum-home-size rule in Campbell County. Campbell County’s lack of a countywide zoning commission does not by itself approve an RV residence, tiny home or alternative sanitation system.3
For a tiny home treated as a building in unincorporated Campbell County, the county requires a permit to construct, enlarge or remodel, and septic approval must come first.1 Inside a municipality, ask that city about zoning and obtain the building permit from the city office.12 Before buying for RV or tiny-home use, give the parcel address and proposed occupancy arrangement to the County Clerk, TDEC Knoxville Environmental Field Office and, if the parcel is incorporated, the municipal office; specifically ask about occupancy, sanitation and any certificate needed before move-in.910
Building a home in Campbell County: what are the steps?
- Confirm whether the parcel is unincorporated or inside a municipality, because the County Clerk issues the county permit while city offices issue permits inside municipal limits.2
- Contact TDEC’s Knoxville Environmental Field Office for the septic application and site review before beginning dirt work or a building pad.1410
- After septic approval, apply to the Campbell County Clerk with the owner’s name, property address and living-space square footage.2
- If a new driveway will connect to a county road, call the Highway Department for a site visit and driveway design review before construction.6
- Schedule required residential inspections where the state residential program applies, including foundation-before-pour, framing or rough-in, and final construction.7
- If building as the owner, use the exemption only for the owner’s own single residence and observe the resale, lease, rental and timing conditions.5
What should you check before buying land in Campbell County?
Put septic feasibility near the top of due diligence: about 2.5% of mapped soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field, and only about 12.8% of county land has a slope of 15% or less.1517 Confirm the septic area, replacement area and driveway location before fixing the house site.14
For access, Campbell County requires a site visit and permit for a new driveway connecting to a county road, while TDOT requires a permit for work on state-highway right-of-way.618 We could not confirm Campbell County’s floodplain-development contact or private-well permit rule, so ask the County Clerk to identify the current floodplain contact and ask TDEC which water-supply requirements apply to the parcel.910 The effective property-tax rate is about 0.4%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $651.1920
Watch-outs
- Do not start the building pad before septic review; Campbell County requires septic approval before the county building permit, and TDEC advises obtaining the septic permit before dirt work.214
- A parcel inside municipal limits follows that municipality’s permit and zoning process, not the County Clerk’s unincorporated-area path.112
- A new driveway onto a county road needs Highway Department review, while a driveway on state-highway right-of-way goes through TDOT.618
Sources
- County Clerk, quoted and re-checked
- County Clerk, quoted and re-checked
- Business Resources, quoted and re-checked
- Septic System Construction Permit, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Permits, quoted and re-checked
- Campbell County Highway Department (campbellcountytn.gov)
- Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors, quoted and re-checked
- Campbell County Clerk’s Office (campbellcountytn.gov)
- TDEC Knoxville Environmental Field Office (tn.gov)
- Residential Permit FAQs, quoted and re-checked
- Business Resources, quoted and re-checked
- Exemption from County Zoning Regulation for Buildings on Land Used for Agriculture, Opinion No. 22-07 (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Septic System Construction Permit, quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- SSDS Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- Highway Entrance Permits (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
Written September 27, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.