Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Newport, Tennessee

Newport’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures inside Newport city

  • Permit issued by the city
  • Which work needs a permit follows building code section 105

  “it shall be unlawful for any person to commence any work on a building or structure before obtaining the necessary permit therefor from the city.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings inside Newport city

  • Adopted edition is the 1999 Standard Building Code as of the MTAS code (updated 2008); later adoptions not checked
  • Amended: section 107.2, 107.4 fee schedule; section 114 violations deleted

  edition: 1999

  “the standard building code,2 1999 edition, as prepared and adopted by the international code council, is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as if set out at length in this chapter”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Newport city limits

  • Zoning ordinance is Appendix A to the municipal code; its district text was not opened
  • Code on MTAS was last updated March 1, 2008; amendments since may exist

  “land use within the city of newport shall be governed by the "zoning ordinance, newport, tennessee," and any amendments thereto1, and is included in this municipal code as appendix a.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Septic systems inside Newport city; Newport Utilities Board service area vs. areas outside it

  • Inside the Utilities Board service area, septic locations need board approval and must connect to sewer when available
  • Outside the service area, the Cocke County Health Department rules apply

  “in areas outside of the board's service area, septic tank and disposal field systems shall be subject to rules and regulations of the cocke county health department.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Buildings for human occupancy within the Newport Utilities Board service area abutting a street or right-of-way with a public sanitary sewer

  • Connection within 30 days after official notice, provided sewer is available
  • Owner pays; existing septic tanks must be abandoned
  • Water connection rule not found

  connection deadline after notice: 30 days (90 days for properties already on private disposal systems (18-104))

  “a direct connection to the public sewer shall be made within thirty (30) days after date of official notice to do so, provided the sewer is available.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Newport city

  • Regulations are a separate document held by the city recorder; contents not reviewed

  “subdivision regulations are published as a separate document and available in the office of the city recorder.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Newport city

  • Fee schedule is in the 2008-era code; may have been superseded
  • Moving or demolition of a building: $10 each

  fee, valuation over $2,500: $5 for first $2,500 plus $1 per additional $1,000 or fraction USD

  “for a valuation over two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00), the fee shall be five dollars ($5.00) for the first two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) plus one dollar ($1.00) for each additional thousand or fraction thereof.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Newport city
• Inspections — Inspections inside Newport city
• Certificate of occupancy — Newport city
• Zoning districts — Newport city
• Minimum dwelling size — Newport city

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.