Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Manchester, Tennessee

Manchester’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building construction inside Manchester city

  • Adopted with listed exceptions/amendments (e.g., to R313.1 sprinkler provisions for townhouses).
  • Copies kept in the finance director's office (§ 12-102).
  • Other adopted codes beyond the IRC were not reviewed.

  International Residential Code edition: 2018 (appendices J and Q; exceptions listed in § 12-101)

  “international residential code (irc), 2018 edition, published by the international code council (icc), appendices j and q, and completed table r301.2(1), which is attached hereto as exhibit a,3 except:”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Manchester city limits (Coffee County, TN)

  • Title 14 also creates a municipal planning commission and a board of zoning appeals.
  • Code copy is MTAS-hosted (change 23, Aug 6, 2024); the city's own code page was not opened.

  “an ordinance, in pursuance of the authority granted by tennessee code annotated, § 13-7-201 through 13-7-210, to provide for the establishment of districts within the city of manchester, tennessee”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Manchester city

  • Districts: R-1 large lot, R-2 low-density, R-3 medium-density, R-4 high-density residential; R-5 high density residential/mobile home; C-1 to C-5 commercial; I-1 and I-2 industrial; floodway and special overlay (historic) districts.

  “for the purpose of this zoning ordinance, the following zoning districts are hereby established in the city of manchester, tennessee.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile/manufactured homes inside Manchester city

  • A permit is required to install a mobile home, with a fee.
  • The zoning code has an R-5 high density residential/mobile home district; which other districts allow manufactured homes was not reviewed.

  mobile home install permit, single wide: 200 USD · mobile home install permit, double wide: 300 USD

  “a fee of $200.00 for a single wide mobile home and a fee of $300.00 for a double wide mobile home shall be paid for the permit to install a mobile home.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permit fees inside Manchester city

  • Fee table is by total valuation; mobile home install $200 single wide / $300 double wide (§ 12-401); re-inspection fee $25 (§ 12-303).
  • Plan review fee is half the permit fee but one- and two-family dwellings are exempt (§ 12-408).
  • Code is change 23, Aug 6, 2024; a newer fee schedule may exist.

  permit fee, valuation $1-$2,000: 50 USD · permit fee, valuation $2,001-$5,000: 75 USD

  “building permit fees for the city of manchester, tennessee shall be paid as follows: fee total valuation $1 to $2,000 $50.00 $2,001 to $5,000 $75.00”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Manchester city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions inside Manchester city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Manchester city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Manchester city
• Minimum dwelling size — Main single-family residential district (R-1/R-2) inside Manchester 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.