Fayette County, Tennessee requires a building permit for construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, improvement, removal, conversion or demolition of a building or structure1. The county also has zoning districts and land-use regulations2. TDEC, rather than the county, administers septic permitting and inspection34.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for construction and a broad range of work on buildings and structures1
- Zoning
- Yes; uses and development standards depend on the parcel's zoning district2
- Septic
- TDEC administers permits and inspections; septic approval comes before the county building permit356
- RV living
- Not confirmed; ask Planning and Development about the parcel and proposed duration7
- Tiny home
- No specific occupancy rule confirmed; zoning and building-permit review still apply81
- Owner-builder
- State allowance for one personal residence permit every two years, not for sale, lease or rent910
- State-highway driveway
- A TDOT permit is required before construction, modification or change of use11
Who to call
Building permits
Fayette County Planning and Development Office
Building permits, county zoning, subdivision review, code-enforcement intake and parcel-specific planning questions
16265 Hwy 64 Somerville, TN 38068
Building permits
Fayette County Planning Office building-permit instructions
Published sequence and documentation for a building permit in unincorporated Fayette County
Septic permits
TDEC Memphis Environmental Field Office
Division of Water Resources and septic-related assistance for Fayette County
8383 Wolf Lake Drive | Bartlett, TN 38133-4119
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 Fayette County, Tennessee?
Yes. Fayette County requires a building permit for construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, improvement, removal, conversion or demolition of any building or structure1. For a home in unincorporated Fayette County, the county's published sequence requires an approved septic permit, an approved building-permit application and an approved plan review before the building permit can be issued6. Construction cannot begin until the permit is issued6. The permit instructions also separate electrical work from the county permit: electrical permits and electrical inspections go through the state6. Tennessee's statewide owner-builder allowance can let a property owner build a single residence for personal use, but it does not erase the Fayette County permit requirement91.
Who is the Fayette County building department, and how do you reach it?
Fayette County Planning and Development is the building-permit and zoning contact7. The office is at 16265 Hwy 64 in Somerville, and its main phone is 901-465-52507. Permit-related email can be sent to [email protected]7. The department's page links the building-permit application, zoning resolution, zoning map and subdivision regulations, and it describes zoning as the districts and regulations governing land use and development7. Use the same office to confirm the zoning district and application package for a specific rural parcel before commissioning final plans7. Fayette County's published home-permit instructions require the proposed dwelling location to be visibly marked and plans to show heated and unheated floor area plus plumbing fixtures6.
Does Fayette County have zoning?
Yes. Fayette County has zoning districts with regulations governing land use and development, and the standard that applies to a project depends on the parcel's district2. Do not carry one setback from the zoning resolution across every property because some standards are district-specific12. In the cited district provision, the road-right-of-way setback is 50 feet, while certain district-boundary and lot-line setbacks are 25 feet or 50 feet when adjoining a residential district12. That same district caps coverage by all structures, including accessory buildings, at 75 percent13. Tennessee provides a conditional county-zoning exemption for a structure on agricultural land when it is incidental to the agricultural enterprise, but highway, airport, park and floodplain exceptions can defeat it14.
How do septic permits work in Fayette County?
TDEC's Division of Water Resources, not Fayette County, administers septic permitting and inspection34. A septic permit is required to construct, modify or repair a septic system, and Fayette County requires approved septic authorization before it will issue the building permit56. After installation, the installer contacts the local Environmental Scientist for a final inspection before the system is covered; approval produces a Certificate of Completion15. TDEC's current Memphis Environmental Field Office page lists Fayette among the counties it serves and directs water-resources questions through its main line at (901) 371-300016. Only about 5.1 percent of Fayette County soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility an early contingency rather than assuming a conventional layout will work17.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Fayette County?
Fayette County has not published a confirmed countywide answer here for long-term RV occupancy or for tiny-home occupancy. Ask Planning and Development at 901-465-5250 about the parcel's zoning district, the proposed structure or vehicle, utility connections and how long you intend to occupy it7. A tiny home is not automatically outside the permit system: Fayette County's building-permit rule covers construction, movement, improvement and conversion of buildings or structures1. Zoning also remains relevant because Fayette County regulates land use and development by district2. The county's minimum dwelling size and minimum lot area could not be confirmed, so obtain a parcel-specific answer from Planning and Development before buying land or ordering a unit7.
Building a home in Fayette County: the steps, in order
- Confirm the parcel's zoning district and applicable standards with Fayette County Planning and Development at 901-465-52507.
- Apply to TDEC for the septic permit; Fayette County requires septic approval before the building permit65.
- Mark the property at the road and stake or flag the proposed dwelling location6.
- Submit the county building-permit application and house plans showing heated and unheated floor area and plumbing fixtures for plan review6.
- Obtain the issued building permit before starting construction6.
- Pull electrical permits through Tennessee and use the state electrical inspector6.
- Arrange the septic final inspection before the system is covered15.
- If access connects to a state-highway right-of-way, get TDOT's entrance permit before constructing or changing the driveway11.
What to check before you buy land in Fayette County
Start with zoning and septic. Fayette County has district-based land-use standards, while only about 5.1 percent of its soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field217. Confirm public sewer availability too: a qualifying Tennessee utility can require a building on an abutting parcel to connect to its sewer and stop using another sewage-disposal method18. Check road access because a driveway on state-highway right-of-way needs TDOT approval before construction or a change in use11. Most of the county is comparatively gentle terrain, with about 91.5 percent of land at a slope of 15 percent or less, but that does not substitute for a parcel survey or soil evaluation19. Fayette County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.3 percent, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,0922021.
Watch-outs
- Do not begin construction before Fayette County issues the building permit, and remember that state electrical permits are separate from the county permit6.
- Get septic feasibility resolved early: only about 5.1 percent of Fayette County soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field17.
- Long-term RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, minimum dwelling size and minimum lot area are not confirmed countywide; ask Planning and Development for a parcel-specific determination7.
Sources
- Planning and Development, quoted and re-checked
- Planning and Development, quoted and re-checked
- Fayette County TN - Planning and Development (refers to TDEC) (2026 county census)
- Planning and Development, quoted and re-checked
- Subsurface Sewage Disposal System Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
- Fayette County Planning Office building-permit instructions (fayettetn.us)
- Fayette County Planning and Development Office (fayettetn.us)
- Planning and Development (2026 county census)
- Can I build my own home without a license? (2026 county census)
- Can I build my own home without a license? (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Highway Entrance Permits (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Fayette County Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Fayette County Tennessee, 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
- Subsurface Sewage Disposal System Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
- TDEC Memphis Environmental Field Office (tn.gov)
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Utility Customers Frequently Asked Questions (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- 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.