Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Jamestown, Tennessee

Jamestown’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Property inside Jamestown city limits.

  • The county directs persons seeking city-specific regulations to Jamestown's office.

  “For property inside the City of Jamestown, zoning laws do apply and permits are required.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Jamestown city limits.

  • The current zoning ordinance itself is held by the city recorder; the online municipal-code compilation does not reproduce its district schedule.

  “For property inside the City of Jamestown, zoning laws do apply and permits are required.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Occupancy of a house trailer or portable building inside Jamestown city limits.

  • The unit must comply with plumbing, electrical, sanitary, and building provisions applicable to stationary structures.
  • The location must conform to city zoning.
  • A building-official permit must first be issued under the building code.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to park, locate, or occupy any house trailer or portable building unless it complies with all plumbing, electrical, sanitary, and building provisions applicable to stationary structures and the proposed location conforms to the zoning provisions of the city and unless a permit therefor shall have been first duly issued by the building official, as provided for in the building code.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Sewage disposal other than the sanitary sewage system inside Jamestown city limits.

  • Private disposal must comply with local and state laws.
  • It is permissible only where sanitary-sewer service is unavailable.

  “The disposal of sewage by private disposal systems shall be permissible only in those instances where service from the sanitary sewage system is not available.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes inside Jamestown city limits.

  • The property must abut a street, alley, or right-of-way containing a present or future city public sanitary or combined sewer.
  • Connection is required within 90 days after official notice only if the public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line.
  • The owner bears the expense of toilet-facility installation and direct connection.

  connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days (when the public sewer is within 200 feet of the property line)

  “The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes situated within the City of Jamestown and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary or combined sewer of the city, is hereby required at his expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, within ninety (90) days after date of official notice to do so, provided that said public sewer is within two hundred (200) feet of the property line.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  A driveway crossing a curb or sidewalk inside Jamestown city limits.

  • The recorder will not issue a permit if the driveway would create an unreasonable pedestrian or vehicular traffic hazard.
  • Maximum width is 35 feet at the outer or street edge.
  • Two or more adjoining driveways for the same property require a safety island at least 10 feet wide at the outer or street edge.
  • Driveway aprons may not extend into the street.

  maximum driveway width: <= 35 feet (at the outer or street edge)

  “No one shall cut, build, or maintain a driveway across a curb or sidewalk without first obtaining a permit from the recorder. Such a permit will not be issued when the contemplated driveway is to be so located or constructed as to create an unreasonable hazard to pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building-code permit work inside Jamestown city limits.

  • For work requiring a permit that starts or proceeds before obtaining it, fees are doubled; payment does not relieve compliance or other penalties.
  • For valuation of $1,000 or less, no fee is charged unless inspection is required, when the fee is $15 for each inspection.

  moving fee: 100 USD (moving any building or structure) · demolition fee: 50 USD (demolition of any building or structure)

  “Moving Fee — For the moving of any building or structures, the fee shall be $100. For the demolition of any building or structure, the fee shall be $50.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Connection of premises to Jamestown's public sanitary sewer system.

  • A city-recorder permit is required before connection.
  • Connections must be under the direct supervision of the sewer superintendent or designee.
  • The parcel must be in Jamestown corporate limits before a Jamestown Municipal Sewer connection can be made.

  “No premises shall be connected to the public sanitary sewer system without a permit from the city recorder. Also all connections to the system must be made under the direct supervision of the superintendent of the sewer system or someone designated by him.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Jamestown city limits.
• Inspections — Building construction inside Jamestown city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered buildings inside Jamestown city limits.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Jamestown city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Jamestown city limits.

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.