Unincorporated Franklin County, Tennessee requires a county building permit for construction, alteration, repair, moving, a change of use, excavation or filling covered by its zoning resolution1. Franklin County has not adopted a standard building code, but that does not eliminate the zoning permit or its inspections23. Before the county issues the permit, the applicant must document an approved method of sanitary-waste disposal4.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for work governed by county zoning in unincorporated areas1
- Standard building code
- Not adopted by Franklin County government2
- Zoning
- County zoning applies in unincorporated Franklin County5
- Septic
- TDEC permit required for a new system or repair67
- Owner-builder
- Allowed for an owner’s own residence, subject to state conditions8
- RV or tiny-home living
- Not confirmed; ask Planning & Zoning about the parcel and proposed use9
- Floodplain development
- Development permit required before work in regulated flood areas10
Who to call
Building permits
Franklin County Planning & Zoning Department
Building permits, zoning, subdivision and floodplain questions for unincorporated Franklin County
1 South Jefferson Street, Basement Room 109, Winchester, TN 37398
Septic permits
TDEC Division of Water Resources — Columbia Environmental Field Office
Online septic applications and assistance for Franklin County
Also useful
Franklin County Planning and Zoning Department fee schedule
Published county planning, zoning and building-permit fees
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 Franklin County, Tennessee?
Yes. Unincorporated Franklin County requires a building permit before construction, alteration, repair, moving, a change of use, excavation or filling governed by the county zoning resolution begins1. The county has not adopted a standard building code, but the zoning permit requirement still applies21. The owner or agent must contact Planning & Zoning for an initial compliance inspection after staking the proposed footing location and again when the work is complete3. A conforming application is to be issued a permit within 3 days, and the permit becomes void after 12 months unless substantial progress has been made11. Starting before the permit is issued doubles the county fee112.
Who issues Franklin County building permits, and how do you reach the office?
The Franklin County Planning & Zoning Department handles building permits and answers zoning, subdivision and floodplain questions for unincorporated Franklin County9. The office is at 1 South Jefferson Street, Basement Room 109, Winchester, TN 37398; call (931) 967-0981 or email [email protected]9. The current county fee schedule lists $250 for a single-family home up to 1,000 square feet; larger single-family work is listed at $0.45 per conditioned square foot and $0.225 per non-conditioned square foot12. County fees are nonrefundable and double when work starts before the permit is obtained12. Incorporated municipalities may have separate requirements, so property inside a city or town should go to that municipality rather than assuming the county process applies52.
Does Franklin County have zoning?
Franklin County zoning applies throughout the county’s unincorporated area, while incorporated municipalities have their own status and rules5. Planning & Zoning maintains the current district maps, so confirm the parcel’s district before relying on a use, setback or lot-size rule139. In the R-1 district, a dwelling lot must contain at least 20,000 square feet and be at least 80 feet wide at the building line; a non-sewer lot may need more land for sanitary disposal14. R-1 front setbacks are 60 feet on arterial roads and 35 feet on other roads, with separate side- and rear-yard requirements15. Agricultural buildings can qualify for a zoning exemption only when the land is devoted to agriculture and the structure is incidental to that enterprise, subject to highway, airport, park and floodplain exceptions16.
How do septic permits work in Franklin County?
Tennessee’s Department of Environment and Conservation issues septic-system construction permits in Franklin County, and a permit is required to install a system or repair a faulty one67. Apply through TDEC’s online septic portal; for assistance, contact the Columbia Environmental Field Office at 931-380-3371 or [email protected]17. Franklin County requires a septic permit, certificate of verification or other Tennessee-approved proof of sanitary-waste disposal before issuing the county building permit4. TDEC’s application may require a soil map and an engineer’s design for a large conventional or alternative system7. Only about 30.9% of county soils rate without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility part of due diligence rather than assuming every homesite can use a conventional layout18. We could not confirm a separate county septic-inspection rule; ask TDEC about inspections tied to the state permit17.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Franklin County?
We could not confirm a complete rule for long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy in unincorporated Franklin County. Because county zoning regulates land use, ask Planning & Zoning whether the proposed dwelling type and occupancy are allowed in the parcel’s district before buying or moving a unit onto the land59. A tiny home does not bypass the county’s general permit rule when the project involves regulated construction, alteration, moving or a change of use1. Manufactured homes are district-sensitive: the county materials prohibit mobile homes in R-1 and A-1 and require zoning authorization plus a building permit for a mobile-home park19. Franklin County’s countywide minimum dwelling-floor-area rule also remains unconfirmed, so ask the office to check the current district map and official resolution for the specific parcel139.
Building a home in Franklin County: the steps, in order
- Ask Planning & Zoning to confirm that the parcel is in unincorporated Franklin County and identify its zoning district513.
- Confirm the proposed home, lot dimensions and setbacks comply with that district before finalizing plans1415.
- Apply to TDEC for the septic permit if the site will not use an approved sewer connection, because the county requires sanitary-waste documentation before issuing its building permit417.
- Submit the county application with a dimensional sketch or scale plan showing existing and proposed buildings and their intended uses11.
- Obtain the county building permit before starting, since an early start doubles the fee112.
- After staking the footing location, request the initial county compliance inspection and contact Planning & Zoning again at completion3.
- If the driveway enters a state highway right-of-way, obtain TDOT’s entrance permit before construction or a change in use20.
What should you check before buying land in Franklin County?
Start with the zoning district, legal access, flood status, water source and a septic-feasibility review. Franklin County requires a development permit before regulated work begins in a mapped special-flood-hazard area, and the application can require plans, elevations, drainage information and certifications10. About 30.9% of county soils rate without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, while about 64.6% of the land has a slope of 15% or less, so evaluate the actual homesite rather than countywide averages alone1821. A private-well permit requirement could not be confirmed; ask Planning & Zoning which state office should review a proposed well9. If a bonded utility’s sewer runs along the public way abutting an existing building lot, Tennessee law may let the utility require connection and end other sewage disposal methods22. The effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $1,2182324.
Watch-outs
- No locally adopted standard building code does not mean no permit: the Franklin County zoning permit and compliance inspections still apply in unincorporated areas213.
- Do not start construction before the county permit is issued, because Franklin County doubles the applicable fee after work has begun112.
- RV living, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, a countywide minimum dwelling size and private-well permitting remain unconfirmed; take the parcel number and proposed use to Planning & Zoning before committing to the land9.
Sources
- Building Permits, quoted and re-checked
- Standard Codes, quoted and re-checked
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, quoted and re-checked
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, quoted and re-checked
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, quoted and re-checked
- TDEC - Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (SSDS) (2026 county census)
- Septic System Construction Permit (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Tennessee Residential Permit FAQs, quoted and re-checked
- Franklin County Planning & Zoning Department (franklincotn.us)
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, quoted and re-checked
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, quoted and re-checked
- Franklin County Planning and Zoning Department fee schedule (franklincotn.us)
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, quoted and re-checked
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, quoted and re-checked
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, 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
- TDEC Division of Water Resources — Columbia Environmental Field Office (franklincotn.us)
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Franklin County Zoning Resolution Master, quoted and re-checked
- Highway Entrance Permits (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- Utility Customers Frequently Asked Questions (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.