Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Decherd, Tennessee

Decherd’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction inside Decherd city

  • Applicant must show water and sewer taps are arranged
  • Site plans and approvals from regulating boards must be approved before permits issue
  • Pre-manufactured sheds/outbuildings not built on site are exempt from building permit but must meet zoning

  “no building permit shall be issued for new construction until the applicant shall establish that he has arranged for water and sewer taps to be made promptly upon completion.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  One- and two-family dwellings inside Decherd city

  • Adopted with local amendments (e.g., sprinklers required at 2,500 sq ft or more of living space in new one/two-family dwellings)
  • Adopted by ord. #435, July 2021

  edition: IRC 2018

  “the international residential code,1 2018 edition, is hereby adopted with amendments and incorporated as a part of this code”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Decherd city limits

  • Zoning map dated June 1967 on file with the city recorder; ordinance text amended by ord. #o5-25, June 2025

  “the boundaries of these districts are hereby established as shown on the map entitled "zoning map of the city of decherd, tennessee," dated june, 1967, and certified by the city recorder.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Decherd city

  • Districts: R-1, R-2, R-3, C-1, C-2, G-1 to G-5, I-1, I-2
  • Map is on file in the city recorder's office

  number of districts: 12

  “the city of decherd, tennessee, is hereby divided into twelve (12) districts, designated as follows: r-1 low density residential district r-2 medium density residential district r-3 high density residential district c-1 central business district c-2 highway service business district g-1 departmental properties”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Residential, business and industrial districts inside Decherd city (R-1, R-2, R-3 etc.)

  • Table does not apply within an approved mobile home park
  • Existing substandard lots may be built on if at least 4,000 sq ft and 30 ft wide (§ 14-702)
  • Table text extracted garbled; per-district numbers not reliably separable

  “this section is established to show the minimum size, width, and height requirements for the land uses within each designated district.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Front and side yard setbacks by district inside Decherd city

  • Table (§ 14-209) lists front setbacks from right-of-way for major and other streets plus side yards by district; per-district values not separable from extracted text

  “14-209 area, yard and height requirements. this section is established to show the minimum size, width, and height requirements for the land uses within each designated district.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum building height by district inside Decherd city

  • Per-district maximum heights in § 14-209 table not reliably separable from extracted text

  “this section is established to show the minimum size, width, and height requirements for the land uses within each designated district.”

• Manufactured homesProhibited

  New mobile homes and trailer parks inside Decherd city limits

  • Applies to new mobile homes; treatment of existing mobile homes not reviewed
  • Mobile home definition excludes recreational vehicles and travel trailers

  “no new mobile homes or trailer parks will be allowed within the corporate limits of the city of decherd.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Garage apartments (accessory dwelling above a detached garage) inside Decherd city

  • Detached garage and apartment must be in the rear yard
  • Must comply with lot density standard for the district
  • Exterior entrances/balconies must meet minimum yard setbacks
  • Which districts permit garage apartments was not verified

  maximum gross floor area: <= 750 sq ft

  “a garage apartment is limited in gross floor area to seven hundred fifty (750) square feet and shall be in compliance with the lot density standard (square feet per family) for the zoning district.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  New construction inside Decherd city

  • Building permit conditioned on arranging water and sewer taps promptly upon completion
  • No distance rule found

  “no building permit shall be issued for new construction until the applicant shall establish that he has arranged for water and sewer taps to be made promptly upon completion.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Plats submitted for approval inside Decherd city

  • Developer pays a fee equal to the city engineer's plat review charge to the city

  “the planning commission is directed to charge each developer submitting a plat for approval a fee equivalent to the fee charged the city by the city engineer for reviewing the developer's plat.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building and related permit fees inside Decherd city

  • Fee schedule in § 12-103 as amended by ord. #o6-24, June 2024; new-construction fee not captured in the excerpt opened

  swimming pool permit: 25 USD · moving of buildings: 100 USD

  “(7) swimming pools (above and below ground) twenty-five dollars ($25.00).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder inside Decherd city
• Inspections — Inspections inside Decherd city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Decherd city
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Decherd city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Decherd 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.