Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Signal Mountain, Tennessee

Town of Signal Mountain’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Signal Mountain town limits

  • Source is the April 2018 consolidated text hosted by the Southeast Tennessee Development District (not the town's own site); later amendments were not checked.
  • The official zoning map is kept in the Signal Mountain town hall vault.

  “an ordinance establishing revised comprehensive zoning regulations for the town of signal mountain, tennessee, and providing for the administration, enforcement, and amendment thereof”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts inside Signal Mountain town

  • Only the moderate density residential district (MDR) was read in detail.
  • The official zoning map is kept in the town hall vault with a duplicate at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency; no online map was opened.

  “the town is hereby divided into zones, or districts, as shown on the official zoning map which, together with all the explanatory matter thereon, is hereby adopted by reference”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Moderate density residential district (MDR) inside Signal Mountain town

  • Applies to all residential buildings in the MDR district.
  • Source is the April 2018 text hosted on sedev.org.

  minimum finished livable floor space: >= 1250 square feet

  “all residential buildings shall have a minimum of 1,250 square feet of finished livable floor space.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Moderate density residential district (MDR) inside Signal Mountain town

  • Lots on septic: 1-3 bedrooms 21,780 sq ft; 4 bedrooms 25,000 sq ft; 5 bedrooms 32,670 sq ft; 6 bedrooms 37,670 sq ft; plus a further per-bedroom increment over 6 bedrooms (the source text reads '5,000 square feet per additional bedroom', which may be an extraction error).
  • Minimum frontage 100 feet (75 feet on a cul-de-sac); minimum lot depth 100 feet.
  • Other districts (including any agricultural or rural district) were not checked.

  minimum lot size on public sewer: >= 21780 square feet · minimum lot frontage: >= 100 feet (75 feet on a cul-de-sac)

  “for lots on public sewers, the minimum lot size shall be 21, 780 square feet. the minimum frontage of each lot shall be one hundred (100) feet, except a minimum of seventy-five (75) feet on a cul-de-sac. the minimum lot depth shall be one hundred (100) feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Moderate density residential district (MDR) inside Signal Mountain town

  • Setbacks were replaced by Ord. #2014-01 (Feb. 2014) per the source text.
  • Other districts were not checked.

  front setback: 40 feet · side setback: 15 feet · rear setback: 25 feet

  “604.02.03 there shall be a front setback of forty feet (40'). (as replaced by ord. #2014-01, feb. 2014) 604.02.04 there shall be side setbacks of fifteen feet (15'). (as replaced by ord. #2014-01, feb. 2014) 604.02.05 there shall be a rear setback of twenty-five feet (25').”

• Building heightSpecified

  Moderate density residential district (MDR) inside Signal Mountain town

  • A building may exceed 35 feet only if it is set back one additional foot from all property lines for each foot over 35 feet.
  • Other districts were not checked.

  base building height: <= 35 feet (may exceed 35 feet with one additional foot of setback per foot over) · absolute maximum building height: <= 40 feet

  “the building height of any building shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet except that a building may exceed these requirements provided that for every foot of additional height over thirty-five (35) feet the building shall be set back one (1) additional foot from all property lines, provided, ·however, that in no event shall the building height of any building exceed forty (40) feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Moderate density residential district (MDR) inside Signal Mountain town

  • Applies only to the MDR district; other districts were not checked.
  • Source is the April 2018 text hosted on sedev.org, not the town's own site.

  “single family dwellings, excluding factory manufactured homes constructed as a single self-contained unit and mounted on a single chassis”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Signal Mountain or Hamilton County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Signal Mountain town
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Signal Mountain town
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted inside Signal Mountain town
• Inspections — Construction inspections inside Signal Mountain town
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Signal Mountain town

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.