Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Mount Carmel, Tennessee

Town of Mount Carmel’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction and remodeling inside Mount Carmel town

  • Exempt: one-story detached accessory structures used as playhouses and similar uses up to 120 sq ft (rear or side yard, 10 ft off rear and side lines); fences not over 7 ft; retaining walls not over 4 ft; sidewalks; finish work; and other listed minor items.
  • Town page says to call if unsure; most other items require permits.
  • Stormwater and grading permits are separately required for land disturbance.

  exempt accessory structure floor area: <= 120 sq ft

  “permits are required for new construction including storage building, garages, patios, decks, fences over 7' high, retaining walls over 4' high measured from the bottom of the footer to the top of the wall and swimming pools”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction and property maintenance inside Mount Carmel town

  • The town contracts with an outside inspector (Integrity Inspections) for building inspector services.

  building, residential, plumbing, mechanical, gas, existing building, property maintenance codes edition: 2018 year (International Property Maintenance Code is the 2021 edition) · energy conservation code edition: 2018 year

  “the town has adopted the 2021 edition of the international property maintenance code, regulating and governing the conditions and maintenance of all property, buildings, and structures, 2018 international building, residential building, plumbing, mechanical, gas, existing building, and property maintenance codes as well as 2018 international energy conservation code.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Land or buildings erected or altered in use or structure inside Mount Carmel town

  • Issued by the building inspector once land, building and proposed use conform to the zoning ordinance and other town ordinances.
  • Stormwater code (14-1633) withholds the certificate until drainage and sedimentation control plan items are completed and accepted.

  “no land or building or part thereof hereafter erected or altered in its use or structure shall be used until the building inspector shall have issued a certificate of occupancy”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Mount Carmel town limits

  • Text is from the 2011 codification supplement (Title 14); later amendments were not checked.

  “this ordinance shall be known as the zoning ordinance of mount carmel, tennessee”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Mount Carmel town (R-1, R-1a, R-1b, R-2 to R-5, O-1, B-1 to B-3, M-1 and others)

  • 2011 codification; the zoning map is a separate document.

  “district area in per sq. ft. family additional front side rear maximum height of structures r1 15,000 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 35 ft. r1a 11,000 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 35 ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the R-1 (15,000 sq ft) and R-1a (11,000 sq ft) low density residential districts of Mount Carmel town; other districts (R-1b, R-2 through R-5) have their own values in the same table

  • Table 1 of section 14-1001; other districts listed in the same table.
  • 2011 codification; later amendments not checked.
  • No agricultural district identified.

  R-1 minimum lot area: >= 15000 sq ft · R-1a minimum lot area: >= 11000 sq ft · R-1b minimum lot area: >= 7500 sq ft

  “district area in per sq. ft. family additional front side rear maximum height of structures r1 15,000 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 35 ft. r1a 11,000 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 35 ft.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 and R-1a low density residential districts of Mount Carmel town (R-1b and R-2 to R-5 show the same yard figures in the table)

  • Section 14-1001 Table 1; chapter 11 exceptions and modifications were not read.
  • Separate rule noted on the building inspection page: exempt accessory structures must be 10 ft from rear and side lines.

  front yard: >= 30 ft · side yard: >= 10 ft · rear yard: >= 25 ft

  “district area in per sq. ft. family additional front side rear maximum height of structures r1 15,000 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 35 ft. r1a 11,000 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 35 ft.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  R-1 and R-1a residential districts of Mount Carmel town (B-2 and B-3 show 70 ft in the same table)

  • Section 14-1001 Table 1; chapter 11 exceptions not read.

  maximum height of structures: <= 35 ft (70 ft in B-2/B-3 business districts)

  “district area in per sq. ft. family additional front side rear maximum height of structures r1 15,000 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 35 ft. r1a 11,000 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 35 ft.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land subdivision inside Mount Carmel town

  • Regulations are adopted by the Mt. Carmel regional planning commission and appended to the code; their content was not read.

  subdivision regulations adopted: 1999-04-06

  “the mt. carmel regional planning commission has duly adopted subdivision regulations on april 6, 1999, which are an appendix to this code.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveways and curb cuts inside Mount Carmel town

  • Curb cut regulations are in Title 16 of the code (not read).

  “permits are also required for driveways and curb cuts, demolition and any time the footprint of the structure is being changed.”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit applications inside Mount Carmel town

  • Application is online through the town's permit portal.

  “please visit the following link to apply for your permit online: building permit application and portal”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Mount Carmel or Hawkins County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Mount Carmel town
• Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Mount Carmel town
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Mount Carmel town
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Mount Carmel town
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Mount Carmel 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.