Building permits, zoning and land rules in Hickman County, Tennessee

Yes, for zoning compliance—but that approval is different from Tennessee's state residential-code permit. Outside Centerville, Hickman County requires the Building Commissioner's permit before construction, alteration, repair, moving a structure, changing its use or filling land; qualifying agricultural construction is exempt¹. Hickman County is listed as exempt from the State Residential Building Code Enforcement Program, but county zoning-compliance inspections still apply¹. The Building Commissioner may inspect as needed and must conduct another compliance inspection after the premises is ready for occupancy and within one year after occupancy¹. Tennessee has adopted the 2018 residential and energy codes for the state program, but we could not confirm that Hickman County independently adopted a residential building code or generally requires a certificate of occupancy⁶. Ask the Building/ADA Coordinator which construction inspections and closeout documents apply⁷.

Start with the Hickman County Building/ADA Coordinator at 931-729-5534, 114 N. Central Avenue, Suite 101, Centerville, TN 37033⁷. County zoning-compliance permit applications must be written on county forms and include a duplicate scaled plan or plat showing the lot, structures, elevations, uses, parking, loading and related site information¹. The County Commission sets the fees, and the current schedule is posted in the Building Commissioner's office; the county may double the permit fee when work starts before approval and may charge a $50 reinspection fee when a requested inspection is not ready¹. Ask the coordinator for the current form, total fee, parcel's zoning district and applicable inspections before filing. The official zoning atlas is available for public inspection in the Building Commissioner's office¹.

Yes. Hickman County zoning applies outside the Centerville municipal corporation; the county resolution establishes agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial districts, while the official atlas determines a parcel's district¹. Dimensional rules vary by district: A-1 lots are generally at least one acre, and lots created on a qualifying private access easement must be at least five acres¹. R-1 buildings generally may not exceed 35 feet, subject to listed exceptions¹. Setbacks also vary by district; A-1 generally requires 35 feet in front, 25 feet in back and 20 feet at the side¹. Some development also faces district-specific water and sewer conditions, including a public-sewer or state-approved package-system requirement for multifamily development in R-1¹. Qualifying agricultural construction is exempt from the county permit rule, but septic, access and floodplain requirements may still apply¹.

TDEC's Division of Water Resources administers Hickman County septic permits and inspections³. The local contact is TDEC's Columbia Environmental Field Office at (931) 380-3371, which lists Hickman among the counties it serves⁸. A state septic permit is required to install or repair a system; a new conventional system up to 1,000 gallons per day costs $400, a new alternative system at that design flow costs $500, and a repair permit costs $0². State review may take up to 45 days after a complete application arrives³. Apply early: only 18.6% of Hickman County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so many parcels may need closer evaluation or a different design⁹. The installer must arrange the final inspection before covering the system³.

We could not confirm a countywide rule allowing full-time RV living in unincorporated Hickman County, so ask the Building/ADA Coordinator about the parcel's district and proposed occupancy⁷. In an identified Special Flood Hazard Area, an RV must stay fewer than 180 consecutive days, remain fully licensed and highway-ready, or meet every new-construction requirement¹. Hickman County does not separately define every structure marketed as a tiny home, but a tiny home treated as a building or structure needs zoning approval outside Centerville¹. A qualifying prefabricated dwelling must sit on a permanently enclosed concrete or masonry foundation, connect permanently to water and wastewater, and have no exterior horizontal dimension under 15 feet¹. A guest house has separate rules: 350 to 1,000 square feet of heated area, one per qualifying lot, no rental use, and septic approval¹.

1. Confirm that the parcel is outside Centerville, then inspect the county zoning atlas to identify its district¹.
2. Confirm access and driveway approval; county-road curb or shoulder work needs Road Superintendent approval, while state-highway work needs a TDOT permit¹.
3. Arrange the TDEC site evaluation early because only 18.6% of county soils lack severe conventional-drain-field limits^3,9.
4. Call the Building/ADA Coordinator at 931-729-5534 for the current county form, posted fee schedule and inspection scope^1,7.
5. File the written application with its duplicate scaled plan or plat and obtain county approval before covered work begins¹.
6. Obtain the TDEC septic permit before installation or repair, then have TDEC inspect the system before covering it^2,3.
7. Complete the county zoning-compliance inspection process, including the required inspection after the premises is ready for occupancy¹.

Verify zoning, legal access, floodplain status, water supply and septic feasibility during due diligence. Hickman County is 81% wooded, while only 43.4% of its land has a slope of 15% or less, so clearing, driveway grade and buildable-area costs can vary sharply by tract⁹. A vehicle access point may be no wider than 40 feet, must drain properly and cannot sit within 20 feet of a public-intersection right-of-way line¹. If you plan to divide land outside the Centerville planning jurisdiction, the subdivider must submit a plat, obtain planning commission approval and record the approved plat¹⁰. Floodway work requires engineering support showing no increase in flood elevations, velocities or floodway widths, while some approximate A Zone projects must be elevated or floodproofed at least 3 feet above the highest adjacent grade¹. Septic deserves special attention because only 18.6% of soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field⁹.