Zoning, building permits and septic rules in New Johnsonville, Tennessee

New Johnsonville’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  House trailers or portable buildings parked, located, or occupied inside New Johnsonville city limits.

  • The house trailer or portable building must comply with applicable plumbing, electrical, sanitary, and building provisions for stationary structures.
  • The proposed location must conform to municipal zoning provisions.
  • A permit must first be issued by the building official as provided in the building code.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to park, locate, or occupy any house trailer or portable building unless it complies with all plumbing, electrical, sanitary, and building provisions applicable to stationary structures and the proposed location conforms to the zoning provisions of the municipality and unless a permit therefore shall have been first duly issued by the building official, as provided for in the building code.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures inside New Johnsonville city limits.

  • The published code identifies the adopted edition as the Southern Standard Building Code, 1969 edition.
  • The current applicability of this historical codification should be confirmed with the city before reliance.

  “the Southern Standard Building Code, 1969 edition, as prepared and adopted by the Southern Building Code Congress, is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as a part of this code”

• InspectionsLimited

  A building sewer connection to the public sewer inside New Johnsonville city limits.

  • The applicant must notify the approving authority or representative when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection.
  • The connection must be made by or under the approving authority's supervision.

  “The applicant for the building, sewer permit shall notify the approving authority or his representative when the building sewer is ready for inspection and connection to the public sewer. The connection shall be made by or under the supervision of the approving authority.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  House trailers or portable buildings inside New Johnsonville city limits.

  • The structure must comply with applicable plumbing, electrical, sanitary, and building provisions.
  • The location must conform to municipal zoning provisions.
  • A building-official permit must first be issued.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to park, locate, or occupy any house trailer or portable building unless it complies with all plumbing, electrical, sanitary, and building provisions applicable to stationary structures and the proposed location conforms to the zoning provisions of the municipality and unless a permit therefore shall have been first duly issued by the building official, as provided for in the building code.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Private sewage disposal inside New Johnsonville city limits.

  • Private disposal is permissible only where service from the available sanitary sewage system is unavailable.
  • Private disposal must comply with local, county, and state law.

  “The disposal of sewage by means other than the use of the available sanitary sewage system shall be in accordance with local, county and state law. The disposal of sewage by private disposal systems shall be permissible only in those instances where service from the available sanitary sewage system is not available.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Properties inside New Johnsonville city limits served by, or required by the city to connect to, the city sanitary sewer.

  • An owner of a qualifying property abutting a street, alley, or right-of-way containing a city public sanitary sewer must install suitable toilet facilities and connect within 90 days after official notice.
  • The approving authority may allow an alternative where city sewer service is unduly difficult or expensive and the alternative is not hazardous to public health.

  connection deadline after official notice: 90 days (Applies to properties described in § 18-202(4).)

  “The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes, situated within the city and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary sewer of the city, is hereby required at his expense to install suitable toilet facilities therein, and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, within ninety (90) days after date of official notice to do so.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Residential, commercial, or industrial building-sewer permit applications inside New Johnsonville city limits.

  • The fee is due when the application is filed.

  building sewer permit and inspection fee: 10 USD (Residential, commercial, or industrial building sewer permit.)

  “A permit and inspection fee of ten dollars ($10.00) for a residential, commercial or industrial building sewer permit shall be paid to the city at the time the application is filed.”

• Permit processPartial

  Public-sewer connections inside New Johnsonville city limits.

  • The owner or agent applies on a city-provided special form.
  • Plans, specifications, or other information may be required at the approving authority's judgment.
  • Unauthorized sewer work is prohibited until a written permit is obtained.

  “No unauthorized person shall uncover, make any connections with or opening into, use, alter, or disturb any public sewer or appurtenance thereof without first obtaining a written permit from the approving authority. The owner or his agent shall make application on a special form furnished by the city. The permit application shall be supplemented by any plans, specifications, or other information considered pertinent in the judgment of the approving authority.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask New Johnsonville or Humphreys County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside New Johnsonville city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside New Johnsonville city limits.
• Local zoning — Land inside New Johnsonville city limits.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside New Johnsonville city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside New Johnsonville city limits.

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.