Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lafayette, Tennessee

Lafayette’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Inside Lafayette city; Title 12 adopts international codes including the 2018 International Existing Building Code

  • The 2012 edition of a building code is adopted by § 12-101 (edition text continues past the excerpt window I read); residential, plumbing, electrical, gas and mechanical codes have their own chapters
  • Edition years should be rechecked against the current code

  existing building code edition: 2018 IEBC

  “the international existing building code,2 2018 edition, is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as a part of this code”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Lafayette city limits, Macon County, TN

  • Amendments are decided by the city council after a public hearing, but must first go to the Lafayette Regional Planning Commission (Title 14, ch. 6)
  • Annexed land not otherwise classified is treated as R-1

  “for the purpose of this official zoning code, the city of lafayette is hereby divided into zoning districts, as follows:”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Lafayette city

  • Official zoning map dated February 2, 2016 is on file with the city recorder

  districts: R-1, R-2, C-1, C-2, I-1, I-2, M-1

  “r-1, low density residential district r-2, high density residential district c-1, central business district c-2, general business district i-1, light industrial district i-2, heavy industrial district m-1, mixed commercial-industrial district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 low density residential district inside Lafayette city

  • R-2 and other districts were not checked

  minimum heated living space: >= 1000 sq ft (includes exterior walls)

  “single-family detached dwellings, with a minimum of one thousand (1,000) square feet of heated living space including exterior walls.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Accessory buildings in the R-1 district inside Lafayette city

  • Principal-structure front, side and rear yard setbacks for R-1 not captured
  • Passage appears in § 14-401 (R-1), before the R-1 parking requirement

  minimum setback from all lot lines: >= 5 ft · minimum setback street side corner lot: >= 25 ft

  “(d) minimum setback from all lot lines 5 ft. (e) minimum setback for street side corner lot 25 ft. (f) maximum height 2 stories or 30 ft.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 low density residential district inside Lafayette city

  • Includes accessory buildings

  maximum building area: <= 25 percent of lot

  “on any lot the area occupied by all buildings, including accessory buildings, shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the total area of such lot.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-2 high density residential district inside Lafayette city

    “on any lot the area occupied by all buildings, including accessory buildings, shall not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the total area of such lot.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 low density residential district inside Lafayette city

  • Subject to meeting all applicable fire code standards
  • Accessory buildings limited to 2 stories or 30 ft

  maximum height: <= 35 ft (or 3 stories)

  “no structure in the r-1 district shall exceed thirty-five feet (35') or three (3) stories in building height, and shall be subject to meeting all applicable fire code standards.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-2 high density residential district inside Lafayette city

    “no structure in the r-2 district shall exceed fifty feet (50') or four (4) stories in building height”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  R-1 low density residential district inside Lafayette city

  • Mobile homes are excluded from the R-1 permitted single-family dwelling use
  • Other districts, such as R-2, were not checked for manufactured home rules

  “heated living space including exterior walls. mobile homes are excluded.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees inside Lafayette city

  • Small projects where square footage is not a measure get a set fee, such as roofs, gazebos, fences and signs (§ 12-106)
  • Mechanical permits on new construction are $100 each (§ 12-605)
  • Residential fee rates were not captured

  new commercial/industrial construction: per 0.5 USD per sq ft (no fee for an unheated porch on the new construction)

  “building permit fees for all new commercial and industrial construction shall be figured at fifty ($0.50) cents per square foot. no fee shall be assessed to an unheated porch on the new construction.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Lafayette city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Lafayette city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Lafayette city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Lafayette city
• Minimum lot size — R-1 and R-2 districts inside Lafayette 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.