Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Whitwell, Tennessee

Whitwell’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, moving, alteration, repair or filling of land inside Whitwell city limits

  • Permit issued by the zoning officer certifying conformity with the zoning ordinance.
  • No building permit required for construction development with a value of less than $1,000.
  • Permits void after six months unless substantial progress has been made.

  minimum project value requiring permit: >= 1000 USD

  “no building permit shall be required for any construction development having a value of less than one thousand ($1,000.00) dollars.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Whitwell city limits

  • Code adopted with revisions in chapter 12-1 and 12-3; MTAS copy was last updated 2018, so later amendments may exist.

  edition: 2015 IBC and IRC (with revisions)

  “the 2015 international building code, 2015 edition, and the international residential code for one- and two-family dwellings, 2015 edition, with revisions, as prepared and adopted, by the international code council, is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as part of this chapter”

• InspectionsRequired

  New or altered buildings inside Whitwell city limits

  • Zoning officer makes a final inspection within three days of notice that the building is ready for occupancy.
  • Inspections are for conformity with the zoning ordinance; building-code inspection details not located.

  “within three (3) days after notification that a building or premises or part thereof is ready for occupancy or use, it shall be the duty of the zoning officer to make a final inspection thereof”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Land or buildings erected, moved or altered in use inside Whitwell city limits

  • Issued by the zoning officer after finding conformity with the zoning ordinance.
  • In planned unit developments no certificate of occupancy is issued before the final plat is recorded.

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

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Whitwell city limits

  • Ordinance adopted by the Whitwell board of mayor and commissioners June 5, 2014; copy on the Southeast Tennessee Development District site is stated as amended through 7/14/2026.

  “this ordinance shall be known as the "municipal zoning ordinance of the city of whitwell" dated may 1, 2014.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Whitwell city zoning districts

  • Districts: R-1, R-2, C-1, C-2, MX-1, MS-1, I-1, AG plus a flood hazard overlay.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, whitwell, tennessee is hereby divided into eight (8) districts and one overlay designated as follows:”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Whitwell city

  • Lot size depends on water and sewer service.
  • Existing lots of record under 10,890 sq ft may be used for one single-family dwelling if served by public water and sewer and at least 7,500 sq ft.
  • Minimum may be increased based on TDEC requirements.

  public water and sanitary sewer: >= 10890 sq ft · public water and septic tank: >= 13000 sq ft · private well and septic tank: >= 25000 sq ft

  “public water and sanitary sewer 10,890 square feet public water and septic tank* 13,000 square feet 24 private well and septic tank* 25,000 square feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — AG Agricultural district inside Whitwell city

    “public water and sanitary sewer 9,000 square feet public water and septic tank* 13,000 square feet 31 private well and septic tank* 25,000 square feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Whitwell city

  • Front setback depends on road class: arterial 50 ft, collector 35 ft, all other 30 ft.
  • Side setback 15 ft for one story, 20 ft for two story.
  • Rear setback 20 ft principal, 10 ft accessory.

  front setback, other roads: >= 30 ft (arterial 50, collector 35) · rear setback principal: >= 20 ft (accessory 10 ft) · side setback one story: >= 15 ft (two story 20 ft)

  “the side setbacks shall be fifteen (15) feet for one story structures and twenty (20) feet for two story structures.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — AG Agricultural district inside Whitwell city

    “the front setback shall be twenty-five (25) feet. b. rear setback. the rear setback shall be twenty (20) feet. c. side setback. the side setback shall be twenty (20) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Whitwell city (R-2 also 45%)

  • Applies to all buildings including accessory buildings.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 45 percent

  “the area occupied by all buildings including accessory buildings shall not exceed forty-five (45) percent of the total area of such lot or parcel.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Whitwell city (R-2 same limit)

  • Except as provided in Article 10, section 10.03.

  maximum height: <= 35 ft (or 2 1/2 stories)

  “no building or structure shall exceed two and one-half (2 1/2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height, except as provided in article 10, section 10.03”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes on individual lots in residential districts inside Whitwell city limits

  • Only a manufactured home with the same general appearance as a site-built home is allowed on individual lots in residential districts.
  • Ordinance defines 'mobile homes' separately from 'manufactured homes'; mobile home placement rules were not read.

  “a manufactured home having the same general appearance as a site built home shall be allowed on individual lots in any residential district.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits inside Whitwell city limits

  • Written application to the zoning officer; permits void after six months without substantial progress.

  “application for a building permit shall be made in writing to the zoning officer on forms provided for that purpose.”

Rules another office applies inside Whitwell

Whitwell does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicState

  Septic systems and private wells on lots inside Whitwell city limits (per city zoning ordinance)

  • Approval is given by the TDEC representative; the ordinance also names the Marion County Health Department in definitions and for site percolation statements on some permits.

  “*approval of septic systems and private wells are given by the representative of the tennessee department of environment and conservation (tdec).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Whitwell city limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Whitwell city limits
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Whitwell city limits
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Whitwell city limits
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Whitwell 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.