Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Town of Chapel Hill, Tennessee

Town of Chapel Hill’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, repair, moving, demolition inside Chapel Hill town

  • Exceptions listed only for certain mechanical work (portable appliances etc.)
  • Fees set by board resolution; a permit fee is required for sheds

  “a building permit shall be required to construct any building within the corporate limits of the town of chapel hill”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Chapel Hill town limits

  • Adopted by Ord. #2020-21, Feb. 2020
  • IRC R313.2 (one and two-family dwelling sprinklers) deleted; R313.1 townhouse exception added
  • Town to adopt later state energy code amendments

  International Residential Code edition: 2018 (R313 modifications)

  “(d) international residential code, 2018 edition.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Work under adopted codes inside Chapel Hill town

  • Inspector makes inspections 'as are necessary'; no specific inspection schedule found

  “he is authorized and directed to make such inspections as are necessary to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations and codes”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Chapel Hill town limits (Marshall County, TN)

  • Ordinance #94-4 and amendments are published as separate documents on record with the city recorder; text not reviewed here.

  “land use within the town of chapel hill shall be governed by ordinance #94-4, titled "zoning ordinance, chapel hill, tennessee," and any amendments thereto.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Occupied buildings abutting a street or right-of-way with a public sewer inside the town's service area

  • Connection within 60 days after official notice
  • Owner pays
  • Exception for manufacturing facilities with NPDES permit (§ 18-103(5))
  • Where sewer not available, private disposal system under § 18-107
  • Water connection rule not reviewed

  connection deadline after notice: 60 days

  “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 sixty (60) days after the date of official notice to do so.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in special flood hazard areas inside Chapel Hill town

  • May be incorporated into the building permit
  • FIRM dated February 2022 adopted by reference

  “a development permit shall be required in conformance with the provisions of this chapter prior to any development activities. a development permit may be incorporated in and become part of a building permit.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building and plumbing permits inside Chapel Hill town

  • Amounts not in the code; set by resolution (schedule not located)

  “fees charged for building and/or plumbing permits shall be as provided by resolution of the board of mayor and aldermen.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Chapel Hill or Marshall County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Chapel Hill town
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new buildings inside Chapel Hill town
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Chapel Hill town
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Chapel Hill town
• Minimum lot size — Residential districts inside Chapel Hill 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.