Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Maury County, Tennessee

At a glance

Building permit

Required for new construction in unincorporated Maury County¹

Inspections

Required through final inspection for conventional construction²

Zoning

County zoning applies to unincorporated land; standards vary by district³⁷

Septic

TDEC permit required for residential applications using on-site septic⁸⁴

Owner-builder

Allowed conditionally; bring the deed and follow Tennessee licensing limits⁹¹⁰

Accessory dwelling

One per lot where allowed, subject to size and deed-restriction rules¹¹

Manufactured home

Proof of age required; units over 15 years old are not permitted¹²

RV living

Countywide occupancy rules not confirmed; ask Building & Zoning for the parcel³¹³

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Maury County, Tennessee?

Yes. Unincorporated Maury County, Tennessee requires a county building permit for new construction, and the permit must be posted at the job site¹. The published residential process calls for a TDEC septic permit when the home will use on-site septic, proof of a water tap or other water source, driveway approval, plans, a plot plan and applicable licenses¹⁴⁴⁵⁶. Conventional construction is inspected at the footing, foundation, dry-in or framing, plumbing, mechanical, energy and final stages; inspections must be scheduled at least 24 hours ahead². Projects requiring a Maury County certificate of occupancy must pass applicable code and special State Fire Marshal requirements, and a blower-door test must be submitted before the certificate is issued¹⁵.

Who is the Maury County building department, and how do you reach them?

The Maury County Building & Zoning Office handles building permit applications and inspections for unincorporated Maury County, Tennessee¹². Reach the permit counter at 931-375-3006 or visit the Walter Harlan Building at 5 Public Square in Columbia¹³. The same department supports county planning and zoning and provides an interactive zoning map¹⁶. Residential applications go to that office with the septic, water, driveway, plan, plot-plan and licensing materials required for the project¹⁴. Maury County publishes valuation-based permit fees; the permit fee includes building, plumbing and mechanical permits, while the New Development Tax is paid separately¹⁷. Flood-hazard, geotechnical, State Fire Marshal, commercial or industrial circumstances can trigger additional information before issuance¹⁴.

Does Maury County have zoning?

Yes. Maury County zoning governs development on unincorporated land unless the ordinance, state law or federal law provides an exemption; incorporated municipalities are outside the county office's jurisdiction³. The ordinance publishes district-specific use, dimensional and lot-coverage standards, so setbacks and buildable area depend on the parcel's district⁷¹⁸. The Building & Zoning Office provides an interactive zoning map¹⁶. An accessory dwelling unit is allowed where the district permits it, limited to one per lot and no larger than 750 square feet or 30% of the principal dwelling, whichever is greater; a deed restriction must be recorded before the zoning certificate and building permit are approved¹¹. A lot under 5 acres split from a larger tract needs a minor plat prepared by a Tennessee-licensed surveyor, planning commission approval and recording before a home or mobile-home permit can issue¹⁹.

How do septic permits work in Maury County?

The Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation handles septic permitting for Maury County, and TDEC evaluates the site to determine the required system type⁸. A residential building-permit application using on-site septic must include the TDEC septic permit⁴. The Columbia field office listed by the county is at 1421 Hampshire Pike²⁰. Tennessee requires a Septic System Construction Permit before installing a system or repairing a failed one; review generally takes about 10 days and must be completed within 45 days²¹. Only about 24% of Maury County soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so do not assume a standard system will fit the parcel²². A qualifying utility can require a building on a parcel abutting a sewered public way to connect to sewer instead of continuing another sewage-disposal method²³. We could not confirm the local septic-inspection sequence or private-well permit requirement; ask TDEC about inspections and the Building & Zoning Office what water-source proof it will accept.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Maury County?

We could not confirm a general Maury County rule allowing or prohibiting RV residence, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on unincorporated land. County zoning applies to that land and use standards vary by zoning district, so ask the Building & Zoning Office how the parcel is classified before buying or placing a unit³⁷¹³. A small dwelling may fit the accessory-dwelling rules only where that use is permitted: the county limits an accessory dwelling to one per lot, imposes a size formula and requires a recorded deed restriction before approvals¹¹. A mobile or manufactured home is a separate category: proof of age is required, a unit over 15 years old is not permitted, residential setbacks apply and floodplain standards may add requirements¹².

Building a home in Maury County, Tennessee: the steps, in order

1. Identify the zoning district and confirm that the proposed use, dimensions and lot coverage fit its standards⁷¹⁸.
2. If the parcel was split from a larger tract, confirm whether the minor-plat process must be completed before permitting¹⁹.
3. Obtain the TDEC septic permit for an on-site system and documentation proving the water tap or other water source⁴⁵.
4. Get Maury County Highway Department approval for a county-road driveway, or contact TDOT for a state-road connection⁶.
5. Submit the plans, plot plan, approvals and applicable licenses to Building & Zoning at 5 Public Square¹⁴. An owner acting as contractor must include a deed copy, and Tennessee limits the owner-builder licensing exemption⁹¹⁰.
6. Pay the valuation-based permit fee and the New Development Tax separately¹⁷.
7. Post the permit, schedule inspections at least 24 hours ahead and complete the final and occupancy-certificate requirements¹²¹⁵.

What to check before you buy land in Maury County, Tennessee

Confirm the parcel's zoning district, permitted use, dimensional standards and lot-coverage limit before making an offer⁷¹⁸. Check the recorded lot history because a tract under 5 acres split from larger land may need minor-plat approval before a home or mobile-home permit can issue¹⁹. Have TDEC evaluate septic suitability: only about 24% of Maury County soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field⁸²². Confirm the water source and driveway path because both are required parts of the residential application⁵⁶. Agricultural land is not automatically permit-free: the county must classify the structure or use as incidental to an agricultural enterprise, the exemption does not waive wastewater rules, and conversion to another use triggers applicable zoning and building-code requirements²⁴. Also check flood exposure; the agricultural exemption does not cover a structure in the 100-year floodplain or a required drainage easement²⁴. Maury County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.5%, with a median annual bill near $1,476²⁵²⁶.

Watch-outs

• Maury County's zoning ordinance took effect January 1, 2026 and was last revised July 20, 2026, so use the current district standards for the parcel⁷.
• We could not confirm countywide RV, temporary-camping, tiny-home or minimum-dwelling-size rules; ask Building & Zoning about the specific parcel and proposed use¹³.
• A mobile home over 15 years old is not permitted in unincorporated Maury County, and proof of age is required¹².
• Claiming an agricultural exemption removes county permit and safety-inspection review, but only after county classification and without waiving wastewater or floodplain limits²⁴.

Sources

1. Building & Zoning Office | Maury County, TN, quoted and re-checked
2. Building & Zoning Office | Maury County, TN, quoted and re-checked
3. Maury County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
4. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
5. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
6. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
7. Maury County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
8. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
9. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
10. Can I build my own home without a license? (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Maury County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
12. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
13. Maury County Building & Zoning Office (maurycounty-tn.gov)
14. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
15. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
16. Maury County Building & Zoning Office (maurycounty-tn.gov)
17. 2026 Building Permit Application & Fees, quoted and re-checked
18. Maury County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
19. Subdivision Regulations, quoted and re-checked
20. Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, Division of Water Resources - Columbia Environmental Field Office (maurycounty-tn.gov)
21. Septic System Construction Permit (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
23. Utility Customers Frequently Asked Questions (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Maury County Application for Certificate of Agricultural Exemption, quoted and re-checked
25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
26. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written September 29, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.