Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Niota, Tennessee

Niota’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Niota city limits

  • The zoning ordinance and amendments are published as separate documents of record in the city recorder's office.

  “land use within the city of niota shall be governed by the ordinance titled "zoning ordinance," and any amendments thereto.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 residential district inside Niota city, single-family dwelling (1 unit)

  • TDEC may require a larger minimum lot size when sanitary sewer is not utilized; the minimum may be increased by TDEC but never reduced.
  • Existing substandard lots of record: section 9.01 allows reductions but never below 5,000 sq ft and 30 ft width in a residential district.

  minimum lot area, 1 unit, public water and sewer: >= 7500 sq ft · minimum lot area, 1 unit, public water without sewer: >= 20000 sq ft · minimum lot width at building setback line: >= 75 ft

  “d. land area. on lots or parcels of land where single- or multi-family dwellings are constructed, the following minimum lot area requirements shall apply. number of dwelling units 1 unit 2 units 3 units over 3 units with public water and sanitary sewers 7,500 sq. ft. 10,000 sq. ft. 15,000 sq. ft. 15,000 sq. ft. + 2,500 sq. ft. for each unit over 3 with public water but without sanitary sewers* 20,000 sq. ft. 30,000 sq. ft. 40,000 sq. ft. not permitted”

• SetbacksSpecified

  AG agricultural district inside Niota city

  • Exceptions in article 9.

  front yard: >= 20 ft · rear yard, principal structure: >= 20 ft (10 ft for permitted accessory structure) · side yard, one- and two-story: >= 10 ft

  “h. front yard. the minimum depth of the front yard shall be twenty (20) feet. i. rear yard. the minimum depth of the rear yard shall be twenty (20) feet for the principal structure and ten (10) feet for any permitted accessory structure. j. side yard. the side yards shall be a minimum of ten (10) feet for one- and twostory structures.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 residential district inside Niota city (AG district uses the same yard figures)

    “a. front yard. the minimum depth of the front yard shall be twenty (20) feet. b. rear yard. the minimum depth of the rear yard shall be twenty (20) feet for the principal structure and ten (10) feet for any permitted accessory structure. c. side yard. the side yards shall be a minimum of ten (10) feet for one- and twostory structures.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  AG agricultural district inside Niota city

  maximum lot coverage by all buildings: <= 55 percent

  “l. maximum lot coverage. on any lot or parcel of land, the area occupied by all buildings including accessory buildings shall not exceed fifty-five (55) percent of the total area of such lot or parcel.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 residential district inside Niota city

    “e. maximum lot coverage. on any lot or parcel of land, 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

  AG agricultural district inside Niota city

  • Except as provided in article 9, section 9.03.

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

  “n. height requirement. no building shall exceed two and one-half (2 1/2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height, except as provided in article 9, section 9.03.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 residential district inside Niota city

    “g. height requirement. no building shall exceed two and one-half (2 1/2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height, except as provided in article 9, section 9.03.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Niota city
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Niota city
• Building code adopted — Building codes inside Niota city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Niota city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Niota 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.