Moore County/Lynchburg, Tennessee is an opt-out jurisdiction for state residential-code enforcement, so a state building permit is optional for a one- or two-family home rather than universally required.1 Local planning and zoning still apply, and a state septic permit is required before installing, modifying or repairing an onsite system.23
At a glance
- Building permit
- State residential permit is optional for one- and two-family homes; confirm local planning approval12
- Zoning
- Yes; Metro Moore County administers planning and zoning2
- Septic permit
- Required through Tennessee's Division of Water Resources43
- Owner-builder
- Conditional state exemption for a home built for the owner's individual use5
- RV living
- Not confirmed; ask Metro Building Permits - Planning before relying on RV occupancy26
- Tiny home
- No specific occupancy or minimum-size rule confirmed; zoning review still applies26
- State-highway driveway
- TDOT permit required before work on state highway right-of-way7
Who to call
Building permits
Metro Moore County Building Permits - Planning
Local building-permit, planning and parcel-zoning questions in Metropolitan Lynchburg/Moore County
Septic permits
TDEC Columbia Environmental Field Office
Division of Water Resources and septic-service questions for Moore County
1421 Hampshire Pike, Suite 100, Columbia, TN 38401
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 27, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Moore County, Tennessee?
A state residential building permit is not mandatory for every home in Moore County/Lynchburg because the jurisdiction opted out of the state program for one- and two-family dwellings.8 An owner or contractor may still obtain a state permit and request State Fire Marshal inspections for new construction or an addition.19 If the inspected home meets statewide construction-safety standards, the State Fire Marshal releases a Certificate of Occupancy.10 The opt-out finding does not establish the permit rules for commercial, multifamily or other construction, and it does not cancel local zoning, floodplain, septic, sewer, grading, fill or electrical approvals.81 Ask Metro Moore County Building Permits - Planning what local approval applies to the exact parcel and project before work begins.6
Who handles building permits and planning in Moore County?
Metro Moore County maintains an official Building Permits - Planning office page for local building and planning questions.6 The county page does not publish a verifiable phone number, address, application, fee schedule or inspection procedure, so use the official page to identify the current local contact before submitting plans.6 For a one- or two-family home, the separate State Fire Marshal pathway remains available even though Moore County/Lynchburg opted out of mandatory state residential-code enforcement.1 A voluntary state inspection can cover new construction and additions, and a passing project can receive a state Certificate of Occupancy.910 State residential-program fees do not establish Moore County's local planning or permit fees because that state program does not apply automatically in an opt-out jurisdiction.11
Does Moore County, Tennessee have zoning?
Yes. Metro Moore County has zoning administered through its Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals via the Building Permits - Planning function.2 Zoning remains a separate local approval even though Moore County/Lynchburg opted out of mandatory state residential building permits for one- and two-family homes.1 The published material reviewed for this guide does not confirm the parcel-level districts, setbacks, minimum lot sizes, building heights or minimum dwelling sizes, so ask the planning office to identify the zone and applicable standards before designing or buying.26 Tennessee's agricultural zoning limitation is conditional: a structure must be on land devoted to agricultural use and incidental to that enterprise, and stated exceptions include certain locations near highways, airports or parks and land in the one-hundred-year floodplain.12 Do not treat a farm label as a blanket exemption without local review.12
How do septic permits work in Moore County?
Tennessee's Division of Water Resources administers the septic process relevant to Moore County, and the Columbia Environmental Field Office serves Moore County.1314 A permit is required before construction, modification or repair of a septic system, and TDEC advises obtaining it before dirt work or construction of the building pad.3 The application may require a site plan or soils map, and review can take up to 45 days after TDEC receives a complete application.3 Only about 1.1% of mapped Moore County soils avoid a “very limited” rating for a conventional drain field, so septic feasibility should be an early purchase condition.15 After installation, the installer must arrange a final inspection before covering the system; approval results in a Certificate of Completion.16 Call the Columbia office at (931) 380-3371 for the appropriate septic contact.14
Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Moore County?
We could not confirm a Moore County rule that permits or prohibits full-time RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on an ordinary private parcel. Metro Moore County does have zoning, so an RV or tiny home should not be treated as automatically allowed simply because the state residential permit program is optional for conventional one- and two-family homes.21 Ask Metro Building Permits - Planning how the proposed unit is classified, whether residential occupancy is allowed in the parcel's district, and what setbacks, minimum size and utility approvals apply.6 A manufactured or modular home is also not answered by the state's opt-out status alone; the state residential-process material distinguishes the home installation from custom site work such as a deck, patio or stoop.17 Septic construction, modification or repair still requires state approval regardless of the chosen dwelling format.3
What are the steps to build a home in Moore County?
- Ask Metro Moore County Building Permits - Planning to confirm the parcel's zoning district, allowed dwelling type and the local approvals required for the proposed work.26
- Resolve wastewater service early; a qualifying utility may require a building on an abutting parcel to connect where a sanitary sewer is available.18
- If using septic, apply through TDEC before dirt work or construction of the building pad and allow for site evaluation and possible soil documentation.3
- Confirm legal access; TDOT requires a permit before constructing, changing or modifying a driveway on state highway right-of-way.7
- Decide whether to use the optional State Fire Marshal permit and inspection pathway for a one- or two-family home in this opt-out jurisdiction.19
- Have the installed septic system inspected before it is covered and obtain the Certificate of Completion.16
What should you check before buying land in Moore County?
Start with a parcel-specific zoning review because Moore County has zoning but the reviewed material does not confirm its district standards, setbacks, minimum lot sizes or dwelling-size rules.26 Make an acceptable septic evaluation a purchase condition: only about 1.1% of mapped soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field, and TDEC may require soils information during review.153 Confirm whether public sewer is available and whether the serving utility can require connection.18 Verify road ownership before planning an entrance because a driveway on state highway right-of-way needs a TDOT permit.7 Private-well permitting and local floodplain-development requirements could not be confirmed, so ask the Columbia field office about water questions and Metro Building Permits - Planning about floodplain review.146 For budgeting context, the median property-tax bill is about $1,252 per year and the effective rate is about 0.5%.1920
Watch-outs
- Moore County/Lynchburg's opt-out status covers mandatory state residential-code enforcement for one- and two-family homes; it does not establish the rules for commercial or other construction.8
- Do not begin dirt work or a building pad before resolving septic approval; TDEC advises obtaining the septic permit first.3
- RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, private-well permits and parcel-level zoning dimensions could not be confirmed; ask Metro Building Permits - Planning and the TDEC Columbia office before buying for those uses.2614
Sources
- Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors, quoted and re-checked
- Metro Moore County - Building Permits / Planning (2026 county census)
- Subsurface Sewage Disposal System (SSDS) Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
- TDEC - Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (SSDS) (2026 county census)
- Can I build my own home without a license? (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Metro Moore County Building Permits - Planning (metromoorecounty.org)
- Highway Entrance Permits (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Jurisdictions & Inspectors, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Building Permit Fees (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Exemption from County Zoning Regulation for Buildings on Land Used for Agriculture, Opinion No. 22-07 (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Subsurface Sewage Disposal System (SSDS) Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
- TDEC Columbia Environmental Field Office (tn.gov)
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Subsurface Sewage Disposal System (SSDS) Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
- Residential Permits (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Utility Customers Frequently Asked Questions (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
Written September 27, 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.