Building permits, zoning and land rules in Obion County, Tennessee

Yes. Buildings and related work in unincorporated Obion County require a building permit, and the county directs applicants to the Assessor’s Office in the courthouse¹. The Assessor says permits are used for new buildings and remodels, demolition permits remove buildings from the records, and applicants should obtain permits for room additions, repairs after storm or flood damage, and new-home construction⁵.

Obion County has opted out of Tennessee’s State Residential Building Program, and no county building code exists outside city limits^1,6. An owner or contractor may request a State Fire Marshal inspection during construction of a new home or addition; if the dwelling meets statewide building safety standards, the State Fire Marshal will issue a certificate of occupancy⁶. A parcel inside a municipality needs a city-specific answer because each city has its own codes¹.

The Obion County Assessor of Property is the building-permit contact for a house or building located in unincorporated Obion County⁵. Call the office at (731) 507-0999 Ext.#4 or visit 4 Bill Burnett Circle in Union City; the office page also lists PO Box 327, Union City, TN 38281⁵.

Tell the office the parcel location and describe the proposed new building, remodel, room addition, repair or demolition, because those are the project types the Assessor identifies on its permit page⁵. For land inside a city, contact that city’s building office instead; Obion County’s own guidance specifically routes Union City properties to the Union City Building Department⁵.

Obion County’s official guidance says each city has its own codes and no code exists outside city limits, so the rules depend first on whether the parcel is incorporated¹. We could not confirm that unincorporated Obion County has no zoning ordinance, so ask the Assessor to identify any parcel-specific land-use approvals before treating rural land as unrestricted. The county building-permit requirement and state septic rules still apply outside city limits^1,2.

Union City has zoning, and its official zoning map controls the current zoning status of land inside the city⁷. Property there must meet the rules for its mapped district⁷. Other incorporated cities may have different ordinances and should be contacted directly¹. We could not confirm unincorporated-county rules for minimum home size, setbacks, subdivision approval, short-term rentals or floodplain development; ask the Assessor about those issues before buying or designing a project.

TDEC administers septic permits for Obion County through the Jackson Environmental Field Office³. A permit is required to construct, modify or repair a septic system, and the installer must arrange a final inspection before covering the completed system².

Applications may be filed online or on paper with the appropriate field office; review generally takes 10 days and must finish within 45 days after submission⁸. The conventional-system permit is $400 for design flow up to 1,000 gallons per day, with a $100 construction inspection; alternative systems begin with a $500 permit and a $200 inspection⁸. Only 12.2% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early contingency⁹. Call TDEC’s septic-inquiry line at 731-441-5593³.

We could not confirm an unincorporated Obion County rule that allows or prohibits living in an RV on private land, or a rule that sets a minimum size for a tiny home. The county says no code exists outside city limits, but a county building permit is still required and Tennessee still requires a permitted septic system for construction, modification or repair^1,2.

Before buying, ask the Obion County Assessor whether the proposed structure needs a county permit and whether any parcel-specific land-use rule applies, then ask TDEC how the wastewater arrangement can be approved^3,5. Union City has zoning, and a manufactured dwelling there must meet district setbacks and other standards, connect to public utilities, and sit on a continuous permanent masonry wall; a previously occupied unit cannot be moved onto residentially zoned property in Union City^7,10.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is inside a city, because cities have their own codes and Union City has zoning, while unincorporated Obion County has no county building code^1,7.
2. For unincorporated land, call the Obion County Assessor and obtain the required county building permit^1,5.
3. Apply to TDEC for the septic construction permit before installation or repair, allowing for the published review period^2,8.
4. If access will be built or changed on state highway right-of-way, obtain the required TDOT highway-entrance permit¹¹.
5. If building for your own use, confirm the Tennessee owner-builder conditions: one permit every two years, no sale, lease or rent, and licensing rules for hired prime contractors⁴.
6. Have the septic installer arrange TDEC’s final inspection before covering the system².

Start with jurisdiction: each city has its own codes, while the county says no code exists outside city limits and still requires a building permit there¹. Ask the Assessor to confirm the parcel’s jurisdiction and any land-use approvals. Then make the purchase contingent on a workable wastewater plan, because only 12.2% of soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field⁹.

Confirm legal road access and whether a proposed entrance touches state highway right-of-way, where a TDOT permit is required¹¹. Ask the relevant utility whether sewer service is available and whether connection is mandatory for the parcel¹². We could not confirm the county’s private-well, floodplain-development or county-road driveway requirements; ask TDEC about wells, the Assessor about parcel-specific approvals, and the road authority that maintains the frontage before closing.