Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Dayton, Tennessee

Dayton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration, repair, moving or demolition inside Dayton city

  • Applies to work in excess of $200
  • Minor repairs may be made with building official approval without a permit

  work value threshold: > 200 USD

  “in excess of two hundred ($200.00) dollars shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit therefore”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Land or buildings erected, moved or changed in use inside Dayton city

  • Building inspector makes final inspection within 3 working days of notification

  “no land or building or their structure or part thereof hereafter erected, moved, or altered in its use shall be used until the building inspector shall have issued a certificate of occupancy”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Dayton city limits

  • Ordinance formally adopted April 1, 1991, reissued Sept 15, 1997, amended through 6/5/17 per the cover.

  “to regulate in the city of dayton, tennessee, the location, height and size of buildings and other structures; the percentage of lot which may be occupied”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District, inside Dayton city

  • 10,000 sq ft where public water and sanitary sewer are available
  • Existing lots of record smaller than 15,000 sq ft have a further provision not quoted here
  • R-2 district: single family 7,500 sq ft, multifamily 10,000 sq ft; lots not on public sewer are subject to health department examination and may need larger lots
  • Section 15.06 absolute minimum: 7,500 sq ft and 50 ft width for a residence the BZA may permit

  minimum lot area without public water and sewer: >= 15000 sq ft · minimum lot area with public water and sewer: >= 10000 sq ft

  “no lot or parcel of land shall be reduced in size to provide separate lots or building sites of less than 15,000 square feet in area except where public water supply and sanitary sewer service is available, in which case the minimum lot area shall be 10,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential District, inside Dayton city (AG district has the same yard figures)

  • Front yard 35 ft on major thoroughfares/collectors, 25 ft on local streets and cul-de-sacs
  • Side yard abutting a local street 25 ft; abutting a major thoroughfare or collector 35 ft
  • Subject to chapter 15 exceptions

  rear yard principal structure: >= 20 ft · rear yard accessory structure: >= 15 ft · side yard 1-2 stories: >= 10 ft (plus 5 ft per story over two)

  “the minimum depth of the rear yard shall be twenty (20) feet for the principal structure and fifteen (15) feet for any permitted accessory structure.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-2 Medium Density Residential District, inside Dayton city

  • Except as provided in section 15.03
  • R-1 and AG height not read

  maximum height: <= 40 ft (or three stories)

  “no building shall exceed three (3) stories or forty (40) feet, except as provided in section 15.03.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Single-wide manufactured homes on individual lots in R-3 district, inside Dayton city

  • R-1 allows only replacement of an existing single-wide on the same lot
  • Manufactured home parks permitted in R-3 subject to standards

  “within the r-3 residential district of dayton, the following uses shall be permitted: 1. any use permitted in the r-1 and r-2 residential districts. 2. multi-family dwellings. 3. single-wide manufactured homes on individual lots.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Dayton city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Dayton city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Dayton city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Dayton city
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Dayton 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.