Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Ridgetop, Tennessee

Ridgetop’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erecting, moving, adding to or structurally altering buildings inside Ridgetop city (zoning permit)

  • Issued by the building inspector and/or zoning administrator.
  • Except for single and two-family dwellings, a landscaping bond/letter of credit/cash deposit must be posted first.

  “no building or other structure shall be erected, moved, added to or structurally altered without a zoning permit issued by the building inspector and/or zoning administrator.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Residential construction inside Ridgetop city

  • 2012 IRC adopted with amendments (Ord. 2016-103, April 2016); IRC electrical chapters excluded and the state-adopted electrical code applies; section 108 deleted.
  • Code copy is MTAS-hosted and may not reflect later editions.

  code edition: 2012 International Residential Code (electrical chapters 34-43 excluded)

  “the international residential code,1 2012 edition, including appendix g, swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs, as prepared and adopted by the international code council, is hereby adopted”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Ridgetop city limits

  • Ordinance 95-34 adopted March 21, 1995; last amended February 18, 2020 per the cover page.

  “to provide for the establishment of districts within the corporate limits of the city of ridgetop, tennessee”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 low-density residential district, Ridgetop city

  • Amended by Ord. 2016-101 (Feb. 16, 2016); subject to article VI exceptions.

  area without public sewer: >= 33000 sq ft · area per family with public sewer: >= 21780 sq ft

  “area* (without public sewer) 33,000 sq. ft. * area per family (with public sewer) 21,780 sq. ft.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1A low-density residential-agricultural district, Ridgetop city

    “minimum lot size minimum area per single detached dwelling 1 acre minimum per family 1 acre lot width at building setback line v-4 125 ft.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1A low-density residential-agricultural district, Ridgetop city

  • Subject to article VI exceptions.

  front setback: >= 50 ft · side yard: >= 20 ft · rear yard: >= 30 ft

  “minimum yard requirements front setback side rear 3. 50 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 low-density residential district, Ridgetop city

  • Includes accessory buildings.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 25 percent

  “the area occupied by all buildings including accessory buildings may not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the total area of such lot or parcel.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1A low-density residential-agricultural district, Ridgetop city

    “maximum lot coverage on any lot or parcel of land, the area occupied by all buildings including accessory buildings may not exceed forty (40) percent of the total area of such lot or parcel.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1A low-density residential-agricultural district, Ridgetop city

  • Except as provided in article VI, section 6.040.

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (article VI, 6.040)

  “no building shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet in height, except as provided in article vi, section 6.040.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Ridgetop city
• Inspections — Inspections inside Ridgetop city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Ridgetop city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Ridgetop city
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Ridgetop 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.