Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Dunlap, Tennessee

Dunlap’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures inside Dunlap city

  • Applies to work with a cost exceeding $2,000
  • Permit issued only in conformity with the zoning ordinance

  cost threshold: > 2000 USD

  “no building or other structure shall be located, erected, moved, enlarged, or structurally altered-with a cost exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000)-without a building permit issued by the building inspector. no building permit shall be issued except in conformity with the provisions of this ordinance.”

• Local zoningPresent

  All land inside the City of Dunlap limits

  • Ordinance adopted July 11, 1991; text amended through January 19, 2023
  • Copy hosted by the Southeast Tennessee Development District (sedev.org), the planning-assistance agency; the city's own site hosts the subdivision regulations

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, dunlap, tennessee is hereby divided into nine (9) zones designated as follows”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Dunlap city

  • Districts per table of contents: R-1, R-2, R-3, C-1, C-2, I-1, I-2, flood hazard districts, Sequatchie River recreational overlay

  “dunlap, tennessee is hereby divided into nine (9) zones designated as follows: 1. r-1 low density residential zone 2. r-2 medium density residential zone 3. r-3 high density residential zone 4. c-1 general commercial zone 5. c-2 central business zone 6. i-1 light industrial zone 7. i-2 heavy industrial zone 8. f-1 floodway zone 9. f-3 flood fringe zone”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Dunlap city

  • 10,000 sq ft where sanitary sewer is available
  • Existing lots of record under 15,000 sq ft (not less than 7,500) may be built on if the lot has public water
  • Conservation subdivision lots may be 7,500 sq ft
  • Health department may require larger lots where septic is used
  • R-2 and R-3 have different minimums (7,500 sq ft with sewer) not claimed here

  minimum lot area without sewer: >= 15000 sq ft (10,000 sq ft with sanitary sewer)

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Dunlap city

  • Front yard 25 ft on major thoroughfares/collectors, 20 ft on local streets and cul-de-sacs, 15 ft in conservation subdivisions
  • Rear yard 15 ft for principal structure in conservation subdivision; accessory structures 15 ft
  • Side yard 20 ft abutting local street/alley/cul-de-sac, 25 ft abutting major thoroughfare or collector, 15 ft in conservation subdivision

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

  “the minimum depth of the rear yard, which is measured from the rear property line, shall be twenty (20) feet for the principal structure or fifteen (15) feet for the principal structure that is in an approved conservation subdivision. permitted accessory structures shall be setback at least fifteen (15) feet from the rear property line.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land subdivision inside Dunlap city

  • Adopted by the municipal planning commission under Tenn. Code Ann. 13-4-301 to 13-4-309

  “in pursuance of the authority set forth in section 13-4-301 through 13-4-309, of the tennessee code annotated”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits inside Dunlap city

  • Permit becomes invalid if work not commenced within six months (section 16.02)
  • Building inspector may request any information needed

  decision time: <= 5 working days

  “the building inspector shall issue or deny a building permit within five (5) working days from the filing of an application for a permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Dunlap city
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Dunlap city
• Inspections — Inspections inside Dunlap city
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy inside Dunlap city
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling size inside Dunlap 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.