Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Memphis, Tennessee

At a glance

Building permits

Joint Construction Enforcement reviews plans, issues construction permits and inspects new Memphis buildings¹

Zoning

Unified Development Code applies inside Memphis²

Septic permits

Shelby County Health Department; required for construction, alteration, extension or repair³

Private wells

Apply to Shelby County Health Department for installation, modification, repair or abandonment⁶

Subdivision

Unified Development Code governs subdivision of Memphis property⁷

Driveway questions

City Engineering lists a residential driveway-permit contact⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Does Memphis have zoning, and what does it mean for your lot?

Memphis has zoning: the Unified Development Code serves as the city’s zoning code and subdivision regulations.² The Memphis and Shelby County Zoning Atlas provides zoning-district information, including overlay and special-purpose districts.⁹ Start by asking Land Use and Development Services to identify the parcel’s district and the standards for your proposed use.¹⁰

We could not confirm Memphis-specific minimum lot sizes, dwelling sizes, setbacks or height limits here; ask Land Use and Development Services for the applicable district requirements before choosing a house design.² For property outside Memphis city limits, use the Shelby County guide for the unincorporated-area answer; the UDC also covers unincorporated Shelby County.¹¹

Do you need a building permit in Memphis, and who issues it?

Memphis & Shelby County Construction Enforcement reviews plans, issues construction permits and inspects new buildings and building components in Memphis.⁴ A new Memphis home therefore belongs in the local construction-review process; we could not confirm the complete residential building-permit exemptions, so ask Construction Enforcement about the exact work you propose.¹

Reach the Construction Enforcement Office at (901) 222-8300, at 6465 Mullins Station Rd Memphis, TN 38134.¹² Zoning questions go to the joint Division of Planning and Development’s Downtown Office at (901) 636-7384, at 125 N Main St #477 Memphis, TN 38103.¹³ Building review and zoning administration are separate functions within the joint program.⁴¹⁰

How do septic permits work inside Memphis?

A Memphis property using septic falls under the Shelby County Health Department’s Water Quality Branch & Septic Tank Program, rather than a city septic office.¹⁴ Constructing, altering, extending or repairing a septic system anywhere in Shelby County requires a permit from that office.³ Call 901-222-9572 to discuss a Memphis site.¹⁵

Shelby County’s septic application lists a $175 processing fee, or $300 for LPP, mound and alternative systems; fees are payable in advance and non-refundable.¹⁶ Shelby County is a Tennessee contract county, so submit septic permit packages directly to the county rather than treating the state application as the local application.¹⁷ Confirm sewer availability with City Engineering before budgeting for septic on a Memphis lot.⁸

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Memphis?

We could not confirm whether Memphis allows residential RV occupancy, temporary camping during construction, or tiny-home occupancy on a private lot; ask Land Use and Development Services about the proposed use at the specific address.² Memphis zoning and construction review both need attention when planning a small dwelling.²¹

Describe whether your proposal is a vehicle, a separate dwelling, an accessory dwelling or a manufactured home, and ask the zoning office for the applicable UDC provisions.² Ask Construction Enforcement which construction permits and inspections the proposed structure needs.⁴ A septic installation or alteration still requires separate county health approval, even when the project is inside Memphis.³

Building a home in Memphis: what are the steps, in order?

1. Identify the Memphis parcel’s zoning district through the Zoning Atlas, then ask Land Use and Development Services to review the proposed use and any subdivision request.⁹¹⁸
2. Resolve sewage disposal: ask City Engineering about sanitary sewer availability, or contact Shelby County Health Department for septic construction approval.⁸³
3. Take the building proposal to Memphis & Shelby County Construction Enforcement for plan review, construction permits and the required new-building inspections.¹
4. Ask City Engineering about residential driveway permits; access on Tennessee state highway right-of-way requires a separate TDOT highway entrance permit.⁸¹⁹
5. If the Memphis property is in or near a mapped floodplain, contact the city floodplain administrator before development; local review may be required.²⁰

What stays with Shelby County, and what should you check before buying in Memphis?

Shelby County Health Department retains the septic role inside Memphis, and private wells also require an application to its Water Quality Branch and Septic Tank Program for installation, modification, repair or abandonment.⁵⁶ Call 901-222-9572 about a proposed well.²¹

Shelby County’s soil survey rates only 14.7% of soils not limited for a conventional septic drain field; that countywide figure does not determine whether an individual Memphis lot can support septic, so plan for a site evaluation rather than assuming septic is impossible.²² Sewer connection can also be required under Tennessee law when a qualifying utility’s conditions are met, including a building on property abutting a public way containing a sanitary sewer; confirm the address-specific answer before designing an off-grid sanitation system.²³

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Memphis residential RV or tiny-home occupancy rules; ask Land Use and Development Services before buying for either use.²
• The Memphis business Certificate of Occupancy rule expressly covers businesses; do not use that rule as the residential occupancy answer.²⁴
• Memphis floodplain questions belong with the city floodplain administrator; Tennessee guidance directs properties inside city limits to the city rather than the county administrator.²⁰

Sources

1. memphistn.gov (Memphis), quoted and re-checked
2. Zoning and Subdivision Administration (Memphis), quoted and re-checked
3. Septic Tank Permitting Process, quoted and re-checked
4. Memphis & Shelby County Construction Enforcement (coverage area) (develop901.com)
5. Septic Tank Permitting Process, quoted and re-checked
6. Water Well Permitting Process, quoted and re-checked
7. Land Use and Development Services (Memphis), quoted and re-checked
8. City of Memphis Division of Engineering (memphistn.gov)
9. Zoning and Subdivision Administration (Memphis), quoted and re-checked
10. Land Use and Development Services (Memphis & Shelby County Division of Planning and Development) (develop901.com)
11. Unified Development Code, quoted and re-checked
12. Memphis & Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, Construction Enforcement Office (develop901.com)
13. Memphis & Shelby County Division of Planning and Development, Downtown Office (develop901.com)
14. Environmental Related Contacts (Memphis), quoted and re-checked
15. Shelby County Health Department, Water Quality & Septic Tank Program (shelbytnhealth.com)
16. Shelby County Health Department SSDS Application, quoted and re-checked
17. Septic System Construction Permit (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Land Use and Development Services (Memphis), quoted and re-checked
19. Highway Entrance Permits (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Statewide Floodplain Administrator Directory (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Shelby County Health Department, Water Quality & Septic Tank Program (Water Well Permitting) (shelbytnhealth.com)
22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
23. comptroller.tn.gov (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. memphistn.gov (Memphis), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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.