Unincorporated Washington County, Tennessee requires a county building permit for construction, excavation, moving or alteration of buildings, with an agricultural-use exception12. The county enforces the 2018 International Residential Code and requires inspections and a certificate of occupancy before a covered structure is occupied345. TDEC issues septic permits, while the county may request proof of septic or sewer approval with the building application67.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Required for covered work in unincorporated areas; agricultural-use exception applies12
- Zoning
- County zoning regulates rural, unincorporated areas8
- Septic permits
- Required and issued by TDEC through the Johnson City field office910
- Owner-builder exemption
- Yes: one permit every two years, home not for sale, lease or rent11
- Inspections and occupancy
- County inspections and a certificate of occupancy are required45
- RV or tiny-home living
- Not confirmed; ask the Zoning Office for the parcel's district rules12
- Driveway access
- Permit required for subdivision connections to public roads13
Who to call
Building permits
Washington County Zoning, Planning & Building Codes (Zoning Office)
Building permits, the 2018 IRC building code, zoning for rural unincorporated areas, floodplain management, GIS and stormwater management
100 E Main Street, Suite 103, Jonesborough, TN 37659
Septic permits
TDEC Johnson City Environmental Field Office
Septic (subsurface sewage disposal) permits for Washington County and seven other northeast Tennessee counties
2305 Silverdale Drive, Johnson City, TN 37601-2162
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Washington County, Tennessee?
Unincorporated Washington County requires a building permit before construction, excavation, moving or alteration of a building or accessory building covered by the zoning resolution1. Washington County has adopted and enforces the 2018 International Residential Code3. County inspections cover the footer, applicable slab, framing, rough-in plumbing and mechanical work, insulation, plumbing, mechanical work and the final inspection4. A certificate of occupancy is required before a covered structure may be occupied, after applicable inspections are complete5. Buildings or structures on land devoted to agricultural use are exempt from the county zoning-resolution building permit and regulation provisions, but other requirements can still apply2. Separately, Tennessee allows a property owner to build one residence for personal use every two years without a contractor's license if the home is not for sale, lease or rent11.
Who is the Washington County building department, and how do you reach them?
The Washington County Zoning, Planning & Building Codes office—commonly called the Zoning Office—handles residential building-code work, zoning, floodplain management, GIS and stormwater management12. Reach the office at 100 E Main Street, Suite 103, Jonesborough, TN 37659, phone 423-753-175312. Send building-permit applications and documents to [email protected]12. The county publishes fees for zoning, building, subdivision, grading, stormwater and related permits; building-permit charges vary by project valuation, and starting permit-required work early can trigger a doubled fee unless a listed exception applies14. Ask the office for the current total for the specific project rather than using Tennessee's separate state-program fee table.
Does Washington County have zoning, and what does it mean for your land?
Washington County regulates zoning in its rural, unincorporated areas; incorporated municipalities may administer their own zoning8. The county has published zoning districts and a zoning map, so a parcel's district controls the applicable uses and dimensional standards15. Building-height rules vary by district, and the residential chart adds setback for buildings above two stories16. Washington County exempts buildings and structures on agricultural land from its zoning-resolution permit and regulation provisions, but that exception does not erase other state or local requirements2. Tennessee's related agricultural protection applies only when a structure is incidental to the agricultural enterprise and excludes specified locations near major public facilities and within the one-hundred-year floodplain17. Ask the Zoning Office to identify the parcel's district and confirm setbacks, allowed uses and any lot standard; a general minimum dwelling size and lot-coverage limit could not be confirmed.
How do septic permits work in Washington County?
TDEC's Division of Water Resources administers septic permitting and inspections for Washington County6. Contact the TDEC Johnson City Environmental Field Office at 2305 Silverdale Drive, Johnson City, TN 37601-2162 or 423-854-540010. A permit is required to install, repair or modify a septic system, and TDEC advises obtaining it before dirt work or construction of the building pad9. The county may request written proof of septic approval or permission to connect to public sewer with the building-permit application7. About 31% of Washington County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field, so evaluate the actual homesite early18. A division creating two or more septic-served lots requires subdivision evaluation unless every resulting tract is at least five acres9. A qualifying sewer utility may instead require a building on an abutting parcel to connect to an available sanitary sewer19.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Washington County?
We could not confirm a general rule allowing long-term RV living or treating tiny homes as a separate occupancy category on private land in unincorporated Washington County. Washington County regulates temporary event campgrounds and limits camping accommodations by zoning district and facility type, but those provisions do not answer whether a person may occupy an RV on an individual lot20. A tiny home intended as a dwelling would still need an allowed use, compliant site plan, applicable building permit and septic or sewer approval under the county's ordinary rules17. Before buying or placing an RV, manufactured home or tiny home, ask the Zoning Office to confirm the parcel's district, allowed occupancy, setbacks and permit path12.
Building a home in Washington County: the steps, in order
- Ask the Washington County Zoning, Planning & Building Codes office to identify the parcel's zoning district and confirm the proposed use812.
- Obtain TDEC septic approval or public-sewer approval before site work; the county may request written proof with the building application97.
- Prepare the dimensioned sketch or scale plan showing each building's shape, size, height and location21.
- Secure the applicable driveway entrance permit: the Washington County Highway Department handles county-road connections, while TDOT handles state-road connections13.
- Submit the county building-permit application and fee before starting covered work114.
- Schedule the required county inspections as construction advances4.
- Complete the final inspection and obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving into the structure5.
What to check before you buy land in Washington County
Confirm the zoning district and mapped standards before relying on a listing's description of permitted use15. Check septic suitability early because only about 31% of Washington County soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional drain field18. Confirm whether the road is county- or state-maintained because subdivision driveway connections require the corresponding highway authority's entrance permit13. Ask the Zoning Office about the flood map: development in a regulatory floodway requires engineering analysis showing no increase in base-flood conditions, and other special-flood-hazard rules may apply2212. If land will be divided, Washington County regulates final plats and may require road, drainage, utility, stormwater and erosion-control inspections23. The effective property-tax rate is about 0.6%, and the median annual bill is about $1,2782425.
Watch-outs
- Do not begin covered work before receiving the county permit: Washington County may add a 100% penalty to the permit fee unless a listed exception applies14.
- Washington County's septic permits come from TDEC's Johnson City Environmental Field Office, while the county may still request septic or sewer approval with the building application6710.
- Long-term RV living, tiny-home occupancy and a general minimum dwelling size could not be confirmed; ask the Zoning Office for a parcel-specific answer before placing or buying a unit12.
Sources
- Zoning Resolution of Washington County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Washington County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Codes Compliance, quoted and re-checked
- Codes Compliance, quoted and re-checked
- Codes Compliance, quoted and re-checked
- Online Application for Septic Related Services, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Washington County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning, Planning & Building Codes, quoted and re-checked
- Online Application for Septic Related Services, quoted and re-checked
- TDEC Johnson City Environmental Field Office (tn.gov)
- Can I build my own home without a license? (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Washington County Zoning, Planning & Building Codes (Zoning Office) (washingtoncountytn.org)
- Washington County Subdivision Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Office Fee Schedule, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Washington County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Washington County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Exemption from County Zoning Regulation for Buildings on Land Used for Agriculture, Opinion No. 22-07 (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Utility Customers Frequently Asked Questions (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Washington County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Washington County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Zoning Resolution of Washington County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
- Washington County Subdivision Regulations, quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
Written September 29, 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.