Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Waynesboro, Tennessee

Waynesboro’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Zoning permit for erecting, moving, adding to or structurally altering any building inside Waynesboro city

  • Issued by the zoning administrator; other town permits require zoning administrator sign-off
  • Plot plan required (8-302)

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

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Waynesboro city, Wayne County, TN

  • Ordinance text refers to the 'town' of Waynesboro; the file is hosted on the city's own website
  • No effective date found in the text reviewed

  “this ordinance may be cited as the zoning ordinance of waynesboro, tennessee.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential District, low density, inside Waynesboro city

  • R-2, RC, commercial and agricultural-type districts not reviewed
  • Lots without public sewer must be at least 20,000 sq ft (7-209)

  minimum lot area: >= 15000 sq ft · lot width at building line for residences: >= 75 ft

  “3-204.1 lot area: minimum lot area for dwelling 3-204.2 3-204.3 15,000 sq.ft. lot width at building line; minimum lot frontage: for residences 75 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Residential District, low density, inside Waynesboro city

  • Side yard 20 ft for three-story buildings
  • Front setback depends on street class on the municipal thoroughfare plan: arterial 50, collector 40, minor 30 feet

  rear yard: >= 30 ft · side yard, one- or two-story: >= 10 ft · front yard, minor street: >= 30 ft (40 ft collector, 50 ft arterial)

  “3-204.301 rear yard - minimum 3-3 30 feet 3-204.302 side yard for one- or two-story buildings 10 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Residential District, low density, inside Waynesboro city

  • Accessory structures may not cover more than 30 percent of any required rear yard

  maximum building area: <= 45 percent of lot

  “the area occupied by all structures, including accessory structures, shall not exceed forty-five (45) percent of the total area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 Residential District, low density, inside Waynesboro city

  • Text reads 'not thirty-five (35) feet'; sentence continues with an accessory structure limit that was cut off

  principal structure height: <= 35 ft (also max three stories)

  “principal structures shall not exceed three (3) stories not thirty-five (35) feet in height.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Travel trailers, campers and motorized dwellings parked on residential-district lots inside Waynesboro city

  • No parking or storage in a front yard of a residential district except up to 24 hours
  • Sentence in the text output was cut off at 'store'; remainder not seen
  • Other districts and mobile home parks not reviewed

  “no major recreational equipment shall be parked or stored on any lot in a residential district in any front yard; provided however, that such equipment may park anywhere on residential premises for not to exceed twenty-four (24) hours.”

• Septic permitLimited

  Lots without public sewer inside Waynesboro city

  • Applies where public sewer is not available
  • Lots without sewer must be at least 20,000 sq ft and septic fields must sit within the dwelling's fee simple lot
  • County health department approval must be shown before the zoning permit issues

  minimum lot area without public sewer: >= 20000 sq ft

  “where public sewer is not available, no lot or housing site may be created which is less than twenty thousand (20,000) square feet in area”

Rules another office applies inside Waynesboro

Waynesboro does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• InspectionsRequired

  Residential construction inside Waynesboro city, inspected by state contracted inspectors

  • Inspections of foundation before pouring, framing/rough-in, and final
  • Extra slab inspection fee for non-monolithic slabs under living space

  “inspections are performed by state contracted inspectors.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Subsurface sewage disposal where public sewer is not available, inside Waynesboro city (Wayne County health department approval)

  • Town zoning ordinance requires the Wayne County health department's written approval before a zoning permit is issued
  • Health department's own rule not opened

  “a written statement from the wayne county health department approving the subsurface sewage disposal system must be presented to the zoning administrator before a zoning permit is issued.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  State residential building permits inside Waynesboro city

  • Slab inspection fee is extra for non-monolithic slabs under living space
  • City asks residents to confirm additional fees with City Hall
  • No local zoning permit fee found

  “the cost of the building permit is based on the estimated cost of construction.”

• Permit processPartial

  State building permit process inside Waynesboro city

  • Local zoning permit and plot plan process is in Art. VIII, ch. 3 of the zoning ordinance

  “a building permit must be purchased online or at a local issue agent.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Waynesboro city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Waynesboro city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in R-1 inside Waynesboro city
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Waynesboro city
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Waynesboro 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.