# TN building codes/ lax states?



## HoldenCaufield (Jul 27, 2014)

Looking to start a homestead and a tiny house projet of about 200 sq ft. home and 4-5 acres of land
I really like the idea of Tennessee but was hoping to get some information on the different townships and which had the most relaxed building codes, or if any at all. The last thread I found abou this was a few years ago, so I doubt the information is up to date. 
Does anyone have information about Tennessee specifically? 
Know of any states with lieniency? 
Where can I learn about livestock regulations that may vary by township? 
Thanks!


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## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

Missouri. The area I am in has no building inspector at all very few limitations on what you can do 

Tennessee has some strange firearms laws and sales taxes are pretty high


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

We passed on TN for that and other reasons. I'm not sure why beginners always think of TN first. Good advertising, I guess. (I'm not knocking TN in beauty or people, just saying that the govt. and laws didn't fit for us as well as AL.)


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## MJsLady (Aug 16, 2006)

Here in TX if you are in city there are limits.
However in the county you can do pretty much as you please.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Pretty much all of the central plains states are a good choice: Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and both Dakotas...


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## TennBound (Feb 1, 2013)

We are in the process of moving to TN and my research shows that codes/building requirements are county specific. Knox County - home of Knoxville - seems to have "typical" building codes/inspections. We are going to Grainger County - quite rural - and the only codes/inspections are for electric for new installations - one rough-in and one final, I'm told. Wells and septic are state requirements and seem to be similar to other places - permits/inspections required. But you can build anything/anyway you want - works two ways - driving around, you can see lots of shacks ready to fall down. 

Looking for a place, we found Google Earth to be our friend - you can tour the neighborhood from anywhere and quickly discard some roads/areas.

Don't know about livestock, but it sure looks like anything goes - at least in the rural counties. 

Hopefully we are just a few weeks away from moving and are quite happy with our decision. Good luck in your search.


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## tnvarmint (Aug 5, 2014)

> Tennessee has some strange firearms laws and sales taxes are pretty high


I live in TN and have for most of my life. Not sure exactly what "strange gun laws" you are referring to. Having lived in other states while in the military, our gun laws here are pretty good. There are no restrictions on purchasing long guns or handguns. Private sales are not regulated. Our handgun carry class is fairly inexpensive and very easy to get. Our laws certainly could be better but they could also be much worse.

Yes we have fairly high sales taxes but then we have no state income taxes. When you consider all taxes, TN usually falls around the middle of the nation. I might also point out that MO does as well. According to http://www.missourieconomy.org/, MO ranks number 16 in the nation for cost of living while TN is the second lowest cost of living in the nation. Just as with most any other state, if you get close to the larger cities, everything changes. 

All that having been said, I am actually looking to make a move within the next 3 - 5 years and MO is on my list. I am also looking at possibly staying in TN. I currently live in the northeastern part of the state and I have seen lots of changes in this area since the late 80s. Thanks in no small part to NASCAR and the Bristol Motor Speedway, among other things, we have seen a growth in the region that has brought folks from out of state. This has caused property values to go up considerably. I am looking towards middle TN now due to this and also to get out of the mountains a bit. When you find land at a reasonable price here in the mountains it is normally on the side of a mountain and can be a pain to build on and farm. Not impossible as it has been done for hundreds of years. I guess I am just getting tired of climbing up the sides of mountains and want to migrate to flatter land.

As for building codes and the like, that will change from county to county, but as a general rule, the rural counties have little to no code enforcement. I can build just about any structure I want around here and all I need to do is have the electrical signed off at the end. 

Government here in TN will again vary depending on where you are at. In my area and most of rural TN, it will be predominately conservative/republican. Back during the 2012 election cycle, I remember reading some local stuff about several of our nearby counties having not voted democrat in nearly 75 to 100 years. That changes when you get out around Nashville and Memphis. As is the case with many rural southern states, we do have a "good ole boy" style government and if you aren't one of those boys it can bite you from time to time, although I have never experienced this myself. 

Another thing that may or may not be something to consider, I remember reading a report from 6 or 8 years back that Greene Co. here in northeastern TN had one of the highest sized communities of illegal immigrants/Latino Americans. I am sure it has not changed significantly since then. I don't know what other areas of the state are like in this regard. 

Honestly I don't think you could go wrong with either TN or MO. The Ozarks and the Appalachians are very similar in heritage and people and also in geography. Your best bet is to fully research each state and decide for yourself. Consider what are important factors for yourself and rate each state by those choices. Also look at potential land values. Although it is several years out, I am constantly doing real estate searches to see what land and houses are going for in the areas I am looking at. 

I might also suggest checking out the book Strategic Relocation by Joel Skousen. He has done much of the research for you and ranks each state one various criteria.


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## ddgresham1 (Aug 5, 2014)

If I don't plan on having running water can I skip the septic and well permits in .TN? I'm in a very remote area next to the national park. I'm talking state requirements here.


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## rkintn (Dec 12, 2002)

In my county in NW TN, there are no building codes or restrictions if in the county and not in a town/city and a permit is only required when adding a structure valued at over $5000.


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## Tyler520 (Aug 12, 2011)

all locations are "supposed" to abide by the IBC, RBC, etc. Depending on where your property is, there will also be county and city codes to abide by. That being said, an inspector's willingness to enforce, and interpretation of code will vary greatly from place to place.

typically, you can expect that the further away you are from urban centers, the less stringent the codes, as there are fewer overlapping jurisdictions to deal with (e.g., only having to submit plans to the county, instead of the county and city).

Also, places with unique geological and/or weather conditions will have very specific codes to deal with (deep ground freezing = no slab on grade, earthquakes = significant structural reinforcement, flooding = raised finish floor, tornadoes = below-grade shelter, etc.). I'd suggest seeking out a place with minimal to no potential for routine "acts of god" to contend with (tornado seasons, earthquakes, floods, etc).

Texas and Oklahoma are pretty easy-going, but tend to be very "by-the-book," meaning it is hard to haggle with them if you're trying to think outside the box and propose creative solutions to conditions (for example, we were forced to install a grease trap in a restaurant that had absolutely no use for a grease trap just because "the code said so," resulting in about 7,000 dollars of the client's money wasted.


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## rkintn (Dec 12, 2002)

http://www.weakleycountytn.gov/trustee_buildingpermit.html


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Tyler520 said:


> That being said, an inspector's willingness to enforce, and interpretation of code will vary greatly from place to place.


I think more important is the fact that in most genuinely rural areas, there will be NO INSPECTORS AVAILABLE to enforce or interpret a code, even if you want one.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

In many places there are state codes and may be local, but usually the big difference is code enforcement, is there building inspector in the area.

most likely there are codes but not enforced.


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## ddgresham1 (Aug 5, 2014)

.TN has state wide codes on foundation's and sewage, mandated by the state.


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## rkintn (Dec 12, 2002)

Maybe this link will be more helpful:
http://www.tn.gov/fire/homebuilding/


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## FarmerKat (Jul 3, 2014)

We moved to NE TN a year ago. One thing that has changed over the last few years since we have been looking is the adoption of state-wide building codes. However, there are MANY counties that have opted out of codes (there is a link to it on the website rkintn provided). However, even the codes that have been adopted do not have much on states like FL (it took me 3 months to obtain all documentation to be allowed to put one of those vinyl little sheds in my backyard in FL, we just built a barn without any permits here). 

The sales tax is higher than a lot of places but pretty much every other tax is LOW - car tags, property taxes, DL fees, no state income tax, etc. I like that basically you get taxed on what you consume and we can produce a lot on our homestead and buy less.

Land cost is definitely more reasonable in middle TN than here in the NE.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

In Texas, you can do as you dang well please, as long as there's no bank involved... if you stay off the grid, the tax man won't know you exist, and you can avoid the water districts (which will force you to have someone else install a septic system or a jet, if you have less than ten acres). Build under trees, and hide from the google in the eye, and the tax man.


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## worldembrace (Sep 16, 2013)

Generally its really risky to rely on lack of or lax enforcement. You might never have problem or down the road your children could end of with more problems than you ever imagined. Whoever is there in that county position today may be replaced tomorrow!

Here in Missouri all &#8206;third class counties (meaning those below a high &#8206;economic level i.e.-most of the state) are prohibited by law &#8206;&#8206;(MSR 64.620) from enacting any building codes outside the cities boundaries and town limits- &#8206;for all farms and agricultural related properties (unless there are in a designated flood hazard area).
&#8206;
http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C000-099/0640000620.HTM

No fees & no inspectors, just make sure the work is done well and your family should be fine.


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## SimplerTimez (Jan 20, 2008)

I've lived in both the NE and NW part of the state sharing a county with RK at one time. There were no restrictions on animals that I personally am aware of in either area. Code enforcement was a bit more tight in the NE (closer to Knoxville), but kind of hit or miss in what I saw. In the NW, people lived without running water or sewer requirements in the area I inhabited (composting toilets and hauling water) with no problems that I am aware of.

You do want to look into some kind of tornado shelter, as though it is the outskirts of the 'Alley' I was hit twice  I'll have something in the way of a shelter when I return in the next few years. The further from large cities the less enforcement is what I experienced - but I did not build anything while there. While sales tax is high, all the other taxes were very, very low. And no one around me found the gun laws the least bit problematic, and one was an ex law-enforcement officer. Do pay your local volunteer fire department as they can be quite stringent on providing support if you do not. When I left in 2011 it was a whopping 50.00 a year and well worth it IMHO. 

It is a beautiful place with wonderful people and just enough of the four seasons to spoil you. Not a lot of jobs though, so bring your own income unless you are close to a populated area. 

~ST


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## snettrecker (Jan 27, 2006)

Fentress County is a pretty good place, no building codes. They talked about adopting them last year, but it was shot down by the county commission. Gun Laws as said earlier are not very strict. You do have to get septic and electric inspected, but other than that you are good to go. I know there are some people that someone called the health department on the next county over because they didn't have septic. They were using a composting toilet. They didn't get in any trouble over it. They are still going strong. There are a bunch of like minded people around here. Just my .02


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## ddgresham1 (Aug 5, 2014)

rkintn said:


> Maybe this link will be more helpful:
> http://www.tn.gov/fire/homebuilding/


Thanks...that helps a lot. I just wish that Blount Co. had opted out. Looks like I'll have to build a slab. At least I won't need a permit. I think.


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