Franklin, TN Accessory Structures: ADU Rules (2026)
ADU rules in Franklin, TN, also called accessory dwelling unit regulations or granny flat ordinances, cover setbacks, owner-occupancy, parking, and permit requirements.
Key Facts
- Permit stage
- detached ADUs cleared to proceed
- Required
- parkland impact fee contract
- Payment trigger
- due once agreement is executed
- Fee amount
- $5,268 per dwelling unit (§25-405)
Summary
Detached accessory dwelling units in Franklin may proceed to building-permit stage, but the owner must sign a parkland impact fee contract and pay the fee once it's executed.
The developer shall enter into a contract with the city which contains terms and conditions relative to the parkland impact fees required to be paid by the developer and/or any offsets granted for parkland dedication and/or construction of park improvements as may be requested by the developer. Such contract shall be finalized concurrently with the approval of a development plan or site plan when a development plan is not required. When neither a development plan or site plan exist, the contract shall be approved by BOMA prior to the issuance of a building permit and shall contain financial assurances to the city. All detached accessory dwelling units shall be allowed to move forward to permit stage and will be required to pay parkland impact fees once agreement is executed. When vesting rights for the development plan project terminate, parkland impact fee agreements shall be governed by the current parkland impact fee ordinance. All parkland impact fee agreements shall match the current development plan pertaining to dwelling unit count.
(Ord. No. 2016-25, § I, 5-22-2018; Ord. No. 2025-04, § III, 5-27-2025)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Franklin Municipal Code § 25-406 lets all detached accessory dwelling units move forward to the building-permit stage, but the owner must enter a contract with the city covering parkland impact fees and pay that fee once the agreement is executed. Under the companion § 25-405, the citywide parkland impact fee is $5,268 per dwelling unit, and a detached ADU counts as its own dwelling unit for that fee. This is a Title 25 parks-funding requirement tied to the permit process, separate from the zoning ordinance's design standards for accessory dwellings.
Violations & Fines
Pulling a building permit for a detached ADU without executing the required parkland impact fee contract and payment violates Municipal Code § 25-406 and can delay or block permit issuance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a detached ADU in Franklin need its own parkland fee?
Can a detached ADU still get a building permit before the fee is paid?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin
How Franklin compares: Easiest Cities to Build an ADU·Compare Franklin to another location·View the Tennessee accessory structures overview
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