Hendersonville, TN Accessory Structures: Carport Rules (2026)

Carports — covered, open-sided structures used to shelter vehicles — are accessory structures under Hendersonville Zoning Ord. Ch. 10.4 (Residential Accessory Building Standards). A detached carport must be placed in the rear yard or beside the house (no closer to the street than the house) and meet standard accessory-building setbacks: 10 ft side in Suburban Residential-Low Density (SR-1); 8 ft side in Suburban Residential-Medium Density (SR-2); 20 ft rear in both districts; 20 ft from the side-street lot line. If the carport is under 400 sq ft AND located at least 10 ft from the house, the small-structure exception gives a 5 ft side/rear setback. Carports may not be placed on a utility easement (exception for no permanent foundation per Ch. 10.4.4.4.D). The size of a detached carport counts toward the lot's combined accessory-structure cap (800-2,500 sq ft sliding by lot size, or 50% of principal dwelling — whichever is less), and the lot may have a maximum of 2 accessory structures (carport + shed, for example). An attached carport is part of the principal dwelling and must meet the principal-building setbacks for its zoning district (front, side, rear). If walls are added to enclose the carport, it becomes a garage and requires a separate permit with full code compliance (including any required fire separation between the new garage and habitable space). Height: not to exceed the existing house or 35 ft, whichever is less. Building permits are required from the Hendersonville Codes Department for carports over 200 sq ft under the 2018 IRC (Tennessee-adopted). Materials match: a carport over 120 sq ft located in any yard other than the rear yard must be constructed of the same materials and architectural style as the existing house (Ch. 10.4.1.7).