Tiny home rules in Knoxville, TN β covering tiny houses on wheels (THOWs), park model RVs, and tiny home on foundation builds β determine where they are legal and how they get permitted.
Knoxville has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A site-built tiny home is regulated as a single-family dwelling or as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) under Article 10.3.B. Detached ADUs require a 5,000 sq ft lot, are capped at 600-1,200 sq ft, and limited to two bedrooms.
Knoxville's Zoning Code does not use 'tiny home.' A tiny house on a permanent foundation must meet single-family district standards and the adopted IRC. A small second dwelling is an ADU under Article 10.3.B: minimum lot 5,000 sq ft (10.3.B.4); one per lot (10.3.B.5); detached ADU 5 feet from an interior side line and 10 feet from a rear line, not in a front or corner side yard (10.3.B.7). Max GFA by lot size (10.3.B.8): 600 sq ft (5,000-6,999), 800 (7,000-9,999), 1,000 (10,000-19,999), 1,200 (20,000+). Section 10.3.B.9 caps the ADU at 40% of the primary dwelling and two bedrooms. One unit must be owner-occupied (10.3.B.2); one off-street space required (10.3.B.11). A tiny house on wheels is an RV.
A tiny house on wheels used as a permanent dwelling, an ADU on a lot under 5,000 sq ft, exceeding 10.3.B.8/10.3.B.9 size or bedroom caps, or violating owner-occupancy violates Article 10.3.B and can trigger stop-work orders.
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville has no general City Code ordinance restricting lawn ornaments, garden statues, religious displays, or yard decorations on private residential prope...
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville has no City Code ordinance specifically regulating inflatable holiday displays on private residential property. Inflatables must stay within the pr...
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville has no dedicated City Code ordinance regulating the timing, brightness, or quantity of residential holiday light displays. General electrical safet...
Knoxville, TN
Permanent outdoor kitchens in Knoxville require Plans Review & Inspections permits when they include gas lines, plumbing, electrical work, or structures. Nat...
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville treats wood smokers, pellet grills, and other solid-fuel cooking equipment under the 2024 International Fire Code as adopted in City Code Chapter 1...
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville has adopted the 2024 International Fire Code under City Code Chapter 11, Article II (Sections 11-21 to 11-22), effective January 2025. IFC Section ...
See how Knoxville's tiny homes rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.