In Chattanooga's RN-1-7.5 single-family zone, homes need a 25-foot front setback, 5-foot interior side setbacks, and a 25-foot rear setback. Setbacks vary by zone; unincorporated Hamilton County uses its own Zoning Regulations.
Chattanooga City Code Sec. 38-16 sets residential setbacks in Table 38-16.5. For the RN-1-7.5 zone the minimum front setback is 25 feet (or the average setback, whichever is less), the minimum interior side setback is 5 feet, and the minimum rear setback is 25 feet; corner side setbacks are 25 feet. Smaller-lot residential zones (RN-1-5, RN-1-3) use 15-foot front setbacks. Detached accessory structures must be at least 5 feet from side and rear lot lines and out of front yards (Sec. 38-50). In unincorporated Hamilton County, the Hamilton County Zoning Regulations (administered by the Regional Planning Agency) set setbacks by zone; the R1 zone requires a minimum 7,500-square-foot lot.
Building inside a required setback without a variance from the Board of Appeals can result in denied permits, stop-work orders, and an order to remove or relocate the encroaching structure.
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See how Hamilton County's setback rules rules stack up against other locations.
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