Sumner County, TN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- AR front setback
- 75 ft (plus arterial buffer)
- AR side/rear setback
- 20 ft side, 30 ft rear
- SR front setback
- 40 ft
- SR side setback
- 10 ft, smallest of the 5 districts
- Arterial street buffer
- +25 ft added to front yard
- Farm buildings
- Exempt from Table 1 setbacks
Summary
Sumner County's Zoning Resolution sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks by residential district in Table 1: the Agricultural Reserve (AR) district requires a 75-foot front, 30-foot rear and 20-foot side setback, while the denser Suburban Residential (SR) district drops to 40 feet front, 20 feet rear and 10 feet side, with an added buffer on arterial and collector streets.
AR – 653,400 sq. ft. Residential - 200 ft. Front - 75 ft.* 35 ft. Residential - 20% Agricultural (15 acres) Other Uses - 300 ft. Rear - 30 ft. Other Uses - 50% Reserve Side - 20 ft. ... SR - Suburban 20,000 sq. ft.; Other Uses Residential - 75 ft. Front – 40 ft.* 35 ft. Residential - 25% Residential – 40,000 sq. ft. Other Uses - 150 ft. Rear - 20 ft. Other Uses - 50% Side -10 ft. *Lots fronting Arterial and Collector Streets as depicted in the Sumner County Major Thoroughfare Plan shall increase depicted front yard setbacks by 25 feet and 10 feet respectively.
Full Breakdown
Table 1 in Section 404, 'Residential Districts – Bulk Regulations,' sets a separate minimum building setback for each of the county's five residential districts. In the Agricultural Reserve (AR) district, on 15-acre-minimum lots, the table requires a 75-foot front setback, a 30-foot rear setback and a 20-foot side setback. Rural Preservation (RP) steps down to 50 feet front, 30 feet rear and 20 feet side; Rural Residential (RR) to 40 feet front, 30 feet rear and 20 feet side; and Suburban Residential (SR), the county's smallest-lot residential district at 20,000 square feet, to 40 feet front, 20 feet rear and just 10 feet side.
The Mobile/Manufactured Home Community (MHC) district carries the largest side and rear setbacks of the group, 50 feet each, with a 75-foot front setback. A footnote to the table adds an extra buffer for busier roads: lots fronting arterial and collector streets shown on the Sumner County Major Thoroughfare Plan must increase their front yard setback by 25 feet, and lots on collector streets by 10 feet, beyond the district minimum. Structures that don't meet these setbacks are treated as nonconforming under Chapter 13 rather than automatically illegal, but an existing building that doesn't comply can't be enlarged or extended into the required yard.
Section 405 exempts barns, sheds, silos and other buildings used exclusively for agricultural purposes from the Table 1 bulk regulations entirely, so a working farm structure doesn't have to meet these setback minimums.
Violations & Fines
Building or expanding a structure inside the required front, side or rear setback without an approved variance from the Board of Zoning Appeals is a Section 1413.D misdemeanor, fined up to $50 for each day the encroachment stands, since every day of a continuing violation counts as a separate offense. The Director of Building & Codes enforces the setback table and may require removal or relocation of the encroaching structure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the front setback in the AR district?
Which residential district has the smallest setbacks?
Can I build inside the required setback with a variance?
Do farm buildings have to meet the residential setbacks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sumner County
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