In the RA Low Density Residential Zone, Knox County requires a 35-foot front yard, side yards of 8 feet for single-story and 12 feet for taller dwellings, and a 25-foot rear yard. Detached accessory buildings may sit as close as 5 feet to side and rear lot lines.
Setbacks vary by zoning district. In the RA Low Density Residential Zone, the most common single-family district, Section 5.11.05 sets a minimum front yard of 35 feet for dwellings. Section 5.11.06 requires side yards of at least 8 feet for single-story dwellings on interior lots and 12 feet for dwellings of more than one story; detached accessory buildings need an 8-foot side yard, reduced to 5 feet when set more than 90 feet behind the front line. Section 5.11.07 requires a 25-foot rear yard for main buildings, and detached accessory buildings must sit at least 5 feet from any rear lot line. Other districts differ.
Building inside a required setback violates the Zoning Ordinance and carries a $10-$500 civil penalty assessed by Code Administration and Enforcement (Sec. 6.20.02), with each day a separate offense.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Knox County does not prohibit backyard composting for households. The zoning code only regulates commercial-scale composting facilities, which are solid-wast...
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Knox County has no ordinance regulating artificial turf on residential property. Synthetic lawns are neither required nor banned; large installations should ...
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Knox County has no rule requiring native plants in home yards, but its zoning ordinance requires native shade trees in new parking lots and along streets in ...
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Knox County has no ordinance prohibiting or specially regulating residential rain barrels or rainwater collection. Tennessee does not restrict rainwater harv...
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Knox County does not impose a general ordinance restricting lawn or garden watering days or hours. Any watering limits come from your individual water utilit...
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Knox County treats vines, grass, weeds and other vegetation that reaches 12 inches or more as a presumed public nuisance on residential property. Owners must...
See how Knox County's setback rules rules stack up against other locations.
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