Rutherford County, TN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- AR front/rear/side setback
- 50 ft / 20 ft / 10 ft
- RL front/rear/side setback
- 40 ft / 20 ft / 10 ft
- RM front/rear/side setback
- 40 ft / 20 ft / 10 ft
- RMF front/rear/side setback
- 30 ft / 15-25 ft / 10-25 ft
- MHP front/rear/side setback
- 75 ft / 50 ft / 50 ft
- Agricultural buildings
- Exempt from all bulk regulations
- Relief mechanism
- BZA variance, Section 1407
Summary
Unincorporated Rutherford County's Table 1 sets residential setbacks by district: AR requires a 50-foot front, 20-foot rear and 10-foot side yard, tightening to a 30-foot front and 10-foot side in the RMF district, with farm buildings exempt entirely under Section 404.
Table 1. Residential Districts – Bulk Regulations ... AR – Agricultural Residential 217,800 sq. ft. (5 acres) Residential - 200 ft. Other Uses - 300 ft. Front - 50 ft. Rear - 20 ft. Side - 10 ft. ... RL - Low Density Residential 43,560 sq. ft. (1 acre) Residential - 100 ft. Other Uses - 150 ft. Front – 40 ft. Rear - 20 ft. Side -10 ft. ... RM - Medium Density Residential 15,000 sq. ft. Other Uses – 1 acre Residential - 75 ft. Other Uses - 150 ft. Front – 40 ft. Rear - 20 ft. Side -10 ft. ... RMF Residential Multi-Family 6,000 sq. ft. SF Residential - 50 ft. Front - 30 ft. Multi-Family - 100 ft. Rear -15 ft. (25 ft. for multi-family) Side – 10 ft. (25 ft. for multi-family). ... MHP Mobile Home Park 3 acres (7 DUs per acre) 250 ft. Front - 75 ft. Rear - 50 ft. Side - 50 ft. ... All barns, sheds, silos, or other buildings used exclusively for agricultural purposes shall be exempt from these regulations.
Full Breakdown
Table 1, Residential Districts - Bulk Regulations, in Section 404 sets separate minimums for each district. The AR - Agricultural Residential district requires a 217,800-square-foot (5-acre) minimum lot, a 200-foot residential lot width, and setbacks of 50 feet front, 20 feet rear, and 10 feet side, with a 35-foot maximum building height and 20% maximum lot coverage for residential uses. RL - Low Density Residential drops the lot minimum to 43,560 square feet (1 acre) with a 40-foot front, 20-foot rear, and 10-foot side setback, same 35-foot height cap.
RM - Medium Density Residential needs only 15,000 square feet with the same 40/20/10 setback pattern. RMF - Residential Multi-Family tightens further to a 30-foot front, 15-foot rear (25 feet for multi-family buildings), and 10-foot side (25 feet for multi-family), with a taller 45-foot height allowance. MHP - Mobile Home Park requires 75-foot front, 50-foot rear, and 50-foot side setbacks but caps height at 15 feet. A and B, which include reduced lot sizes for Cluster Box Unit mail kiosk facilities under Section 1101 T.
A structure built before these standards took effect that no longer meets them is not automatically illegal; it becomes nonconforming under Chapter 13 and may continue but is limited in how it can be enlarged or rebuilt. A landowner who cannot meet a setback because of a lot's exceptional narrowness, shape, or topography can apply to the Board of Zoning Appeals for a variance under Section 1407 and TCA Section 13-7-109.
Violations & Fines
Building or expanding within the required setback without a variance is a zoning violation enforced by the Director of Building Codes under Section 1410. Complaints are investigated and each day the encroaching structure remains is treated as a separate offense; the owner, and any builder, contractor, or agent who participated in the construction, can each be charged. The county may also withhold utility hookups from a noncompliant structure, and an adjacent property owner who is especially damaged by the encroachment can independently seek an injunction to force removal or correction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the front setback for a house on AR-zoned land in Rutherford County?
Are setbacks smaller in the RMF Residential Multi-Family district?
Do barns and farm sheds have to meet these setbacks?
What can I do if my lot is too narrow to meet the setback?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rutherford County
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