Clarksville, TN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- E-1 through R-3 maximum
- 35 feet
- R-6 maximum
- 45 feet
- R-4 and R-5
- No height maximum listed
- Accessory buildings
- Principal height or 25 feet
- Airport Overlay
- No height exceptions apply
Summary
Tables 4.2 and 4.3 cap all uses at 35 feet in E-1 through R-3. R-6 allows 45 feet. Detached accessory buildings may reach the height of the principal structure or 25 feet, whichever is greater.
Churches, schools, hospitals, sanitariums, and other public buildings may exceed the height limitations of the district if the minimum depth of the front, side, and rear yards required in the district is increased one (1) foot for each two (2) feet by which the height of such public or semipublic structure exceeds the prescribed height limit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 110 Update 2 | Zoning Ordinance: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
The 35-foot maximum applies to all uses in E-1, R-1, R-1A, R-2, R-2A, R-2D and R-3. R-6 is set at 45 feet, and Table 4.3 lists no height maximum for R-4 or R-5. Note 2 in both tables gives accessory buildings a generous allowance: no higher than the principal structure or 25 feet, whichever is greater. Section 4.1.2 counts a basement or attic as a story and exempts chimneys, smokestacks, spires, flagpoles, ventilators, skylights, water tanks and standpipes from the district limits. None of those exemptions apply in the Airport Overlay District.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the district height limit is unlawful under Section 11.9, enforced by citation to Clarksville Municipal Court with a civil fine up to $50 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a finished basement count as a story?
Can a church build taller than 35 feet?
Is a 24-foot detached shop legal beside a single-story house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarksville
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