Sumner County, TN Building Setbacks & Zoning: Structure Height Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- AR/RP/RR/SR height cap
- 35 feet
- MHC height cap
- 15 feet
- Applies to
- New construction, enlargements, conversions
- Farm buildings
- Exempt from height cap
- Nonconforming structures
- Governed by Chapter 13
Summary
Table 1 of Sumner County's Zoning Resolution caps building height at 35 feet in the county's four standard residential districts, Agricultural Reserve, Rural Preservation, Rural Residential and Suburban Residential, and lowers that cap to 15 feet in the Mobile/Manufactured Home Community (MHC) district, set alongside the same table's lot area and setback standards.
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.
RP - Rural 100,000 sq. ft. Residential - 100 ft. Front – 50 ft.* 35 ft. Residential - 20%
Preservation Other Uses - 150 ft. Rear – 30 ft. Other Uses - 50%
Side - 20 ft.
RR - Rural 40,000 sq. ft. Residential - 100 ft. Front – 40 ft.* 35 ft. Residential - 20%
Residential Other Uses - 150 ft. Rear - 30 ft. Other Uses - 50%
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.
MHC Mobile 5 acres (7 D.U’s Per 250 ft. Front - 75 ft.* 15 ft. 40%
Home Acre Maximum) Rear - 50 ft.
Community Side - 50 ft.
Full Breakdown
Section 404's Table 1, 'Residential Districts – Bulk Regulations,' lists a Maximum Height column for each of the county's residential zones. Agricultural Reserve (AR), Rural Preservation (RP), Rural Residential (RR) and Suburban Residential (SR) all share the same 35-foot maximum building height, regardless of the very different minimum lot sizes those districts otherwise require, from AR's 15-acre minimum down to SR's 20,000-square-foot minimum. The Mobile/Manufactured Home Community (MHC) district is the outlier: its maximum height drops to 15 feet, reflecting the single-story mobile and manufactured housing the district is built around, even though MHC allows up to seven dwelling units per acre.
The height limit applies to buildings and other structures located on any zone lot, per the introductory text of Section 404, covering new construction, enlargements, extensions and conversions alike; an existing building that already exceeds its district's height cap is treated as nonconforming under Chapter 13 and cannot be structurally altered in a way that increases the nonconformity. As with the table's setback and lot-area columns, Section 405 exempts barns, sheds, silos and other buildings used exclusively for agricultural purposes from the height cap entirely, so a tall grain silo or hay barn in the AR district isn't measured against the 35-foot residential limit.
Violations & Fines
Constructing or altering a structure above its district's height cap, 35 feet in AR, RP, RR and SR, or 15 feet in MHC, without an approved variance is a Section 1413.D misdemeanor, fined up to $50 per offense, with each day the oversized structure stands counted as a separate offense. The Director of Building & Codes enforces the limit through the building permit and certificate-of-occupancy process under Section 1408.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a house be in most of Sumner County?
Why is the height limit lower in mobile home communities?
Does a barn have to meet the 35-foot height limit?
What happens if my existing house already exceeds the height limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sumner County
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