Building Setbacks & Zoning in Knox County, TN (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Knox County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
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.
Building Setback Requirements in Knox County TN
Some RestrictionsKnox County Zoning Ordinance Secs. 5.11.05, 5.11.06, 5.11.07
For dwellings the minimum depth of the front yard shall be thirty-five (35) feet... For single-story dwellings, located on interior lots, side yards shall be not less than eight (8) feet in width... For main buildings, other than garage apartments, there shall be a rear yard of not less than twenty-five (25) feet.
Structure Height Limits
In the RA Low Density Residential Zone, no main building may exceed 3 stories or 35 feet, and accessory buildings are capped at 18 feet. Farm buildings, chimneys, spires, flagpoles, and similar projections are exempt from the height limits.
Building Height Limits in Knox County TN
Some RestrictionsKnox County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 5.11.11
No main building shall exceed three (3) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height. Accessory buildings shall not exceed eighteen (18) feet in height; provided, however, the eighteen (18) feet height limitation may be exceeded to conform the pitch of the accessory building roof to the pitch of the roof of the principal use.
Lot Coverage Limits
Knox County's RA Low Density Residential Zone caps lot coverage at 30 percent: main and accessory buildings combined cannot cover more than three-tenths of any lot. The rule applies within RA zoning under Zoning Ordinance Sec. 5.11.10, alongside the zone's separate front, side and rear yard setbacks, and is enforced by the Department of Code Administration and Enforcement.
Maximum Lot Coverage Rules in Knox County TN
Some RestrictionsKnox County Zoning Ordinance Sec. 5.11.10
5.11.10. Maximum lot coverage. Main and accessory buildings shall cover not more than thirty (30) percent of the lot area.
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Knox County
1 cities in Knox County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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