Building Setbacks & Zoning in Sumner County, TN (2026)
3 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Sumner County, Tennessee.
Verified from official government sources
Setback Rules
Sumner County's Zoning Resolution sets minimum front, side and rear yard setbacks by residential district in Table 1: the Agricultural Reserve (AR) district requires a 75-foot front, 30-foot rear and 20-foot side setback, while the denser Suburban Residential (SR) district drops to 40 feet front, 20 feet rear and 10 feet side, with an added buffer on arterial and collector streets.
Sumner County Residential Setback Minimums
Some RestrictionsSumner County Zoning Resolution § 404, Table 1 (Residential Districts Bulk Regulations)
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. ... SR - Suburban 20,000 sq. ft.; Other Uses Residential - 75 ft. Front – 40 ft.* 35 ft. Residential - 25% Residen...
Structure Height Limits
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.
Sumner County Residential Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsSumner County Zoning Resolution § 404, Table 1 (Residential Districts Bulk Regulations, Maximum Height column)
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% ...
Lot Coverage Limits
Sumner County's residential zoning districts cap lot coverage at 20 to 25 percent for houses and accessory structures, rising to 50 percent for non-residential uses on the same land and 40 percent countywide in mobile home communities. The limit is set district-by-district in the Zoning Resolution's bulk regulations table and applies only outside city limits.
Sumner County Maximum Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsSumner County Zoning Resolution § 404, Table 1
404 Bulk, Yard, and Density Regulations ... Table 1. Residential Districts – Bulk Regulations ... AR – Agricultural Reserve 653,400 sq. ft. (15 acres) ... 35 ft. Residential - 20% ... Other Uses - 50% ... SR - Suburban Residential 20,000 sq. ft.; Other Uses – 40,000 sq. ft. ... 35 ft. Residential - 25% ... Other Uses - 50% ... MHC Mobile Home Community 5 acres (7 D.U's Per Acre Maximum) ... 15 ...
Building Setbacks & Zoning by City in Sumner County
1 cities in Sumner County have their own building setbacks & zoning rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Sumner County ordinances
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