Before You Build in Franklin, TN: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Per Section 13.1.6 of the Franklin Zoning Ordinance, residential fences must be built from a combination of treated wood posts, pickets, rot-resistant wood (such as cypress or redwood), or metal, with posts or columns of wood, brick, natural stone, cultured stone, or other masonry. Vinyl/PVC is not listed among the approved residential materials. Chain link is prohibited outside the LI and HI districts (with vinyl-coating requirements where allowed) and barbed wire or electrified wire is allowed only in the AG district for livestock.

Fences in the City of Franklin are reviewed by the Department of Planning and Sustainability for compliance with Chapter 13 of the Zoning Ordinance, and building permits for fences and walls are issued by Building and Neighborhood Services (615-794-7012) at 109 3rd Avenue South. Plan review checks height (Sec. 13.1.2), opacity (Sec. 13.1.4), location and sight-distance triangles, and ensures the fence does not encroach into easements. Retaining walls and fences taller than the standard residential limits require additional engineering review under the City's adopted building code.

Franklin fences are regulated by Chapter 13 (Fences, Walls, and Screening) of the City of Franklin Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Department of Planning and Sustainability. Per Section 13.1.2, the maximum fence height in a residential front yard is 3 feet (4.5 feet for board horse fencing) and the maximum in side and rear yards is 7 feet for residential uses and the OR district (8 feet for nonresidential and mixed-use districts). On a residential corner lot the side-street frontage is allowed up to 7 feet. Fences in front yards must be a maximum of 75 percent opaque.

Residential pool barriers in Franklin must comply with the City-adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) - the 2018 edition for plans submitted before January 1, 2026, and the 2024 edition (adopted by Ordinance 2025-37) for plans submitted on or after that date. Under ISPSC Section 305, the barrier must be at least 48 inches above grade on the side facing away from the pool, openings may not allow a 4-inch-diameter sphere to pass, gates must be self-closing, self-latching, and open outward away from the pool, and the latch must be at least 54 inches above the bottom of the gate (or located on the pool side with restricted nearby openings).

Neither the City of Franklin Municipal Code nor the Franklin Zoning Ordinance contains a 'good-side-out' requirement, a partition-fence statute, or a mandatory cost-sharing rule. Boundary fence disputes between neighbors are private civil matters under Tennessee common law. The City regulates fence location only with respect to property lines, easements, sight-distance triangles, and the right-of-way - it does not survey property lines or adjudicate neighbor cost-sharing claims.

Retaining walls in Franklin are regulated under Section 13.2 of the Zoning Ordinance and under the City-adopted International Building Code and International Residential Code. For residential uses, the front-yard retaining wall height is capped at 2 feet and side/rear-yard walls are capped at 6 feet, with a limit of three retaining walls per lot. For multifamily, nonresidential, and mixed uses, a single wall is capped at 10 feet and a pair of walls at 8 feet each (16 feet total grade change). Walls must be set back from lot lines at least 5 feet or the height of the wall (whichever is greater), and walls over 4 feet generally require a permit and engineered design under the IRC/IBC.

Franklin's pool safety rules come from the City-adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (2018 ISPSC pre-1/1/2026, 2024 ISPSC via Ordinance 2025-37 thereafter) and from the Franklin Zoning Ordinance setbacks. Required safety measures include a 48-inch minimum barrier (ISPSC 305), self-closing/self-latching gates that open outward, no climbing aids near the barrier, suction-entrapment prevention (VGB Act compliance), door alarms or powered safety covers where a dwelling wall serves as part of the barrier, and the 5-foot lot-line and 10-foot front-facade pool setbacks from the Zoning Ordinance.

Franklin pool barriers are governed by Section 305 of the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code as adopted by the City (2018 ISPSC for plans pre-1/1/2026, 2024 ISPSC via Ordinance 2025-37 thereafter). The barrier must be at least 48 inches above grade on the side facing away from the pool, openings may not allow a 4-inch-diameter sphere to pass, gates must be self-closing, self-latching, and open outward away from the pool, and the latch must be at least 54 inches above the bottom of the gate. Climbable objects may not be located so as to defeat the barrier.

All swimming pools in the City of Franklin require a building permit issued by Building and Neighborhood Services (615-794-7012, 109 3rd Avenue South). The City has adopted the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ISPSC) - the 2018 edition for plans submitted before January 1, 2026 and the 2024 edition via Ordinance 2025-37 for plans submitted on or after that date. Franklin Zoning Ordinance also requires outdoor residential pools to be located at least 10 feet behind the front facade and at least 5 feet from any lot line, and pools may not be located within easements.

Hot tubs and spas in the City of Franklin are governed by the City-adopted International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (2018 ISPSC pre-1/1/2026, 2024 ISPSC via Ordinance 2025-37 thereafter). Permanent residential spas must comply with ANSI/APSP/ICC-3 (ISPSC Chapter 6) and portable spas with ANSI/APSP/ICC-3 standards for portable units. Per ISPSC Section 305.6, spas or hot tubs equipped with a safety cover complying with ASTM F 1346 are exempt from the otherwise-required 48-inch pool barrier. Building permits are required for installation and a separate electrical permit is required for the bonding, GFCI, and dedicated circuit work.

Franklin permits Accessory Dwellings under Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.7 with a 50 percent of principal-building footprint cap, owner-occupancy requirement, parking compliance, and a maximum of one accessory dwelling per lot. Allowed by right in most single-family residential districts (R1, R2, R3, R4, R6, MR, ER) as an accessory use. Tennessee does not preempt local ADU rules.

Converting a garage into habitable space in Franklin requires a building permit and electrical permit from Building & Neighborhood Services because it is a change of occupancy under the Tennessee Residential Code. If the conversion creates a second dwelling unit, it must comply with the Accessory Dwelling standards in Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.7 — 50% footprint cap, owner-occupancy of the property, parking compliance, one ADU per lot.

Carports in Franklin are accessory structures under Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.3 (or § 5.2.4 Minor Accessory Structure if ≤200 sq ft). Carports must sit behind the front facade of the principal building, meet the underlying zoning district's setback and height standards, and (when 200 sq ft or larger) require a building permit from Building & Neighborhood Services with engineered wind-uplift anchorage.

Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.4 classifies storage sheds with a footprint of 200 square feet or less as 'Minor Accessory Structures' — permitted in all residential districts. Sheds 200 sq ft or larger are regulated as standard Accessory Structures under § 5.2.3 and must meet the setback and height rules of the underlying zoning district. The Tennessee Residential Code exempts one-story detached accessory structures under 200 sq ft from a building permit.

A tiny home on a permanent foundation in Franklin is treated as either a single-family dwelling or an Accessory Dwelling under the Franklin Zoning Ordinance and must meet the Tennessee Residential Code as administered by Building & Neighborhood Services. Tiny homes on wheels (THOWs, park-model RVs, travel trailers) are not permitted as residences in residential districts because accessory structures and dwellings must comply with the residential building code.

Open burning of residential brush, yard waste, and trash is prohibited inside Franklin city limits per the Franklin Fire Marshal's Office under Title 7, Chapter 2 (Fire Code) of the Franklin Municipal Code, which adopts the 2024 International Fire Code. Campfires and bonfires require a burn permit issued by the Franklin Fire Marshal's Office and are approved only in recreational settings (not for trash or yard waste); permits are subject to inspection. Above-ground fire pits, chimineas, and smokeless fire pits do not require a permit. Outside Franklin city limits in unincorporated Williamson County, the Tennessee Division of Forestry requires a free burn permit from October 15 through May 15 for any outdoor burning within 500 ft of forestland or grassland (TCA 68-102 and Rule 0080-03-04). Use the City's free weekly curbside yard waste collection (Solid Waste, 615-794-1516) as the lawful alternative.

The City of Franklin Fire Marshal's Office permits residential use of above-ground fire pits, chimineas, and smokeless fire pits without a burn permit. Open burning of brush or trash is prohibited inside Franklin city limits. Campfires and bonfires (those not in an above-ground appliance) require a burn permit from the Franklin Fire Department and are issued only for approved recreational settings - not for burning yard waste or trash. The Franklin Fire Department enforces the 2024 edition of the International Fire Code (IFC) and the 2024 edition of NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, per Title 7, Chapter 2 of the Franklin Municipal Code. Tennessee's statewide minimum standard is the 2018 IBC/IRC/IFC family under TCA 68-120-101.

Per the Franklin Zoning Ordinance § 17.2 (Tree Protection) and § 17.2.9 (Tree Removal Permits), existing trees on a lot or development site may not be removed unless removal is authorized by an approved development plan, site plan, preliminary plat, building permit, grading permit, or a tree removal permit. A tree removal permit is required for commercial, industrial, or multi-family lots of any size, and for single-family lots larger than one (1) acre. Tree removal on a single-family lot of one acre or less is exempt and does not require a permit.

The City of Franklin Water Management Department operates under a Drought Management Plan approved by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). When drought conditions warrant, the Mayor may declare an Emergency Status 1 (or higher) Water Shortage. Under Emergency Status 1, prohibited non-essential uses include: washing sidewalks/driveways/paved areas (except City for public safety); noncommercial vehicle and boat washing; any non-firefighting hydrant use; watering golf courses; and construction dust control or compaction. Landscape watering — if needed — must occur between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. using handheld devices.

Franklin is a recognized Tree City USA community operating an Urban Forestry program with an Urban Forestry Superintendent and Supervisor. Tree topping is expressly prohibited in the City of Franklin under Zoning Ordinance § 5.2.4(6)(f). Routine pruning of trees on private single-family lots of one acre or less is not regulated by the City. Trees within the public right-of-way or City-owned land are maintained by the Urban Forestry section of the Parks Department, and pruning of regulated/protected trees must follow industry standard arboricultural practice.