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

Hendersonville fence heights are set by Chapter 10.4.9 of the Hendersonville Zoning Ordinance, administered by the Planning Department (101 Maple Drive North, 615-264-5316). The maximum fence height in rear and interior side yards is 8 feet measured from existing grade. Side-street yards are also capped at 8 feet but must be set back at least 50 percent of the required side-street setback or 12 feet off the edge of pavement, whichever is more. Front-yard fences may not be located closer to the lot line than the home, with limited exceptions for decorative fences up to 48 inches (or 60 inches on lots over one acre).

A Fence Permit shall be secured from the Hendersonville Planning Department prior to construction per the City's published Residential Fence Standards and Chapter 10.4.9 of the Zoning Ordinance. The application is submitted to the Planning Department at 101 Maple Drive North (615-264-5316, planning@hvilletn.org) and confirms fence location, height, materials, and compliance with right-of-way, setback, and HOA rules. Pool barriers are separately permitted by Building & Codes (615-822-3802) under the City-adopted 2021 ISPSC.

Neither the Hendersonville Zoning Ordinance nor the Hendersonville Municipal Code contains a 'good-side-out' requirement, a partition-fence statute, or a mandatory cost-sharing rule for residential boundary fences. Hendersonville Chapter 10.4.9 requires the framing members of board fences not be directly visible from the street (an aesthetic rule), but it does not dictate cost-sharing or which neighbor must face the finished side. Tennessee common law governs boundary disputes, and the City does not survey property lines.

Retaining walls in Hendersonville are regulated under the City-adopted 2021 International Residential Code and 2021 International Building Code (effective July 1, 2025) and require a permit from the Building & Codes Department (615-822-3802). Per IRC R404.4 / IBC 1807, retaining walls over 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or any wall supporting a surcharge, require a building permit and engineered design. Pool-related retaining walls must show 'Wall height and slope for any retaining walls that are part of the proposed construction' on the Swimming Pool Plan submittal.

Residential pool barriers in Hendersonville must comply with the City-adopted 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (effective July 1, 2025). 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). Pool plans submitted to Building & Codes must show 'Pool fencing design and location' and 'All gates to indicate swing away from pool.'

Per Chapter 10.4.9 of the Hendersonville Zoning Ordinance, residential fences must be constructed of treated wood, cedar, or redwood; simulated wood (vinyl-covered, synthetic composite); decorative brick or stone; wrought iron or aluminum designed to simulate wrought iron; or coated chain-link (brown, black, or green only). The Planning Department may also approve other materials it determines equivalent in quality and appearance. Front-yard decorative fences are limited to finished wrought iron, aluminum tubing, wood picket, split rail, brick, or stone (with ranch-style wood or vinyl on lots over one acre).

All swimming pools, spas, and hot tubs in Hendersonville require a building permit from the Building & Codes Department (101 Maple Drive North, 615-822-3802, codes@hvilletn.org). The City has adopted the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (effective July 1, 2025), the 2021 IRC, 2021 IBC, and 2020 NEC with amendments. The applicant must submit a complete Swimming Pool Plan Submittal package including a scaled site plan, pool depths, property dimensions, easements, mechanical/plumbing/gas details, electric service location, fencing design, drainage, and engineered design for gunite pools and retaining walls.

Hendersonville's pool safety rules come from the City-adopted 2021 ISPSC (effective July 1, 2025) plus the 2020 NEC (Article 680) and the City's Swimming Pool Plan Submittal Checklist. Required safety measures include a 48-inch ISPSC Section 305 barrier with self-closing/self-latching gates opening outward, anti-entrapment compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, door alarms or powered safety covers where a dwelling wall is part of the barrier, engineered design for gunite pools and any surcharge-bearing retaining walls, and full NEC bonding/grounding (Article 680) inspected separately.

Hot tubs and spas in Hendersonville require a permit from Building & Codes (615-822-3802) under the City-adopted 2021 ISPSC and 2020 NEC. ISPSC barrier requirements (Section 305) apply, but Section 305.5 provides an important exception: a spa or hot tub equipped with a safety cover that complies with ASTM F 1346 is exempt from the 48-inch barrier provisions. Hot tubs also require dedicated 240V GFCI-protected electrical service per NEC Article 680.42, with shut-off disconnects within sight and at least 5 feet from the tub.

Hendersonville pool barriers are governed by Section 305 of the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code as adopted by the City effective July 1, 2025. Barriers must be at least 48 inches above grade on the side facing away from the pool, openings may not allow a 4-inch 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. The City's Swimming Pool Plan Submittal Checklist independently requires applicants to show 'Pool fencing design and location to show enclosure around pool area' and 'All gates to indicate swing away from pool.'

Converting a garage to habitable space in Hendersonville requires a building permit from the Codes Department under the Tennessee-adopted IRC. If the conversion adds a kitchen and separate entrance creating an independent living unit, it becomes either an Attached Accessory Apartment under Ch. 10.4 (capped at 40% of combined heated area, family/domestic-employee occupancy only, owner-occupant required) or — if separated and on a 30,000+ sq ft lot — a Detached Accessory Dwelling requiring a Conditional Use Permit. Off-street parking required for the principal dwelling must still be met (4 spaces if ADU is added).

Hendersonville Zoning Ordinance Chapter 10.4 permits an Accessory Apartment (attached to the principal dwelling) OR a Detached Accessory Dwelling — but never both on the same lot. Tennessee does NOT preempt local ADU rules, so the city's restrictive scheme stands: owner-occupant required, occupant must be a relative or domestic employee, detached ADUs require a 30,000+ sq ft lot AND a Conditional Use Permit ($250 fee) from the Board of Zoning Appeals, with strict size caps tied to lot size and a 20 ft setback from side/rear lines.

Hendersonville Zoning Ordinance Chapter 10.4 (Accessory Buildings) allows up to 2 accessory buildings on a residential property, placed in the rear yard or beside the house (no closer to the street than the house). In Suburban Residential-Low Density (SR-1), the side setback is 10 ft; in SR-2 (Medium Density), 8 ft. Rear setback is 20 ft in both. A small-structure exception (under 400 sq ft and 10 ft from the house) allows a 5 ft side/rear setback. Combined size is capped on a sliding scale from 800 sq ft (lots under 15,000 sq ft) to 2,500 sq ft (lots over 3 acres) or 50% of the principal dwelling, whichever is less. Building permits follow Tennessee Building Code for any structure over 200 sq ft.

Carports in Hendersonville are accessory structures regulated under Zoning Ordinance Chapter 10.4. Detached carports must follow the standard accessory-building setbacks: 10 ft side in SR-1, 8 ft side in SR-2, 20 ft rear in both. The 'under 400 sq ft + 10 ft from house' exception drops to a 5 ft side/rear setback. Carports under 120 sq ft do not count toward the 2-building maximum. Attached carports follow principal-building setbacks for the underlying zoning district. Building permit required for carports over 200 sq ft under the Tennessee IRC.

Tiny homes in Hendersonville must comply with the Tennessee-adopted 2018 IRC (including Appendix Q for dwellings 400 sq ft or less). A site-built tiny home on a permanent foundation is either the principal single-family dwelling (must meet zone's minimum lot size and principal-building setbacks) or an accessory dwelling subject to Ch. 10.4 ADU rules (30,000+ sq ft lot, CUP, family-only occupancy, 1,200-1,800 sq ft cap). Tiny homes on wheels classified as RVs or travel trailers cannot be used as a residence in residential zones. Tennessee does not preempt local tiny-home rules.

The Hendersonville Fire Department exempts cooking, ceremonial, and recreational fires - including backyard fire pits, chimineas, smokeless fire pits, barbecues, and outdoor fireplaces - from the open-burn permit requirement under the city's open-burning rules. The Department enforces the 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) under Title 7 of the Hendersonville Municipal Code, effective July 1, 2025 (the prior adopted edition was the 2018 IFC effective June 13, 2017). IFC Section 307.4.2 requires recreational fires to be at least 25 feet from a structure or combustible material, attended at all times by an alert adult, and equipped with an extinguishment means (hose, bucket, or extinguisher) on site. The Fire Prevention Bureau (615-822-1119) is the local point of contact. Hendersonville fronts Old Hickory Lake; recreational fires on lakeside lots remain subject to the same 25-ft setback and wind-velocity limits.

A Controlled Burn Permit is required from the Hendersonville Fire Department for any open fire on private or commercial property within city limits, except for cooking, ceremonial, or recreational fires (which are exempt). Permits are obtained from any fire station (residential) or the Fire Marshal's office at 225 Freehill Road (commercial/contractors) and are valid for one week from issue. Burning is allowed only for trees, limbs, and brush indigenous to the site - no pallets, tires, construction debris, roofing, painted/treated wood, asbestos, pesticides, herbicides, or petroleum products. Burning hours are 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday (no Sunday burning), and no burning is allowed when sustained winds exceed 10 mph. Outside city limits in unincorporated Sumner County, the Tennessee Division of Forestry requires a free burn permit October 15 through May 15 for burning within 500 ft of forestland or grassland under TCA 68-102. The Fire Marshal may invalidate permits during adverse weather (a city-wide burn ban was imposed in spring 2026 during drought).

Hendersonville has been a Tree City USA community for 32 years (designated by the Arbor Day Foundation through 2023) and also received a Tree City USA Growth Award (26 years), so it maintains a tree care ordinance and an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita. The City does not require a permit for routine pruning of healthy trees on private residential property. Pruning of public/right-of-way trees and trees within Old Hickory Lake's USACE-managed shoreline buffer requires advance authorization. Tennessee common law (UT Extension SP687) allows an adjoining landowner to trim overhanging branches back to the property line.

The City of Hendersonville Planning Department issues a Tree Removal Permit (application and checklist available under Application & Submittal Information). Tree Survey and Tree Removal documents are required components of a Land Disturbance Permit ($50 application fee + $10,000/acre surety), making tree-removal review mandatory for any site triggering land disturbance. On unregulated single-family residential lots, removal of a healthy tree generally does not require a City permit, but trees within the USACE-managed Old Hickory Lake shoreline buffer require federal approval. TCA § 43-28-312 imposes double (negligent) and triple (intentional) damages for unauthorized cutting of another's timber.

Hendersonville is served by the Hendersonville Utility District (HUD), an independent utility serving more than 45,000 people in 14,000 homes/businesses across the greater Hendersonville area. HUD draws from Old Hickory Lake (Cumberland River system) via its intake near Rockland Park, treating water at a state-of-the-art plant dedicated in 2014. The City of Hendersonville does not own or operate water utilities. Tennessee has no statewide outdoor-watering schedule, and HUD does not impose routine year-round watering restrictions. White House Utility District serves portions of the area.