Rutherford County, TN Home Business: Signage Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Sign size limit
- 5 square feet maximum
- Sign count
- One sign per residential lot
- Mounting requirement
- Attached to principal or accessory structure
- Permit basis
- Board of Zoning Appeals special exception
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance Section 1101 D.2.h
- Penalty
- Each day of violation is a separate offense
Summary
In unincorporated Rutherford County, a major home-based business approved by special exception may post only one sign, capped at five square feet, and it must be attached to the principal or accessory structure where the business operates.
h. Signage for home-based businesses shall be limited to five
(5) square feet and shall be attached to the principal or accessory structure where the business is located. Only one
(1) sign per residential lot is permitted.
Full Breakdown
The Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance regulates home-based business signage as part of the special exception conditions the Board of Zoning Appeals attaches to a major home-based business permit. h, "Signage for home-based businesses shall be limited to five (5) square feet and shall be attached to the principal or accessory structure where the business is located. " That five-square-foot cap and one-sign limit apply regardless of how large the operation is or how many other conditions the Board layers on. e). The Board of Zoning Appeals can approve additional employees, vehicles, or visits above those defaults, but the ordinance text does not list the five-square-foot sign limit or the one-sign-per-lot cap among the items the Board is authorized to increase, so those two figures function as a hard ceiling on the special exception.
Because a major home-based business only exists in the unincorporated county after the Board of Zoning Appeals grants a special exception permit under Section 1101 D, the sign condition is enforced through that same permit process rather than through a separate sign permit application.
Violations & Fines
Operating a major home-based business sign larger than five square feet, posting more than one sign per lot, or mounting a sign anywhere other than the principal or accessory structure violates the terms of the Board of Zoning Appeals special exception permit under Section 1101 D. Section 1410 B makes any violation of the ordinance, including a violation of conditions attached to a special exception, punishable by law, with each day of continued violation a separate offense; the owner, tenant, or any contractor or agent who maintains the violation can each be charged separately. Section 1410 C lets the Director of Building Codes or an affected neighboring property owner seek an injunction or other court action to force compliance, and the Director may also ask utilities and county departments to withhold or suspend service to the property until the violation is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big can a home business sign be in unincorporated Rutherford County?
Can the county let me put up a bigger sign or a second sign?
Does this sign limit apply to minor home occupations too?
What happens if I ignore the sign limit after getting my permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rutherford County
Compare Rutherford County to another location·View the Tennessee home business overview
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