Rutherford County, TN Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 1102 F
- Minimum loading space length
- 25 feet
- Small building requirement
- 1 space up to 9,999 sq ft
- Large building requirement
- 3 spaces plus 1 per 20,000 sq ft over 20,000
- Surface required
- Asphalt, concrete or dust-free material
Summary
Any building in unincorporated Rutherford County built for industry, business or trade that receives or distributes goods must provide its own off-street loading space, sized by the building's floor area under Zoning Ordinance Section 1102 F. The county sets no fixed loading hours, but every space must be paved and at least 25 feet long.
Every building or structure hereafter constructed and used for industry, business, or trade involving the receiving or distribution of vehicles, materials, or merchandise shall provide space for the loading and unloading of vehicles off the street or public alley. All such loading and unloading areas shall be surfaced with asphalt, concrete, or other durable dust-free surface. Such spaces shall have access to a public or private alley, or if there is no alley, to a public street and shall be a minimum of twenty-five (25) in length. The minimum required spaces for this provision shall be based on the total usable floor area of each principal building according to the following table: ... 0 to 9,999 square feet One (1) space; 10,000 to 14,999 square feet Two (2) spaces; 15,000 to 19,999 square feet Four (4) spaces; Over 20,000 square feet Three (3) spaces, plus one (1) additional space for each additional 20,000 square feet
Full Breakdown
Section 1102 F of the Rutherford County Zoning Ordinance requires every building "hereafter constructed and used for industry, business, or trade involving the receiving or distribution of vehicles, materials, or merchandise" to provide loading and unloading space off the public street or alley, not in it. The surface must be asphalt, concrete or another durable, dust-free material, and each space must run at least 25 feet in length with access to a public or private alley, or to a public street if no alley exists.
The number of required spaces scales with the building's total usable floor area: one space for buildings up to 9,999 square feet, two spaces from 10,000 to 14,999 square feet, four spaces from 15,000 to 19,999 square feet, and three spaces plus one additional space for every additional 20,000 square feet above 20,000 square feet. Because this table sits inside Section 1102 (Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements), a loading area must also satisfy the chapter's general parking-lot standards on drainage, surfacing, and continuous curb or berm barriers along the lot perimeter.
The ordinance does not set operating hours for loading activity; it regulates only the physical space, surfacing and count of loading berths. The Planning and Engineering Department reviews these requirements as part of site plan approval for any commercial, industrial or trade use in the unincorporated county, and Building Codes enforces compliance before a certificate of occupancy issues.
Violations & Fines
A commercial or industrial building that opens without the required loading spaces, or with loading areas that are unpaved or undersized, can be held up at certificate-of-occupancy review by the Building Codes department, which checks site plans against Section 1102 F before signing off on occupancy. Vehicles loading or unloading in the public right-of-way instead of an approved on-site space are also a compliance issue the county can flag during inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rutherford County restrict what hours a business can load or unload?
How many loading spaces does a warehouse need in unincorporated Rutherford County?
Can a business load trucks from the street instead of building an on-site space?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rutherford County
Compare Rutherford County to another location·View the Tennessee parking rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.