Bolthole Index

Berrien County, Georgia

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Nashville, Georgia

Nashville, Georgia has city zoning, but we could not confirm the general building-permit requirement inside city limits; ask the City Planning & Zoning Office before construction.12 Georgia mandatory construction codes apply in Nashville whether or not locally enforced.3 Septic permits inside Nashville come from the Berrien County Health Department, rather than the city zoning office.4

At a glance

Building permits
City requirement unconfirmed; ask City Planning & Zoning2
Zoning
City zoning map and district permitted-use rules apply1
Septic permits
Berrien County Health Department; required before development using septic54
Minimum home size
R-20 single-family dwellings: 1,500 sq. ft. gross floor area6
Minimum lot size
R-20 single-family lots: 20,000 sq. ft.7
Tiny homes
Local siting approval and applicable building codes required8
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption for your own home; local requirements still apply9

Who to call

Planning & zoning

City Planning & Zoning Office

City zoning questions; ask this office to identify the city building-permit counter, fees and inspection requirements.

(229) 686-6589

909 North Davis Street, Nashville, GA 31639

Septic permits

Berrien County Health Department / Environmental Health

Septic and well applications and site evaluations in Berrien County.

(229) 686-5411

600A South Jefferson St.

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Nashville means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Nashville, GA?

We could not confirm Nashville’s general building-permit requirement, application process, fee schedule or inspection schedule; ask the City Planning & Zoning Office to identify the issuing office and requirements for your proposed home.2 Nashville construction must comply with Georgia’s mandatory state construction codes, even where a local government does not enforce them.3 An owner building the owner’s own home can use Georgia’s contractor-license exemption, but that exemption does not waive building permits, inspections, codes or zoning requirements.9

Does Nashville have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Nashville has its own zoning ordinance: the official city zoning map and permitted-use schedules govern what a parcel may contain.1 Nashville’s districts include residential, mobile-home, residential-professional, commercial and industrial categories, with district-specific standards.10 In Nashville’s R-20 district, single-family lots need at least 20,000 square feet, and dwelling units need at least 1,500 square feet of gross floor area.76 R-20 local-street setbacks are 65 feet measured from the right-of-way centerline, with minimum side yards of 15 feet and rear yards of 40 feet.11 Ask City Planning & Zoning to identify your parcel’s district before choosing a house plan.2

How do septic permits work inside Nashville?

A Nashville lot that will use onsite sewage needs a Berrien County Health Department septic construction permit before physical development or system installation.5 The County Board of Health must find the site suitable before issuing the permit, then give final inspection and written approval before the system is backfilled or used.12 Berrien County’s application sheet calls for a recorded plat, home floor plan and site plan showing the house, wells, driveways, pools, outbuildings, property lines and proposed septic location.13 The sheet lists a $240 new-system site-evaluation and permit fee, or a $120 suitability evaluation without a permit.13

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Nashville?

We could not confirm a general rule allowing long-term RV occupancy on private land in Nashville; ask City Planning & Zoning about the proposed use and parcel before arranging temporary housing.2 Nashville prohibits overnight camping in city parks and leaving camping vehicles or movable shelters in parks after closing hours; that park rule does not answer private-land RV occupancy.14 Site-built and modular tiny homes need local siting approval and must meet applicable Georgia building codes.8 A small dwelling proposed in Nashville’s R-20 district must also meet the district’s 1,500-square-foot minimum gross floor area.6

Building a home in Nashville: what are the steps?

  1. Ask City Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel’s city zoning district, permitted residential use and the building-permit application counter; request the fee schedule, inspection sequence and occupancy requirements.12
  2. Resolve sewage disposal before development: Georgia requires sewer connection when a public or community system is available within 200 feet of the property line or in an abutting public right-of-way.15
  3. If the Nashville home will use septic, submit the plat, floor plan and site plan to Berrien County Health Department, then obtain the septic construction permit before physical development.135
  4. Arrange the septic final inspection and obtain written approval before backfilling or using the system.12

What stays with Berrien County, and what should you check before buying?

Inside Nashville, the city sets zoning while Berrien County Health Department administers onsite sewage permits and inspections.14 For land outside Nashville city limits, use the Berrien County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area building and zoning rules.1617 Berrien County’s soil figures are county-wide: only 0.6% of soils rate not limited for a conventional septic drain field, which makes a parcel-specific site evaluation valuable and does not mean septic is impossible.18 The health department’s application sheet includes well applications; ask Environmental Health about your proposed well and the city office about utility availability before committing to that layout.132

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Nashville’s building-permit fees, inspection sequence or certificate-of-occupancy requirement; ask City Planning & Zoning before construction.2
  • Nashville’s R-20 dwelling and lot minimums apply to that district, rather than every residential parcel in the city.67
  • Georgia’s sewer-availability rule can require sewer connection for a Nashville parcel even when the buyer would prefer septic.15

Sources

  1. Section 5-1 - Table of permitted uses (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  2. City Planning & Zoning Office (cityofnashvillega.net)
  3. Mandatory and Permissive State Codes (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  4. GA DPH On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  5. GA DPH On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Nashville Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, § 6-1 — Development standards (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Nashville Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, § 6-1 — Development standards (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Georgia Tiny House Fact Sheet (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Residential and Commercial General Contractors Frequently Asked Questions (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Section 4-1 - Establishment of districts (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Section 6-1 - Development standards (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  12. GA DPH On-Site Sewage Management Systems Manual (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  13. Berrien County Health Department / Environmental Health (southhealthdistrict.com)
  14. Section 19-6 - Camping (Nashville), quoted and re-checked
  15. GA DPH Onsite Sewage Manual (Georgia statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Section 12-2 - Building/development permit required (2026 county census)
  17. Planning and Zoning - Berrien County GA (2026 county census)
  18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Nashville

Nashville’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Accessory structures permitted on separate lots inside Nashville city limits.

    • The structure must meet Nashville Building Code requirements and building-inspector approval is required for this special-exception accessory-building provision.
    “Any structure or building erected shall meet the requirements of the Nashville Building Code”
  • InspectionsLimited

    A structure or building erected under the separate-lot accessory-building special-exception provision inside Nashville city limits.

    • City council special exception is required; the building must comply with the Nashville Building Code; the building inspector must approve it.
    “Any structure or building erected shall meet the requirements of the Nashville Building Code and shall be approved by the building inspector.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Nashville city limits.

    • Uses and structures must comply with the applicable zoning-district schedule.
    “there are hereby established within the City of Nashville zoning districts identified as follows:”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Present — Land inside Nashville city limits; Nashville has its own zoning ordinance and zoning districts.
      “Within the various zoning districts as indicated on the "Official Zoning Map, City of Nashville, Georgia," no building, structure or land shall be constructed, erected, altered or used except as indicated in the following schedules:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Nashville city zoning districts.

    • The ordinance establishes residential, mobile-home, residential-professional, commercial, and industrial districts.
    • District-specific dimensional and permitted-use rules apply.
    “There are hereby established within the City of Nashville zoning districts identified as follows:”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Dwelling units in the R-20 Single-family Residential district inside Nashville city limits.

    • The schedule applies to construction or erection in the applicable zoning district.

    minimum gross floor area for dwelling units: >= 1500 square feet (R-20)

    “Minimum gross floor area for dwelling units (sq. ft.) 1,500”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Dwelling units in the R-20 Single-family Residential district inside Nashville city limits.

    • The schedule applies to construction or erection in the applicable zoning district.

    minimum lot area for dwelling units: >= 20000 square feet (R-20)

    “Minimum lot area for dwelling units (sq. ft.) 20,000”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Single-family development in the R-20 district.

    • Setbacks are measured from the centerline of the right-of-way.
    • Principal/minor arterial setback is 80 feet, collector setback is 70 feet, and local-street setback is 65 feet.
    • Minimum side yard is 15 feet and rear yard is 40 feet.
    “On local streets (feet) | 65 1 [...] Minimum side yards (feet) | 15 [...] Minimum rear yards (feet) | 40”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in the R-20 Single-family Residential district inside Nashville city limits.

    • The schedule applies to construction or erection in the applicable zoning district.

    maximum height: <= 35 feet (R-20)

    “Maximum height (feet) 35 35 35 1 Plus ½ any amount which the right-of-way width exceeds fifty (50) feet for local streets, sixty (60) feet for collector streets and eighty (80) feet for principal and minor arterials.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Overnight camping in Nashville city parks.

    • The prohibition applies to tents, shacks, other temporary shelters, and movable structures or special vehicles used or usable for that purpose after park closing hours.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person to set up tents, shacks or any other temporary shelter for the purpose of overnight camping”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Prohibited — Overnight camping and leaving movable camping structures or special vehicles in Nashville city parks after closing hours.
      “It shall be unlawful for any person to set up tents, shacks or any other temporary shelter for the purpose of overnight camping, nor shall any person leave in a park after closing hours any movable structure or special vehicle to be used, or that could be used, for such purpose, such as a house-trailer, camp-trailer, camp-wagon or the like.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Commercial travel-trailer parks inside Nashville city limits.

    • Direct access must be to a principal or minor arterial; the entrance/exit portion must be at least 50 feet wide; and entrances/exits may not pass through a residential district.

    minimum entrance/exit width: >= 50 feet (Commercial travel-trailer park)

    “No travel trailer park shall be located except with direct access to a principal or minor arterial”

Rules another office applies inside Nashville

Nashville does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Who permits septicCounty

    On-site sewage systems serving property inside Nashville city limits are administered through the Berrien County Board of Health/County Health Department.

    • The state rule identifies the County Health Department and County Board of Health as the permitting and inspection authorities.
    “No person may begin the physical development of a lot or structure where an on-site sewage management system will be utilized, nor install an on-site sewage management system or component thereof, without having first obtained from the County Health Department a construction permit for the installation of an onsite sewage management system.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation of an onsite sewage management system on land inside Nashville city limits.

    • A County Health Department construction permit must be obtained before physical development or installation.
    • The application is made in writing on County Board of Health forms.
    • The County Board of Health shall approve or disapprove a completed application within twenty days.
    • Permits remain valid for not more than twelve months from issuance.
    “No person may begin the physical development of a lot or structure where an on-site sewage management system will be utilized, nor install an on-site sewage management system or component thereof, without having first obtained from the County Health Department a construction permit for the installation of an onsite sewage management system.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Onsite sewage systems inside Nashville city limits.

    • The County Board of Health must conduct a favorable site inspection before issuing the construction permit.
    • A final inspection and written approval are required before backfilling or using the system.
    • Repairs, replacements, and additions to existing systems must be permitted and inspected.
    “No person may backfill or use an on-site sewage management system until a final inspection has been made by the County Board of Health, and written approval has been issued by the County Board of Health.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision development inside Nashville city limits when onsite sewage management systems are involved.

    • Written approval of water-supply and sewage-disposal plans is required before sale, lease, rent, construction, or physical development of a lot in a subdivision or mobile-home park where the rule applies.
    “No person may sell, offer for sale, lease, rent, or begin construction or otherwise begin the physical development of a lot in a subdivision or mobile home park until written approval of plans for water supply and sewage disposal in the subdivision or park has been issued from the County Board of Health.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Nashville or Berrien County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Nashville city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions for construction inside Nashville city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Nashville city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Nashville city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term recreational-vehicle occupancy on private land inside Nashville city limits.
8 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Nashville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Berrien County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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