Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Dickson County, Tennessee

At a glance

Building permit

Required in unincorporated areas; issued by the county Planning, Zoning & Codes Department (cities run their own)⁵³⁶

Zoning

Yes, a Zoning Resolution applies to unincorporated Dickson County; incorporated cities zone separately²³

Septic permit

Required for installation, modification or repair; handled by TDEC⁷⁸

Septic soil suitability

About 26.6% of county soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field⁹

Owner-builder exemption

Yes, one owner-built residence every two years for your own use; no resale, lease or rent¹⁰

Driveway permit (county road)

Required before building a driveway that connects to a county road; minimum 20 feet wide¹¹

Driveway permit (state highway)

A separate TDOT permit is required before building a driveway onto a state highway¹²

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Dickson County, Tennessee?

Yes. Dickson County requires a building permit for home construction, including mobile, manufactured and modular homes where the county process applies¹. Permits go only to the landowner or contractor, and an owner applying directly must first have the deed recorded in the owner's name¹. The application also requires a site plan, a 911 address, and either a septic permit or proof of sewer¹. Permit fees follow the county's valuation-based schedule, whose valuation figures may change¹³. The county also charges an Adequate Facilities Tax of $1.00 per square foot of heated and cooled living area and a $60.00 plumbing fee¹³. Call Planning, Zoning & Codes at (615) 789-6740 for the current valuation and total¹⁴⁶.

Who issues building permits in Dickson County, and how do you reach them?

The Dickson County Planning, Zoning & Codes Department issues building permits for unincorporated Dickson County and is at 5 Court Square, Charlotte, TN 37036, phone (615) 789-6740⁶. Inside the City of Dickson, the city's own Planning and Zoning Department handles building permits, inspections and municipal codes, so a city parcel does not start at the county office³. Septic permits stay with TDEC either way⁴. The county department is the contact for the recorded deed, site plan, 911 address, septic-or-sewer documentation and valuation information required for a county building permit¹⁴. For a building site in a floodplain, the application must show the proposed lowest floor's elevation relative to mean sea level under the county Floodplain Zoning Resolution¹⁵. Because valuation figures may change, call the department for the current permit total rather than relying on an old estimate¹³¹⁴.

Does Dickson County have zoning?

Yes. Dickson County has adopted a Zoning Resolution governing land use in unincorporated areas, and the county publishes its Planning & Zoning map and forms²¹⁶. Incorporated municipalities such as the City of Dickson maintain their own planning and zoning departments and ordinances, and county zoning should not be assumed to apply inside them; septic permits remain with TDEC in both places³⁴. Tennessee law gives counties zoning authority outside municipal corporations¹⁷. State law generally exempts a structure on agricultural land when it is incidental to the agricultural enterprise, but that exemption has exceptions near state or federal-aid highways, public airports, public parks and within the mapped floodplain¹⁸. We could not confirm a general parcel setback or minimum lot size. The subdivision rules do require plats to show building setback lines, and they specify transmission-line setbacks where easement widths are not established, so ask Planning, Zoning & Codes for the standards tied to the parcel and project¹⁹⁶.

How do septic permits work in Dickson County?

TDEC, not Dickson County and not the City of Dickson, handles septic site evaluations and permits for every address in the county⁷. Dickson County is not one of the contract counties that run their own septic programs⁴. A permit is required to install, modify or repair a septic system, and it should be obtained before dirt work, the building pad or other building construction begins⁸. A TDEC Environmental Scientist evaluates the site to determine the required system type⁷. After installation, the installer must arrange a final inspection before covering the system; TDEC issues a Certificate of Completion if the work is approved²⁰. The Nashville Environmental Field Office serving Dickson County is at 711 R.S. Gass Blvd, Nashville, TN 37216, phone (615) 687-7000²¹. Only about 26.6% of county soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early contingency⁹. The county requires the septic permit or proof of sewer in its building-permit materials²².

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Dickson County?

We could not confirm a general rule allowing residential or long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on private land in Dickson County. County zoning applies in unincorporated areas, so ask Planning, Zoning & Codes how the parcel's zoning district treats the proposed dwelling before buying or moving one onto the land²⁶. The county resolution describes a narrow Temporary Use Permit for a mobile home, excluding double-wides, when a principal home was destroyed by fire, explosion or natural phenomenon²³. That hardship permit may be renewed for up to six months at a time, with all permits totaling no more than 21 months²³. That provision does not answer whether an RV or tiny home may serve as a residence on otherwise vacant land, so get a parcel-specific answer from the department⁶.

Building a home in Dickson County: the steps, in order

1. Confirm the deed is recorded in your name; Dickson County issues a building permit only to the landowner or contractor¹.
2. Confirm zoning and whether the parcel was lawfully created. Land in the Dickson County Planning Region cannot be subdivided until a plat has Planning Commission approval and is filed with the county register²⁴.
3. Apply to TDEC for the required septic permit before dirt work or building construction, or obtain proof of sewer; the county requires one of those documents for its building permit⁸²⁵.
4. Get a 911 address and prepare the site plan and valuation information; a floodplain site also requires the proposed lowest-floor elevation relative to mean sea level¹⁴¹⁵.
5. Apply through Planning, Zoning & Codes, budgeting for the valuation-based permit fee, the $1.00-per-square-foot Adequate Facilities Tax and the $60.00 plumbing fee¹³.
6. An owner-builder may construct one single residence once every two years for personal use, not for resale, lease or rent, and hired work of $25,000 or more must go to a licensed contractor; the owner still needs the permits and inspections¹⁰²⁶.
7. Before building a driveway, obtain the county permit for a county-road connection or the separate TDOT permit for a state-highway connection¹¹¹².
8. Have the septic installer arrange TDEC's final inspection before covering the system²⁰.

What to check before you buy land in Dickson County

Dickson County is heavily wooded and only about half gently sloped: roughly 70.8% of the land is forested, and about 47.7% sits at 15% slope or less²⁷²⁸. Only about 26.6% of county soils rate free of severe limits for a conventional drain field, so make the TDEC site evaluation an early contract contingency⁹⁷. Before closing, confirm that the parcel is a recorded, approved lot: subdivisions in the Dickson County Planning Region require an approved plat filed with the county register²⁴. Ask whether sewer is reasonably accessible, because subdivision approval can require the subdivider to serve every lot and connect to the public system²⁵. Also confirm the zoning district, applicable setback lines, floodplain status and road-access permit with Planning, Zoning & Codes and the Highway Department^1915629. Farmland has averaged around $5,919 an acre, while the typical property tax bill is about $1,369 a year³⁰³¹.

Watch-outs

• Dickson County's building-permit fee is only part of the cost: budget separately for the $1.00-per-square-foot Adequate Facilities Tax and the $60.00 plumbing fee on top of the valuation-based permit fee¹³.
• We could not confirm Dickson County's rules for residential RV use, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, general parcel setbacks or minimum lot size; ask Planning, Zoning & Codes for a parcel-specific answer⁶.
• If land is being divided in the Dickson County Planning Region, the plat needs Planning Commission approval and filing with the county register before the subdivision occurs²⁴.
• If your driveway connects to a county road you need a Highway Department driveway permit (minimum 20 feet wide) before building it; a driveway onto a state highway needs a separate TDOT permit instead¹¹¹².
• A parcel inside the City of Dickson or another incorporated town follows that municipality's zoning and building rules, not the county's, while TDEC still issues the septic permit³⁴.

Sources

1. How to Obtain a Building Permit in Dickson County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
2. Dickson County, TN (2026 county census)
3. Dickson County, TN, quoted and re-checked
4. Online Application for Subsurface Sewage Disposal System Related Services, quoted and re-checked
5. How to Obtain a Building Permit in Dickson County, Tennessee (2026 county census)
6. Dickson County Planning, Zoning & Codes Department (dicksoncountytn.gov)
7. Nashville Environmental Field Office, quoted and re-checked
8. Subsurface Sewage Disposal System (SSDS) Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
9. 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
10. Residential Permit FAQs, quoted and re-checked
11. Dickson County Highway Department (dicksoncountytn.gov)
12. Highway Entrance Permits (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. How to Obtain a Building Permit in Dickson County, quoted and re-checked
14. How to Obtain a Building Permit in Dickson County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
15. How to Obtain a Building Permit in Dickson County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
16. Dickson County Helpful Links, quoted and re-checked
17. Tennessee Attorney General Opinion No. 10-108 (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Exemption from County Zoning Regulation for Buildings on Land Used for Agriculture, Opinion No. 22-07 (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Subdivision Regulations of Dickson County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
20. Subsurface Sewage Disposal System Frequently Asked Questions, quoted and re-checked
21. TDEC Nashville Environmental Field Office (tn.gov)
22. Dickson County Planning, Zoning & Codes Department (dicksoncountytn.gov)
23. Dickson County Planning, Zoning & Codes Department (dicksoncountytn.gov)
24. Subdivision Regulations of Dickson County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
25. How to Obtain a Building Permit in Dickson County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
26. How to Obtain a Building Permit in Dickson County, Tennessee, quoted and re-checked
27. Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
28. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
29. Dickson County Highway Department (dicksoncountytn.gov)
30. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
31. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 9, 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.