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

At a glance

Building permit

Required, issued by the county Planning Department¹

Zoning

Yes; confirm parcel-specific district rules and exceptions⁶

Septic permits

State-issued by TDEC, required before the county building permit⁴

Owner-builder exemption

Yes, one permit every two years for your own residence, not for sale or lease⁷

Residential building permit fee

$.70 per sq ft of livable space, porches, garages and storage⁸

Adequate facilities tax

$1.50 per heated/cooled sq ft, on top of the permit fee⁸

Septic soil suitability

42.5% of soils rate favorably for a conventional drain field⁹

Effective property tax rate

0.5% (about $1,547/year on the typical home)¹⁰¹¹

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 Robertson County, Tennessee?

Yes. Robertson County requires a building permit for new construction, issued to the landowner or a licensed contractor, and construction drawings must comply with the 2021 International Building Codes¹⁸. Tennessee also runs a separate State Residential Building Permit program through the State Fire Marshal's Office, but that program applies only in "opt-out" or "non-code" areas that don't enforce their own local codes¹². Robertson County enforces its own building codes through its Planning Department, so the state program's separate permit fees and inspection process do not apply here; use Robertson County's own permit process and fee schedule instead¹⁸.

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

Robertson County's Planning Department handles building permits and is reachable at 511 S Brown St, Springfield, TN 37172, phone (615) 382-6198⁸. The same department also has a listed contact point at 527 S. Brown St., Springfield, TN 37172, phone 615-384-3666, where it maintains zoning maps and records and issues certificates of occupancy and temporary use permits¹³. The department also conducts inspections as required to ensure compliance, though we could not confirm a published inspection schedule or when a certificate of occupancy is required¹⁴. A residential building permit costs $.70 per total square foot of livable space plus porches, garages, storage and basements, and the county separately collects an adequate facilities tax of $1.50 per heated or cooled square foot⁸. Mechanical permits and plumbing permits are $100 each¹⁵.

Does Robertson County have zoning?

Yes. Robertson County administers a county zoning ordinance and maintains zoning maps and amendment records⁶¹³. Tennessee county zoning authority applies outside municipal corporations, so land inside a city may follow that municipality's rules instead¹⁶. The Planning Department also administers and interprets the county's Subdivision Regulations, but we could not confirm the approval thresholds, so ask before dividing a tract¹⁷. Use the zoning map and resolution to confirm the parcel's district, permitted uses and exceptions before relying on a proposed use⁶. Buildings on land devoted to agricultural use and incidental to the agricultural enterprise can receive a narrower exemption from county zoning, but the exemption does not cover land near a state or federal-aid highway, public airport, public park, or the floodplain described by the state rule¹⁸. Robertson County tells agricultural applicants to inquire before construction⁸.

How do septic permits work in Robertson County?

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation requires a Septic System Construction Permit to install a septic system or repair a faulty one in Robertson County¹⁹⁴. Robertson County requires that permit, or a sewer tap receipt, before issuing a building permit; call 615-687-7000 or use the septic service request website listed by the county²⁰. Review generally takes about 10 days and must be completed within 45 days of a complete application¹⁹. After installation, the applicant or installer must notify the state so the system can be inspected and approved before it is covered; the inspection fee is $100 for a conventional system and $200 for an alternative system²¹. A conventional system permit is $400 for design flow up to 1,000 gallons per day, while an alternative-system permit is $500 at that flow; repair permits have no permit fee¹⁹. Only 42.5% of Robertson County soils avoid a "very limited" rating for a conventional drain field, so make septic feasibility a purchase contingency for a specific parcel⁹. A qualifying utility can require sewer connection where a building lot abuts a public way containing its sanitary sewer²².

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

We could not confirm a Robertson County-specific rule allowing residential or long-term RV use, temporary camping, or tiny-home occupancy on private land. Robertson County administers zoning and maintains parcel maps, so ask the Planning Department how the parcel's zoning district treats the proposed dwelling or temporary use before buying or moving one onto the land⁶¹³. We also could not confirm county thresholds for minimum dwelling size, setbacks, lot coverage, building height or accessory dwellings; those questions need a parcel-specific answer from the Planning Department.

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

1. Get your septic permit or a sewer tap receipt first; Robertson County's own permit page lists this as the first required step, reachable through the septic service request website or 615-687-7000²⁰.
2. Get a water tap or meter receipt from your water provider, or a letter of intent or receipt from a well-drilling company if you're using a well⁸.
3. Get a driveway permit from the Robertson County Highway Department, required for all new buildings, or from the state highway department if your access is on a state road²³²⁴.
4. Get a 911 address verification letter from the Robertson County Emergency Communications Department, required for all new construction⁸.
5. Pull a copy of the recorded deed in the current owner's name from the Register of Deeds office⁸.
6. Prepare a site plan drawing showing the house, roadway, driveway, fencing, other buildings, septic tank and field lines, plus detailed construction drawings that comply with the 2021 International Building Codes⁸.
7. If you're building your own home rather than hiring a contractor, you're limited to one owner-builder permit every two years, and the home can't be for sale, lease or rent; anyone you pay more than $25,000 generally has to be a licensed contractor⁷²⁵.
8. Submit everything to the Planning Department and pay the residential building permit fee plus the adequate facilities tax before construction begins⁸.

What to check before you buy land in Robertson County

Soils and septic: 42.5% of Robertson County's soils rate favorably for a conventional drain field, better odds than many rural counties, but get a site evaluation before you count on it for a specific parcel⁹. Flooding: ask the Planning Department whether your parcel needs a flood elevation certificate, since one may be required before a building permit is issued⁸. Access: a driveway onto a county road needs a Robertson County Highway Department permit, while a driveway onto a state highway needs a separate permit from the state highway department²³²⁴. Sewer: if your lot abuts a street with sanitary sewer already available, the utility may be able to require you to connect rather than use a septic system²². Agricultural buildings: a barn or similar structure incidental to an agricultural enterprise can qualify for a narrower zoning exemption, but Robertson County still asks agricultural applicants to inquire before construction¹⁸⁸. Taxes: the effective property tax rate here is about 0.5%, or roughly $1,547 a year on a typical home¹⁰¹¹.

Watch-outs

• Tennessee's separate State Residential Building Permit program and its published fee schedule apply only in areas without local code enforcement; Robertson County runs its own Planning Department permitting program with its own fees, so don't use the state's fee table for this county¹²⁸.
• We could not confirm a Robertson County-specific rule on living in an RV or tiny home on your own land; ask the Planning Department directly before you rely on one¹³.
• The owner-builder exemption allows only one permit every two years for your own residence, not for sale or lease, and anyone you pay more than $25,000 generally must be a licensed contractor²⁵.

Sources

1. How to Acquire a Building Permit (2026 county census)
2. Planning Department (2026 county census)
3. Planning Department, quoted and re-checked
4. TDEC - Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems (SSDS) (2026 county census)
5. How to Acquire a Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
6. Planning Department, quoted and re-checked
7. Can I build my own home without a license? (2026 county census)
8. Robertson County Planning Department (robertsoncountytn.gov)
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. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
11. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
12. Residential Permit FAQs (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Robertson County Planning Department (robertsoncountytn.gov)
14. Planning Department, quoted and re-checked
15. How to Acquire a Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
16. Tennessee Attorney General Opinion No. 10-108 (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Planning Department, 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. Septic System Construction Permit, quoted and re-checked
20. Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) - Septic Permits for Robertson County (robertsoncountytn.gov)
21. Septic System Construction Permit, quoted and re-checked
22. Utility Customers Frequently Asked Questions (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. Robertson County Highway Department (robertsoncountytn.gov)
24. Highway Entrance Permits (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
25. Can I build my own home without a license? (Tennessee statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

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.