Can You Build a Barndominium in Middle Tennessee? Zoning, Permits and Rules by County (2026)

Yes. You can build a barndominium in Middle Tennessee, and most rural parcels in Williamson, Davidson, Rutherford, Maury and Marshall counties will allow one. Tennessee has no statewide rule against metal or post frame homes. What decides whether a barndominium works on a specific piece of land is local: the county or city zoning district, the residential building code the county enforces, whether the soil will pass for a septic system, and any deed restrictions recorded against the lot. Those four checks, not the style of the house, are where barndominium plans succeed or stall.

This guide walks through how each of those rules works in 2026, what is different county by county around Nashville, and the order to check them in so you do not buy land you cannot build on. If you are still looking for a lot, our barndominium land search shows current acreage listings across all five counties.

Does Tennessee Allow Barndominiums?

Tennessee treats a barndominium the same way it treats any other single family home. If the structure is built as a residence, meets the residential code where one is enforced, and sits on land zoned for a home, it is a house in the eyes of the county. The metal roof, steel or post frame and board and batten siding do not change that.

The state adopted the 2018 International Residential Code as its standard for one and two family homes, but Tennessee law lets counties and cities opt out of statewide residential inspections for their own jurisdictions. That is why you will read online that some rural Tennessee counties require no building permit at all. That is true in a handful of opt out counties elsewhere in the state. It is not how it works in the five counties around Nashville covered here: all of them issue residential building permits and inspect new homes, so plan on permitted, inspected construction.

Zoning: The First Thing to Check

Zoning decides whether a home is allowed on the parcel at all, how big the lot must be, and how far the house has to sit from the property lines. For barndominium buyers the usual targets are agricultural and rural residential districts in unincorporated county areas, where lots are larger and uses are more flexible.

Davidson County is a good example of how specific this gets. Under Metro Nashville zoning, the AG district requires a minimum lot of 5 acres and AR2a requires 2 acres, and both allow single family homes. A tract zoned for smaller lots or a planned unit development can come with its own design standards, so the zoning letters matter more than the listing photos.

Inside city limits the picture changes. Cities like Franklin, Brentwood, Spring Hill and Murfreesboro have their own zoning and, in many districts, design standards for new homes. A barndominium is not banned by name in most of them, but exterior material and design rules can make a metal sided home impractical. If a lot has a city address, confirm whether it is actually inside city limits before you assume county rules apply.

Can You Build a Barndominium in Williamson County, TN?

Yes, with more homework than anywhere else in the region. Williamson County adopted its current zoning ordinance in 2012, effective January 1, 2013, and it governs everything in the unincorporated county: density, open space, setbacks and lot layout. Permits are filed through the county’s electronic plan review system, and the Building Codes Department can be reached at (615) 790-5718.

Septic is the other big difference. Williamson is one of nine Tennessee counties that runs its own septic program instead of going through the state, so soil evaluations and septic permits come from the county’s sewage disposal office. The county has been revising its septic rules through 2025 and 2026, so confirm the current requirements before you close on land. Williamson land is also the most expensive in the region, which is why many barndominium buyers who want the Franklin address end up on the county’s rural southern and western edges. You can compare current listings on our Williamson County homes for sale page.

Building a Barndominium in Maury, Rutherford, Marshall and Davidson Counties

Maury County

Maury County is one of the most popular barndominium counties south of Nashville because of its acreage prices. For a new home in the unincorporated county, the building permit package includes a septic permit from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, proof of a water tap or well, driveway approval from the Maury County Highway Department, building plans and a plot plan showing distances to the property lines. One rule catches shop first buyers: Maury County has required a home on the property before a detached garage or shop can be built, so either attach the shop to the house or build the house first. Call the Building and Zoning Office at (931) 375-3002 to confirm for your parcel.

Rutherford County

In unincorporated Rutherford County, permits come from the Building Codes Department. If your land is not part of a recorded subdivision plat, you will first need a Certificate of Zoning Compliance from Rutherford County Planning and Engineering. Residential permits are issued only to a Tennessee licensed contractor or to an owner who lives on, or plans to live on, the property.

Marshall County

Marshall County enforces building codes in the unincorporated county, offers an online permit portal and an interactive zoning map, and charges residential permits by gross square footage, $1.00 per square foot. Starting work before the permit is issued doubles the fee. The codes office number is (931) 359-0567.

Davidson County

Barndominium land in Davidson County is mostly in the rural northern and western parts of the county, around Joelton and Whites Creek. Metro Codes issues building permits, and Metro zoning sets the lot minimums described above.

Deed Restrictions and HOA Rules That Ban Metal Homes

Zoning can say yes while the deed says no. Many subdivisions, and plenty of rural tracts carved out of larger farms, carry recorded restrictions that require brick or stone on the front of the house, set a minimum heated square footage, limit outbuildings or prohibit metal exterior siding outright. These covenants are enforceable, and they are written into the recorded restrictions and the plat, not the listing description.

Before you make an offer, ask for the recorded restrictions and read them against your plan. If the land is in an HOA, read the architectural guidelines as well. A lot that allows a stone wainscot barndominium with a shingle roof may still reject a full metal exterior, so bring a rendering or elevation when you ask.

The Order to Check Before You Buy Land

• Confirm the jurisdiction. County or city, and which zoning district.
• Read the zoning rules. Minimum lot size, setbacks, and whether a detached shop needs a house first.
• Pull the deed restrictions and HOA rules. Look for metal siding, minimum size and outbuilding limits.
• Get the soil evaluated. No approved septic area usually means no house. Put this in your due diligence period.
• Confirm water, power and road access. Utility district tap or well, the cost to bring power to the site, and a permitted driveway.
• Line up a licensed builder. Tennessee requires a contractor license for projects of $25,000 or more, and the builder’s drawings are what the county will review.

These are the same checks behind our Homestead Plan, and they pair with the broader land risks in our Middle Tennessee due diligence guide. The honest tradeoff is time: a careful check adds a few weeks up front, and it is far cheaper than owning land that will not permit the house you planned.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a permit to build a barndominium in Tennessee?

In Williamson, Davidson, Rutherford, Maury and Marshall counties, yes. All five issue residential building permits and inspect new homes. Some rural Tennessee counties have opted out of statewide residential inspections, but those rules do not apply around Nashville.

Can you build a barndominium in Williamson County, TN?

Yes, on land zoned for a single family home and free of deed restrictions against metal homes. Expect detailed zoning review, a county run septic permit process and the highest land prices in the region.

Are barndominiums allowed in Maury County?

Yes. Maury County permits barndominiums as homes when you provide a state septic permit, proof of water, driveway approval, plans and a plot plan. A home has been required before a detached shop or garage can be built.

Can an HOA stop you from building a barndominium?

Yes. Recorded deed restrictions and HOA architectural rules can require brick or stone, set minimum square footage or ban metal siding, and they are enforceable even when zoning allows the home.

Can I build my own barndominium in Tennessee?

Owners can often pull a permit for a home they will live in, but Tennessee requires a licensed contractor for work of $25,000 or more done for others, and counties like Rutherford issue permits only to licensed contractors or owner occupants.

Plan Your Barndominium

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