I live outside the city limits of Hohenwald, do I need a building permit?
If you are planning to build outside the city limits of Hohenwald, Tennessee, Lewis County does not require a building permit for any type of structure or any sized structure, residential or commercial use.
Is there a development or impact fee in Lewis County before I build?
In short, NO.
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Lewis County does not have any fees associated with building new structures outside of the city limits of Hohenwald. The Lewis County Board of Commissioners recently passed a Resolution respectfully requesting the Tennessee General Assembly to amend the County Powers Relief Act so that all counties in Tennessee could have the option to enact an Impact Fee to help generate revenue to fund projects related to accelerated growth in their communities, if they choose to do so, helping to offset costs associated with development and save county residents tax dollars or even avoid a property tax increase.
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However, if you are building within the Hohenwald City Limits, you should reach out to the City of Hohenwald to check for their requirements.
Does Lewis County Government have a building and codes department?
Lewis County Government DOES NOT have a building and codes department, nor do we employ anyone for the purpose of building and codes. For any information related to building and codes we encourage you to reach out to the City of Hohenwald to speak with Building/Codes Enforcer, Brad Rasbury at (931) 796-2231.
What about permits for emergency backup power generators?
There are no permits required for this type of building addition either. In fact, we encourage these being built if you are building way out in the county where it's more difficult to service if there is some kind of power outage. Once again, if you are adding a generator to a structure being built in the City of Hohenwald, please contact them for information about their requirements.
Is there anything that is required for building out in the county?
Tennessee State Law (Tennessee Code Annotated or TCA) does require a proper septic tank/system for residences and buildings,. In addition, TCA also outlines safety requirements for proper electric installation. Again, this is Tennessee State Law. Lewis County does not have anything specific regarding these topics.