Compare ADU zoning rules across 1 Tennessee cities. Average ADU score: 6.0/10.
Gathered from the 1 city below, with the bill or ordinance each one names. Statewide measures are listed once with the cities they reached, rather than repeated for each.
Statewide law sets a floor; the numbers that decide your project are local. Here is the spread across the 1 Tennessee city covered here, taken from each city's own ordinance rather than a state summary.
| Question | Across Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Are ADUs permitted? | 0 of 1 permit them, 1 only by discretionary approval. |
| Detached size cap | Median 200 sq ft, from 200 to 200 sq ft across the 1 cities publishing a numeric cap. |
| Owner-occupancy | Required in 1 of 1. |
| Build cost | $200,000 to $300,000 depending on city and unit type. |
Recomputed whenever a city page changes, so this and the city pages below cannot disagree.
| City | Max Size | Setbacks | Permit Fees | Build Cost | 1BR Rent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | 700 sq ft of living space on lots under 10,000 sq ft; 850 sq ft on lots of 10,000 sq ft or more; never larger than the principal house (17.16.030.G.7.a, as amended December 4, 2025). The DADU footprint may not exceed the house footprint, and no other accessory building may exceed 200 sq ft once a DADU is on the lot (G.1.b) | 3 ft minimum for a DADU with a footprint of 850 sq ft or less located behind the house; 10 ft where garage or carport doors open directly onto an alley; a footprint over 850 sq ft must meet the full district rear setback (17.12.040.E.1.a). No building over an easement or a platted setback | $5.00 per $1,000 of construction value (Metro Code 16.28.110.A.1) plus a $25 zoning exam fee and a 10% Codes tech fee; no plan-review fee for one- and two-family work. A 700 sq ft DADU valued on the ICC table at $169.09/sq ft (about $118,000) comes to roughly $675 before trade permits | $200,000-$300,000 | $1,600-$1,750/mo | 6/10 |
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