Lebanon, Tennessee zoning

A plain-language summary of the Lebanon zoning ordinance, organized by district and topic. Source: the official ordinance on City-hosted Title 14 Zoning Code chapter PDFs (lebanontn.org). Verified current against the posted chapter documents 2026-07-03; the code dates lots of record to June 6, 2023, the effective date of the rewritten ordinance., last reviewed July 3, 2026.

Zoning districts

• RPOResidential

  Rural Preservation/Open Space

  Very low density rural district: 3 acre (130,680 sf) minimum lots, agriculture and single-family homes. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RS20Residential

  Single-Family Residential 20,000

  Large-lot single-family district: 20,000 sf minimum lots in a low density suburban setting. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RS12Residential

  Single-Family Residential 12,000

  Single-family district: 12,000 sf minimum lots. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RS9Residential

  Single-Family Residential 9,000

  Single-family district: 9,000 sf minimum lots. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RS6Residential

  Single-Family Residential 6,000

  Small-lot single-family district: 6,000 sf minimum lots. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RD9Residential

  Duplex Residential 9,000

  Duplex district: single-family and two-family dwellings, 9,000 sf for the first dwelling plus 6,000 sf for the second. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RXHResidential

  Mixed Housing

  Mixed housing district: detached, duplex, townhome, residential court, and small multifamily buildings up to 8 units. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RM6Residential

  Multifamily Residential 6,000

  Multifamily district: 6,000 sf for the first dwelling plus 1,500 sf per additional dwelling. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RMHResidential

  Mobile Home Park Residential

  Mobile home park district; also allows detached, duplex, townhome, and boarding dwellings. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• RPIMixed use

  Residential, Public, Institutional

  Mixed residential, public, and institutional district; residential parcels are capped at 85 percent of each RPI polygon. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• UCMixed use

  University Campus

  University and campus district around Cumberland University, mixing housing, campus, and small commercial uses. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• TODMixed use

  Transit Oriented Development

  Transit oriented district: compact mixed use near transit, 2 to 4 story buildings. No TOD polygons appear in the city zoning layer as of 2026-07-03. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• DXUMixed use

  Downtown Mixed Use

  Downtown mixed use district covering the historic core: zero-lot-line buildings up to 4 stories. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• CXUMixed use

  Commercial Mixed Use

  Commercial mixed use district for walkable corridor commercial with upper-story and rear residential. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• COMCommercial

  Office and Medical

  Office and medical district; residential is allowed but ground-story residential is restricted along listed commercial frontages. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• CSCommercial

  Suburban Commercial

  Suburban commercial district for automobile-oriented retail, dining, and services. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• CICommercial

  Interchange Commercial

  Interchange commercial district for highway-serving commercial near interstate interchanges. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• CFCommercial

  State and County Fair

  State and County Fair district: fairgrounds, amusement, exposition, and related uses on 20 acre minimum sites. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• IPIndustrial

  Planned Business/Industrial Park

  Planned business and industrial park district with campus-style standards. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• ILIndustrial

  Light Industrial

  Light industrial district. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• IHIndustrial

  Heavy Industrial

  Heavy industrial district; heavy industry itself is a conditional use. Confirm overlays (floodplain, airport, historic, South Hartmann, infill) and parcel-specific approvals before acting.

• SPSpecial purpose

  Specific Plan District

  Specific Plan district: the adopted SP plan and its conditions control uses and standards for the parcel (Sec. 14.404). Regular, hybrid, and text-only SP variants exist.

• PUDSpecial purpose

  Planned Unit Development (legacy)

  Legacy planned development polygons remain on the city zoning layer. The approved development plan and conditions control; confirm the governing plan with Planning staff.

Rules by topic

• Permitted usesWhat you can do by right in each zoning district.
• Special land usesUses that need special approval before they are allowed.
• SetbacksHow far buildings must sit from property lines.
• Building heightHeight limits by district, and the exceptions.
• Lot coverageHow much of a lot buildings may cover.
• Lot size and widthMinimum lot area and width requirements.
• ParkingRequired spaces, driveway rules, and surfaces.
• Accessory dwelling unitsWhether a second dwelling unit is allowed.
• Garages, sheds, and accessory structuresSize caps, setbacks, and height limits for detached structures.
• FencesHeight limits, placement, and prohibited materials.
• SignsWhat signs are allowed and where.
• Home occupationsRunning a business from a residence.
• Variances and appealsWho decides, what standard applies, and the sequence.

Common questions

• Can I add an accessory building in Lebanon TN?
• Can I build multifamily housing in Lebanon TN?
• Can I open a restaurant in Lebanon TN?
• Can I use industrial zoning for warehousing in Lebanon TN?
• How do I request a variance in Lebanon TN?
• What does SP zoning mean in Lebanon TN?
• What is CI Interchange Commercial zoning in Lebanon TN?
• What is my Lebanon TN zoning?
• What parking is required in Lebanon TN?
• What signs are allowed in Lebanon TN?