Barndominium Builders in Church Hill, TN

Barndominium builders working around Church Hill have two very different rulebooks, and which one applies depends on whether your land is inside the city. Church Hill is the largest municipality entirely within Hawkins County. It sits on rolling hills on the northern part of Smith Bend, overlooking the Holston River, with Bays Mountain filling the view to the south. US Route 11W runs through town toward Rogersville to the southwest and the Tri-Cities to the northeast. Outside the city limits, Hawkins County is open, rural and lightly regulated, which is a big part of why people look here for barndo land.

We design and build barndominiums, shop houses and steel-frame homes in Church Hill and across eastern Hawkins County. Here is what you should know.

Inside the city

Church Hill's FAQ for builders says a building permit is needed for any new construction, and that new construction needs a building permit, a sewer permit if sewer is available, and a drainage permit. Anything other than a single-family dwelling has to be approved by the Church Hill Planning Commission. A yard barn needs a permit, and the FAQ says a property may have only one accessory building. That last rule matters if you want a barndominium plus a separate shop. Plan the shop into the main building, or confirm with City Hall first. The city also says it does not enforce subdivision restrictions; those are a private matter between owners, so read your deed.

Asked which building code it uses, the city FAQ lists the 1999 Southern Building Code. We confirm the current code with the city's building inspector at the start of each project.

Outside the city

Hawkins County's own website states it plainly: the county does not issue building permits, all building permits are issued through the State of Tennessee, and the county has no zoning restrictions or code enforcement. In practice that means a barndo on county land goes through the State Fire Marshal's Office residential permit program, which uses the 2018 International Residential Code with amendments and requires foundation, rough-in and final inspections. No county zoning does not mean no rules. Septic, electrical, state driveway access and any floodplain approval are still separate.

River bottom versus hillside

The city lies above the Holston River, and the Holston Army Ammunition Plant sits southeast of town across the river. Bottomland close to the river is the place to check flood maps first. Up on the rolling hills, the question becomes slope and drainage. Soils on stream terraces and foot slopes in Tennessee's ridge and valley include the Etowah series, which the USDA describes as very deep, well drained and moderately permeable, formed in alluvium or colluvium often over limestone. Ground like that tends to be friendly for a slab and a drainfield, but every lot needs its own check.

Septic and sewer

In town, sewer may be available, and the city requires a sewer permit when it is. In the county, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation evaluates the site and issues the septic permit, and processing can take up to 45 days from a complete application.

Typical Church Hill projects

• A barndominium with an integrated shop, to stay within the one-accessory-building rule in town
• A farm-style barndo on county acreage with a separate hay or equipment barn
• A two-story steel-frame home oriented for Bays Mountain views
• A shop house off US 11W with a drive-through bay

Call (423) 607-8447 or

Get a Free Estimate

to talk about a barndominium near Church Hill.