Barndominium Builders in Jonesborough, TN

Barndominium builders in Jonesborough are building next to a lot of history. Jonesborough is the county seat of Washington County and Tennessee's oldest town, in Tennessee's oldest county, established in 1777 while the area was still part of North Carolina. The Jonesborough Historic District, listed on the National Register on December 23, 1969, covers 120 acres. Most land suited to a barndominium lies outside that core, on the farms and rolling land around town, but the rules differ depending on which side of the line you are on.

Fast growth for a small town. The census counted 5,051 people in 2010 and 5,860 in 2020, and the 2025 estimate is 6,990. That is a big jump for a small town, and it shows how many families want to live near the old town with some land of their own.

The historic district

In the Historic District, zoned H-1, Historic Zoning Commission approval is required before building, demolishing or making any exterior change. That approval comes as a Certificate of Appropriateness, which you get by placing the project on the commission's agenda. A metal-sided barndo inside H-1 would be a hard sell. Outside the district, the question becomes the zoning on your parcel, which the town shows on its zoning map.

Town permits and grading

The town's building inspector issues building permits and inspects new work to 2018 ICC code requirements, including the 2018 International Residential Code. A few local details matter for barndominium owners:

• A grading permit covers excavation, filling and complete vegetation removal (gardening and farming excepted).
• Developing land over one acre requires a drainage and sedimentation control plan approved by TDEC.
• Storage buildings over 200 square feet need a permit, so a detached shop does too.
• Electrical inspections go through outside providers or the state's online system, and gas inspections through Atmos Energy.

Outside town limits

Most acreage around Jonesborough is in unincorporated Washington County. There, Tennessee's State Residential Building Code Enforcement Program can apply to one- and two-family homes, using the 2018 IRC and 2018 energy code. The state permit is not needed for detached barns or sheds, but a barndominium people live in is a dwelling and is permitted as one.

Soil born right here

The Dunmore soil series takes its name and type location from Washington County, about 0.3 mile west of Dunkard Church. It is well drained, formed in limestone residuum on uplands, sits on slopes of 2 to 50 percent and keeps limestone bedrock below 60 inches. It covers more than 200,000 acres in Tennessee, and pasture and hay are its main uses, which fits the farm country around town. For a slab or pier foundation, we plan for clayey subsoil, good compaction and water routed away from the building.

Septic and rural lots

Without sewer, a septic permit from the state comes first. A TDEC environmental scientist evaluates the site, the four corners of the house pad are staked for the visit, and processing can take up to 45 days once the application is complete. We size the barndo and place it where the drain field can fit.

Rivers on either side

The Nolichucky River flows through the southern part of Washington County and the Watauga through the northern part. Jonesborough sits between them in Ridge-and-Valley country, with the Blue Ridge to the east. Creek-side and river-bottom parcels get a flood-zone check before design.

Barndominium ideas for Jonesborough land

Farmhouse-style barndos with wraparound porches, shop houses for equipment, and barndominiums with an attached barn or workshop on small acreage. Call (423) 607-8447 or

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