Paver walkway with wide stone steps and path lights leading to a front porch

Wilson County · 15 miles from downtown Nashville

Patios, walls, decks and fences in Mt. Juliet

Hardscapes, decks and fences across Mt. Juliet, from Providence to the shore of Old Hickory Lake, 15 miles east of Nashville.

Request an Estimate

Building in Mt. Juliet

Mt. Juliet incorporated in 1972 and had grown to 45,172 residents by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Its 2016 land use plan divides the city into planning areas such as Providence, Cedar Creek and Nonaville. We build patios, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, retaining walls, decks and fences in all of them.

Fences and walls

The city’s Building and Codes Department on Clemmons Road doesn’t require a building permit for a fence up to 7 feet, and the Land Development Code allows walls and fences up to 6 feet in any yard; zoning review for fences runs through Planning and Zoning. On a corner lot, nothing between 2½ and 10 feet tall can block the view within 35 feet of the intersection. Retaining walls up to 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, skip the permit unless they hold up a driveway, a slope or some other load above them.

Decks and outbuildings

A deck, pool, arbor or storage building needs a permit. Detached accessory buildings go in the rear yard, 5 feet from the side and rear lines and up to 20 feet tall in most residential districts. Putting one in a front or side yard takes a conditional use from the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Homes on Old Hickory Lake

On Old Hickory Lake, the shoreline below the government property line belongs to the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the city’s approval doesn’t stand in for the Corps’. Steps or a path to the water, clearing brush and planting on that strip all need a Corps shoreline permit. A patio, wall or fire pit goes on your side of the line.

Sources

What we build in Mt. Juliet

Everything for a Mt. Juliet yard

  1. 01 Paver & Brick Patios
  2. 02 Retaining Walls
  3. 03 Decks
  4. 04 Fences
  5. 05 Fire Pits & Outdoor Fireplaces
  6. 06 Brick & Stone Walls
  7. 07 Walkways & Steps
  8. 08 Driveways
  9. 09 Outdoor Kitchens
  10. 10 Pergolas, Pavilions & Patio Covers
  11. 11 Outdoor Lighting

Answers

Mt. Juliet questions

Do I need a permit for a fence in Mt. Juliet?

Not a building permit, for fences up to 7 feet. Mt. Juliet’s Land Development Code allows walls and fences up to 6 feet in any yard, and Planning and Zoning reviews fences. On a corner, nothing between 2½ and 10 feet tall can block the 35-foot sight triangle at the intersection.

Does a retaining wall need a permit in Mt. Juliet?

Not up to 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing, unless it’s surcharged, meaning it holds up a driveway, a slope or another load above it. Taller or surcharged walls need a permit from Building and Codes, and they’re usually designed by an engineer because of the extra weight.

Can I build steps down to Old Hickory Lake from my Mt. Juliet yard?

Only with a Corps of Engineers shoreline permit. Below the government property line the land belongs to the Corps, and steps go only to an approved dock, at most 5 feet wide, from certified plans. Mt. Juliet’s city permit doesn’t replace the Corps approval, and retaining walls aren’t allowed on Corps land.

Where can a pavilion or shed go in Mt. Juliet?

In the rear yard, 5 feet from the side and rear lines and up to 20 feet tall in most residential districts. A deck, pool, arbor or storage building needs a permit. Putting an accessory building in a front or side yard takes a conditional use from the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Request an Estimate

Tell us what you’d like to build

Tell us what you’d like built and the street in Mt. Juliet, and whether the lot is on the lake.

Where your message goes and what the site keeps: our privacy policy.

Call Request an Estimate