Building in Springfield
Springfield is the county seat of Robertson County, with 18,782 residents at the 2020 Census, about 25 miles north of downtown Nashville. We build patios, fire pits, walkways, retaining walls, decks and fences there. Springfield is one of the easier cities around Nashville for small projects, because its Building and Codes Department on North Main Street leaves a lot of common work off the permit list.
What doesn’t need a permit
According to the city’s permit guide, fences up to 7 feet, retaining walls of 4 feet or less, sidewalks and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade, and one-story sheds of 200 square feet or less can all be built without a building permit. A deck needs one only once it stands more than 30 inches off the ground. Zoning still applies, though: the ordinance caps walls and fences at 6 feet in any yard, and on a corner lot nothing between 2½ and 10 feet tall can stand within 50 feet of the corner.
Pergolas, sheds and garages
Arbors and trellises can go in any yard. Detached garages and storage buildings stay out of the front yard and 5 feet from the side and rear lines, and anything over 200 square feet needs a permit. A pavilion over a patio is planned with that setback from the start.
Driveways
A driveway that connects to a public street needs a permit from the city engineer under section 16-209 of the city code, even though the building permit isn’t required.
Fences in the historic district
On streets in the Springfield Residential Historic District, a fence facing the street needs a certificate of appropriateness from the Springfield Historic Preservation Commission. The guidelines call for front-yard fences between 42 and 48 inches, allow side fences up to 6 feet and rule out chain link in front. Work that doesn’t face a street isn’t reviewed.
Sources
- City of Springfield, “Do I need a permit?” — fences, decks, retaining walls, sheds, driveways
- City of Springfield, Building and Codes
- Springfield Code of Ordinances, zoning Appendix A — A-801 sight triangle and front yards, A-806 fences and accessory buildings, A-513 historic district, 16-209 driveways, 2-601 historic commission
- Springfield, Tennessee (Wikipedia) — 2020 Census population