ADU Pass
Springfield
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Springfield, Robertson County, Tennessee navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: with-restrictions
Springfield permits accessory dwellings as a CUP rather than a by-right use in most single-family districts. Pathway: zoning verification, CUP application to BZA/Planning, then building permit through Building & Codes (405 N Main St; +1-615-382-2200).
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 250 | $600 | $56,250 | $56,850 |
| midpoint | 600 | $850 | $135,000 | $135,850 |
| maximum | 1,000 | $1,300 | $225,000 | $226,300 |
Fee breakdown
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes 30+day rental of ADU permitted once CUP is granted and CO issued.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions Springfield does not publish a dedicated STR ordinance; STR generally allowed as a permitted use in residential districts subject to business-tax license, but CUP conditions on the underlying ADU may restrict STR.
- Office rental: no ADU is residential by definition; commercial-office tenancy requires rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted in residential districts under standard limits.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist/workshop use permitted as accessory residential use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Tobacco country - Robertson County is one of TN's largest dark-fired-tobacco producers. Within Springfield city limits, agricultural use is constrained to residential gardening; limited backyard livestock by district.
- Relative support: yes Multigenerational ADU is a common rationale for CUP approval in Springfield.
Utilities
- Water: City of Springfield Water Department (Red River source) · 21d connect · $2,400
- Sewer: City of Springfield Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $3,600
- Electric: Springfield Electric Power Board (SEPB) - TVA wholesale · 14d connect · $1,300
- Gas: Atmos Energy · 21d connect · $1,100
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 8mo · typical 12mo · worst 18mo
Financing
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Springfield's older neighborhoods are largely fee-simple; newer subdivisions north and east of downtown carry HOAs that may restrict accessory dwellings.
Regulatory overlays (2)
- flood-zone — Red River SFHA Zones AE/A through Springfield; tributaries (Sulphur Fork) carry AE; FEMA Map 47147C · +14d · +7% cost
Lowest-finished-floor elevation requirements apply along the Red River and Sulphur Fork. (map) - historic-district — Springfield Downtown / Court Square Historic District (NRHP-listed); Tobacco Warehouse District · +14d · +6% cost
Historic district overlay can apply to ADUs in the downtown core; tobacco-warehouse adaptive-reuse projects may use 9th-floor ADU concept under specific approvals. (map)
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: Springfield Municipal Code Title 14 - Zoning and Land Use Control, adopted 2000-01-01, last amended 2018-02-20
- 1989-03-20 — Robertson County Zoning Resolution adoption (county-ordinance)
Original countywide zoning resolution.
Effect: Establishes the unincorporated baseline; ADU treated under accessory-building / CUP framework, not a dedicated ADU regime. - 2018-02-20 — Springfield Municipal Code Title 14 most-recent published update (city-ordinance)
Title 14 (Zoning and Land Use Control) consolidated edition published through MTAS.
Effect: Operative zoning text for city-limit parcels in Springfield. - 2021-01-01 — Robertson County Zoning Resolution 2021 revision (county-ordinance)
Most recent comprehensive republication of the county zoning resolution.
Effect: Operative county zoning text for unincorporated parcels.
Known issues (1)
- documentation-gap (since 2018-02) — Springfield's online municipal code last published through MTAS in 2018-02-20; recent ordinance amendments may not appear in the consolidated PDF. Always cross-check with Community Development staff at +1-615-382-2200 for the operative text. (source)
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Code
- 37172
Post Office
- 800 Willow St, 37172