Rutherford County Planning & Engineering Department

Site Plan Review, Commercial Land Disturbance and Board of Zoning Appeals

As published on the Rutherford County Planning & Engineering Fees Schedule page (fees effective July 1, 2023), a site plan costs a $750 base fee plus $0.10 per square foot of non-residential building area, land disturbance and grading for commercial site plans costs a $1,000 base fee plus $250 per acre, and a Board of Zoning Appeals variance or special exception costs $750 (an administrative appeal is $250). These apply to new business sites and changes of use in unincorporated Rutherford County under the County Zoning Resolution; each city runs its own planning and zoning. The county's Commercial Permits page states that a business license from the County Clerk's Office 'does not automatically approve your location for a business activity', so a location's zoning approval is a separate step. Contact Planning at 615-898-7730 or Engineering at 615-898-7732, 1 South Public Square, Room 200, Murfreesboro.