Is your lot eligible?
All four must be true, per the Metro DADU page:
- The zoning district shows DADUs as permitted with conditions ("PC") in the land use table.
- The lot is in the Urban Services District, a DADU overlay in the General Services District, or a UDO or SP that has DADU standards (SP and UDO lots need Planning approval).
- The lot meets its district's minimum lot area.
- There is one single-family main house and no other principal structure.
In a historic overlay the Historic Zoning Commission enforces setbacks, size and design, and a separate preservation permit is needed; see Nashville historic overlay rules.
The limits
| Rule | Metro Nashville DADU standard |
|---|---|
| Living space | 700 sq ft (lot under 10,000 sq ft) / 850 sq ft (lot 10,000 sq ft or more); never larger than the main house |
| Footprint | Not larger than the main house's; other accessory buildings capped at 200 sq ft once a DADU is on the lot |
| Eave height | No higher than the main house's; 10 ft one story, 17 ft two stories |
| Ridge height | Below the main house's ridge and at most 27 ft |
| Setbacks (rear, footprint 850 sq ft or less) | Side: half the district setback, at least 3 ft; rear: 3 ft, or 10 ft when garage doors face an alley |
| Setbacks (footprint over 850 sq ft) | Full district setbacks |
| Never over | An easement, a platted setback or a corner-lot street setback |
| Design | Match the main house's style, materials, color, roof form and pitch; dormers at most 50% of the roof and 2 ft back from the wall |
| Ownership | Same owner as the main house; one of the two owner-occupied |
| Short-term rental | No owner-occupied STR in a new or converted DADU on single-family, RN or RL lots |
What it means when you hire
- The contractor applies. "A property owner is not permitted to pull a self-permit to construct a DADU or to renovate an existing garage into a DADU." The page says a registered contractor must submit the application, so confirm the builder is registered with Metro Codes and check its state license before you pay for drawings.
- Let the examiner set the reviews. Metro tells applicants "Do not seek to determine what reviews and approvals are required on your own": a zoning examiner reviews the application and issues the checklist, and fees are paid after all sign-offs.
- Drawings the builder must supply: site plan, elevations from four corners, and a floor plan showing the living-space and design conditions in Metro Code 17.16.030 G(7).
- Utilities. Call Tennessee 811 three working days before digging, and contact Metro Stormwater if the footprint increases.
- Fake fees. Metro warns that scams impersonating planning and zoning staff to collect fees have increased; pay only through ePermits or the Codes office.
What 407 Nashville ADU permits show
| Measure | Nashville backyard units |
|---|---|
| Permits, September 2023 to September 2026 | 407 |
| Firms / active in the last 12 months | 256 / 141 |
| Usual filed value | $114,788 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value (28 firms) | $103,120 to $127,315 |
| Firms with exactly one ADU permit | 186 (72.7%) |
| Share held by the five busiest firms | 12.3% |
| Firms matched to an active license | 64.8% |
| Busiest / quietest month | June (139) / December (59) |
This is a market of one-off builders: 72.7% of firms filed a single ADU permit and only 1 filed ten or more. The middle half of repeat builders file in a tight band, $103,120 to $127,315, so a bid far outside it should come with a reason. Ask a builder for the addresses of DADUs it has finished and look them up in Metro's permit search. Prices by firm: Nashville ADU cost; counts by year: Nashville permit statistics.
See every Nashville DADU builder by permits filed →
Related
The basics: what is an ADU and ADU construction cost. Licensing: Nashville contractor license lookup; older permits: Nashville building permit search. Compare builders on the Nashville ADU list.
What this does not tell you
Nashville permits in our file carry no final-inspection status, so we cannot say how many DADUs were finished. Filed values are the applicant's estimate and leave out design, utility and site costs. Metro's page lists no fee amounts; the zoning examiner's checklist sets them.
How we know this
Eligibility, size, height, setback, design, ownership and permit rules are quoted or summarized from Metro Codes' Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit page (last updated 22 December 2025), read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are Metro Nashville building permits classified as backyard units (ADU), September 2023 to September 2026.
Numbers come from Metro Nashville (Davidson County) building and trade permits, data through September 21, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How big can a DADU be in Nashville?
700 sq ft of living space on lots under 10,000 sq ft, and 850 sq ft on lots of 10,000 sq ft or more, and never larger than the main house. The footprint cannot exceed the main house's footprint (Metro Codes DADU page, updated December 2025).
- Can I build a DADU anywhere in Nashville?
No. The zoning district must allow DADUs with conditions, and the lot must be in the Urban Services District, a DADU overlay in the General Services District, or a UDO or Specific Plan with DADU standards. Only one DADU per lot, and only with a single main house.
- Can a homeowner pull a DADU permit in Nashville?
No. Metro says a property owner may not self-permit a new DADU or a garage conversion into one; a registered contractor must apply. On an already-permitted DADU, the owner can pull permits for work up to $25,000.
- Does a Nashville DADU have to be owner-occupied?
Yes. The DADU and the main house must have the same owner, and one of the two must be owner-occupied. A newly built or converted DADU on single-family, RN or RL lots cannot be an owner-occupied short-term rental.
- How much does a DADU cost in Nashville?
Nashville ADU permits were usually filed at $114,788, and the middle half of firms with three or more usually file between $103,120 and $127,315 (407 permits, September 2023 to September 2026).
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Nashville historic overlay rules: what needs a preservation permit, and what it means for your contractor
- Bellingham ADU rules under the 2025 interim ordinance: two per lot, 1,000 sq ft, no owner occupancy, and what ADU permits show
- Can an unpermitted ADU be legalized? California's AB 2533 rule, and what it costs and takes
- Denver ADU rules since citywide ADUs: owner occupancy, the licensed-contractor rule, and what ADU permits were filed at
- Do I need a permit for an ADU in San Diego? The building permit, size and parking rules, fees and the 30-day plan route
For one city
- Hiring a plumber in Nashville: the master plumber's certificate, the permit, and what 27,000 plumbing permits show
- Hiring an electrician in Nashville: the master's certificate, the state license, and what 50,000 electrical permits show
- Nashville building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit — Metro Nashville Codes, Building Permits Central (updated 2025-12-22, accessed 2026-10-23)