Community Highlights
A quick view of what defines Maury County land.
What land is for sale in Maury County right now?
These are the land and lot listings in Maury County from the MLS, updated automatically.
Selling land in Maury County? I’ll tell you what it’s worth. Land doesn’t price like a house. Road frontage, soils, zoning and greenbelt status all move the number. Send me the parcel and I’ll tell you what I think it’s worth and why. DM me, text or call 615-392-1186, or start on my home evaluation page.
Do Maury County’s rules apply to every tract?
Maury County’s zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations apply to land outside city limits, in the county’s own land-use jurisdiction. Inside Columbia or Spring Hill, the city’s zoning and subdivision rules apply instead. So the first question on any tract is whether it sits inside a city.
A Columbia or Spring Hill mailing address doesn’t settle it. Look the parcel up on the county’s interactive zoning map, linked from the Maury County Building and Zoning page, and ask the listing agent for the tax map and parcel number. For the cities themselves, start with my Columbia guide or my Spring Hill guide.
What zoning districts apply to rural land in Maury County?
Rural land in unincorporated Maury County falls mostly in three districts under the zoning ordinance effective January 1, 2026: AP, RR and RG. Here’s what each district’s own table sets for homes:
| Standard | AP: Agricultural Preservation | RR: Residential Rural | RG: Residential General |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum lot area | 15 acres | 5 acres | 1 acre |
| Minimum lot width | 300 feet | 100 feet | 100 feet |
| Minimum public road frontage | Not listed in the AP table | 200 feet | 100 feet |
| Dwelling units per lot, max | 2 | 2 | 1 under 5 acres, 2 at 5 acres or more |
| Front, side, rear setbacks | 100, 30, 50 feet | 75, 20 (50 to a side street), 30 feet | 40, 20 (30 to a side street), 30 feet |
| Lot coverage, max | 10% | 30% | 30% |
The ordinance’s translation table moved every parcel zoned A-1 (Agricultural Forestry), A-2 and A-2A (Rural Residential) or R-1 (Suburban Residential) under the old zoning resolution into RG. AP and RR are new districts that the county applies parcel by parcel, not by default. The planning commission’s April 27, 2026 agenda carried three owner requests to rezone farms from RG to AP, so check the current map, not an old listing sheet.
Where two homes share a lot, the RR and RG tables say they can be in one building with a fire wall or in two buildings at least 40 feet apart. The county’s 2026 building permit packet repeats the RG version: up to two dwellings on an unsubdivided lot of at least 5 acres, no closer than 40 feet.
How big does a lot need to be without sewer in Maury County?
In Maury County, the district minimums above assume sanitary sewer. Section 3.1.4(A) of the zoning ordinance says a lot without sewer service has to meet the district minimum or the size TDEC requires, whichever is greater. Section 3.1.4(B) adds that a septic system and its disposal field have to sit on the same lot as the home they serve, never on another lot or in an easement.
The subdivision regulations say the same thing from the other side. Under Section 4-107.3, when lots rely on individual septic systems, lot areas have to meet TDEC’s requirements, soil tests are run as TDEC directs, and the planning commission can prohibit soil absorption fields where high groundwater, flooding or poor soils would keep them from working.
Who approves septic systems in Maury County?
TDEC’s Division of Water Resources approves septic systems in Maury County. Maury isn’t one of the nine “contract counties” that run their own septic programs (Williamson is one; Maury isn’t). The county’s building permit packet, revised September 28, 2026, asks for a septic tank permit from TDEC’s office at 1421 Hampshire Pike in Columbia, 931-380-3371, before it issues a home permit.
What that means when you’re buying:
- Ask the seller for any existing septic permit, soils map or TDEC inspection letter for the tract.
- If there isn’t one, make your offer contingent on a TDEC septic permit for the size of house you want.
- Don’t start a driveway, clear a house pad or move dirt first. TDEC says a septic permit should always come before any dirt work or construction, including the building pad.
- If the soils won’t take a conventional system, TDEC requires an extra-high intensity soils map from a Tennessee-licensed soils consultant before it will evaluate the site for an alternative system.
Selling land in Maury County?
Acreage doesn’t price like a house. Whether the tract is zoned AP, RR or RG, how much public road frontage it has, whether the soil will pass for septic, whether it can be split and what greenbelt rollback would cost a buyer all move the number. Send me the parcel and I’ll tell you what similar tracts have sold for and what a buyer is going to check first.
DM, text or call me at 615-392-1186 with the address or parcel ID, or start a value request here.
Can you split land in Maury County?
Yes, but plan on a plat in Maury County. The county’s building permit packet says that if a piece smaller than 5 acres is split off a larger tract, a Tennessee-licensed surveyor has to prepare a minor plat, the planning commission has to approve it, and it has to be recorded with the Register of Deeds before a home permit is issued for the new lot.
The subdivision regulations (latest revisions effective November 24, 2025) sort splits three ways:
| Type | What it covers | Who approves |
|---|---|---|
| Administratively approved | No more than 2 lots, and the 2 lots have to be the whole property. Only one every 12 months from the same parent parcel. | County staff, who can send it to the planning commission |
| Minor | 3 to 5 lots fronting an existing public road, with no new road or public improvements | Planning commission |
| Major | 6 or more lots, or any size that needs a new or improved road, public improvements, or contains a flood-prone area | Planning commission, preliminary then final plat |
Two details catch people. First, Maury County’s definition of a subdivision outside city limits covers “any division of five (5) acres or less,” while the state statute reads “less than five (5) acres.” A tract of exactly 5 acres is where you ask the Building and Zoning office before you assume anything. Second, the planning commission’s own advisory says even splits into tracts of 5 acres or more may need its approval, and that the county won’t issue a building permit on a tract whose access doesn’t meet the rules. Call the Maury County Regional Planning Commission office at 931-375-3003, and talk to a real estate attorney about how the deed describes any new tract.
How much road frontage or access does a Maury County lot need?
A Maury County lot needs at least 200 feet of public road frontage in RR and 100 feet in RG, per the 2026 zoning tables. Where a tract reaches the road through a private driveway easement instead, the subdivision regulations set three limits:
- The easement has to be at least 25 feet wide for its whole length.
- It can serve no more than 2 lots or tracts.
- It isn’t allowed at all for a subdivision of 3 or more lots.
The plat has to show the easement and carry a note that it runs with the land and is maintained on a shared basis by the lots it serves. Flag lots, with a narrow stem out to the road, aren’t permitted unless the planning commission waives the rule for unusual conditions, and the stem doesn’t count toward the minimum lot area.
A new driveway onto a county road needs approval from the Maury County Highway Department, 931-375-6203. On a state route, it’s TDOT, 615-350-4300.
What water and stream rules apply to Maury County land?
Maury County’s building permit packet asks for proof of a water tap or water source for each new home, from either the Maury County Water System (931-381-8900) or Columbia Power and Water Systems (931-375-7627). Ask which one serves the road your tract is on, whether a line runs along your frontage and what a tap costs.
Wells are allowed in some cases. Under Section 4-106.2 of the subdivision regulations, a residential subdivision where every lot is 5 acres or larger and homes sit at least 200 feet apart can be served by wells or public water.
Streams and ponds carry their own setbacks. In AP, RR and RG, the zoning ordinance’s Table 5-17 keeps buildings at least 20 feet from a pond, stream, sinkhole or similar water feature, and at least 50 feet from the Duck River or any waterway TDEC lists as impaired.
How do you check Maury County land for flooding?
Look the parcel up on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center before you make an offer, then look at where you’d actually build. Maury County takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program, has a Floodplain Overlay district (FP-O) in its 2026 zoning ordinance and posts a Flood Plain Development Permit form on its Building and Zoning page. The building permit packet notes that a home in a designated flood hazard zone may need a certified minimum first floor elevation, and any subdivision containing a flood-prone area is a major subdivision.
What happens to greenbelt when you buy Maury County land?
Tennessee’s greenbelt law, the Agricultural, Forest and Open Space Land Act of 1976, lets qualifying land be taxed on its current use instead of market value. Agricultural land has to be at least 15 acres, including woodlands and wastelands, and either be a working farm unit or meet a 25-year family farming test. Forest land needs at least 15 acres. Open space land needs at least 3 acres and a planning designation or a qualifying easement.
Four things matter when you buy greenbelt land, per the Tennessee Comptroller’s Greenbelt Handbook (revised May 2025):
- You have to apply in your own name. A change in ownership means a new application, due to the assessor by March 15, or the land is disqualified.
- Rollback taxes come due when land is disqualified. They recapture the taxes saved: the last three years for agricultural and forest land, the last five for open space.
- When a sale disqualifies the land, the seller is liable for rollback taxes unless a written contract or statute says otherwise. If the buyer declares in writing an intent to keep the greenbelt use and then doesn’t file within 90 days of the sale, rollback becomes the buyer’s.
- Rollback taxes are a first lien on the land, whoever owes them personally.
Split a 20-acre greenbelt farm into 5-acre tracts and, on its own, each tract is under the 15-acre agricultural minimum. Ask the Maury County Assessor of Property before you close, and get the rollback language into the contract.
Property tax figures are the county and city rates published for the year shown and are for planning only. Your actual bill depends on the assessed value, any exemptions and the city or district the home sits in. Confirm with the county assessor or trustee and your tax professional before you rely on a number.
What does it cost to get a building permit on Maury County land?
Maury County charges a New Development Tax of $1.50 per square foot of heated and cooled space on new residential construction, effective November 1, 2024, per the county’s building permit packet revised September 28, 2026. On a 2,500-square-foot home that’s $3,750, paid by separate check from the building permit fee. The permit fee itself is figured on the home’s square footage under roof.
Property tax figures are the county and city rates published for the year shown and are for planning only. Your actual bill depends on the assessed value, any exemptions and the city or district the home sits in. Confirm with the county assessor or trustee and your tax professional before you rely on a number.
What should you check before you make an offer on Maury County land?
- Confirm the parcel is outside city limits, and pull its zone district from the county’s 2026 zoning map.
- Measure the public road frontage on every tract you’d create against the district’s minimum.
- If access is by easement, confirm it’s at least 25 feet wide and serves no more than 2 lots.
- Make the offer contingent on a TDEC septic permit, or get the seller’s existing permit and soils map.
- Ask which water utility serves the road, or whether a well is allowed.
- Look up the flood map and the stream setbacks for the house site.
- Ask the assessor whether the land is in greenbelt, and write rollback responsibility into the contract.
- Talk to a real estate attorney about the deed, any easements and whether your split needs a plat.
Buying in Williamson County instead? My guide to buying land in College Grove covers Williamson’s rules, which differ from Maury’s on nearly every point above. For the county as a whole, see my Maury County guide.
Schools In The Area
What else do people ask about land in Maury County?
What is the minimum lot size in Maury County, TN?
It depends on the zone district. Under the zoning ordinance effective January 1, 2026, the minimum is 15 acres in AP, 5 acres in RR and 1 acre in RG. A lot without sewer has to meet the district minimum or TDEC’s septic requirement, whichever is greater.
What happened to A-1 and A-2 zoning in Maury County?
The 2026 zoning ordinance moved land zoned A-1, A-2, A-2A and R-1 under the old resolution into the new RG district. AP and RR are new districts the county applies parcel by parcel.
Do I need planning commission approval to split land in Maury County?
Usually. The county’s building permit packet says splitting off a piece smaller than 5 acres needs a minor plat approved by the planning commission and recorded before a home permit is issued. The planning commission’s advisory says even splits into tracts of 5 acres or more may need approval, so call the office at 931-375-3003 first.
Who issues septic permits in Maury County?
TDEC’s Division of Water Resources, at 1421 Hampshire Pike in Columbia, 931-380-3371. Maury County isn’t a TDEC contract county, so the county doesn’t run its own septic program.
How wide does a private driveway easement need to be in Maury County?
At least 25 feet wide for its whole length, and it can serve no more than 2 lots. Easement access isn’t allowed for a subdivision of 3 or more lots.
Can I put two houses on one lot in Maury County?
In AP and RR, up to two dwelling units are allowed per lot. In RG, two are allowed only on a lot of 5 acres or more. The two homes have to be in one building with a fire wall or in separate buildings at least 40 feet apart.
What happens to greenbelt when land is sold in Tennessee?
The new owner has to apply in their own name by March 15 or the land is disqualified. If a sale disqualifies the land, the seller owes the rollback taxes unless a written contract says otherwise, and rollback taxes are a first lien on the land.
Can you buy land with a VA loan in Tennessee?
Not bare land by itself. A VA-guaranteed loan has to tie to a home you’ll live in, so it can buy land that already has a home on it, or a lot plus the home you build on it with a VA construction loan. More on what works in my guide to using a VA loan for new construction.
Maury County Guides and Advice
More of my guides for buying and selling nearby.
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