Barndominium Builders in Maryville, TN

Barndominium builders in Maryville plan around some of the most varied land in East Tennessee. Maryville is the seat of Blount County, sits at about 981 feet in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, and grew from 27,465 residents in 2010 to 31,907 in 2020. Alcoa borders it on the north as its twin city, Chilhowee Mountain rises to the south, and Lamar Alexander Parkway heads east toward Townsend and the national park. The rolling ground between town and the mountains offers a wide range of lot types for a barndominium with a shop.

Two landscapes in one county

Blount County covers 567 square miles, and Chilhowee Mountain, a long narrow ridge across the middle of the county, marks the geologic line between the Blue Ridge to the south and the Ridge-and-Valley country to the north. North of that line you find elongated ridges and valleys much like Knox County. South of it the ground climbs toward the Smokies, whose crest forms the North Carolina border and tops out at Thunderhead Mountain, 5,527 feet. In between are isolated coves such as Tuckaleechee Cove at Townsend and Millers Cove at Walland.

That split shapes a barndominium plan. A valley parcel near Maryville may allow a simple slab and a long gable building. A foothill parcel closer to Chilhowee Mountain more often calls for a stepped foundation, a walkout level, or a narrower footprint set along the contour.

Preparing a rural lot for the septic evaluator

Most acreage outside town relies on a septic system. Tennessee's TDEC septic FAQ lays out how a site evaluation works, and it is worth doing right the first time:

• Mow or bush-hog the grass and brush around the house site and the areas to be evaluated.
• Stake the property corners and the house pad, with intermediate stakes no more than 200 feet apart on long property lines.
• Do not cut, fill or otherwise disturb the soil as part of preparing for the visit.

The state's environmental scientist may ask for a detailed site plan or a soils map from a private soil consultant, and processing can take up to 45 days after a complete application. Because the system is sized to the house, we settle the bedroom count with you before that application goes in. We also confirm with the Blount County office which agency handles the evaluation for your parcel.

Permits: city, county or state

A lot inside Maryville city limits and a lot out in unincorporated Blount County can fall under different offices. Tennessee's State Fire Marshal's Office has adopted the 2018 International Residential Code for areas where it issues residential permits, and it is clear that its permit is a building permit only: it does not cover grading or fill, floodplain compliance, septic or sewer, electrical, or zoning approval. Those pieces each need their own sign-off. Before we finalize drawings we confirm which building office reviews your parcel and what it requires.

Foothill weather

Maryville is mild most of the year. July averages run from about 69 F at night to 87 F in the afternoon, and January from about 29 F to 46 F. That warm, humid summer pattern is why we treat insulation and air sealing as structural decisions on a steel building, not finish details. The National Weather Service office in Morristown lists Blount County among the counties in its tornado appendix and names April as the peak month for tornadoes in its area.

Creeks and the Little River

The Little River flows north out of the Smokies through central Blount County, and the old Cherokee village of Elajay stood where Ellejoy Creek meets it. River and creek bottoms make attractive building sites, but they are also the places to check flood maps before setting floor elevations or a shop slab.

Barndo styles that suit this land

Shop houses with a large bay for equipment, two-story barndos that take advantage of a view, and hillside designs that tuck a garage under the living space all suit Blount County ground. The land is worked out first and the floor plan second.

Call (865) 273-0759 or

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to talk about your Maryville or Blount County property.