The ACC path before you buy or break ground

The Blue Book says the ACC is required to respond in writing within 45 days of receiving a permit application. It then says the decision period for any step does not begin until the applicable fees and all required applications and design documents have been received. Record the first-delivery date and the ACC's written completeness date separately. 1

The public records give different meeting descriptions. The Blue Book says the ACC meets on the first Thursday of each month when practical. The public FAQ says formal reviews are held on the first and third Thursdays. That FAQ was last modified in August 2023 and links a Blue Book file named for March 2022 that returned 404 when checked on September 19, 2026. This page does not choose between them. Obtain the current calendar, cutoff and location from the ACC. 2

The handbook says new homes must be reviewed and approved by the ACC before groundbreaking or tree removal, except work allowed by a Minor Lot Clearing Permit. Construction cannot begin until the applicant has both the ACC building permit and the building permit issued by Loudon County or TRDA, as applicable. 1

ACC staff checks consistency with the approved plans, permit and Blue Book. The handbook says those site compliance checks are not building-code inspections. Do not use an ACC approval as evidence that the project satisfies code, and do not use a county or TRDA permit as evidence that the ACC approved design, placement, materials, drainage or appearance.

The new-home path runs from the current packet and plans through completeness review, site evaluation, an ACC meeting, the written decision, financial assurance, outside permits, construction changes and final compliance. The contractor with knowledge of all project elements must attend the meeting where the permit application is considered. If that contractor is absent, the application is automatically denied without prejudice and rescheduled for the next meeting. 1

The four decision types are approved as submitted, approved with stipulations, denied without prejudice and denied. The handbook calls the written decision, marked application and marked design documents the sole source of reference for ACC approval. Keep the complete marked set. Do not treat an oral statement or someone else's summary email as approval.

The survey and plot plan must show property lines, lot corners, easements, setbacks, utilities, topography, elevations, the proposed house and other improvements. Recorded subdivision-plat setback lines control. The handbook also describes a utility-easement strip of at least 7.5 feet along lot lines while warning that some plats show larger easements. 1

Reconcile the deed, recorded plat and amendments, current field survey, every setback and easement, proposed footprint and roof overhangs, driveway, utilities, exterior work, drainage plan and any prior variance. An approved setback modification must be placed in a signed, notarized written variance and recorded in the county where the lot sits.

The plot-plan requirements call for a stamped civil engineer's drainage plan where required and a later engineer's letter verifying that required elements were installed correctly. Ask where water is intended to go and which swales or easements must remain open.

Only lots designated on recorded plats as having shoreline privileges may submit a shoreline package. Improvements below the 820-foot contour require permits. After ACC review and approval, the applications go to the Tennessee Valley Authority and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before construction. 1

Shoreline improvements other than riprap or seawalls are not allowed before an approved home permit, and the shoreline package may be submitted with the home application or afterward. Riprap and seawalls still need their own shoreline permit and TVA and Army Corps approvals; the exception is to the sequence only. Tree cutting, vegetation clearing and landscaping below the contour also require prior TVA approval.

Covered exterior changes to an approved home, shoreline project or miscellaneous project must be submitted to and approved by the ACC before the change is made. During new-home construction, work must stop on the affected aspect until the Permit Change Request is approved. 1

Keep one change log with each revised drawing, cost, schedule effect, submission date and written decision. A field conversation does not change the approved set.

A single-family dwelling must begin no later than 45 days after the ACC permit is issued. Missing that date voids the approval, forfeits the permit fee and requires a new complete application. The violations table identifies one 15-day start extension with the ACC Administrator's approval. It is not automatic. 1

The exterior should be substantially complete within six months. The interior, exterior, final grading, drainage and basic ground cover must be finished within 12 months. The table says a reasonable extension of the 12-month completion deadline may be obtained for cause. Do not schedule as though either extension is already granted.

Keep the public-code final inspection and Certificate of Occupancy, ACC Final Compliance Review, ACC occupancy authorization, open punch list and release of financial assurance as separate file entries. All non-compliance charges must be paid before the ACC issues its final written compliance review.

The Blue Book points to Section 9 fee schedules and lists Appendix B, ACC Review Fees, in its contents. The public 68-page PDF checked on September 19, 2026 does not contain that appendix. The FAQ does not provide a complete current schedule. The public Forms & Docs and Architectural Control pages required a Main membership, while the openly readable ACC Department page was a phone-only contact stub. 3 4 5

Ask for the current application and fee schedule for the exact project. Record ACC, utility, public-code, engineering, survey, assurance, inspection and reinspection items separately. The public gap does not make the amount zero.

The handbook describes regular compliance checks, written notice, sanctions and permit revocation. Construction must stop after revocation. Reinstatement requires correction, reinspection and a fee equal to a new construction permit. Clear-cutting without the required ACC permit triggers a $2,500 cost-recovery charge in addition to any ACC tree-replacement requirements. 1

Its appeal descriptions contain different short periods for supervisor, ACC and Board review. This page does not decide which route governs a particular notice. Preserve the notice, receipt date and meeting date, and obtain prompt independent Tennessee legal advice when a right or deadline matters.

Obtain the parcel ID, deed, legal description, recorded plat, survey, setbacks, easements, utilities, drainage information, current Blue Book, application, fee schedule, meeting calendar, completeness confirmation, written decision, marked approved set, public permits, financial-assurance documents, change decisions, inspection records, occupancy records and every open violation or punch-list item.

A seller's old approval may be useful history. It is not the buyer's new-home permit or proof that a current design, team and schedule are approved. If the purchase depends on a footprint, shoreline feature, cost or start date, make the written answer a contract condition.

Does the ACC have 45 days from my first submission?

Not necessarily. The Blue Book says the decision period does not begin until applicable fees and all required applications and design documents have been received. Ask the ACC to confirm the completeness date in writing.

Is an ACC permit the same as the public building permit?

No. The handbook treats them as separate approvals and says construction cannot begin until both the ACC permit and the applicable Loudon County or TRDA permit have been obtained.

Can I trust the setback shown in a listing?

Not as the parcel answer. Reconcile the recorded plat, current survey and later recorded documents with the proposed footprint, easements and improvements.

Can I clear the lot while the house is under review?

Obtain the exact written clearing authorization first. The handbook lists a $2,500 cost-recovery charge for clear-cutting without the required ACC permit, in addition to any ACC tree-replacement requirements.

Does a waterfront lot automatically qualify for a dock?

No. The public rule limits shoreline applications to lots with shoreline privileges shown on recorded plats and describes separate ACC, TVA and Army Corps steps.

What are the current ACC fees?

The public Blue Book points to a fee appendix that is not present in the PDF checked on September 19, 2026. Obtain the current application and complete fee schedule from the ACC for the exact project.