Off-Grid Living in DeKalb County, Tennessee

I've been digging into DeKalb County, Tennessee for anyone thinking about going off-grid out there, and here's the honest picture based on what's publicly confirmed.

Zoning: DeKalb County has no countywide zoning. The county's own site states plainly that DeKalb "does not have zoning at this time." That's good news if you're eyeing raw land in the unincorporated county, since there's no county-level land-use restriction to fight. But the towns inside the county, Smithville, Alexandria, Dowelltown, and Liberty, may run their own planning and zoning, so check before assuming county-wide freedom applies inside a town.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs: DeKalb adopted the State of Tennessee Building Codes back in 2011. I found no county ordinance addressing tiny houses on wheels or RVs as permanent dwellings specifically, so this defaults to state code and possibly town rules if you're inside city limits. Confirm directly with the county Building Department before you commit to any unconventional dwelling.

Building permits: This one's a bit layered. The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's office says a state residential building permit (through the state's CORE online system) is required for construction in the unincorporated parts of DeKalb County. Separately, the county's own Building Department references the 2021 IRC and county code for permit rules, and there's been talk locally of DeKalb formalizing its own building-inspector program. Bottom line: call the county Building Department to find out whether your project runs through the state CORE system, the county inspector, or both.

Septic: Septic systems are regulated at the state level by TDEC under Tennessee's Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems law. I didn't find a distinct DeKalb County environmental health office; septic questions route through the county Building Department and TDEC's rules. No composting-toilet exemption was found for DeKalb, so the state's NSF Standard 41 baseline applies.

Greywater: No DeKalb-specific ordinance turned up. This inherits the state plumbing code baseline, and enforcement specifics aren't confirmed, so check with the Building Department before installing a system.

Rainwater: No restriction found at county or state level. Tennessee is permissive on rainwater collection, and DeKalb has no local rule cutting against that.

Wells: Private wells are permitted, drilled by a state-licensed well driller under Tennessee's Water Well Act. DeKalb doesn't appear to add its own layer on top. If you'd rather hook into piped water, DeKalb Utility District and DeWhite Utility District both serve parts of the county.

Off-grid utility disconnection: No ordinance requiring hookup to electric, water, or sewer was found. Going off the electric grid looks unrestricted; water and sewer independence depends on your septic setup and how close you are to a utility district's lines.

Take all of this as a starting map, not a final word, DeKalb's rules lean on the state more than most counties, so a phone call to the county Building Department will save you guesswork.