Off-Grid Living in Lewis County, Tennessee
Unincorporated Lewis County, Tennessee has no building department and no countywide zoning, so structures of any kind go up without a county permit, but state law still requires a TDEC-permitted septic system and licensed well work. Hohenwald city limits impose their own separate zoning and building requirements.
Is it legal to live off-grid in Lewis County, Tennessee?
There is no outright ban on living off-grid in Lewis County, Tennessee - it is generally possible. Zoning and land use are set locally and vary by area, putting a cabin, tiny home, or RV on raw land is generally allowed, and building permits are set locally and vary by area. Plan around septic/wastewater (restricted) and disconnecting from utilities (set locally and vary by area). Because these rules are set locally, confirm the specifics with Lewis County before you buy land or build.
The verdict for Lewis County
- Zoning: Varies locally
- Dwellings, tiny homes: Generally allowed
- Building permits: Varies locally
- Septic: Restricted
- Greywater reuse: Unclear - verify
- Rainwater harvesting: Generally allowed
- Private wells: Generally allowed
- Living disconnected from utilities: Varies locally
Lewis County at a glance
Who to call in Lewis County
- Zoning Lewis County Government - Zoning page
- Building permits City of Hohenwald Building/Codes Enforcer (Brad Rasbury) (931) 796-2231
- Septic and health TDEC Environmental Field Office
- Wells and water TDEC Division of Water Resources
Offices named on official pages during research. Phone numbers appear only when the official page showed one; confirm hours and jurisdiction before you drive out.
I dig into off-grid rules county by county, and Lewis County, Tennessee is one of the more permissive spots I've researched, mostly because of what's missing rather than what's spelled out.
The big picture: Lewis County Government plainly states it does not have a building and codes department and doesn't employ anyone for that purpose. That's a direct quote from the county's own zoning page. So outside the city limits of Hohenwald (the county's only incorporated town), there's no countywide zoning ordinance and no building permit requirement for structures of any size or use, residential or commercial. If you're eyeing raw land in unincorporated Lewis County, that's about as close to "build what you want" as it gets in Tennessee, at least on paper.
Inside Hohenwald, it's a different story. The city has its own zoning and building requirements, administered separately from the county, and you'd need to contact the city (Building/Codes Enforcer Brad Rasbury) before doing anything there.
Where state law still reaches in: even though the county doesn't police construction, Tennessee state law (TCA) requires a proper septic system for any residence or building, and that's enforced through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), not a county health office. Lewis County has nothing of its own on this, it's purely a state requirement administered through TDEC's Environmental Field Office network and the state's online septic portal. There's no dry-cabin or composting-toilet exemption I could confirm, so if you're putting up a permanent dwelling, expect to deal with TDEC on wastewater regardless of county permitting gaps.
Wells are also entirely a state matter. The Tennessee Water Well Act of 1963 requires licensed well drillers and pump installers, administered by TDEC's Division of Water Resources. I found no separate Lewis County well permitting office, it all runs through the state.
Greywater and rainwater harvesting are murkier. I couldn't find any Lewis County-specific ordinance on either, which means these fall back to the general state plumbing code framework. Rainwater collection for non-potable use appears unrestricted, but greywater enforcement details aren't confirmed at the local level, so I'd call the state or TDEC field office to be sure before setting up a reuse system.
Bottom line: unincorporated Lewis County offers a lot of freedom on structures and zoning, but the state still requires proper septic and licensed well work. Hohenwald city limits are a whole different regulatory world.
Lewis County in numbers
- Worst-month sun
- 3.7 peak hours/day (5.0 annual average)
- Heating degree days
- 3,686
- Precipitation / snow
- 51.21 in / 5.5 in a year
- Frost-free season
- 04-05 to 11-04
- Elevation
- 827 ft
- Hospital
- Fort Loudoun Medical Center · 13.3 mi
- Fire station
- City of Loudon Fire Department · 10.6 mi
- Supermarket
- Food Lion · 5.9 mi
- Hardware
- Sloan's Hometown Hardware · 5.7 mi
Open the full site report for this spot →
30-year climate normals for the nearest ZIP and distances from the town center; a specific parcel will differ. Run the site report on an address for its own numbers.
Sources
Primary sources (statutes, agencies, municipal documents)
- Zoning & Comprehensive Plan Maps - Lewis County GIS maps.lewiscountywa.gov
- Planning & Codes - City of Lewisburg, TN www.lewisburgtn.gov
- Planning, Zoning, Permits, Municipal Code - City of Lewisburg, TN lewisburgtn.gov
- Lewis County Permits (Tennessee) www.countypermit.org
- Loudon County, Tennessee Planning and Codes Enforcement planningandcodes.loudoncounty-tn.gov
- Septic Service Request tdec.tn.gov
- Search for Septic Tank Permits tdec.tn.gov
- Well Water www.tn.gov
- DWR Permits in TN - TDEC Dataviewers dataviewers.tdec.tn.gov
- DWR Permits in TN - TDEC Dataviewers - TN.gov dataviewers.tdec.tn.gov
- Division of Water Resources www.tn.gov
- IR on TBL_WELLS_LICENSES - TDEC Dataviewers - TN.gov dataviewers.tdec.tn.gov
- https://tdec.tn.gov/septic tdec.tn.gov
Secondary sources (universities, regional bodies)
- Planning and Zoning | Zoning | MTAS - Serving Tennessee City Officials www.mtas.tennessee.edu
Only government, statute, municipal, university, and regional-planning sources are listed. Pages used to find an issue but not to substantiate it are not cited. See how this database is researched.
Live here? Help keep Lewis County accurate.
Residents, landowners, builders, and town officials: confirm what is right or tell me what is wrong. Every note is checked before it appears. Two minutes, no account.
FAQ
Common questions about off-grid living in Lewis County
Is it legal to live off-grid in Lewis County, Tennessee?
There is no outright ban on living off-grid in Lewis County, Tennessee - it is generally possible. Zoning and land use are set locally and vary by area, putting a cabin, tiny home, or RV on raw land is generally allowed, and building permits are set locally and vary by area. Plan around septic/wastewater (restricted) and disconnecting from utilities (set locally and vary by area). Because these rules are set locally, confirm the specifics with Lewis County before you buy land or build.
Do I need a building permit to put up a cabin or tiny home in Lewis County, TN?
Not if you're outside Hohenwald city limits. Lewis County's own zoning page states the county has no building and codes department and doesn't require permits for structures of any size or use. Inside Hohenwald, the city has its own requirements you'd need to check on.
Can I use a composting toilet instead of a septic system?
I found no dry-cabin or composting-toilet exemption. State law (TCA) requires a proper septic system for residences, enforced by TDEC rather than any Lewis County office, so plan on going through the state's septic permitting process.
Is drilling my own well legal in Lewis County?
Wells are governed entirely by state law, the Tennessee Water Well Act of 1963, which requires a licensed driller. There's no separate county well office; TDEC's Division of Water Resources handles this statewide.
What about rainwater collection or reusing greywater?
Rainwater harvesting for non-potable use appears unrestricted and falls under general state baseline rules. Greywater is less clear, no Lewis County-specific rule was found, so it defaults to the state plumbing code and is worth confirming directly with TDEC.