Off-Grid Living in Robertson County, Tennessee

I've been digging into Robertson County, Tennessee for folks who want to live off-grid or semi-off-grid, and the short version is: this is not a "no zoning, do what you want" rural county. Robertson County has adopted countywide zoning, and it also has its own Private Act governing building permits that overrides the state opt-out other Tennessee counties sometimes use. That combination makes it more regulated than a lot of nearby rural counties, so plan accordingly.

Zoning. The county's Zoning Resolution (administered by the Robertson County Planning Department, revised through 2021) sets up districts like AG-2 agricultural and various residential classes, each with its own setback and use rules. Raw land isn't a blank slate here, if you want to deviate from what's allowed you go through the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. I could not find a Robertson County-specific ordinance addressing tiny houses on wheels or an Appendix Q allowance. The building permit process expects conventional dwelling documentation (square footage, construction plans), and RV/mobile/modular home placement falls under the county's Private Act described below. I'd call this unclear until confirmed with the Planning Department.

Building permits. This is the big one. Under a local Private Act (Private Acts of 1979, Chapter 66), Robertson County requires a building permit from the county Building Commissioner for any new construction, alteration, or the setting of mobile/modular homes, unless you're inside a city with its own permitting. The application needs a site plan showing septic location, a driveway permit from the Highway Department, and a 911 address verification.

Septic. The county requires proof of an actual septic permit or sewer tap receipt before it will issue a building permit. Based on the phone number and portal referenced, this appears to route through the state's TDEC septic program, as has happened in other Tennessee counties. No county-specific composting toilet exemption was found, so the state's general expectation of NSF Standard 41 certification likely applies, confirm with the county before installing anything unconventional.

Greywater. No Robertson County ordinance on this that I found. I'd treat it as inheriting the state's general plumbing code approach, which technically allows subsurface greywater reuse but is inconsistently enforced, so check with the county before you build one.

Rainwater harvesting. No restriction found at the county level, and this follows the generally permissive Tennessee state baseline.

Wells. Common in unincorporated parts of the county. You'll need a letter of intent or receipt from a licensed well driller to satisfy the building permit's water-source documentation, or a tap receipt if you're on a utility district like White House Utility District or West Robertson Water Authority.

Disconnecting from utilities. Grid-electric disconnection isn't restricted. But going fully off municipal water and sewer is complicated in practice, because the county's building permit process wants documented proof of both a water source and a septic/sewer connection before it issues a permit for new construction.

Bottom line: talk to the Planning Department early, before you buy land or start building.