Off-Grid Living in Sequatchie County, Tennessee

I'll be upfront: Sequatchie County, Tennessee doesn't have a lot of official paperwork online, and that's actually good news for anyone chasing an off-grid life here, as long as you understand where the gaps really are.

Zoning. I could not find a confirmed county-wide zoning ordinance for unincorporated Sequatchie County. Under Tennessee's general planning enabling law, counties can adopt zoning once a planning commission certifies a plan to the county legislative body, but whether Sequatchie County has done that for the unincorporated areas isn't confirmed from what I reviewed. The one solid zoning code I found belongs to the City of Dunlap, and it only applies inside city limits. If your land is outside Dunlap, don't assume you're zoning-free, call the county to be sure.

Dwellings, tiny homes, RVs. The Sequatchie County Assessor's office states plainly that the county does not require building permits. That, combined with no zoning code I could locate, suggests unincorporated land is fairly permissive for unconventional dwellings, tiny homes, and RV living, but I found nothing specifically addressing minimum square footage or RV occupancy rules, so treat that as unconfirmed rather than a green light. Inside Dunlap, the city's building and zoning code governs, so contact City Hall.

Building permits. County-wide, no building permit is required, per the Assessor's office. That said, some utility providers serving the county do require permits for electrical or septic work, so check with your specific electric co-op or septic contractor. Dunlap requires permits within city limits.

Septic. This is where state authority is unavoidable. Sequatchie County runs its own Environmentalist/Division of Water Resources office, which processes septic (SSDS) permits in coordination with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's Chattanooga Field Office. A site evaluation by a TDEC scientist determines what kind of system you need. I found no county exemption for composting toilets, so the state's NSF-41 standard is the baseline to plan around.

Greywater. No Sequatchie-specific greywater rule turned up. Assume the state plumbing code baseline applies and call the county Environmentalist's office to confirm before you build a reuse system.

Rainwater. Nothing in county or state sources restricts rainwater harvesting. This appears permitted.

Wells. Wells are handled at the state level under the Tennessee Water Well Act of 1963, which requires licensed well drillers. No added county well ordinance was found.

Utilities. Off-grid electric disconnection looks unrestricted, and septic is mandatory for any habitable structure under state rules. Near or within Dunlap, city water and sewer service exists, which could bring city connection requirements into play. Power comes from Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, gas from Dunlap Natural Gas System, and phone/internet from Bledsoe Telephone Cooperative, none of which are county government offices.

Bottom line: unincorporated Sequatchie County is loosely regulated on paper, but septic and well work still run through state and county environmental channels, and anything inside Dunlap plays by a different, stricter rulebook.