Off-Grid Living in Union County, Tennessee

If you're eyeing raw land in Union County, Tennessee, for an off-grid setup, here's what I found digging through official sources, and where the trail runs cold.

Zoning. Union County has a Planning Commission that administers a zoning resolution and subdivision regulations, and there's a county zoning coordinator you can reach. What I couldn't confirm is whether the county's rules actually restrict simply occupying raw, unimproved land (living in a tent, camper, or vehicle without a permanent structure). That's a question for the Planning Commission directly.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs. I found no Union County-specific page on tiny homes or RV occupancy standards. Tennessee's state baseline uses the 2018 IRC with Appendix Q for site-built tiny homes, and generally treats RVs and tiny homes on wheels as recreational vehicles rather than permanent dwellings. Absent a county rule saying otherwise, I'd assume that baseline applies here, but confirm with the county before you buy a trailer thinking it'll count as your legal residence.

Building permits. This one's clear: Union County requires building permits, and they're issued in person through the Assessor of Property's office, not online. What's murkier is whether Union County enforces the state's residential building code program or has opted out via a vote of the county legislative body, that status wasn't confirmed in a state list I could locate, so ask the Assessor's office or the State Fire Marshal's Codes Enforcement Section directly.

Septic and composting toilets. Tennessee septic systems are permitted through TDEC, the state's Division of Water Resources, usually processed locally through a county environmental health office. I couldn't find Union County's own environmental health webpage, and I noticed some neighboring counties (like Greene) have recently been shifted to apply through TDEC's statewide portal instead of locally. So it's worth asking point-blank: does Union County still process septic applications in-house, or through the state now? Composting toilets would follow the state's NSF 41 standard baseline, no county deviation confirmed.

Greywater. No Union County-specific rule found. Tennessee's baseline plumbing code generally allows subsurface irrigation with a holding tank and filtration, but enforcement statewide is inconsistent, and I have nothing county-specific to add.

Rainwater harvesting. Nothing in Union County restricts this beyond the state baseline, which permits it without much fuss.

Private wells. Wells in Tennessee, including here, fall under the state's Water Well Act and require a licensed driller. No county-specific well ordinance turned up in my research.

Utility disconnection. Most of Union County is unincorporated and rural, which usually means less appetite for mandatory sewer/water hookup rules, but I found nothing confirming that officially. And towns within the county, Maynardville, Luttrell, Plainview, could each have their own municipal utility-connection ordinances that I did not review here.

Bottom line: Union County has real permitting authority (zoning and building permits are confirmed and active), but a lot of the specifics that matter for off-grid living, especially on the dwelling-type and septic-processing questions, need a phone call to confirm.