Off-grid site report

Fentress County, TN

36.4268, -84.9238 · 1,729 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Fentress County, TN, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Rules change, and the deciding facts on any specific parcel (setbacks, perc results, overlay districts, deed restrictions, road frontage) live at the county or town office, not in any database. Before you buy land or build, confirm the current rules directly with the local zoning and health offices - the sources on this page tell you exactly who to call.

The local rulesFentress County, TN

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyFentress County government states it has no zoning regulations or building permit requirements in the unincorporated county, but zoning applies and permits are required inside the City of Jamestown. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Varies locallyNo local rules govern tiny homes or RVs in the unincorporated county beyond deed restrictions and state law; Jamestown's specific stance on tiny homes/RVs was not confirmed from an official city source. source

Building permits & codes

Varies locallyNo building permits are required in unincorporated Fentress County per the county's own page, but permits are required inside Jamestown city limits. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedSeptic systems are permitted through TDEC's statewide On-Site Sewage Program, with the Fentress County Health Department serving as the local point of contact; no local composting-toilet exemption was confirmed. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo Fentress County-specific greywater ordinance or policy was found; the state plumbing code baseline likely applies, but this is not confirmed locally, so ask the county health department.

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo county ordinance restricting rainwater harvesting was found; Tennessee's state baseline permits collection without known local restriction.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedPrivate wells are legal under Tennessee's statewide Water Well Act and must use a state-licensed driller; many residents instead use the Fentress County Utility District's public water supply.

Living disconnected from utilities

Varies locallyNo county ordinance was found requiring connection to electric, water, or sewer in unincorporated Fentress County; Jamestown or utility-district-served areas may have their own connection expectations. source

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 4.8 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 3.7 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,325 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 56 in/yr
Snowfall: 18 in/yr
Heating degree days: 4,571 (moderate)

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital The Medical Center at Albany: 22.4 mi
Fire station Fire Station 1: 0.5 mi
Hardware store King's Tru-Value: 0.5 mi
Grocery Walmart Supercenter: 0.1 mi

From OpenStreetMap. Road miles will be longer, often much longer in hill country.

Plan this spot

These open with this location's real numbers already filled in (ZIP 38556).

Size a solar system Heat loss & insulation Firewood per winter Rainwater harvest Garden size Panel tilt

Sources: US Census Bureau geocoder; NLR PVWatts v8 (solar); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 climate normals (nearest station) or Open-Meteo (ZIP-centroid) for weather; Open-Elevation; OpenStreetMap contributors. Public data retrieved Aug 21, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.