Off-grid site report

White County, TN

35.9301, -85.4871 · 912 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for White 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 rulesWhite County, TN

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyWhite County's Planning Commission oversees subdivision and road-addition review, per the county's own site, but I found no confirmed comprehensive zoning code from an official county source governing raw-land use outside subdivisions. Confirm with the Planning Commission. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyNo official White County page addresses tiny homes, Appendix Q, or RV occupancy specifically; the Building Inspector references the 2018 IRC generally. This likely falls to state baseline and inspector discretion, so ask directly.

Building permits & codes

Generally allowedWhite County enforces building codes in unincorporated areas under the 2018 IRC, and building/plumbing/mechanical permits are issued by the county's own Building Inspector, with online applications available. source

Septic & composting toilets

Unclear - verifyNo official White County environmental health or septic page was found. Statewide, TDEC's Subsurface Sewage Disposal Program governs septic permits, sometimes through county health departments and sometimes directly through TDEC field offices, and it's not confirmed which model applies here. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo White County-specific greywater ordinance or guidance was found; this defaults to Tennessee's state plumbing code, whose specifics were not confirmed in this research.

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo White County ordinance restricting rainwater collection was found, and Tennessee's state-level stance is generally permissive.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedNo county-specific well restriction was found; wells fall under Tennessee's statewide Water Well Act requiring a licensed driller.

Living disconnected from utilities

Varies locallyNo official White County page mandating utility hookups was found; this inherits an unconfirmed state baseline where electric disconnection is generally unrestricted but water/sewer mandates can depend on local availability.

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): 3.4 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,314 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 54 in/yr
Snowfall: 6 in/yr
Heating degree days: 3,730 (moderate)
Frost-free season: Apr 18 to Oct 20

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital: 1.4 mi
Fire station Sparta Fire Station No. 3: 0.7 mi
Hardware store The Home Depot: 14.2 mi
Grocery Walmart Supercenter: 0.2 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 38583).

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.