Off-grid site report
Cleburne County, AL
33.6482, -85.6297 · 994 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Cleburne County, AL, 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 rulesCleburne County, AL
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Unclear - verifyI couldn't find an official countywide zoning ordinance for Cleburne County, Alabama. Alabama counties generally lack broad zoning authority unless the state legislature grants it, so unincorporated land is likely unregulated, but if you're near a town like Heflin, Edwardsville, Fruithurst, or Ranburne you need to check with that town's clerk directly, since municipalities can and do zone under the state's Municipal Zoning Enabling Act. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Unclear - verifyI found no Cleburne County-specific rule on tiny homes or RVs as dwellings. This isn't confirmed one way or the other, so I'd call the County Commission to ask whether unincorporated areas have any occupancy standard at all.
Building permits & codes
Varies locallyI didn't locate a county building-permit department for unincorporated Cleburne County, so building codes there are not confirmed. Any incorporated town in the county would run its own separate permitting process, so this really varies by whether you're inside town limits. source
Septic & composting toilets
Generally allowedSeptic systems are permitted through the Alabama Department of Public Health's Cleburne County Health Department, which handles onsite sewage permits and complaints as part of ADPH's statewide program. Cleburne County also has a special state local law letting the county health officer accept soil maps and existing data in place of a percolation test in some cases, so ask the health department's Environmental Office about that option. source
Greywater reuse
RestrictedI found no Cleburne County-specific greywater ordinance, so the statewide ADPH greywater rule under the onsite sewage program applies, administered locally through the county Health Department's Environmental Office. source
Rainwater harvesting
Generally allowedNo Cleburne County ordinance restricting rainwater collection turned up in my research, so the state's general allowance for non-potable residential rainwater use appears to apply here unchanged.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedI didn't find a distinct Cleburne County well-permitting office, so private wells appear to be governed by the state's Water Well Standards Act, administered through ADEM and licensed well drillers rather than the county itself.
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo countywide ordinance requiring utility hookups turned up for unincorporated Cleburne County. This would only be a concern inside an incorporated town's limits, and I couldn't confirm any specific town ordinance on this, so ask the town clerk if you're inside city limits. source
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 5.1 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 3.8 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,368 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND
Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 55 in/yr
- Snowfall
- 2 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 3,255 (moderate)
- Frost-free season
- Apr 8 to Oct 31
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center - 11.1 mi
- Fire station
Heflin Fire Department - 2.7 mi
- Hardware store
The Home Depot - 9.4 mi
- Grocery
Family Dollar - 2.4 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 36264).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Cleburne County, AL?The rules above are the jurisdiction. The land check runs the parcel itself: flood zone, soils and septic suitability, wetlands, slope, access, climate, and these verdicts, from a parcel number or coordinates.
Check a parcel →Share or save this report:New report
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 22, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.
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