Off-grid site report

Pickett County, TN

36.5559, -84.7963 · 1,545 ft elevation

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

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Unclear - verifyNo official Pickett County zoning ordinance or planning department page was found. Tennessee county zoning is optional under state law (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 13, Chapter 7), and many rural counties have none. Confirm directly with the county. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyNo Pickett County ordinance on tiny homes, RVs, or Appendix Q was found. Absent local rules, the state's IRC-based residential code framework applies by default.

Building permits & codes

Varies locallyTennessee counties without their own adopted residential code (via two-thirds vote of the county legislative body) fall under the State Fire Marshal's Office for code enforcement; no evidence Pickett County has opted out. Detached non-living structures and manufactured home placement (without added site work) don't need a state permit. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedSeptic permitting statewide is run by TDEC under Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-221-403, sometimes delegated to county health departments and sometimes handled directly by TDEC. It's not confirmed which model applies in Pickett County, so call TDEC or the county to find out. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo official Pickett County or health department guidance on greywater reuse was found; state plumbing code would apply by default.

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo Pickett County or Tennessee state restriction on rainwater collection was found in this research.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedWells must be drilled by a state-licensed water well driller under the Tennessee Water Well Act. Which water utility district, if any, serves a given parcel is not confirmed; check with the Comptroller's utility contacts office. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Varies locallyNo Pickett County ordinance mandating hookup to water or sewer was found. Electric disconnection is unrestricted statewide; any mandatory-connection rule would more likely come from a town like Byrdstown or a utility district, not confirmed either way. 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 Big South Fork Medical Center: 16.0 mi
Fire station Fire Station 11 - Sharp / Alticrest: 3.9 mi
Hardware store King's Tru-Value: 11.6 mi
Grocery Walmart Supercenter: 11.4 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 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.