Off-grid site report

Coffee County, TN

35.4549, -86.0456 · 1,066 ft elevation
Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Coffee 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 rulesCoffee County, TN

Zoning & raw-land occupancy
RestrictedCoffee County has a countywide Planning Commission and zoning resolution administered by the county's Codes Department, so this is not a no-zoning county; rules differ again inside Manchester and Tullahoma city limits, which run their own zoning. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Unclear - verifyThe county enforces adopted ICC residential codes (with local amendments like retaining the 2009 Energy Code) rather than a specific tiny-home or RV-as-dwelling ordinance; whether tiny homes or RVs used as permanent residences get separate treatment is not confirmed, so ask the Codes Department directly. source
Building permits & codes
RestrictedCoffee County requires building permits and actively enforces its adopted ICC codes countywide through its Codes Department and Building Inspector, unlike counties that opt out of code enforcement. source
Septic & composting toilets
RestrictedSeptic systems are governed by Tennessee state law (Title 68, Chapter 221, Part 4) and administered by TDEC, which now handles applications directly online rather than through the county health department; no Coffee County dry-cabin exemption was found. source
Greywater reuse
Unclear - verifyNo Coffee County-specific greywater ordinance was found, so this defers to the Tennessee state plumbing code baseline, which allows subsurface irrigation greywater reuse under certain conditions; confirm specifics with the county Codes Department.
Rainwater harvesting
Generally allowedNo Coffee County ordinance restricting rainwater collection was found, so this follows the Tennessee state baseline, which allows rainwater harvesting statewide without a general collection restriction.
Private wells & water rights
Generally allowedPrivate wells are permitted and common in Coffee County under the statewide Tennessee Water Well Act, which requires a licensed well driller; no additional county-level well permitting was found beyond the state program.
Living disconnected from utilities
Varies locallyElectric disconnection is unrestricted, but water and sewer disconnection depends on whether a property sits inside the service area of a utility district such as the Bluff City Water & Wastewater Treatment Authority or Tullahoma Utilities Authority, which may expect mandatory connection; outside those areas, off-grid water/sewer via well and septic is workable. source

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average
4.9 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
3.5 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
1,386 kWh
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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation
56 in/yr
Heating degree days
4,064 (moderate)
Frost-free season
Apr 17 to Oct 21

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital
Unity Medical Center
3.5 mi
Fire station
Arnold Air Force Base Fire Station
4.8 mi
Hardware store
The Home Depot
0.2 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 37349).

Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt

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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.