Off-grid site report

Rhea County, TN

35.4589, -85.0465 · 850 ft elevation

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

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyRhea County has no countywide zoning ordinance after repeatedly rejecting it, so unincorporated land is unregulated by county zoning. But Dayton, Spring City, and Graysville each enforce their own municipal zoning codes, so check with the specific town if your parcel is inside city limits. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyNo official Rhea County ordinance addressing tiny homes, THOWs, or RV occupancy standards was found; claims about Appendix Q adoption are not confirmed. Confirm directly with the county Assessor's or building office.

Building permits & codes

RestrictedRhea County requires a building permit under a county private act, issued by the Assessor of Property, but the county has no adopted building code and dropped its building inspector role in 1995 for lack of enforcement power. Incorporated towns enforce their own separate building codes. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedSeptic systems follow the Tennessee TDEC Subsurface Sewage Disposal Program, with the Rhea County Health Department handling local permits, site evaluations, and inspections. No county-specific composting toilet exemption was found. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo Rhea County-specific ordinance or health department guidance on greywater reuse was found; the state baseline plumbing code applies until confirmed locally.

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo Rhea County ordinance restricts rainwater collection; the state baseline allows unrestricted non-potable rainwater harvesting.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedPrivate wells remain legal under the state Water Well Act baseline, though parcels inside a chartered utility district's service area, like the North Utility District of Rhea County, may have separate connection expectations set by that district's own board. source

Living disconnected from utilities

Varies locallyNo county ordinance mandates connection to electric or gas utilities. Water connection and tap fee rules are set independently by local utility districts such as the North Utility District of Rhea County for parcels in their service area. 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): 3.6 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,330 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 56 in/yr
Snowfall: 3 in/yr
Heating degree days: 3,793 (moderate)
Frost-free season: Apr 8 to Oct 28

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Rhea Medical Center: 6.1 mi
Fire station Dayton Fire Department: 2.8 mi
Hardware store Lowe's: 0.6 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 37321).

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.