Off-grid site report

Carroll County, TN

35.9965, -88.4371 · 364 ft elevation

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

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Unclear - verifyNo official Carroll County zoning ordinance, map, or planning commission page was found. Tennessee treats zoning as a largely local function per state guidance, so unincorporated Carroll County may be unzoned or only zoned within towns; confirm directly with the county. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyNo Carroll County ordinance on tiny homes, minimum dwelling size, or RV occupancy was found. State baseline is the 2018 IRC with Appendix Q, but counties can modify or opt out, and this hasn't been confirmed for Carroll County.

Building permits & codes

Varies locallyTennessee's State Fire Marshal's Office runs a State Residential Building Code Enforcement Program for counties that haven't opted out by a two-thirds vote of their legislative body or set up their own local enforcement. Whether Carroll County is in this program, exempt, or self-enforcing was not confirmed; check the SFMO jurisdiction list. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedSeptic systems statewide, including in Carroll County, require a Septic System Construction Permit under Tennessee law (Title 68, Chapter 221, Part 4), administered by TDEC. Whether TDEC handles Carroll County permits directly or through a local health department was not confirmed. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo Carroll County-specific greywater ordinance was found. Follow the Tennessee state plumbing code baseline and confirm any local health department position before installing a system.

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo Carroll County ordinance restricting rainwater collection was found, and Tennessee state law does not restrict it.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedNo Carroll County-specific well ordinance was found. Wells must be drilled by a state-licensed well driller under Tennessee's Water Well Act regardless of county.

Living disconnected from utilities

Varies locallyNo Carroll County ordinance on mandatory utility hookups was found. Electric disconnection is unrestricted statewide; any mandatory water/sewer hookup requirement would come from the specific municipal utility serving a parcel, not the county.

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 5.0 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 3.2 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,361 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 53 in/yr
Snowfall: 4 in/yr
Heating degree days: 3,837 (moderate)
Frost-free season: Apr 4 to Oct 30

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Baptist Memorial Hospital: 2.3 mi
Fire station Atwood Fire Department: 13.6 mi
Hardware store Harbor Freight Tools: 18.6 mi
Grocery Walmart Supercenter: 0.1 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 38344).

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.