Off-grid site report
Taylor County, TX
32.4787, -99.7001 · 1,680 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Taylor County, TX, 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 rulesTaylor County, TX
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Unclear - verifyTaylor County has no general zoning; it regulates unincorporated land through subdivision and platting rules instead. Inside a municipality's ETJ, that city's approval process applies. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
Unclear - verifyNo Taylor County ordinance on minimum dwelling size, tiny homes, or RV occupancy was found; this likely defaults to state baseline or city code if inside a municipality/ETJ. Not confirmed at the county level. source
Building permits & codes
Unclear - verifyTaylor County does not issue certificates of occupancy and has no confirmed general building code; its permitting is tied to subdivision platting, roads, drainage, and bonding. source
Septic & composting toilets
Varies locallySeptic systems are regulated under the state's OSSF program through TCEQ, including a possible 10-acre exemption for a single-family home; whether Taylor County itself is the local permitting authority or TCEQ's regional office handles it directly is not confirmed. source
Greywater reuse
Unclear - verifyNo standalone Taylor County or TCEQ greywater program page was found; greywater appears to be handled under the general OSSF/septic rules rather than as its own permit category.
Rainwater harvesting
Generally allowedNo Taylor County restriction on rainwater harvesting was found; it follows the general Texas practice of being allowed, with backflow precautions where also connected to public water.
Private wells & water rights
Unclear - verifyGroundwater in Texas generally follows the rule of capture unless modified by a groundwater conservation district (GCD); Taylor County appears on a TWDB reference map tied to a GCD, but the specific district and its rules were not confirmed from an official source. source
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo blanket Taylor County requirement to connect to electric, water, or sewer utilities for occupancy was found. New subdivisions must show a water-service agreement, but that applies to platting, not necessarily an individual off-grid resident on existing land. source
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 5.9 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 4.7 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,649 kWh
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Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 25 in/yr
- Snowfall
- 5 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 2,558 (mild)
- Frost-free season
- Mar 24 to Nov 12
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Hendrick Medical Center - 2.0 mi
- Fire station
Abilene Fire Station 5 - 0.9 mi
- Hardware store
Lowe's - 0.4 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 79699).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
Looking at a specific parcel in Taylor County, TX?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 21, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.
New here, or not sure where this fits? Start here walks through the whole thing in order.