Off-grid site report

Polk County, TN

35.1742, -84.6535 · 742 ft elevation

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

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyPolk County has an adopted countywide Zoning Ordinance administered by the Board of Commissioners, with agricultural/rural-estate districts and a mobile-home overlay; what's allowed depends on the parcel's district.

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

Unclear - verifyNot confirmed specifically for tiny homes or RVs as permanent dwellings; the ordinance addresses a mobile-home overlay district and treats travel trailer parks as conditional uses. Tennessee's state Appendix Q tiny-home allowance is the likely fallback, but confirm with Polk County Planning & Zoning.

Building permits & codes

RestrictedPolk County requires building permits for construction outside municipal limits, per the county's own property assessor page, but does not require blueprints, a Certificate of Occupancy, or a Notice of Completion. A new E-911 address is required before an electrical meter can be installed. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedSeptic permitting is handled by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), not a county health office; Polk County's own site directs residents to TDEC. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo Polk County ordinance or health department guidance on greywater reuse was found; this defaults to the general Tennessee state plumbing code baseline, not confirmed as county-specific. Confirm with TDEC or a local plumbing inspector.

Rainwater harvesting

Generally allowedNo Polk County or Tennessee state restriction on rainwater collection was found in official sources.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedPrivate wells are governed statewide by Tennessee's Water Well Act; no separate Polk County well-permitting office was found, suggesting wells are handled through the state program.

Living disconnected from utilities

Varies locallyLiving off the electric grid is unrestricted, but Polk County requires a new E-911 address before an electrical meter can be installed, per the county's own guidance.

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): 3.7 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,334 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 54 in/yr
Snowfall: 1 in/yr
Heating degree days: 3,646 (moderate)
Frost-free season: Apr 12 to Oct 26

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Bradley Medical Center: 12.2 mi
Fire station Bradley County Fire Station 11: 9.7 mi
Hardware store Curt's Ace Hardware: 4.9 mi
Grocery Piggly Wiggly: 9.4 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 37307).

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.